How the greatest golf hole in America was made
In 2024, Golf Digest panelists named the 16th hole at Cypress Point Club in California as America’s Greatest Hole. Not just the greatest par 3, but the best hole in America, full stop.
As much of an honor as that is, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Cypress Point’s 16th has long been considered one of the most extraordinary and most recognizable holes in the world. With the iconic green set on a rocky outcropping amid crashing blue Pacific waves, it has been prominently featured on book and magazine covers, on calendars, mouse pads, in television commercials and anywhere else you could plaster an image of a golf hole.
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As a kid, I used to stare up at the ceiling in my dentist’s office at a poster of the 16th with some kind of motivational message scripted onto it. It occurs to me, thinking of this, that people who don’t even play golf have been exposed to the hole and might recognize it even if they don’t know where it is. At least that’s true of most of the kids from my hometown in Colorado.
So, when we decided to feature a hole from Cypress Point in our “The Hole At” series, there was really no debate that it should be the 16th. But how to talk about a hole that’s so widely seen and identified?
Well, being seen isn’t the same as being known. There’s a deep, rich story behind Cypress Point 16 that many golfers might be surprised to learn, from its origins to how it plays to what beyond its raw aesthetic makes it so special. And trust us, even though you’ve seen the hole, you haven’t seen it like this. Our video features some of the most breathtaking footage ever taken of the 16th.
Some things are best viewed from far off, but the very best things—like diamonds and the 16th at Cypress Point—are brilliant from every angle and distance. Please enjoy “The Hole at Cypress Point” and tell us if you agree.