CYPRESS POINT CLUB

Pebble Beach, California, USA

Blink and you might just miss it … that is the sign directing member’s guests to Cypress Point Golf Club. It is a small, easily-missed sign along the Monterey Peninsula’s 17 Mile Drive, which reads ‘Cypress Club’.

The second sign reads ‘Members Only’. What a welcome mat!

Cypress Point hosts, on average, 30 players a day drawn from its 200-250 members, who include corporate giants and political movers and shakers. Big-name celebrities like Clint Eastwood are regulars. Bob Hope was a member for 40 years.

The deep pockets of the members maintains the club’s exclusivity. At the end of every year, Cypress Point divides its total operating costs evenly among the members. They pay even if they haven’t played a round all year.