"Goldfinger" Course: Stoke Poges

[Paul_Turner]

From time to time, someone asks about the course in the famous match between Bond and Goldfinger.  It's Stoke Poges which isn't far from London; here are some pics.  No pics of Ms Galore unfortunately.


Bunker at 1st


Long par 3, 3rd


Green complex at long par 4, 4th


Close up of green.


Cross bunkers at par 5, 5th.


Famous 7th.  It's claimed that this hole inspired the 12th at Augusta, but I've also read that this is wrong and it actually inspired the original 16th at Augusta!  Who knows?  The green has a severe tilt to the water and anything in the back bunkers is a very sticky position.  Darwin wrote a famous passage on this hole.


Short par 4, 8th.  Bad tree planting, eh?


Very nice par 4, 10th


Opposite diagonal hazards at 12th, brook going one way, the bunkers the other.


Closer up


Bunker at 13th-nice fall away green here, on a fairly bland par 5.


Approach across the brook at 17.


Famous clubhouse and 18th


For those who like history, King Charles I was banged up in that manor house in C16th before his trial and execution.

The course had two holes removed recently (15th and 16th) and I don't care for the replacement holes.  The bunkers have been redone and I think they did a good job, although I'm not sure I'd call it a restoration because old photos I've seen of Colt's course appear to be a bit different-less sand splashed up.  Some bad tree planting in recent years too, really pointless and going against the classic British parkland environment.  Still it's a good course and is actually pretty challenging.

PS I know you're all pronouncing it wrong!  It's Pojes not Poges as in the Irish punk/folk band.

[Paul_Turner]

Fixed a couple that didn't come through properly.  

[James Edwards]

Paul,

Thank you for posting these pictures - they bring back some wonderful memories of a day in a million I had at SP.

We (Kent) were in the final of the daily telegraph Salver vs Hertfordshire (we were the two winners of the county leagues in the south east) and we played 4 foursomes in the morning and 8 singles in the afternoon.

On the 17th hole, I caught my driver out the top and hit it about 200 leaving me a long second to a back right pin over that large bunker.  I then holed my second with a 4 iron infront of most of the players and officials.

To go with that I birdied 4 on the spin, the 2nd, par 3  3rd you have pictured, 4th, and 5th.

...........Also that day our afternoon match was put back half an hour because 3 players from Chelsea were playing including Zola.

..........and even more remarkably, we had to play through Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman (when they were happy?!) at the 3rd, and they watched me make my two and signed my ball!

Sorry about my name dropping, but I'm sure you will agree, it was a fun day.. with a few surprises.

[Paul_Turner]

JJSE

That's cool.  Were Cruise or Kidman any good at golf?

[James Edwards]

Paul,

Yeah, they were not bad.  The professional told us later that they used to play the course regularly when they were in the UK.  Word has it they had a house very close to the course, easy access to the city etc.

I know they both play a bit on the quiet.  Nicole had a good swing, a bit skinny for my liking and way to pale.  Tom just walloped it whenever he had the chance to swing!

Thank you for all the pictures you keep posting of all the courses in our area.  I have played them all and they all have good memories.

If our friends from the other side aren't aware of them, I certainly am.

Thanks

james

[Tom_Doak]

In Ian Fleming's book by the same name, the venue of the match is "Royal St. Marks," a very thinly disguised Royal St. George's.

Apparently Fleming did not fancy himself a golf course architect, since his descriptions of the holes are dead-on for the holes at Sandwich.

[James Edwards]

Tom,

I ceratinly don't want to hijack Pauls thread on Stoke Poges, because I enjoy talking sometimes about English golf courses.

....but did you get any time to see the Open at Royal St Georges?  and if so, what was your take on the whole tournament, with regards to the set up?  did you think it was fair and so on as most of us thought the championship this year, was immensely enjoyable.


James Edwards

[Darren_Kilfara]

Does anyone else think the bunkering looks in places a bit like that at Augusta National or some of the well-conditioned courses in the Australian Sand Belt (Metropolitan springs to mind)? It's obviously not as deep, but it seems to me that I've seen those razor-sharp edges somewhere before...

Cheers,
Darren

[James Edwards]

Darren, thats a good shout.

Ive played there a number of times (a long time ago though)and it looks like recently they have really cleaned up the edges.  They are good to look at aren't they.