[Chip Gaskins]

Where do you start with Cypress Point Club?  I don't know, so I won't.  You just marvel!

There is nothing to say that hasn't already been said about this place so I will just add a very little commentary and post a few of the best pictures.

At the risk of being kicked off the board I will make a couple of very honest observations...there are a two moderately mediocre holes. 

#2 at CPC is very similar to #2 of Maidstone and at any random course in the country would probably go unnoticed to many. 

and

#11 to be the longest par 4 on the course is still only a drive and a 7 iron.

Now with that said, I STILL THINK CPC is a golf treasure and my #2 in the world behind Pine Valley and just a head of Royal County Down.  To me, all three of these courses are in a league of their own.

Either way, here you go....great great stuff on a perfect Northern California day

Panorama of the Sistine Chapel!


Hole #1 Approach


Hole #2 Approach Shot


Hole #3  You never get tired of this great bunkering...pardon the shadows.


Hole #4


Hole #5 Tee Shot, Gosh, this might be one of the best holes in the world.  No one seems to talk about how great this hole is!


Hole #5 My goodness, these fairways bunkers and strategy are unrivaled.  I could play this hole 18 times and call it a day!


Hole #6 This bunker looks very much like the bunker in the middle of the fairway at Augusta #10


Hole #6


Hole #7


Hole #8 (from the 9th fairway)


Hole #9


Hole #9 looking back


Hole #10


Hole #11 Green


Hole #12


Hole #13


Hole #14


Hole #15 It does not get better anywhere in the world than this, wow, wow, wow!


Hole 16


Hole #18 Looking back from clubhouse


Clubhouse from 18th Green

[Mike Nuzzo]

I think 11 is better than 10.

My only quip is why do they have ball washsers...

Thanks for the pics.

[Kyle Henderson]

SFGC and CPC, eh? You live well, Mr. Gaskins. Thank you for sharing the photos. They'll have to tide me over for some time I fear. Maybe someone will at least carry their bag some day so I can see these courses first hand.

From reading Shackelford's book, I always imagined that the diagonal carry hazards would make 2nd tee shot very compelling. Is it the latter half of the hole that fails to impress?

The 5th hole does appear to be a very strong hole strategically. The 9th always seemed like my kind of hole as well. Any rthought on that little two-shotter?

Is the 18th as big of a let down as I've heard?


Thanks again!

[James Bennett]

From reading Shackelford's book, I always imagined that the diagonal carry hazards would make 2nd tee shot very compelling. Is it the latter half of the hole that fails to impress?

Kyle

the fairway bunker on 2 is not that long a carry (too long for me, but not for mere mortals).  It looks impressive, is ideally located in the face of the hill but is not that much of a challenge for a better shot.  Not sure of the carry involved, especially from the back tee (I didn't see them).

James B

[Padraig Dooley]

Chip, great photos. Was the 17th enshrouded by fog?

One of the notable traits of CPC is how desceptive some of the slopes on the greens
are, the last time I played the 4th both my playing partner and I were above the hole,
he gave his putt a slight bit too much and it went 15 feet by, i tried to be more careful
barely touching the putt and it went the same distance by, a couple of holes later
another guy was beyond the pin on the 6th putting towards the front of the green,
the caddy told him it was a slow putt, eventhough it looked substantially downhill,
when he hit the put I thought it was going 6 feet by, but it came up 3 feet short.

There's nothing like a course that needs a good bit of local knowledge.



Kyle

One observation on the ninth, anytime I play it the driver always comes out, it's hard
to resist the temptation. The last day I played there I was with two of the better
players at Cypress, they both hit mid irons off the tee. I'd guess experience shows
there's nothing more fustrating then taking 4 or 5 to get down from the edge of the green.

The 18th has been discussed before, but I like the hole, it requires precise placement
of the tee shot, tree trouble awaits if not, but there is some latitude for recovery,
the hole does give an opportunity for birdie but the bogey or worse is waiting for the
unwary.

[Padraig Dooley]

From reading Shackelford's book, I always imagined that the diagonal carry hazards would
make 2nd tee shot very compelling. Is it the latter half of the hole that fails to impress?

Kyle

the fairway bunker on 2 is not that long a carry (too long for me, but not for mere mortals). 
It looks impressive, is ideally located in the face of the hill but is not that much of a
challenge for a better shot.  Not sure of the carry involved, especially from the back tee
(I didn't see them).

James B

James, Kyle

The carry over the fairway bunker is only around 170 yards from the back tee, not a huge
carry but it does capture the roving eye with its positioning. The fairway bunkers further up
can cause a lot of trouble. They're roughly between 120 and 150 yards from the green and
if you don't want to challenge them it leaves a long approach shot to the green.

[Ted Kramer]

Is driver/7 iron really the longest par 4 out there?


-Ted

[Padraig Dooley]

Is driver/7 iron really the longest par 4 out there?


-Ted

Ted

I've hit 3,4,5 iron into the 11th. I'm not long but I'm not short either.

[Brad Swanson]

SFGC and CPC, eh? You live well, Mr. Gaskins. Thank you for sharing the photos. They'll have to tide me over for some time I fear.

Oh puuuulease Mr. Sand Hills, Ballyneal, Dismal River trifecta.

 

[Michael Blake]

Great pictures Chip.

In looking at your first picture of #9, from the tee it looks like the green tilts severely from left to right.

But in your second picture of # 9 green up close,  it looks like the green's left side tilts or runs-off lower than the right side.

Is that apparent standing on the tee or from the fairway?  Or is it as deceiving as it looks in the picture?

#9's a reachable par 4?   How did you play the hole?

[CJ Carder]

SFGC and CPC, eh? You live well, Mr. Gaskins. Thank you for sharing the photos. They'll have to tide me over for some time I fear.

Oh puuuulease Mr. Sand Hills, Ballyneal, Dismal River trifecta.

 

Let's not forget that when I played with Chip earlier this spring, his 3 rounds preceeding our game in April had included both Augusta and Pine Valley.  I feel terrible for him.   

By the way, great pics Chip!

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Chip I find 11 to be a great hole and while I have played it as a drive and 7 to 5 iron. I have also played it driver and 3 to 5 wood as well. The wind is huge on that hole. W your breath awhile 12 and 13 take your breath away I think 11 is the better hole of the 3.

[Chip Gaskins]

Chip, great photos. Was the 17th enshrouded by fog?

yep...i couldn't see the end of the tee box.  made for a neat hole, but not a very good photo. 

[Chip Gaskins]

Is driver/7 iron really the longest par 4 out there?

Actually thinking back I hit 6 iron on 11 to a back pin with a small breeze. 

I also hit 6 iron on the par 3 7th hole. 

Those were the longest irons I hit all day.

[Chip Gaskins]

But in your second picture of # 9 green up close,  it looks like the green's left side tilts or runs-off lower than the right side.

Is that apparent standing on the tee or from the fairway?  Or is it as deceiving as it looks in the picture?

#9's a reachable par 4?   How did you play the hole?

both 8 and 9 are world class short holes. 

the first picture on 9 was from the tee box looking toward the green.  the second picture was from behind the green looking toward the fairway.  the green slopes severely from back left to front right and is very shallow.

i hit worst drive of the day there trying to knock it on.  it ended up left in the sand and i made bogey.  but what a fun hole.  from the back tee it (according to the caddie a 290 carry to the front edge)  the safe way to play it is 5 iron and wedge it on.  the fun way is try to drive it and make bogey 

[Tom Huckaby]

Chip - great pics!

But as for how CPC plays, well... Chip's either a very long hitter, got the benefit of a lot of wind, or played short tees.

Though Mike Benham calls me sneaky long, he just says that to humor me as he looks back at me from 50+ yards ahead of my ball.  Let's just say I am of average length off the tee.  A good drive for me goes 260.  SO.. from the back tees at CPC, I can expect:

1:  4-5iron in (and I have hit more than that)
11:  as much as 2hybrid or even wood - it usually plays into the wind and it's pretty long to begin with
14:  as much as 4-5iron again, depending on angle off the tee and wind

The rest are shorter than that.  So yes the course does feature shortish par 4s, for the most part.  But it is not without longish ones also.

As for 9, that's been discussed more than any hole on earth in here, I think.  My feeling remains that going for the green is the call with pin front right, laying back with pin upper left.

TH

[Ted Kramer]

To really be a great course I would think that the "long game" might have to tested a bit more than one or two holes requiring more than a 7 iron into the greens. Why is this lack of "shot testing" or "complete golf" overlooked by so many who consider this to be one of the World's best?


-Ted

[Kalen Braley]

Ted,

As Huck has duly noted....there are very few who will have 7 iron as thier longest approach shot all day on the par 4's.  He was either long off the tee that day or played in no wind, especially on 11-13 that play directly into the prevailing wind.  Even 7 iron into #1 or 14 means a pretty meaty drive.

[Tom Huckaby]

I concur with Kalen - I found no lack of long game test at CPC.  Shoot, you hit long irons off the tee on 8 and 9 mostly also... then the par threes are also pretty long in general... 8 is 4 or 5iron for me, maybe more... 16 is what it is of course... No, the more I think of it, the more CPC is one of those courses where one tends to use every club in the bag.  Or at least I do.  That being said I suppose it could be overpowered - but that would be said about damn near every course for those who hit drivers 330 and 7irons 200....

TH

[Ted Kramer]

Thanks for the more detailed info gents. . .
It seemed odd to me that there wouldn't be more "testing" of the long game at a truly World Class Golf Course.

-Ted

[Bill_McBride]

Is driver/7 iron really the longest par 4 out there?

Actually thinking back I hit 6 iron on 11 to a back pin with a small breeze. 

I also hit 6 iron on the par 3 7th hole. 

Those were the longest irons I hit all day.

The wind does make a huge difference out there.  My first round there a couple of years ago I hit 5-iron onto #7 but #11 was, as Tiger said, driver 3-wood.  The hole can play very long into the wind.

The carry over the first bunker at #2 may be only 170 yards, but it certainly plays a lot longer.  If you bail right, the houses up there can come into play very quickly!

[Ted Kramer]

Is driver/7 iron really the longest par 4 out there?

Actually thinking back I hit 6 iron on 11 to a back pin with a small breeze. 

I also hit 6 iron on the par 3 7th hole. 

Those were the longest irons I hit all day.

The wind does make a huge difference out there.  My first round there a couple of years ago I hit 5-iron onto #7 but #11 was, as Tiger said, driver 3-wood.  The hole can play very long into the wind.

The carry over the first bunker at #2 may be only 170 yards, but it certainly plays a lot longer.  If you bail right, the houses up there can come into play very quickly!

Now I'm surprised about the mention of housing coming in to play on one of the World's Best . . .

-Ted

[Jerry Kluger]

Don't ask me for specifics but when I look at a great classic design I see it as an inspiration for the design of some holes by today's architects who are well versed and often influenced by the great classic designs. For example, look at that fairway bunker on #5 as it rises up to challenge the player.

[Kalen Braley]

Jerry,

#5 is a terrific hole and it doesn't get nearly the props as compared to some of the other holes, which is understandable I guess.  #5 is easily the finest par 5 on the course IMO and not just a visual stunner...that trouble is a real threat if one gets home in 2 or 3. 

And all that bunkering really does disappear when looking from behind the hole.

[David Stamm]

5 is a wonderful hole, no doubt. But after reflection I think 6 is a bit better. The tee shot requires a proper line in order to get the "kick" to the left that can yield an addtional 30-40 yds of roll of hit properly. If a tee shot goes too far left, then the 'kick' effect is negated but it sems natural on the tee to try and sling it around the corner to shorten the hole, which is not the case.

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