Cypress Point Club

Cypress Point Club stands as one of golf's most revered and exclusive destinations, a private sanctuary perched on the dramatic coastline of Pebble Beach, California. Founded in 1928 through the vision of Marion Hollins, former National Women's Golf Champion, and Samuel Morse of Del Monte Properties Company, the club was conceived as an intimate retreat for golf devotees in what Morse described as 'the most unique and beautiful setting imaginable.' The course officially opened for its first round on August 11, 1928, with the George Washington Smith-designed clubhouse following two years later on September 20, 1930.

Designed by the legendary Alister MacKenzie in collaboration with Robert Hunter, Cypress Point represents MacKenzie at the height of his considerable powers. The Scottish architect, fresh from his revolutionary work at Augusta National, was given arguably the most spectacular piece of golf real estate ever developed. The 6,536-yard layout showcases MacKenzie's genius for working with natural terrain, as the course seamlessly transitions from coastal dunes through the enchanting Del Monte forest before emerging onto the rocky Pacific coastline for a breathtaking finish.

The course's routing is masterful in its variety and flow. The front nine ventures into the mystical Monterey cypress and pine forest, where towering trees create cathedral-like corridors and dappled sunlight filters through the canopy. Players navigate through this sylvan setting on holes carved naturally into the landscape, with strategic bunkering and subtle green complexes that reward precision and course management. MacKenzie boldly broke conventional design rules by incorporating back-to-back par-5s on both the front and back nines, creating unique strategic challenges that set Cypress Point apart from traditional layouts.

The signature hole, and arguably the most famous par-3 in golf, is the 16th—a 233-yard oceanside masterpiece that Golf Digest named America's Greatest Hole in 2024. This hole epitomizes heroic golf design, with both tee and green perched precariously close to the cliff-crashing Pacific. The hole demands a 230-yard carry over churning ocean waters to reach a peninsula green guarded by strategic bunkers and native ice plant. Into the prevailing wind, the direct route becomes nearly impossible, forcing players to consider bail-out strategies while being seduced by the dramatic all-or-nothing shot.

The 17th hole continues the oceanside drama as another spectacular par-4 that hugs the coastline, where the Pacific Ocean creates an unforgettable backdrop while coastal winds add significant challenge to club selection and shot execution. The small greens throughout the course require pinpoint accuracy, leaving little margin for error in approach shots.

Cypress Point's exclusivity is legendary—the club maintains just 250 members, making it one of the most selective golf clubs in the world. Non-members can only play by invitation, and even then, such invitations are extraordinarily rare. This exclusivity has preserved the course's pristine condition and intimate atmosphere, maintaining what members describe as a refreshingly unpretentious West Coast vibe despite its status as golfing holy ground.

From 1947 to 1990, Cypress Point served as one of the venues for the PGA Tour's Bing Crosby Pro-Am (later the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am), bringing the course into living rooms across America and cementing its reputation among golf's elite venues. The tournament featured memorable moments from legends like Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Tom Watson, who created magic along the clifftop holes that define the course's character.

The course record of 63 is shared by several players, including the great Ben Hogan and Jim Langley, among others—a testament to how even the world's finest golfers are challenged by MacKenzie's strategic design and the course's demanding conditions. More recently, Texas sophomore Kramer Hickok equaled this mark during a practice round for the 2018 Stanford Classic.

Weather plays a crucial role in the Cypress Point experience. The coastal Pacific climate brings significant wind influence that can transform the course from benign to brutal within hours. Morning fog often shrouds the layout in mystery, while afternoon winds can make club selection a constantly shifting puzzle. The course's position on the Monterey Peninsula at 80 feet of elevation exposes it to the full force of Pacific weather systems.

Cypress Point consistently ranks among the world's finest courses, holding the #2 position on GOLF Magazine's Top 100 World Rankings and #3 on Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest. Top100GolfCourses.com has ranked it #1 in the United States, recognition that speaks to both its architectural brilliance and the power of its incomparable setting.

What makes Cypress Point truly unique is how MacKenzie's genius design philosophy merged perfectly with an extraordinary piece of land. The course feels more like nature's own creation than a man-made construct, with each hole flowing naturally into the landscape. The diverse routing—from forest cathedral to windswept dunes to dramatic oceanside cliffs—creates an almost spiritual golf experience that has moved players and architects for nearly a century. It remains not just a golf course, but a masterpiece where the greatest golf architecture meets the most spectacular coastal scenery in the world.