Kingston Heath vs. Royal Melbourne Composite

[Chris Kane]

Kingston Heath and Royal Melbourne are almost unanimously the first and second best courses in the country respectively.  In recent times, KH has been gaining support as the better course, a surprise to many people, including myself.  While I think the answer is clear-cut - RM being twenty miles ahead!, maybe it's worth revisiting the debate.

I've used RM Composite with the President's Cup layout - because it's the easiest to remember at the moment.

1. RM3W - 1up
2. RM4W - 2up
3. RM5W - 3up
4. RW6W - 4up
5. Halved - RM4up
6. KH - RM3up
7. RM3E - 4up
8. Halved - RM5up
9. RM17E - 6up
10. KH - RM5up
11. RM7W - 6up
12. RM10W - 7up
A 7/6 victory for RM, but lets keep it going:
13. RM11W - 8up
14. RM12W - 9up
15. Halved - 9up (two marvellous holes)
16. RM18W - 10up
17. KH - RM9up
18. RM18E - 10up

RM by 10 - am I right off track here, or is RM really that much better?  How could it be argued that KH is the better course?

Don't get my wrong, KH is a wonderful course, but does this analysis show the difference between good (KH) and the great (RM)?

[Paul Daley]

Chris, I think it is a little unfair to compare RMGC, which comprises two courses, to KH, which only has the one layout.

This is reflected by your scoreline of 10 up to the Black Rock establishment. Best to compare the West Course RMGC to KH; then we experience the sweaty palm syndrome coming down the stretch: the match is alive and up for grabs. For my money, RM West wins by a narrow squeak, around 2/1.

The Composite Course doesn't actually exist as a bone fide enntity; it is a contriveance - albeit, a magnificent one - to meet a series of predetermined goals: tourney's, ease of traffic, prestige. It is not a golf course!

In a peverse way, the configuration known as the Composite Course, harms RMGC dearly with course ranking judges. Its true place in world rankings (possibly between 3-5) is downgraded becuase judges identify with the makeshift layout, not the individual ones.

[Chris Kane]

Paul,

I agree with what you're saying, and it might be worth doing a West/KH comparison.  However, I don't feel that I know the West course holes off the main property (13-16) well enough to do a fair assessment of them, so I won't attempt to do so.

[MikeClayton]

Chris
Not suprising when the reality is RM Composite has at least 10 of the best 18 in the country
4w,5w,6w,7w,9w,10w,12w,17w,18w,18e and they dont even play 16e or 16w which are in the best 6 par 3's in the country.

Barnbougle will sneak a few in there however.

[Ran Morrissett]

Chris,

Your match and analysis is an accurate reflection and as much as anything it highlights the difference between decent and great property.

RM's world class topography within its main paddock lends itself to holes that rate 9/10s while the excellent bunkering and greens at KH create a bunch of 8s out of nothing (a great feat!) but rarely anything higher.

Comparing RM East and Kingston Heath would be a fair - and probably close - fight.

Cheers,

[Paul Daley]

Oooh, what a match: KH vs East Course

KH has always ranked pretty highly; the East perenially under-rated. With RMGC (East Course) coming home like Carl Lewis: 16th & 18th, KH would want to establish a fair lead mid-way through the inward nine to be safe.

I'm hopeless on hole-by-hole direct comparisons, but my overall gut-feeling is that KH would beat East, but definitely lose to the West.