Pontesbury, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Arscott Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 70 parkland course measuring around 6,218 to 6,232 yards, located at Pontesbury near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, on the edge of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The course was the creation of farmer Martin Hamer, whose family had farmed the Arscott land since 1880. Inspired by his admiration for courses such as Augusta and Wentworth, Hamer converted 120 acres of arable and pasture land into a golf course, with the club opening in August 1992. No professional designer is credited; the layout was conceived and developed by Hamer himself, with a grant from the Forestry Commission used to plant additional trees that have since become a defining feature of the course. The club transitioned to member ownership in 2018 under a 25-year lease.
The course occupies land with an unusually layered industrial history. Old oak and beech trees line many holes, while copses of trees mark the former pitmounds of the local coal mining industry. Large pools on the 17th and 18th holes are the legacy of clay extraction carried out over a century ago to supply brickworks in nearby Cruckmeole and Hanwood. These pools now function as significant water hazards, and water comes into play across the closing stretch of holes. Views from the course extend across the surrounding Shropshire countryside and towards Pontesford Hill. The course has a course rating of 71.4 and a slope rating of 136, indicating a meaningful challenge relative to its par.
The signature finishing hole is the par four 18th, which requires a carry over water to a raised green guarded by a pond and a silver birch tree, and is widely regarded as one of the more demanding closing holes in the county. The dogleg fourth is also notable, where longer hitters can attempt to drive over the former pitmound copse. The club hosts county-level competitions including Shropshire Ladies Golf Association events.
