Tours and Reviews

With very few exceptions, it has always been the case that the very great European courses such as Sunningdale, St Andrews, Royal St Georges and Valderrama are accessible to the average golfer, (albeit at some cost) whilst the vast majority of private North American clubs are very much out of bounds unless invited by a member. This has created a mystique about many of these courses and very near the top of those that hold the most cachet is the wonderful Cypress Point golf club, located on the Monterey  peninsula.

Built in 1928,  the genius of Dr Alister Mackenzie may be unsurpassed in his creation of Cypress Point Golf Club, but even he admitted that a most extraordinary piece of geography played a crucial role in the success of his design.  Many TV viewers will be familiar with the beauty of the Monterey region and 17 mile drive through countless years of televised golf at Pebble Beach, but Cypress Point combines the spectacular rocky coastline with a valley of dune and sand, as well as a majestic walk through a line of huge pine and oak trees. This splendid swath of sand, tree and rocky headland also make the course so spacious there are only a few holes where it is possible to be in a fairway other than your own.

The guardians of this legendary golf course are undoubtedly privacy seeking men of stature , reputation and wealth, but they love their golf course, and our host seemed genuinely pleased to be able to show the Mackenzie masterpiece to three keen golfers who were inspired to play some respectable golf on a day which began with a “drogh mist” and ended with sunshine and a strong wind.

No range finders are permitted at Cypress. Given that caddies accompany every player it is not only refreshing to play the game in the style of bygone ages, it would be disrespectful to the caddie to start quoting yardages when the wind,  elevation and slope make simple distance irrelevant.  There are no yardage markers and indeed this too is by design, adding to the pure experience of Cypress golf.  It is no coincidence that these visitors played reasonable golf when you consider that each one was accompanied by a professional caddy of more than 25 years experience at the same course.

For the first timer, a charming start to what must be the most eagerly anticipated and nerve wracking tee shot, begins, somewhat unusually, with a drive over a  hedge. A receptive fairway slightly downhill leads to a long challenging approach to a rising green that slopes severely towards you. Your correspondent hit his approach to a few feet, for a few seconds, only to be left with a 25 foot uphill putt.   Almost immediately one is given a taste of what Dr. Mackenzie strives to do at many of his golf courses: allow an average shot to reach the green, but only a perfect shot to reward with a birdie.

The bunkers at Cypress are large, with irregular borders and natural edging. By design Mackenzie’s experience as a camouflage expert during the 1st war lent itself to a feature where many of the holes have fairway bunkers which are only visible from the tee and not the green. This will give you an indication of the severity of the faces in these hazards, which are perfectly positioned to catch wayward shots but rarely penalize good ones, which is certainly not the case at many of the punishing Scottish links, notably The Old Course.

The front nine has many excellent holes but the par 3 7th is a gem. Ranging in length from around 150 to 175 yards, an elevated tee may trick you into playing insufficient club to an elevated green which slopes severely toward you and to the right. It is essential to play enough club to get deep into the green otherwise your approach may roll back into one of three bunkers lying below and to the right.

Not a long course, which relies on wind and fast undulating greens for protection, there are plenty of shorter par 4s to be found and an excellent example is the dog leg 8th.  A visually intimidating hole, where the line of tee shot over the side of a huge sandy dune is more important than length, you must trust your caddie who by now should be able to pick your line.  You will be left with a short uphill approach to a many tiered green which requires good execution. The back right of the green cannot be more than 8 feet square and no pin location is easy on this many tiered green which is reminiscent of a three tiered pastry dish.

The ninth is a drivable par 4 with a shallow sloping green and the entire 298 yards is surrounded by dunes and grasses.  Even for those who can drive the green there is such a low chance of driving the ball to a position below the flag it is better to leave a full wedge without spin to make your birdie.

The two back to back par fives on the front nine may be reached in two by the longer player, much depending on the direction of the ever present wind. The 5th requires a good drive and a perfect second over a valley to a green well above and you would be well advised to find the plateau some 110 yards fromt the green from your third rather than going for a very high risk second shot at the green.  In contrast, the 6th plays downhill and direction is more important than perfection as the fairway and approach gather the ball toward your target. However, the greens at the end of these holes are challenging and the sixth particularly is very small while both have false fronts which make it possible to putt some distance off the green should you be too aggressive on a putt back down to a front pin.

The 11th and 12th, respectively the 4th and 2nd Index holes can be very difficult as they are long and are crowned with difficult, well bunkered greens.  If you cannot reach in two, ensure you leave a simple pitch and run from in front of the green as left, right and long are very tricky. The right of the 12th fairway and green is sand scrub and sage bush and a good lie is rare.

The 14th is a magnificent hole which bends to the right and is protected by a cypress tree of Middle Earth proportions. It’s huge branches have drooped and re-rooted over hundreds of years creating a mass of twisted branches over 60 feet wide. Should your tee shot drift to the right, which is aided by a fairway which cambers in the same direction toward the ocean, you will be asked to play over the tree, and onlookers from 17 mile drive risk their own accident whilst awaiting yours.

Now begins the legendary finish, which may strike fear into those who have already succumbed to the many challenges of the first 14 holes. The lesser known 15th may be the finest par 3 in the world. Playing over a deep canyon full of waves and rugged rocks, the hole plays from a variety of tees leaving a distance of anywhere from 100 to 150 yards, but only the wind and pin position are relevant.  Trust your caddie, and play your best shot here, for a missed approach to this trefoil shaped green will probably lead to a double or worse.

Leaving the green, you have a short walk through wind ravaged small cypress trees bent in every which direction that open to reveal a cliffside tee above the ocean.  This both shocks and delights as you survey the horizon for your target across a chasm of blue pacific water thundering below. Your first sensation, and there can only be one first time as in all things of pleasure, is a spectacular feeling in your stomach .  Now you consider whether the feat is possible as you discuss the task with your caddie.  Once again, he will be honest with you, and in our case, advised that it was possible, but very challenging given that the wind was in and from the left.  Not a good direction given that short right of the green is ocean.   Beyond and to the left of the green is a sandy beach some 50 feet below. If your tee sheet is a little long you can expect to find your ball down there, and whilst a shot from here is possible, it would require some very fine skill to find the putting surface. Interestingly, therebis a little more room beyond the green, which is some 30 yards deep. Don’t be afraid then to use more club than you think, and since the lay up is almost as difficult as the direct approach, the advice is to go for it if you believe you have the skill.

The 17th tee is on the headland beyond the 16th green and your drive is across the ocean to a fairway which runs at an angle to your drive.  The further right your tee shot the more you must carry.  Particularly if the wind is not favourable,  it makes sense to try and drive the ball well to the left as your approach will then be with a less lofted club and so less affected by the wind. Wherever you drive your tee shot, you must now negotiate a stand of wind ravaged cypress which stand as sentries some 100 yards in front of the green. If this is not challenging enough, the green lies beyond a cliff of sheer rock down to the ocean below.  There is a small alleyway to approach from the left but for most approaches you must fly the ball the entire way.  The green is fair and flatter than many. A par here is a diamond found and  it would not surprise if the 17th were in all our Top 18 golf holes.  It is truly a masterpiece.

As you turn for home, the 18th appears as a sea of cypress trees with an invisible fairway. A short tee shot, most likely with an iron or rescue club, must be placed far enough to avoid the dog leg, but not so far as to go through the fairway at about 220 yards. You are now faced with a short iron or wedge up to the steepest part of the golf course, to a very severe green which slopes towards you and it is imperative to stay below the pin. Some would say the 18th is the least dramatic of all the holes at Cypress, but it calls for two perfect golf shots and a well executed putt. It has no doubt decided many a match, and is a fair finish to a very difficult closing quartet of holes.  As you make your way toward the elegant clubhouse, it is unlikely you will have played a better course in all the world and any score approaching your handicap is a fine achievement.

Don’t expect a clubhouse of grandiose proportions. This modest structure reminds you of the understated nature of the iconic building at Augusta. Inside, the ticking of a stately clock might be the only sound you hear as you study numerous golfing treasures that hang unchanged on walls, modestly awaiting an admirer who might whisper ” Bobby Jones was here”.  It is likely that Dr. Mackenzie and Mr. Jones made their momentous agreement about his appointment to design Augusta National during or after a round together at Cypress Point.  Mackenzie wrote several tenets on the fundamentals of course design in his famous book on Golf Course architecture, but the one that stands out for me is that “A course should not only be a good test of golf, but also a source of pleasure to all classes of players.” Cypress Point is the finest example of his beliefs and continues to influence architects the world over. But they will never have the luck to work on a piece of land as spectacular as this.