Some golf courses live up to their reputation the moment you step foot on property. Cypress Point Club, host of the 50th Walker Cup this weekend, is one of them. On Thursday, under flawless Monterey skies, both the USA and Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) teams spread across the course for practice. For me, a first walk at Cypress Point was equal parts postcard and proving ground, a reminder that this venue is as strategic as it is breathtaking.

A Minimalist Stage for a Historic Match

The USGA has kept the setup refreshingly simple, allowing Cypress Point to speak for itself. Without towering grandstands or cluttered signage, the course feels timeless, as if the 1981 Walker Cup hosted here had happened just yesterday. Every view reinforces why Alister MacKenzie’s 1928 design is revered, from the par 3 third tucked into dunes to the cliff-hugging par 3 sixteenth, where the Pacific feels like part of the playing field.

Conditions are ideal. The course is firm and fast, with greens rolling true. One member, who asked not to be named, noted that the rough is the “highest members would ever let it go” and indeed it is deep, a feature that will amplify the challenge around Cypress Point’s small, perched greens.

👀 Exclusive Access: Cypress Point 🌊⛳️

Both Team USA 🇺🇸 and Team GB&I 🇬🇧 hit the course today ahead of the 50th Walker Cup. Perfect conditions, deep rough, and plenty of strategy work on the closing stretch — including extra attention on the par-3 15th and 16th.

A rare look… pic.twitter.com/fDvGAoDJbe

— AmateurGolf.com (@amateurgolfcom) September 5, 2025

Two Teams, Two Approaches

The GB&I team made a lively circuit of holes 13 through 18 as a single group. They hit multiple shots into each green, joked with one another, and treated the closing stretch like both classroom and playground. It was a reminder of the camaraderie that fuels their underdog identity.

Team USA was more segmented, breaking into mixed groups. Their session had a quieter tone, focused on routine and refinement. Michael La Sasso, the NCAA individual champion, was especially deliberate, spending extended time on the putting surfaces to calibrate pace and reads for the weekend.

Attention on Fifteen

The par 3 fifteenth may not carry the fame of Cypress Point’s ocean holes, but it was the focal point of Thursday’s practice. With its small green nestled into the dunes, the hole offers a range of pin locations that can dramatically change its character. A front-left placement invites aggression, while a back-right position demands precision under pressure.

USA captain Nathan Smith took a hands-on role here. Standing on the green, he guided his players through the possibilities, urging them to visualize different scenarios and get comfortable with every angle. As a three-time Walker Cup player and four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, Smith understands how matches often come down to the closing stretch. His approach was that of a veteran competitor passing along experience, ensuring his team won’t be surprised by how fifteen might influence momentum this weekend.

The 50th Walker Cup

The Walker Cup is a biennial contest between 10-man teams of amateur golfers from the United States and Great Britain & Ireland. This year’s match marks the 50th edition, with Cypress Point hosting for the first time since 1981. The USA leads the all-time series 39-9-1, but GB&I last claimed victory in 2015 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

The format features foursomes in the mornings and singles in the afternoons, 26 matches in all. The USA needs 13 points to retain the Cup, while GB&I needs 13½ to reclaim it. Coverage will be carried live on Peacock and Golf Channel with more than 12 hours of broadcast time across the weekend.

Par and Yardage: Cypress Point will play to 6,620 yards, par 70 (36-34). Yardage will vary slightly each session based on setup and conditions.

First Impressions That Will Last

Walking Cypress Point for the first time is humbling. You may think you know it from photographs, but the scale and serenity reveal themselves only in person. The short par 4 ninth dares aggression, the stretch from five through nine is a study in strategy, and the fifteenth through seventeenth form a closing gauntlet perfectly suited for match play drama.

Thursday was the calm before the storm. A few players, a few coaches, a few fortunate guests, and a course in flawless condition. By Saturday morning, when the first foursomes tee off, this serene walk will transform into a battlefield of precision, resilience, and team spirit. The 50th Walker Cup promises to add another chapter to the legacy of this extraordinary place.