Golf Forums - The Highest Course in England

Why not try Kington Golf Club at 1284'? An inland links course with very undulating fairways, and masses of bracken and gorse awaiting the wayward golfer.

You're almost guaranteed to lose a few balls but you will find at least as many. Unfortunately your Pro V1s will disappear only to rematerialise as Pinnacles and TopFlites!

There are panoramic views over six or seven counties. If the golf is bad and you've had enough of the scenery then admire the bird life - the skylarks, redstarts, buzzards, kestrels, sparrow hawks golden plovers and the occasional red kite.
 
And, of course, for the lonely bachelor we have the ubiquitous sheep.
Although most of them are spoken for - we are after all right on the Welsh border and the stories one hears of our cousins from The Principality are undoubtedly true.
 
As one can imagine at this height if the wind blows, and it does a lot of the time, club selection can be a bit of a problem. The 15th, a par 3 of 214 yards from way up high down into a valley can be anything from a 6 iron to a driver. Well that's for mere mortals like me.

The greens are fast and true and as good as any in the Midlands. They are on par with those at Ludlow GC

Often in the week one can wander up and play at almost any time especially in the afternoons.
Monday mornings are reserved for the old boys and the dragons have Tuesday mornings

The new stewards have settled in well and are most accommodating serving good reasonably priced food.

-- 04/07/2009 20:48:34: post edited by Robert Pritchard.

-- 04/07/2009 20:58:13: post edited by Robert Pritchard.

Hi Robert,

                 What a super course Kington is !!! I can remember being "buzzed" from BELOW by a jet coming up the valley close to the 14th green (?).

18th is the driveable par 4 - put my ball on the front right edge only for it to be picked up by a lamb and ending up with a difficult after it had finished palying with it !!!

Think the last time I played there we got day tickets for £18 - what a steal.

Fond memories of the course especially as during our golf week in Herefordshire I had 5 winnings in a row at an evening meeting at Ludlow.

Hi Bob,
Yes, you're spot on with the jets. It's also interesting to be on the course when most weeks 3 Hercules come lumbering down the valley and you're above them. A very strange experience especially as they appear to be going so slowly that you expect them to fall out of the sky at any moment.
 
We had our Open on Sunday with 6' high bracken and gorse lurking a few feet off the fairways and the sheep and their detritus much in evidence.
I'm off 6 but  visited the bracken too often and finished with 79 and 80 to be well down the field. A 13 year old won it with 72 and 74! 

I live next door to the club so am available for a game whenever. Give me a shout next time you're up this way.

Incidentally what did you think of the greens? We think they're pretty good - fast and true. But then the groundstaff have little else to do - the sheep maintain the fairways. The fairways are only cut once a year!

I reckon a stimpmeter would show them running at a cracking pace. Did you play at Ludlow - theirs are very good. Or do you concentrate more on the horses over there?

Kind regards,
Rob