This is a photograph of the final hole at the Cypress Point Golf Club in Monterey, California. And, it was the scene of the climax of a book titled "The Match" by Mark Frost, (Hyperion 2007) . The book tells the story of six men, and how they came to compete and watch an historic day of golf a this place in 1956.
The players: Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, (professional golfers), and Ken Venturi, Harvie Ward, (amateurs).
The match was set up as a sidelight to the Bing Crosby Pro-Am by Eddie Lowery, who made a bet on the proposition that his two amateur golfers could beat any two pros in a match play round. George Coleman took this bet, and the match was on, for the next day at 11AM at Cypress Point. The book is more than just the recapitulation of the play that day. The history of each man involved, the persons who dreamed, designed and constructed this golf course, and the result of play that day are all elegantly described and turned into a tale of utmost interest and sympathy.
This is a book for all who love golf, history, and irony.
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