12 Golf Course Destinations That Combine Sport and Scenery

5. Cypress Point Club, California - Monterey Peninsula's Crown Jewel

Cypress Point Club stands as the most exclusive and arguably most beautiful golf course in the world, where Alister MacKenzie's architectural genius is displayed across a landscape of unparalleled natural drama along California's Monterey Peninsula. The course's legendary 16th hole, a par-3 that plays across a churning Pacific inlet to a green perched on a rocky promontory, represents perhaps the most photographed and challenging hole in golf, where success depends as much on courage as skill. The routing takes full advantage of the peninsula's diverse ecosystems, from the windswept coastal holes that battle Pacific storms to the serene inland holes that wind through ancient Monterey cypress groves and colorful ice plant-covered dunes. The course's design philosophy embraces the natural contours and hazards of the land, creating holes that feel like they've existed since time immemorial, with fairways that follow natural valleys and greens positioned to take advantage of dramatic elevation changes and ocean views. The wildlife that calls Cypress Point home adds another dimension to the golfing experience, with sea lions barking from nearby rocks, pelicans soaring overhead, and harbor seals occasionally visible in the surf below the coastal holes. The club's commitment to preserving the natural environment has resulted in a course that serves as both a challenging golf venue and a protected habitat for native flora and fauna, where the Monterey cypress trees that give the course its name continue to thrive in their natural coastal environment, creating a living monument to the harmony possible between golf and environmental stewardship.