Cypress Point
Alister MacKenzie routed Cypress Point in 1928 on the wild tip of the Monterey Peninsula, a par 72 of about 6,500 yards that moves from dunes to cypress forest to the cliffs of the Pacific. Many who have played the great courses call it the most beautiful in the world, and it remains one of the most private clubs in golf.
Photo: Cypress Point Club via Google, contributor Brad Frey.
The verdict
Cypress Point is the course architects dream about. Alister MacKenzie, with Robert Hunter, laid it out in 1928 on a peninsula where the land happens to fold from sandy dunes into a dark cypress forest and then break onto the rocks of the Pacific, and MacKenzie used every yard of it. It is short by any modern measure, a par 72 of roughly 6,500 yards, yet it is universally rated among the greatest courses on earth precisely because length was never the point. Variety, beauty and a routing that builds to one of the most thrilling finishes in golf are.
What makes it sing is the run of holes from the 15th onward, two ocean carrying par 3s and a cliff edge par 4 that have been photographed more than almost any holes in the game. Add the unique back to back par 5s at the start and the back nine, the small, firm greens and the wind that swirls off the water, and you have a course that is endlessly interesting rather than merely hard. The catch is access: Cypress Point is intensely private, with no public play, and a round is one of the rarest invitations in the sport.
Cypress Point at a glance
- Opened
- 1928
- Designer
- MacKenzie and Hunter
- Type
- Coastal, dunes and forest
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,500 yds
- Green fee
- Members and guests
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Cypress Point Club references and leading course databases. The course was laid out by Alister MacKenzie with Robert Hunter and opened in 1928, a par 72 of about 6,500 yards. Cypress Point is an intensely private members club with no public tee times and no published green fee, so access is by invitation of a member only. Always confirm any arrangement directly before planning a visit.
The holes worth the trip
Cypress Point opens gently and unusually, with two par 5s in the first six holes that ease you into the round before the land turns dramatic. The early holes wind through dunes and stands of cypress, the fairways generous but the small greens demanding precise approaches, and the genius of MacKenzie's routing is the way each stretch of terrain gets its own character before handing off to the next.
The finish is the reason the course is a household name among golfers. The 15th is a short par 3 played across an inlet to a green perched above the rocks, a postcard hole that asks only for nerve and a clean strike. Then comes the 16th, the most famous par 3 in the world, a heroic carry of around 230 yards over a corner of the Pacific to a green set on the headland, with the safe route a pitch and a putt for those who decline the gamble. The cliff side 17th, a par 4 that bends along the ocean with cypress trees guarding the line, completes a trio that few courses anywhere can match.
None of it depends on brute length. Cypress Point rewards the player who flights the ball into the wind, controls distance to firm greens and has the imagination to see the line MacKenzie intended. It is a course to be savored rather than conquered, and a round here sits at the very top of any Monterey Peninsula wish list.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members club; no public tee times and no resort or hotel access. Play is by invitation of a member only |
| Green fee | No published public fee; guests play as the guest of a member (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | Cannot be booked by the public. A member must host and arrange the round |
| On the day | Caddies are the tradition on a walkable, classical layout; pace and etiquette are expected |
| Getting there | On 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, about 20 minutes from Monterey and a short drive from Pebble Beach Golf Links |
| Best months | The Monterey Peninsula plays well much of the year; late spring through autumn offers the driest, calmest conditions |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; Cypress Point is private and policies do not change often but are tightly held, so never assume access. If you are not hosted by a member, build a Monterey trip around the courses you can play and treat Cypress Point as the one to admire from 17 Mile Drive.
Where to stay nearby
Cypress Point sits on 17 Mile Drive in the heart of the Monterey Peninsula, one of the richest pockets of golf in the world. Most visiting golfers base themselves at Pebble Beach or in nearby Carmel and Monterey, all within a few minutes of the gate, where the lodges, inns and restaurants are geared entirely around golf and the coast.
The peninsula is built for a multi course trip. Pair the area's public icons, Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill, with the wider Monterey and Carmel options, and you have a week of world class golf even without an invitation through the Cypress Point gates. Let one planner match the lodging to the group and line up the tee times you can secure.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near the Monterey Peninsula.
Build a Monterey Peninsula golf trip
We cannot open the Cypress Point gates, but we build the rest of the Monterey trip around the courses you can play, from Pebble Beach to Spyglass Hill, and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Cypress Point questions
Who designed Cypress Point and when did it open?
Cypress Point was designed by Alister MacKenzie with Robert Hunter and opened in 1928 on the Monterey Peninsula in California, a few years before MacKenzie collaborated on Augusta National.
What is the par and length of Cypress Point?
Cypress Point is a par 72 measuring about 6,500 yards from the back tees. It is short by modern championship standards but defended by ocean carries, small greens and the wind off the Pacific.
Can visitors play Cypress Point?
No. Cypress Point is an intensely private members club, widely considered one of the most exclusive in the world, with no public tee times and no resort access. Play is by invitation of a member only.
Where does Cypress Point rank?
Cypress Point is consistently rated among the very best courses in the world and in the top handful in the United States, celebrated for its routing through dunes, forest and cliff and for the famous par 3 16th.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.