On a California site that he described as an unmatched “meeting of land and sea,” Alister MacKenzie made a point of treading lightly. He believed it better not to mess too much with nature.
The maintenance team at Cypress Point feels the same.
“We’re here to fit the landscape as best we can. We don’t want to be seen or stick out too much,” says Kevin Marsh, the club’s assistant superintendent. “We do want to do our job but we want the golf course to be the centerpiece.”
As most avid golfers know, Cypress Point is private, intensely so. But on Sept. 6-7, the course will take a rare turn in the public eye when it welcomes the Walker Cup, an event it last played host to in 1981.
This will be the 50th playing of the biennial competition, a match-play showdown pitting a team of U.S. amateurs against their counterparts from Great Britain and Ireland. It’s a big deal. And this year’s venue — which ranks No. 2 behind Pine Valley, on GOLF’s roster of Top 100 Courses in the World adds to the magnitude.
In the lead-up to the Walker Cup, GOLF.com spent a day with the maintenance crew at Cypress Point, following Marsh, head superintendent Jeff Markow and their staff. The resulting video includes stunning imagery of one of the world’s most scenic courses as it ducks through dunes and forest on a tantalizing path that teases players with ocean views before hitting a crescendo on the coast. But the footage is also educational, providing insights what it takes to care for a uniquely astounding site.
Even if you’ve had the pleasure of playing it, this is Cypress Point as you’ve never experienced it before. Enjoy.
