Editor’s note: It’s not quite a seismic change in the Golfweek’s Best rankings, but this year Cypress Point in California has passed Pine Valley in New Jersey as the No. 1 Classic Course built in the U.S. before 1960. It’s a matter of decimal points as the top courses jostle each other for position on the various lists, and that’s the case with Cypress Point and Pine Valley as well. In 2023, Pine Valley was No. 1 with a 9.62 average rating, and Cypress Point was No. 2 with a 9.60 average rating. When our lists were extracted from the Golfweek’s Best database this year, Cypress Point averaged 9.62, while Pine Valley came in at 9.60. Below, golf course architect Jay Blasi – who works with Golfweek as a rater advisor and contributes occasional stories – shares his thoughts on Cypress Point and how it stacks up using our Golfweek’s Best rater criteria.
