West Midlands of England - Best In County Rankings 2019

Welcome to the third of our seven regional updates for England. Last time we featured three counties in the North West of the country and in this edition we head to the West Midlands to reappraise golfing layouts in the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. We have a new #1 in one of those counties and we’re adding a further fifteen layouts to the fifty that we already listed across the five counties. New members of our county panels have identified a few courses which have been overlooked in the past so we’re more than happy to include these additional tracks in our revised line-ups. Herefordshire Located only a mile from the border with Wales, the 18-hole layout at Kington Golf Club (pictured above) remains the #1 golf track in Herefordshire. Recognised as the highest course in England, it’s a Major C.K. Hutchison design that first opened for play in 1926. With holes set out in glorious National Trust property, Kington offers unrivalled panoramic views of The Brecon Beacons, The Black Mountains, The Shropshire Hills and the Malvern Hills. South Herefordshire The only new entry is South Herefordshire at #5, replacing the Rowan course at Sapey Golf and Country Club which recently changed its golf union affiliation. Situated close to the lovely little town of Ross-on-Wye, South Herefordshire occupies a rolling 135-acre property, operating an 18-hole layout, par three academy course and driving range since 1990. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Herefordshire. Shropshire Rising two spots to #1 in Shropshire, Oswestry Golf Club (pictured above) was founded in 1903 but the course is a more recent development, designed by James Braid in the late 1920s when the club moved to the grounds of Aston Hall. Course improvements were made in the mid-1980s then a bunker upgrade was conducted in the late 1990s, with six hazards removed, one introduced, three repositioned and forty-nine others refurbished. The Astbury The course at The Astbury in Chelmarsh re-enters our county chart at #6. Unveiled in 2010, this 18-hole golf facility was created by former Judas Priest lead guitarist K.K. Downing. Unfortunately, the course closed five years ago when the business went into administration but it’s now back in business under new ownership, having re-opened in April 2021. Telford The only new entry for Shropshire arrives at #12 and it’s the course at Telford Hotel Spa & Golf Resort, which was originally established by Telford Development Corporation in the mid-1970s before it became a private enterprise in 1980. The property’s changed hands a few times since then, with Q Hotels as the latest owner. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Shropshire. Staffordshire Retaining its position as #1 in Staffordshire, the 18-hole layout at JCB Golf and Country Club (pictured above) is one of only three in the West Midlands region to be included in our English national rankings (at #40) and it also makes the cut in our GB&I Top 100 at #93. Designed by Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design for tournament play, the course now hosts the annual JCB Tournament on the Legends Tour for senior professional male golfers. Penn The highest of four new entries on the new chart is the course at Penn Golf Club in Wolverhampton which debuts at #11. When South Staffordshire Golf Club relocated in 1908, some members remained behind to form a new golf club, inheriting a 9-hole course that was fifteen years old. The modern day layout extends to 6,457 yards and plays to a par of 70 (35 out then 35 in) on a property of no more than 100 acres. The other new Staffordshire entries are Leek [#12], Walsall [#13] and Bloxwich [#14]. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Staffordshire. Warwickshire The Brabazon course at The Belfry Hotel & Resort (pictured above) holds on to its #1 status in Warwickshire. Four-time host venue for the Ryder Cup between 1985 and 2002), the Brabazon is a late 1970s design from PGA stalwarts Dave Thomas and Peter Alliss, who somehow managed to transform an undistinguished tract of farmland into one of England’s most remarkable golf courses at what has since become a 54-hole West Midlands golfing mecca. Walmley The highest climber in the updated Warwickshire chart is the course at Walmley Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield, rising four places to #11. The club started out with a 9-hole layout in 1902 but within six years this was doubled in size. Three new holes were developed in the early 1980s by Brian Huggett and David Williams to create the 6,603-yard course that’s still in play today. Stratford-on-Avon There are five newcomers to the listings and the most prominent of these is the course at Stratford-on-Avon at #13.The club moved a short distance to its current location in 1925, when J.H. Taylor designed a new course with James Carter & Co. of Reading building the holes. Jonathan Gaunt embarked on an ongoing bunker renovation project at the club in the winter of 2020, with contractor MJ Abbot carrying out the construction work. The other Warwickshire new entries are Warwickshire (Kings) [#17), Maxstoke Park [#18], Kenilworth [#19] and Shirley [#20]. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Warwickshire. Worcestershire The Blackwell Golf Club course in Bromsgrove (pictured above) has been our county number one since we began ranking Worcestershire more than a decade ago and it’s still the #1 layout. The club was formed with a 9-hole course in 1893 and this layout was expanded to eighteen holes thirty years later by Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler. Currently, Frank Pont is working with the club on a 10-year restoration plan. Kings Norton (Red & Blue) Climbing four positions to #4, the Red and Blue nines at Kings Norton Golf Club comprise the 18-hole Weatheroak layout at this 27-hole facility. The club can trace its origins back to 1892 but it relocated to Alvechurch in the late 1960s, engaging Fred Hawtree to lay out three 9-hole circuits, any two of which provide an 18-hole golf course of high quality. Wharton Park The course at Wharton Park Golf & Country Club is our highest new entry, appearing at #10. Designed by Howard Swan, the 18-hole layout sits just outside the attractive Georgian town of Bewdley on the River Severn. Stretching to 6,402 yards, it plays to a par of 71, with holes arranged in two distinct compartments: holes 1-3 and 11-18 occupy ground closest to the clubhouse, with the remaining holes on the other side of a dense forest. The other new Worcestershire entries are Droitwich [#12], Kings Norton (Yellow) at #13 and Evesham [#14]. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Worcestershire. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses

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.

Top 5 Golf Courses in Herefordshire 2015 Herefordshire Best in County rankings updated Situated in the West Midlands of England, Herefordshire lies far enough to the west of the country to share a boundary with Gwent and Powys in Wales. It’s a largely rural, rather sparsely populated county and a sizeable proportion of its economy is based on agriculture. Fruit production is a major income generator, with much of the pear and apple crops turned into cider. Scrumpy drinking golfers who may be interested in visiting producers and retailers on the Herefordshire and Wye Valley Cider Route might also be glad know there are around a dozen courses spread throughout the county, five of which we feature in our updated Herefordshire Top 5 ranking chart. Retaining its position at number 1, Kington is a course that revels in something approaching cult status, with architect Tom Doak recently becoming a fan. As the architect says in the latest edition of his book The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, “if you enjoy seeing something different, you’ll remember Kington long after you’ve forgotten some of the championship links.” Reputed to be the highest 18-holer in England, the course lies on Bradnor Hill, with generally wide, largely unshaped fairways playing to bunkerless, narrow greens. It’s a quirky layout that won’t appeal to everybody but if ever a course was designed to afford a fun round of golf then Kington is that very layout. At number 2 in the county chart, the course at Herefordshire Golf Club dates back to 1931, when James Braid was consulted over the choice of location for the club’s new 18-hole layout. Braid selected the site at Raven’s Causeway then was left somewhat in the lurch when the land owner commissioned C.K. Hutchison, Sir Guy Campbell and Colonel S.V. Hotchkin to set out a course that today remains largely the way it was when first constructed. Burghill Valley climbs two positions to number 3 and this modern track lies close to the city centre of Hereford, where holes are routed around a couple of lakes and several fairways play through apple orchards in a lovely rural setting. Continual course improvements have obviously made an impression on respondents to our recent survey of golf facilities in the county, leading to a significant rise in the chart for Burghill Valley. Remaining at number 4, the Rowan course at the 27-hole Sapey Golf Club complex was the original 18-hole layout at the club when it first opened for play in 1990. It has since been joined by a 9-hole, par 27 layout called the Oaks and both courses are maturing into fine parkland tracks. Bringing up the rear, the 18-hole layout at Leominster falls two places to number 5. The club was first established in 1903 but went into hibernation during World War II, only to be revived again in 1967 when a 9-hole course was fashioned soon after. This layout was modified in 1971 and it remained in that format until extended to 18 holes in 1990, forming the course that’s in play today. We’d like to thank everybody in this region who contributed to our re-ranking process. To view more details of the courses in our Herefordshire Top 5 rankings, click this link. If you’ve played extensively across this region and would like to help us with the next edition of the chart then please drop Editor-in-Chief Keith Baxter an email at keith@top100golfcourses.com Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses