History and character
Cypress Point Club opened in 1928 and is widely regarded as Alister MacKenzie's greatest work, completed just before he went on to co-design Augusta National. Set on the tip of the Monterey Peninsula amid wind-twisted cypress, sand dunes, and the rocky Pacific shore, the course moves through three distinct landscapes in a single round and is celebrated for routing genius rather than length. It is famously exclusive — an intensely private club with a small membership and no public tee times — which only adds to its mystique among golfers who study design. It sits a stone's throw from Pebble Beach along 17-Mile Drive, and you can glimpse its most famous hole from the road.
The round and signature holes
Cypress Point's reputation rests on its breathtaking finishing stretch. The par-three 16th is one of the most photographed holes in golf, a roughly 200-yard carry over a corner of the open ocean to a green perched on a rocky promontory, with a bail-out for the prudent and disaster for the bold. It follows the short, tempting par-three 15th and precedes the cliffside par-four 17th, an unmatched run of seaside holes. Back-to-back par fives early in the round and the cypress-lined inland holes give the layout its remarkable variety. The genius is in how MacKenzie stitched dunes, woodland, and coast into a seamless, walkable whole.
When to go and how to get on
To be clear, Cypress Point is not open to the public — there are no resort packages, no outside tee times, and access comes only as a guest of a member. Treat this page as a guide and an aspiration rather than a booking. The good news is that the surrounding Monterey Peninsula is one of the most accessible great-golf regions anywhere, and you can drive past Cypress Point on 17-Mile Drive and play world-class public courses right next door. The peninsula plays well year-round, with late spring through early fall offering the most reliable conditions once the morning marine fog burns off.
Who it's for and pairings
For nearly everyone, the realistic way to experience the magic of this corner of California is to plan a Monterey Peninsula trip around the public courses while admiring Cypress Point from the road. Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill are both open to all and deliver the same ocean drama and MacKenzie-era pedigree on holes you can actually book. Architecture-minded travelers will appreciate seeing the MacKenzie lineage that runs from here to Augusta National. Build your itinerary around Pebble Beach, base yourself near Carmel-by-the-Sea, and let Cypress Point be the legend you glimpse on the way past.