Review of the Month - October 2023

The purpose of the Review of The Month feature is twofold. Top100GolfCourses has always aimed to salute and encourage those who are putting admirable effort into reviewing the world’s great golf courses. Moving forward, we are also looking to learn from these experts! We’ll be chatting with the month’s star authors and discussing topics such as golf in their area, what they like to see in a strong course review, and of course dig a little deeper into their own winning review.

September 2023’s Review of The Month comes from Mariano Martinez de Azagra, who avoided the tourist trends and found thrills at Kington Golf Club in Herefordshire.

There are some courses that are obvious locales for international golfers when visiting England. Kington isn't one of them! How/why did you and your pals end up in Herefordshire during your trip?

One of the things I like most about golf trips is their preparation. That is, the design of the itinerary, something like the routing of the trip. Therefore, I have a lot of fun researching in advance and then deciding which courses to include.

In this case, we traveled to South Wales, where we enjoyed courses such as Porthcawl, Pennard and Southerndown, among others. But, as our flight arrived in Bristol, I saw the opportunity to make a short detour and head to Kington on our way to our base in Wales.

As for Kington, the first reference I had was through Tom Doak's Confidential Guide, whose short review really intrigued me. And, from there, I visited the Top100GolfCourses website, in order to corroborate that impression with user reviews, which led me to Sean Arble's extensive chronicle for GolfClubAtlas.

From there, it was clear to me that Kington had to be one of the highlights of our trip to Wales.

Kington has undeniable charm (as you mentioned, sheep as greenskeepers). How much of a boost does such charm give a course like Kington, versus the well-established fame of championship-caliber clubs?

For me it is fundamental. I find that courses like Kington combine two of the parameters that I value most in golf: charm and sustainability. In this sense, it shares the same characteristics as other of my favorite places in golf, such as Brora, Boat of Garten and Fraserburgh in Scotland, or Ballycastle and Dooks in Ireland.

All of them are clubs located in small towns, with very controlled maintenance costs, and where the green fee price has not skyrocketed, unlike the most distinguished clubs. And it's also much easier and more satisfying to be able to stop and chat with members, as I was lucky enough to do at Kington.

Like any golfer, I also enjoy the experience of visiting the most renowned clubs, with first-rate facilities and top conditioning, but it is not my priority when it comes to visiting new courses.

C.K. Hutchison has not had a hand in many course designs, but those that he did are well known, especially Turnberry's Ailsa, West Sussex, and Gleneagles. Have you had an opportunity to play any of these? If so, notice any trends in his designs?

Unfortunately, I have not been able to play any of these courses; I tried to visit West Sussex in 2019 but it wasn't possible.

Of course, I have been pleased to see that where he did have some intervention was at the West Links in North Berwick, my all-time favorite, although I imagine that his contribution must not have been particularly significant.

Many golf groups traveling to Spain will also be inclined to visit the "big names" on the list. As a well-informed Spanish golfer, are there any off-the-beaten-path gems akin to Kington that you would recommend?

In my experience, no. Let me explain myself: in Spain, golf is much more recent, and does not enjoy the tradition of Great Britain and Ireland. Consequently, it is almost unthinkable to find a course of Kington's quality in a secluded location, and bearing the signature of a famous and competent architect.

In fact, and in general, we are decades behind Great Britain when it comes to many of the issues that I value most in golf, such as the preparation of the courses (it is not unusual to find overwatered fairways and greens) or the slow pace of play (no one has even imagined tee times for foursomes or two balls). It is a matter of golf culture in which we have a long way to go.

Of course, if I had to recommend a course in my country, it would be El Saler, in Valencia. I know it's moderately famous, but it's often off the beaten path of golf, and it's really good.

A side note: While they are not of the quality of the British, there are more than acceptable courses everywhere in Spain. And, of course, what I can assure you is that the offer in any area of Spain is superior to Britain in aspects such as gastronomy, and leisure in general. And the weather factor also helps...

Now that you're a celebrated "Review of The Month" winner, let us know what factors you appreciate in a strong golf course review!

Basically, two things:

On the one hand, it must provide useful information about the experience, which may include aspects about the club's services, but mainly about the course, although I do not need it to go into an extensive description of each of the holes. Rather, I am inclined to value an overview of the entire experience of the round of golf; something that convinces me that I want to go there... or not.

On the other hand, I also appreciate certain originality, or some type of uniqueness, that can come from anecdotes or the description of the feelings that the round of golf, or the atmosphere of the club aroused in the reviewer.

What's one course that you're excited to write a review for in the upcoming year?

I am already planning my trip for next year, most likely to the West coast of Scotland and, within it, the courses I would most like to play (and review) are Machrihanish, Prestwick and Shiskine.