The best looking 18th green and surrounds may be ...

[Mike Benham]

Half Moon Bay Palmer course

Palmer Course?  When did they start calling it the Palmer course?

[Mark Pearce]

David


That is an interesting observation of the only excellent (great?) courses in the UK being links or heathland (lets include moorland for argument sake).  The only exception I know of in GB&I is Little Aston.  Though I think Kington is about as close as it gets to an additional exception.  Still, I think it is very work while for the visitor to seek it out.

Ciao

Ganton?

[Carl Nichols]

IIRC, 18 at Jockey Club (Red) is a very cool green on a very flat piece of property right in front of a beautiful clubhouse.  Thought I had a good pic but don't seem to.

[Brad Isaacs]

http://www.southernhighlands.com/golfimages/golf-18.png

THis is certainly one of the more spectacular looking 18ths that I have seen.  622 uphill, at least it in in Las Vegas so plays shorter.

[Tim Leahy]

18th at Riviera has always been a favorite of mine.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=18th+green+Riviera&view=detail&id=291440D99BAE585553162040FE452ABA4B93F32C&first=1

[Matt_Cohn]

Exmoor deserves at least an honorable mention.

[Jackson C]

Half Moon Bay Palmer course

Palmer Course?  When did they start calling it the Palmer course?

No, that is just me.  I have a hard time keeping straight which one is the links, ocean, old, etc. at Half Moon Bay.

[Bill Brightly]

Sorry to post and run, but I had to play a couple of rounds of golf! I just found the backdrop of this green to be so beautiful. I loved the scale of the various buildings completely surrounding the hole. I loved the way the white sand of the bunkers tied into the white fence and building trim, and the white mortar of the buildings; how the flagstone contrasted so beautifully.

We played this past Wednesday on an overcast day, so my photos are not great, but I will post a few more so you can better understand the hole if you have not played it. It is 441 from the regular tees (and 451 from the back tees which we did not play.)

Here is the tee shot. Sadly, the beauty is somewhat marred by some summer burnout that was present in a few spots in the rough, but the fairways were all in magnificant shape. The landing area is partially obscured by the upslope, and there is much more room to the left than you can see.



I aimed too far right, put a slight fade on it, and ended up in the right fairway bunker with no chance to get home in two. We played with the assistant pro from my home course in New Jersey, and he killed his drive about 280, yet still had a full 6 iron, which he hit to 7 feet:

 

It is a really strong finishing hole by any standards. The green on this hole (and many others) may seem small and tame by Doak standards. (But the second course here has more "normal" TD greens )

[Mark McKeever]

Bill, the middle photo is a second shot into hole 13 no?

btw: the new course I consider "Doak unleashed"

Mark

[Bill Brightly]

Neil,

Kington's green looks incredibly cool and I love the quirkiness of the building behind it, but is not in the same league for beauty. I mean look at the fencing, the completely average looking building, and telephone pole

Compared to classic old farm buildings at Stonewall

[Jon Spaulding]

http://www.southernhighlands.com/golfimages/golf-18.png

THis is certainly one of the more spectacular looking 18ths that I have seen.  622 uphill, at least it in in Las Vegas so plays shorter.

Please tell me this is a joke. One of the worst looking, and most contrived golf holes I have seen in person.

[Bill Brightly]

Mark,

You caught me! Here is the swing he made on Hole 18:

[Dan Moore]

View Up 18



From Ben's porch with 9 in the foreground and 18 behind

[Tim_Weiman]

Bill,

I am a huge fan of Stonewall, including the 18th hole where I once held my 3 year old daughter while taking at least ten or more pictures from different angles.

I don't share Sean Able's view that the green detracts from the scene. Not at all. But, I would say a picture like the one you presented doesn't really capture the scene, at least not for me.

Stonewall is just such a classy place with the whole area around the clubhouse having such an old fashioned, intimate feel to it. Ok, maybe, no probably, Merion beats it, but, for example, the 1st tee at Stonewall just exudes intimacy, something lost so often today with all the "big" golf courses. Ditto for the par three 9th hole which is also right near the farm house/club house.

Years ago I thought it was pretty bold of Tom Doak to rank the hole so highly, but that was before I saw it. Now I wish I could return at least once a year.

[Mark McKeever]

Thats awesome Tim, I bet the pictures are great!  I had a similar experience with my wife (fiance at the time) at Eastward Ho last year.  We took a bunch of pictures out on the golf course which are framed at the house now.

The 9th tee at Stonewall is great as you can have conversations with people having lunch and get a quick drink after finishing 8, then get back to business with one of the most daunting shots on the golf course as everyone watches.

There is often people hanging out and socializing in the courtyard/putting green at Stonewall to the left of 18.  Some are wearing sportcoats because theyre staying for dinner, and some are dressed for golf.  I love how they have putters in the back corner of the restaurant in case anyone gets the itch to roll a few while sitting at the bar or after dinner.  It's a great place to have a putting contest!  (its right behind the white capped wall to the left of 18 green)

Mark

 

[Bill Brightly]

Tim,

I think I know what you are saying. When I played the 18th I was stunned by its beauty. When I looked at my photos, I thought they were nice but did not do the hole justice. Here is Hole 9.
 




In somewhat classic Doak fashion, he would not be hampered by returning nines, hole 8 brings you back to the clubhouse on both courses

[John Kirk]

Dan,

I thought of Sand Hills #18.  Beautiful golf hole from head to toe.

Matt,

I've played Exmoor, and will add the green is quite treacherous, which is worth something.


We still haven't defined the parameters yet.  Is it just the green, or just the playing field not including buildings, or just the whole panorama as one approaches?

Here's the best picture I could find on #18 at Stanford University GC, 457 yards and significantly downhill.  I'd perhaps give Stanford extra credit for being unusual as a downhill finisher.  Seems many finishing holes have uphill approaches to a clubhouse perched up high.

(Courtesy of Joann Dost for Stanford University)

[John Ezekowitz]

Any votes for the 18th at TCC? Those imposing bunkers guarding the green and the beautiful yellow clubhouse behind make for a pretty picturesque sight.

[Sean_A]

Neil,

Kington's green looks incredibly cool and I love the quirkiness of the building behind it, but is not in the same league for beauty. I mean look at the fencing, the completely average looking building, and telephone pole

Compared to classic old farm buildings at Stonewall

Bill

Thats one of the great things about golf - so much of our feelings about a place are tied to the experience of being there.  When I view the scene below I know its a thing of wonder and awe which the golf archie has created.  I don't love the building (well I do like the shop), but I do love what it represents.  I don't get anything like the visual sense of sheer delight when I look at the Stonewall pic (the bunkering looks worse than anything I see in the Kington pic), but I am pleased some do.


Ciao

[Bill Brightly]

I suppose I should post the companion 18th hole at the Stonewall North course. Not quite as beautiful, but very cool, and a really good risk/reward par 5.

[Gary Slatter]

I'll recommend taking Mark's picture of the 18th at St. Georges.. RU is the 18th at Ancaster (Hamilton).

[Matt_Cohn]

Matt,

I've played Exmoor, and will add the green is quite treacherous, which is worth something.

Yes! My birdie putt broke 20-25' (not inches, feet!) on a day with normal green speed!

[Tim_Weiman]

Bill,

I would add one more thing about the 18th at Stonewall: despite it's beauty, when I actually played the hole I wasn't thinking about that. Instead, the challenge of the approach shot really encourages you to focus on playing the shot not photographing it. Another way to put it, the appearance of the bunkers may not be all that appealing, but they really do serve as an effective hazard influencing the target line and/or the shape of the approach shot.

Sean,

When you suggested the golf hole detracts from the farm house scene at Stonewall, I had the impression those were the comments  of someone who hadn't actually been there. Is that correct?

[Ivan Morris]

I have played Stonewall (and enjoyed it) but North Berwick, The Old Course and Sunningdale's finishing holes appeal to me a lot more. Lahinch has a pretty cool 18th also. I like the feeling of coming home.

[Patrick_Mucci]

What, no love for the 18th at Pacdunes ?