[Marty Bonnar]

Having just posted on the MPCC thread, I had cause to remember some of the other great things from our Californian junket.

Before the trip, I posted a musing on what I expected the CPC experience to be. Mr H passed the purple prose to our host and was later asked to see if I would write a similar passage 'after the fact'. After a little 'absorbtion' time, I managed to put pen to paper (or hands to keyboard, at least!) and forwarded the reminisence.

I now post it here in the hope that you guys will indulge my poetic side and not be too cruel...!


CYPER-REALITY
The grey, misty, rainy dawn finally arrives, looking more like one from my homeland rather than the sunny, blue-skied one which has accompanied my life-long imaginings. Still, we are here to play Golf at ‘The Place’ and nothing - not even what we Scots call ‘a bit o’ dreich weather’ – can possibly be allowed to spoil the experience.

We drive along the scenic roadway through the trees and out into the grand panorama of the peninsula. Through the murky, drizzling downpour, we are able to see maybe only a few hundred yards at most. The lack of clear visibility only serves to add to the atmosphere of the place. It brings a perfect soft-focus fuzziness to the sensation of unreality presently attending the actual living-out of a dream.

I look around eagerly, trying to soak in as much detail as possible; making mental pictures, trying to record the necessary views for the ‘memory-movie’. Like a best-ever Xmas morning, I want, no, NEED, to be able to recall every moment of this special day; to be able to conjure up the entire experience in perfect detail in my mind for a long, long time to come.

Turning now towards the Sea, and dropping down to almost touch it, we pass through a glorious golfing landscape; a landscape as familiar as the Linksland of home, yet one also possessing a certain strangeness or, perhaps more correctly, an other-worldliness which is oddly unsettling to my eye. The shapes of the landforms are broadly the same as home, but perhaps somewhat more ‘theatrical’; many of the plants I recognise, but they are of a different ‘scale’; the rocks and soil look something like the rocks and soil of home but having somewhat bolder colours, shapes and textures.

Finally, a familiar vision begins to emerge from the mist. On the right side, a small peninsula reaches out into the ocean. Of course I feel I know it; I have seen it so many times in so many photos. My excitement levels rise as I know there are some of the finest holes in the world of golf there. This time, the overlapping horizons appear only in ethereal shades of grey, looking so like the monochrome images from a book I know very well; a jagged line of trees here, the rolling edges of dunes there. Then - rather quickly - more and more detail: crinkled bunker edges; a flag fluttering on a sweetly-contoured green; a tumbling fairway; areas of rough effortlessly merging with their gnarly surroundings; individual trees contorted into extravagant shapes by the elements. Good grief, I KNOW that Green! It’s the thirteenth at CYPRESS - and with luck I will soon be upon it!

Rounding the final corner, the entrance roadway appears, looking exactly as I had imagined; a sweeping, graceful curve wandering without a care into the woods. And there, devoid of any pretence, a simple timber sign proclaiming in subtle, tasteful white lettering: CYPRESS POINT CLUB; and, rather discreetly in smaller text, below a neat ruled line, MEMBERS ONLY. Why, of course! – this is ‘The Peninsula’; here there need be no fences or walls, no need for vain displays of neatly-trimmed box hedge or ranks of riotously-colourful summer bedding plants and certainly no need for an imposing grand guarded gateway. NO! Those would be ridiculous unnecessary affectations, for this is simply ‘The Peninsula’ – this is simply, Cypress Point.

We motor up the short driveway and, in the pouring rain, hesitantly begin to unpack the golfing gear. I ask myself some very serious questions. Will they allow us out? Do they close the Course on days like this? Do they perhaps do Rain-checks? Unnecessary questions as it turns out, as the rain begins to clear and I notice a few other lucky golfers also going about the same business, looking and sounding at least as thrilled as I. There may possibly even be the sound of an excited ‘holler’ or two. I simply can’t tell, for I am far, far away, in a world and time of my own, filled with my thoughts of MacKenzie and the days he spent here, creating this masterpiece.

So began a day without parallel.

A day which now, on reflection, fills me with an incredible happiness, tempered only slightly by a little sadness. The happiness, that which accompanies the realisation of a lifetime’s dream; the sadness brought by the knowledge of the possibility that it may never happen again. However, this is certainly not really a time for morose introspection, for this was the day I actually got to visit the golf course which figures in my thoughts and dreams more than any other. The day I experienced first-hand, the beauty, grandeur and elegance of The Good Doctor’s ‘Course without Peer’. The day I, at last, walked and played – Cypress Point. What a good day it was.


Apologies for the interruption. Let normal service resume!
FBD.

[Brian Phillips]

Martin,

Nice words.  

I am more interested in what Nancy thought though...seriously. What did a none GCA nut really think of the place?

Brian

[PThomas]

well done Martin

not so often dreams come true in this life..this one did for me last year

the "Sistine Chapel of Golf" certainly is the correct phrase to describe CPC

[Mike Benham]

[Jim Franklin]

FBD -

Great words and great remembrances. I played there one time a few years back in the POURING rain during one of the worst storms to hit the peninsula in years. At about the 6th green, the pro came out and told us that there was no one else playing on the ENTIRE peninsula, but us and we could continue if we wanted. We kept playing, the rain kept coming down, and the wind kept howling. When we finished #14, they told us we couldn't go any further as it was too dangerous to play 15-17. What a bummer! It was still a glorious day. I am glad you were able to enjoy CPC.

[Evan Fleisher]

Great stuff, Martin!!!

I can't wait for my chance...one day...

[Tim Leahy]

well done Martin not so often dreams come true in this life..this one did for me last year the "Sistine Chapel of Golf" certainly is the correct phrase to describe CPC

I want to here more, what was the round like, hit the green on 16? Is 18 really that ordinary? Great holes on the front side?

[PThomas]

Tim:  just a FEW quick thoughts:

it's so cool how the course sprawls out  in front of you after you get past the hedge on #1 tee

the bunkers are beautifully shaped

our caddies were both nice and helpful

of the unheralded holes, - if there are any there! - 8 might be my favorite:  a severe dogleg right over a giant sand dune

after I hit it over the water on 16 I sat down on a bench...when my whole group got done and it was time to start walking, i thought: "I don't want to get up, I just want to sit here all day!"

I can still hear those seals barking on 17....

18 is HARD!  after a perfect drive down the middle, I pushed a 4 iron a bit - not that much - and it stayed up in a tree!

not that ANYTHING can ruin a day out there!

[Marty Bonnar]

Martin,

Nice words.  

I am more interested in what Nancy thought though...seriously. What did a none GCA nut really think of the place?

Brian

Brian,
Nancy has been pretty effectively brain-washed by yours truly and as such had a similar reaction to mine.
Funnily enough though, she was much less fazed than me and consequently played- especially, putted! - rather well. some of the ladies tees were in very interesting places - I wish I could reproduce the strokesaver here, but I wouldn't like to chance litigation from all those rich guys!

Mike,
ta for posting the ass-pic. I notice the 8th green up there on the high right. What a fabulous greensite. And a fabulous golf hole too. A roller-coaster of a fairway, followed by a roller-coaster of a Green!

Jim,
thanks for your kind words. Sounds like a wild day you had there. Not like that lovely benign day you had at Kingsbarns (or Turnberry either, birdie-boy!)

Evan,
keep the dream alive. It CAN happen!

Paul,
maybe we need to start a GCA sub-group. A catchy title might be 'The GCACPCers...?

well done Martin not so often dreams come true in this life..this one did for me last year the "Sistine Chapel of Golf" certainly is the correct phrase to describe CPC

I want to here more, what was the round like, hit the green on 16? Is 18 really that ordinary? Great holes on the front side?

Tim,
Happy to describe further:
#1: Par 4. Daft blind drive over the hedge - even for the girls. Nance made it look easy though! Geoff S's book shows the hole without the hedge. Looks soooo much better.
#2: Par 5. Just the most splendid carry over a glorious diagonal barranca-thing. Beautiful bunkering - I was in two of them!
#3: Charming wee Par 3. Well bunkered from about 50 yds out!
#4: Par 4. I thought one of the prettiest looking drives on the Course. Maybe a bit too many trees for some around here, but for a parkland boy like me, felt pretty homely! Sensational bunkering - deceptive landing zone!
#5: Par 5. MAGIC! The dog-leg left uphill threading thru superb fairway bunkering to a green at the top. Felt like arriving at the summit! NO Bunkers visible back down the fairway.
#6: 2nd of the back-to-back Par 5s. I loved it. Maybe a bit too contiguous to #10 but I loved the rolling terrain and subtle plateaus at the landing areas. Greensite at bottom of the big dunes in the middle of the site. You will return to these beauties regularly from now...
#7: Par 3. Elevated tee (top of the big dunes) to elevated green. Quite a Penal test. Great tiered green.
#8: Par 4. Great dog-leg left to right. Drive across as much of the sandy corner as you dare to a low-lying fairway and then back uphill to the wildest green imaginable (3 tiers, at least)!
#9: the short Par 4. BRILLIANTLY conceived golf hole which I managed to make a complete ar5e of. Driveable (just) or strategic shot options aplenty to greensite in the big dunes again.
#10/#11: Par 5/4. Two holes on similar terrain side by side. 10 double-doglegs thru marvellous-looking bunkering to a great green with a couple of fairly strategically-placed bunkers short and right. 11 gentle dog leg left to right to green site backed by those big dunes again.
#12: Par 4. diagonal-ish carry from tee on big dunes (again!) lovely elongated green, sitting sidehill.
#13: Par 4. you've seen the photos. Looks even prettier in the flesh. Deceptive diagonal carry over vegetation gives nice line into wickedly-contoured green. I was nicely on in two to maybe twenty feet and promptly FOUR-putted!!!
#14: Par 4. Great narrow approach to elevated green with big drop-offs right and rear.
#15: Par 3. Words fail me.
#16: Par 3. ditto, except to say I managed to drive it greenside.
#17: Par 4. wicked carry over the Ocean again, but from most exposed tee on course. Very windy. Seals barking below. Magnificent view. WOW!
#18: Par 4. Are we there ALREADY!?!?! Hopeless driving hole. Could do with a 'little' tree removal. All I could see were three half-dead Cypresses and the caddie tells me to drive over the left-most. GREAT approach shot though uphill to tiered green with wicked slope and great pin position possibilities. Flag behind at half-mast on our day.

As a daft exercise, I just tried to place the holes in order of preference. It's a bit 'shooting from the hip', but quite fun and a little informative too. (I think I should also say that I can remember EVERY single hole on this golf course in GREAT DETAIL - to me, that speaks volumes...)

From least liked to most liked (and bear in mind, I LOVED #1!):
1  3  2  7  11  6  10  18  4  14  12  13  8  5  9  17  15  16

any of 'youse guys' got any problems with any of that?
FBD.

[Brent Hutto]

From least liked to most liked (and bear in mind, I LOVED #1!):
1  3  2  7  11  6  10  18  4  14  12  13  8  5  9  17  15  16

Martin,

You've momentarily knocked me off of my pledge to never compare golf courses (or holes) since it's ultimately a self limiting habit. That said, here's my list from least favorite to most favorite:

18 1 12 5 3 10 6 11 4 14 8 16 15 2 9 13 7 17

With the exceptions of #18, #1 and #16 you my list is pretty close to being equivalent to a list from least memorable to most memorable.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Mike nice touch on the Santa Clara/LSU football history. The Sugar Bowl was not kind to us in the 30's. Has Mr. Yahoo aka Tom H. noticed this as yet?

[Pat Howard]

My grandfather was the longtime head pro at Indian Canyon golf course in Spokane, WA and the winner of the 1941 Public Links tournament. When I was about 10 years old and just getting into golf seriously, he told me of a magical place near Pebble Beach, CA. I remember his words vividly, "Standing on the first tee at Cypress Point in the early morning fog and knowing what lies ahead for you is the best feeling a golfer can have, in this world at least!"

I was fortunate enough to be invited to play there when I was 21, and I will never forget it. My instant favorite, what a place!

[Tom Huckaby]

Mike nice touch on the Santa Clara/LSU football history. The Sugar Bowl was not kind to us in the 30's. Has Mr. Yahoo aka Tom H. noticed this as yet?

Oh please Tiger - that's burned in my brain, and Mr. Benham and I discussed this back when the football threads were more prominent.  We've just each been waiting patiently for YOU to finally see this.

We own you.

 

[Tim Leahy]

Thanks Paul and Martin for the recaps. I always kick myself for not walking the course in full when it was part of the Crosby. I had a similar experience to your bench on 16, behind the green on #8 at Pebble a few years ago. I just didn't want to leave. Great area for golf and great golf courses.

[Mike Benham]

Mike nice touch on the Santa Clara/LSU football history. The Sugar Bowl was not kind to us in the 30's. Has Mr. Yahoo aka Tom H. noticed this as yet?

Oh please Tiger - that's burned in my brain, and Mr. Benham and I discussed this back when the football threads were more prominent.  We've just each been waiting patiently for YOU to finally see this.

We own you.

 

Well, there is someone else who needs to see it but he has been interestingly silent since he slighted the football factory that is was Santa Clara.  

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