What The 50th Walker Cup Reinforced
Things we learned from the matches at Cypress Point.
The yutes are smart. Gen Z’s finest took conservative approaches to several holes and often stuck with low-risk game plans. The format and team setting drove many of the decisions. It also never hurts to be able to hit an 8-iron from 178 instead of a 5-iron. But the 50th Walker Cup suggested that the next generation may be less inclined to bomb-and-gouge than the M’s. Maybe.
Golfers still can come in all shapes and sizes. If someone tries to tell you a golfer must be a certain height or build to reach an elite level, just point them to the 2025 Walker Cup team photos. The longest hitter at Cypress Point might have been the most height-challenged of the 20.
Match play and big stages. It remains the edgiest and most compelling form of the sport. Attempts to create something “better,” more coveted-demo friendly, and or more “modern” never work. Match play creates intrigue without even trying, and in the silliest little ways. As with tennis, the tiniest mind games, petty grievances, passive-aggressive looks, annoying halves, and occasional refusal to concede a putt get magnified. Watching such competition from the fairways only heightens everyone’s appreciation for the quality of play and match dynamics.
Cypress Point has the best 18 holes ever intentionally created, and (right now) it’s not close. Sorry, fine members of Pine Valley, but you’ve been too busy scratching backs to notice how things have been allowed to slide. Learn from CPC. Thanks to the gradual restoration efforts of the original 1928 design by Alister MacKenzie and Robert Hunter, there are no dull moments or nonsensical add-ons, missing bunkers, dated looks, or holes easily forgotten. The course is not excessively long or difficult and violates too many “rules” of design to list. Even with the ball flying absurd distances and very little wind, the Walker Cup’s firm, fast conditions and sound setup accentuated nearly all of the best features. Some of the extremes in green speed might have had the architects distancing themselves from the proceedings if not for the ball going too far and the course requiring some way of fighting back. The best amateurs in the world were asked to be precise with mostly approach wedge shots if they wanted a good birdie look instead of a stressful two-putt. The best fine line examples were found at subtle greens like the third, fifth, 13th, 14th, and 17th. Only one hole—No. 6—was negatively impacted by 21st Century fairway and green speeds.
Cypress Point could get even better. It’s not a long checklist at this point. Restoring the front shelf on No. 7 would add multiple dimensions to the par-3. So would massaging the left half of the eighth green to something more closely resembling its original terraced iteration (still seen on the right half of the green). Expanding or reclaiming original green shapes at the Nos. 1, 5, 10, 12, 13, and 18 would bring back lost hole locations. The course has already gone from Mono to Stereo, so these little restorative measures would take CPC immersive experience to the Dolby Atmos tier. Just look at No. 15 for a fine example of how more green space and restoration of its carefully considered green shape can continue to make the course better.
You don’t need USGA greens and monochromatic turf to have dreamy conditions. Cypress Point does not have the modern substructure and therefore had retained nearly all of its original contours. Regaining shapes lost to time, mowing and flying sand would be much simpler as a result. The turf features too many varietals to mention, and while it benefits from generally light cart traffic, the many strains also show that mottled coloring and inconsistency can be elegant.
The ball goes too far and straight. Still. And will continue to past 2028. Worse, barring gale force winds, the thought of “flighting” a tee shot appears no longer necessary.
Volunteering can be fun. Those who signed up were not asked to work absurdly hard and many even suggested they would have been happy to work more. Given some of the merch prices, they also got a deal on outfits that are actually wearable. What a contrast to the direction of professional golf, where volunteers overpay for clothes, work long hours, and soon, do it all for the betterment of a few players’ bank accounts without the satisfaction of giving back to help the designated charities.
