Cypress Point Club
Alister MacKenzie, working with Robert Hunter, completed Cypress Point in 1928 on a spectacular run of Monterey coastline. A par 72 of about 6,500 yards, it is regarded by many as the most beautiful golf course on earth and sits permanently near the top of the world rankings. Membership is tiny and access is among the most exclusive in golf.
Photo via Google, contributed by Brad Frey.
The verdict
Cypress Point is Alister MacKenzie's coastal masterpiece, completed in 1928 with Robert Hunter on a property that moves from dunes to forest to bare rock above the Pacific. It is the course MacKenzie built shortly before Augusta National, and many architects consider it his finest. The routing flows so naturally that the famous closing stretch along the ocean feels inevitable rather than designed.
Our verdict: if golf has a single most beautiful course, this is the consensus choice, and the design is every bit the equal of the scenery. The back to back par 3 fifteenth and par 3 sixteenth, the latter carrying the Pacific, are among the most photographed holes in the game. Access is the catch. Cypress Point is intensely private with a small membership, so a round here is a rare privilege rather than a bookable tee time. It anchors any list of the world's greats, including our best of the Monterey Peninsula.
Cypress Point Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1928
- Designer
- Alister MacKenzie, Robert Hunter
- Type
- Coastal dunes and forest
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,500 yds
- Green fee
- Private members
Designer, opening year and par verified June 2026 from Cypress Point Club history and leading course databases: Alister MacKenzie with Robert Hunter, first round 1928, par 72, playing to about 6,500 yards. Cypress Point is a private members club with a very small membership and no public access or published green fee. Any visit is by member invitation only, so always confirm arrangements directly well in advance.
The holes worth the trip
Cypress Point unfolds in three movements. It begins gently inland, threads through towering sand dunes around the famous par 5 ninth and tenth, then bursts onto the coast for a finish that has no equal. MacKenzie's genius was variety: the course never repeats itself, and every hole has a clear strategic question beneath the beauty.
The heart of the round is the closing coastal stretch. The short par 3 fifteenth plays across an inlet to a green set in the rocks, and the par 3 sixteenth follows with a heroic carry over the open Pacific to a green on a promontory, one of the boldest one shot holes ever built. The par 4 seventeenth then bends along the cliff with cypress trees in the line, a thrilling, awkward beauty.
What lifts Cypress Point above mere spectacle is how playable and natural it feels. The greens are subtle, the bunkering artful, and the whole property sits lightly on the land. It belongs in the same conversation as Spyglass Hill next door and the rest of the peninsula's treasures, yet it stands a little apart from them all.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members club; play is by member invitation only, with no public access and no visitor tee times |
| Green fee | No published public green fee; the club is private and does not sell rounds (any guest arrangement is through a member) |
| Booking | There is no public booking route; a round depends entirely on a personal invitation from a member |
| On the day | Walking with caddies is the tradition on a compact, natural routing; etiquette and discretion are expected |
| Getting there | On 17 Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula, neighboring Pebble Beach, about 2 hours south of San Francisco |
| Best months | Spring and autumn bring the calmest, clearest coastal conditions; fog and wind are possible at any time of year |
Access verified June 2026. Cypress Point is one of the most private clubs in the world; there is no public play and no published fee, so any visit must be arranged through a member well in advance.
Where to stay nearby
Because Cypress Point sits on 17 Mile Drive beside Pebble Beach, visiting golfers fortunate enough to secure a round base in the same area: the Pebble Beach Resorts hotels, or the inns and hotels of Carmel by the Sea and Monterey a few minutes away. The setting is the densest cluster of elite golf in the country.
Even without access to Cypress Point itself, the Monterey Peninsula is one of the world's great golf bases, and an ideal region to build a trip around. Pair the public peninsula courses with Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz, MacKenzie's other Northern California gem, for a fuller picture of his work.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Cypress Point Club.
Plan a Monterey Peninsula golf trip
Cypress Point is private and not bookable, but we build trips around the best of the Monterey Peninsula, from Pebble Beach to Spyglass Hill, and arrange the lodging around them. Tell us when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head.
Cypress Point Club questions
Who designed Cypress Point and when did it open?
Cypress Point was designed by Alister MacKenzie with Robert Hunter, and the first round was played in 1928 on the Monterey Peninsula coast in California.
What is the par and length of Cypress Point?
Cypress Point is a par 72 playing to about 6,500 yards, famous for a coastal closing stretch that includes the par 3 sixteenth carrying the open Pacific Ocean.
Can visitors play Cypress Point?
No. Cypress Point is an intensely private members club with no public access and no published green fee. A round is possible only by personal invitation from a member.
Where does Cypress Point rank?
Cypress Point is consistently rated among the very best courses in the world and is widely described as the most beautiful golf course on earth.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year and par verified June 2026; access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.