Coombe Wood Golf Club
View from the clubhouse balcony.
What BGIS says:
We'd heard quite a bit about Coombe Wood before we played there. Tight, quirky were a couple of adjectives used to describe it.
For those who don't know it, the course sits either side of George Road in this lush part of Kingston-upon-Thames. The first ten holes lie to the north-east and the clubhouse and the last eight holes to the south-west.
Opening with a pretty straight par five, with quite a bank across the fairway, you can get away to a reasonable start. This part of the course is fairly conventional until the 8th and 9th present you with a couple of almost blind tee shots, which force you to pay attention. The 9th also takes you across the 2nd fairway at right angles.
Once across the road to the 11th the course takes on a different, more picturesque look. Whilst negotiating your way down the 11th you'll notice the tee for the 13th to your right so keep your eyes peeled. Again the 15th and 18th tees are quite adjacent and tee shots cross each other. The 15th with its sixteenth-century Gallows Tamkin ( a remnant from the original water supply to Hampton Court Palace) to its left, needs a nice tee shot through a gap in the trees to reach the fairway.
Now there's two ways to look at all this. One is that the criss-crossing of fairways is a bit of a nuisance. On the other hand, this course, which is over a hundred years old, has some unique quirks which make it different from the crowd. The course makes the most of the space available and in fact the last eight holes lie in some very attractive countryside. The clubhouse with its raised balcony is also a great place to sit and enjoy the view of both play and scenery.
All in all, we think the more unusual elements of the course are what makes it an enjoyable challenge and distinguish it from other golf clubs.
Summary - an interesting course with some unusual holes which present some different challenges. A marmite course - some like it, others don't. Few are indifferent. If you are put off by fairways crossing, this may not be for you though. Not particularly difficult for the good player but most will find it enjoyable.
- Quirky course not far from Kingston centre
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Good clubhouse with elevated view of course
Please tell us your views on Coombe Wood Golf Club.
Contact Details:
Coombe Wood Golf Club,
George Road
Kingston upon Thames
KT2 7NS
Tel. 020 8942 0388
The BGIS 'Not a lot of people know that' fact about Coombe Wood Golf Club:
The Gallows Tamkin, a sixteenth century element of the fresh water supply for Hampton Court Palace, still stands between the 13th and 18th fairways at Coombe Wood Golf Club. This began operating whilst Henry VIII was King of England and was in constant use for over 350 years! Thames Water please take note.....
