COURSE-HOPPING CAPPER.

Russ Meyer has been a longtime member of the Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, CA, but it wasn't until he played a round there last summer that he decided the 18th hole at that celebrated course was his favorite. And that's largely because of what he did to get there that day.

"We started with a 6:05 a.m. tee time at Pine Valley in Southern New Jersey," explains Meyer, who at 67 still sports a seven handicap. "Three friends and I played 18 holes there, walking and putting everything out, and then took a helicopter to Philadelphia Airport where we boarded a Citation X and flew to Wichita, KS, with me at the controls. After landing, we drove over to Flint Hills National, where we played another 18 holes, had a quick lunch and got back onto the plane."

Next stop was the Monterey Peninsula and Cypress Point. "We landed at the local airfield at 4:30 p.m. California time, and we were on the first tee at 5:10 p.m.," Meyer says. "And at 8:25 p.m., just as the sun was setting over the Pacific Ocean, we were walking up the 18th fairway, about to finish our third round in one day of cross-country travel, and I got this great rush of adrenaline."

The finishing hole at Cypress is a shortish par-four that doglegs slightly to the right. the tee box sits on the ocean's edge, and after a blind drive, players have to hit a medium-range, uphill iron to the green, which is guarded by bunkers on both sides, as well as a grove of cypress trees to the right and one large cypress to the left.

"I remember going up the hill after hitting my second shot and looking back down the fairway, across to the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes, with low-lying clouds and the sun just hanging there, half in the water and half in the sky," explains Meyer. "I just couldn't believe how beautiful everything looked, and that's when No. 1 8 became my favorite golf hole."

Meyer and the rest of his foursome, which included former United Airlines CEO Dick Ferris, former Rockwell CEO Don Beall and Joe Williams, chairman of the Williams Group in Tulsa, retired to Beall's Pebble Beach home after their final round. "We had a cold beer, a hot shower, and then a fantastic dinner," he says. "And at 11:30 that night, we were still regaling anyone who would listen with stories about our great day of golf."

John Steinbreder is a senior writer for Golf Week and Golf and Travel magazines and is the author of five books, including Golf Courses of the U.S. Open.

RUSS MEYER,

CEO, CESSANA AIRCRAFT

CYPRESS POINT GOLF CLUB

Location: Pebble Beach, California 

Hole: 18th, par four, 346 yards from the blue, or championship, tees and 329 yards from the whites.

Hole Description: A slight dogleg right it begins with a blind tee shot from a box that backs right up to the ocean. A barricade of cypress trees runs the length of the hole to the right, so any drive that misses in that direction is in serious trouble. And you can have the same problem if you hit your drive too far to the left or middle. Ideally, a player wants to hit his first shot anywhere from 200 to 230 yards, and then take a medium-range iron to the green, which is set up a hill that provides a spectacular view of the ocean. The green is not only well-bunkered but also large (4,000 square foot), slick and tricky to read. And it runs downward from back to front, so it's critical to keep your approach shot below the hole. Says Meyer: "It's a great finishing hole for match play. Length is not important, but positioning certainly is."

Course Architect: Dr. Alister Mackenzie, who also helped design Augusta National.

Club Description: Founded in 1928. Cypress is considered one of The top private U.S. clubs, and its dramatic. par-72 course is consistently ranked among the four or five best in the country.