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

[Bill Brightly]

Stonewall Old, Tom Doak

[Ronald Montesano]

disagree

[Neil White]

Bill,

Kington has got to be up there somewhere.



Courtesy of Sean's photo tour.

Neil.

[Jon Wiggett]

I'll second that Neil and also Moray Old must be also quite high up there.

Bill,

I am sure Stonewall Old is great but what makes it so in your opinion? From the photo it looks to have a couple of bunkers to many and if that is the angle of approach what shot options do you have except the arial route?

Jon

[Mark Pearce]

Another vote for Kington and another who sees that photo of Stonewall and sees too many bunkers.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Neil,

I love how that mound guards the mid to back portion of the green.

Great looking green

If only that building wasn't there

[Jon Wiggett]

Neil,

I love how that mound guards the mid to back portion of the green.

Great looking green

If only that building wasn't there

Patrick,

where else would you have the clubhouse

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jon,

I'd have to see a topo and aerial of the property first.

What town is the club in, I'll take a look via Google Earth

[Chris DeNigris]

I may be wrong but judging from Bill's OP photo I think he was going for the most attractive green setting to include the green and it's surroundings.

While the green itself in the Kington pic looks to be really cool the overall aesthetic is a bit marred by the clubhouse, the lattice fencing and the phone pole.

[Joe Bausch]

Stay tuned for the 18th green on my CC of Scranton tour.   

[Mark Pearce]

Patrick,

It's in Kington, Herefordshire.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mark,

Thanks, I'll try to take a look tonight.

Is the rest of the course as neat looking as that 18th green ?

If so, I'd imagine that it's fun to play

[Mark McKeever]

Stay tuned for the 18th green on my CC of Scranton tour.   

Yessss.

Mark

[Mark Pearce]

Patrick,

Yes.  It's a fascinating (if rather short and hilly) course with no sand bunkers but most greens are protected by mounds and hollows similar to those round 18.  SeanArble is a big fan and has profiled it http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,30926.0.html .  Fascinating "artificial" architecture but an excellent course.

[Neil White]

Neil,

I love how that mound guards the mid to back portion of the green.

Great looking green

If only that building wasn't there

Patrick,

I've no doubt Sean has explained the hole before - but yes that mound is quite pertinent when playing the hole.

My first visit to Kington saw me take aim at the Pro shop which is out of picture to the left and up the hill slightly, about 30 or so yards left of the green.  I hit a solid drive and my ball didn't appear to take the slope at all, settling about 30 yards left of the green about 10 or so yards short of the front.  Gutted.  By the time the third in our group had driven off my ball had decided to wander, slowly but surely down the hill and after the last in the group had teed off my ball had trundled to the front right of the green.  I was pretty chuffed until I got to my ball.

Between me and the back right pin location (in line with the telegraph pole) sat the mound - which cuts into the green on the right - so my choices were limited to chipping off the green or putt through the fringe grass to the pin.  I bottled and putted. A further two putts later and I walked off with par.  

I think I felt nearly every emotion playing that little hole as is possible, especially as the ball crept to the green.  

As for the clubhouse - whilst it is not the prettiest it has a great view of the first and last hole and I have spent a few hours watching other groups toil with the drivable last at Kington.  

Neil.

[Jason Topp]

Sean Arble's Kington Tour:

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,30926.0.html

[John Kirk]

Stone Eagle has a beautiful, dramatic 18th green.

I don't know how you can separate the green from the surrounding view, as one approaches the final green.

Others that come to mind in my universe:

Pebble Beach
Stanford University

Difficult for a uphill final hole to be the best looking.

[Mark Pearce]

My thoughts after my first round at Kington: : http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,31022.0.html

[Mark McKeever]

I may be wrong but judging from Bill's OP photo I think he was going for the most attractive green setting to include the green and it's surroundings.

While the green itself in the Kington pic looks to be really cool the overall aesthetic is a bit marred by the clubhouse, the lattice fencing and the phone pole.

Agreed.  The 18th at Stonewall has a very welcoming feel the way it approaches the clubhouse and the farmhouse tucked in the valley of the two hillsides.

Mark

[David Davis]

Well, I'm certain you guys are disagreeing with me but that's life. The setting at Stonewall is far more beautiful indeed and clearly it's set up as a target golf course like so many US courses.

While I love the playability options presented to the 18th at Kington, ie run it up, bank it off the back drop fly it in and let it roll to the middle or be a fool and shoot at the pin in it's current position, the green and shaping to me looks manufactured. Maybe it's not but it's also not often you see those drastic shapes. It does not look to me like someone just went to a natural setting and placed the flag there.

I also agree that the clubhouse and fence etc is quite ugly, especially with the wind screen/errand shot protection and electric pole there. I'm surprised that you guys are calling this one of the best settings and even one of the best greens.

[Jon Wiggett]

Well, I'm certain you guys are disagreeing with me but that's life. The setting at Stonewall is far more beautiful indeed and clearly it's set up as a target golf course like so many US courses.

While I love the playability options presented to the 18th at Kington, ie run it up, bank it off the back drop fly it in and let it roll to the middle or be a fool and shoot at the pin in it's current position, the green and shaping to me looks manufactured. Maybe it's not but it's also not often you see those drastic shapes. It does not look to me like someone just went to a natural setting and placed the flag there.

I also agree that the clubhouse and fence etc is quite ugly, especially with the wind screen/errand shot protection and electric pole there. I'm surprised that you guys are calling this one of the best settings and even one of the best greens.

David,

as you say each to his own and having not been to Stonewall it is difficult to say but to me everything about it is contrived in look. Although Kington is obviously man made it is dramatic and fits the landscape.

Patrick,

I agree that the clubhouse building is not a thing of beauty but is behind the green the wrong location. Think Lytham, Muirfield, Birkdale, Hoylake.......



Jon

[Mark McKeever]

Everything looks contrived?  Its a 300 year old farm..

Mark

[Chris DeNigris]

Everything looks contrived?  Its a 300 year old farm..

Mark

That Doak guy, quite the contriver 

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.

Are we sure that isn't faux stone?

[Mark McKeever]

The stone is legit.  To me the green and bunkers flow to the right like the rest of the land.

Side note:  I think I've been in every one of those bunkers at some point.


Mark

[Kyle Henderson]

Clear Creek Tahoe gets my vote.