I seriously doubt the powers that be would allow much different to be done with the 13th green. The fortifications are rather old! Besides, altering the fill would almost certainly reduce the uniqueness of the green and that wouldn't do at all. Its surprising that the green ws allowed to be placed in this area at all. The designer must have squashed down the rear rampart to create the green surface...I guess there weren't as many conservationists around back then.
MINCH OLD V CLEEVE CLOUD V PAINSWICK CONTAfter 14 holes, I have the match... Minch Old: 1, 8 & 9; Cleeve Cloud: 2, 5, 7, 12 & 13; Painswick: 3, 4, 6, 10 & 14
#15. MO's par 4 is not much to write about. Painswick's par 3 is a very attractive drop shot which needs serious tree clearing and CC's 15th plays over a quarry to a green which is set too far back from the edge. None of the holes is completely satisfactory, however, MO dodges a bullet.
NO BLOOD.#16. Yes, another very tough decision because all three holes are very good. MO's short hole plays beautifully over a broken ground to a naturally raised green. P's driveable par is perhaps a bit too easy to drive. CC's long uphill par 3 is by far the most dramatic, but the greenside bunkering lets the hole down a bit. Despite this, the sense of joy and excitement the tee shot offers is enough to carry the day.
1 SKIN TO CLEEVE CLOUD#17. Once again, three good holes! My instinct is to give this one to CC for its design audacity of a blind drive between two quarries. However, recently the greenside bunkering was altered to grave effect. P's medium length par 4 over and near roads to terrain falling heavily right is a butt puckering drive. M's short 4 is a clever bugger legging right...it will catch out many a golfer having a bash at the green. CC should be the clear winner here, but I let the bunkering on the last hole slide and I am not gracious enough to do it twice. That said, the other two options are certainly not better;
NO BLOOD.
17 Minch Old
18. Well, none of the finishers is a show stopper, but CC's is at least beautiful and dramatic and longer hitters do have to worry about carrying two ditches. P's par 3 is a decent hole for the bad rap it gets, but MO's 18th is pretty dull.
1 SKIN TO CLEEVE CLOUDI have the match
Cleeve Cloud: 2, 5, 7, 12, 13, 16 & 18 = 7 skins
Painswick: 3, 4, 6, 10 & 14 = 5 skins
Minch Old: 1, 8 & 9 = 3 skins
No blood three holes.
I must say Minch Old did better than expected, though Painswick as a buffer helped matters. But it is very clear to me that Cleeve Cloud is very much the superior course. That said, none of these three would make my top 100 GB&I and only Cleeve Cloud would make my Happy 100...and very well placed at that. Yet, these are the sort of courses which can't really be measured with a quality stick. These are courses which dig a bit deeper than and for the golfer who makes the connection, any one of Painswick, Cleeve Cloud or Minch Old has the power to alter how one sees and what one wants from architecture. For folks who are looking for the essence of golf, it is hard to imagine three courses in such close proximity which are more suitable for the journey.
Ciao