Alister MacKenzie's seaside masterpiece on the Monterey Peninsula — often cited by architecture purists as the most beautiful golf course on Earth.
About the Course
Cypress Point Club opened in 1928 and remains a small, intensely private club. Many critics rank it ahead of even Pine Valley and Augusta National. The course flows through cypress forest, sand dunes, and the rocky Pacific coast, ending with one of the most photographed sequences in golf at holes 15, 16, and 17.
History
Marion Hollins recruited Alister MacKenzie to design the course after his work at Pasatiempo. It hosted the Bing Crosby Pro-Am rotation from 1947 to 1990. The 16th hole, a 231-yard par 3 over the ocean, is widely considered the most dramatic hole in golf.
Signature Features
Three holes in a row hugging the Pacific (15, 16, 17), the cathedral-like cypress forest on the inland holes, and natural dune transitions designed by MacKenzie.
Notable Events & Championships
Walker Cup matches and the Crosby Pro-Am rotation. Cypress Point famously withdrew from the AT&T rotation in 1990.