Golf London

NoelAPM

I'm going to be looking for a golf coarse to join in London later in the year and was wondering has anyone played any that they approve of, and probably more importantly, any I should overlook completely?

Obviously London is quite a big place so my focus is going to be on the south east. The few I've looked at are very old and therefore quite short. Id prefer to find a long and challenging course.

Thanks for the 2 cents.

sydneybound

NoelAPM wrote: »

I'm going to be looking for a golf coarse to join in London later in the year and was wondering has anyone played any that they approve of, and probably more importantly, any I should overlook completely?

Obviously London is quite a big place so my focus is going to be on the south east. The few I've looked at are very old and therefore quite short. Id prefer to find a long and challenging course.

Thanks for the 2 cents.

First off London is huge, much bigger than Dublin. Where in South East are you looking? Are you talking about Kent or actually in London like Bromley/Sipcup area?

Most people I know who work in central London don’t have a car. They are not needed as public transport into town is excellent however to get to a course might be a different matter. If you have access to a car the choice of courses opens up significantly. Will you drive over there? One point I will say is that it’s of a major benefit if your club is near a tube/rail station. For example in the summer time if your keen for a few holes getting anywhere at rush hour 4-7 is a no go and you won’t bother, getting a train to the course is much quicker and easier. Just make sure the club has lockers and keep your sticks up there. Really they are logistical matters but it’s important to get them right.

You will find competitions in many London clubs are not regular like in Ireland. Speaking from experience members tend to be a lot older than in Ireland, the club I was a member has an average age of 64 years old (I’m not kidding!) and out of over 600 members only 16 were between the ages of 24 -30 which was grouped as immediate membership.

My last point is courses in London are nowhere near the standard of courses around Dublin. Average membership prices of a poor to middling club are £1,500 minimum plus many places have joining fees. Public courses, commonly called municipal courses, are of a very poor standard. To try and compare, Elmgreen in Dublin would be a great municipal course in London given its practice facilities and range while Sillogue would be much better than average.

Land and space for courses is tight around London and quite often they tend to be short and tight. Not great for opening your shoulders! Apologies for not painting a great picture but that’s how I’ve found clubs around London. Plus members are mainly tossers (sorry mods), old so called upper class type, you may play with them for 4 hours one week in a random draw comp and then the next they’ll walk past you in the locker room without even an acknowledgement, happened to lots I used to played with!

For long and challenging course get out the cheque book and head towards Sussex and further down Kent direction.

The_Architect

sydneybound wrote: »

First off London is huge, much bigger than Dublin. Where in South East are you looking? Are you talking about Kent or actually in London like Bromley/Sipcup area?

Most people I know who work in central London don’t have a car. They are not needed as public transport into town is excellent however to get to a course might be a different matter. If you have access to a car the choice of courses opens up significantly. Will you drive over there? One point I will say is that it’s of a major benefit if your club is near a tube/rail station. For example in the summer time if your keen for a few holes getting anywhere at rush hour 4-7 is a no go and you won’t bother, getting a train to the course is much quicker and easier. Just make sure the club has lockers and keep your sticks up there. Really they are logistical matters but it’s important to get them right.

You will find competitions in many London clubs are not regular like in Ireland. Speaking from experience members tend to be a lot older than in Ireland, the club I was a member has an average age of 64 years old (I’m not kidding!) and out of over 600 members only 16 were between the ages of 24 -30 which was grouped as immediate membership.

My last point is courses in London are nowhere near the standard of courses around Dublin. Average membership prices of a poor to middling club are £1,500 minimum plus many places have joining fees. Public courses, commonly called municipal courses, are of a very poor standard. To try and compare, Elmgreen in Dublin would be a great municipal course in London given its practice facilities and range while Sillogue would be much better than average.

Land and space for courses is tight around London and quite often they tend to be short and tight. Not great for opening your shoulders! Apologies for not painting a great picture but that’s how I’ve found clubs around London. Plus members are mainly tossers (sorry mods), old so called upper class type, you may play with them for 4 hours one week in a random draw comp and then the next they’ll walk past you in the locker room without even an acknowledgement, happened to lots I used to played with!

For long and challenging course get out the cheque book and head towards Sussex and further down Kent direction.

I'm sorry but I have to call you out here on a most ridiculous assertion about the standard of London courses.... London (or at least greater London including the leafy home counties) is THE greatest golf city in the world... If the original poster is there to stay and is reasonably affluent (or at least puts a premium on his golf), then near the South-East of the city, I'd recommend looking at The Addington, Royal Ashdown Forest or Crowborough Beacon.

However, you may well be right about the quality of public courses inside the M25... And access to the courses above certainly needs a car (the second two being in Sussex).

Still, within half an hour of the M25 in all directions (primarily west and south) there are approximately 20-30 courses that I would rate above EVERY inland course in Ireland.

sydneybound

The_Architect wrote: »

I'm sorry but I have to call you out here on a most ridiculous assertion about the standard of London courses.... London (or at least greater London including the leafy home counties) is THE greatest golf city in the world... If the original poster is there to stay and is reasonably affluent (or at least puts a premium on his golf), then near the South-East of the city, I'd recommend looking at The Addington, Royal Ashdown Forest or Crowborough Beacon.

However, you may well be right about the quality of public courses inside the M25... And access to the courses above certainly needs a car (the second two being in Sussex).

Still, within half an hour of the M25 in all directions (primarily west and south) there are approximately 20-30 courses that I would rate above EVERY inland course in Ireland.

Ridiculous.

Looks like we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one Architect.

I still state courses in the Great London area are generally a poor standard to those in and around Dublin.

Here are a few courses in London particularly North as I know the area better which are distinctly average to poor when compared to Luttrellstown, Catleknock or even a Roganstown which are on the same membership prices if not cheaper

Muswell Hill
South Herts
Hampsted
Highgate
Richmond Park
Finchely
Old Fort Manor
North Middlesex
The list goes on….

Sunningdale, Queenswood, Wenthworth are all brilliant courses but not in Greater London, there closer to Ascot.

Royal Ashdown is in East Sussex (i.e. not in Greater London), 25 miles from Croydon and that’s at the edge of Greater London, which is a huge distance in rush hour traffic or even Saturday afternoons. I have an old work colleague a member in Ashdown and all I can say is good luck getting in there… it won’t happen.
The Addington is 6200 yards off the medal tees the very back… Par 69… not exactly ‘long’ that the OP wanted.
Crowborough is nowhere near Greater London…

East Sussex is not London, that’s like saying Newbridge is in Dublin but it has no traffic compared to South London, which you have to bear in mind.

NoelAPM

Thanks guys,

I will be driving so no problems there.. I think the Blackheath area is where ill be setting up first so something within half an hour drive from that area at the weekend if that's possible.

I think Ireland would spoil a lot of golfers with our courses, where I'm coming from is Druids Heath. Which is a good challenge, its also 1500euro. obviously I'm not expecting a golf course of that standard in London and especially not as cheap as that but I do want to play good competitive golf on a good track.

FixdePitchmark

The_Architect wrote: »

I'm sorry but I have to call you out here on a most ridiculous assertion about the standard of London courses.... London (or at least greater London including the leafy home counties) is THE greatest golf city in the world... If the original poster is there to stay and is reasonably affluent (or at least puts a premium on his golf), then near the South-East of the city, I'd recommend looking at The Addington, Royal Ashdown Forest or Crowborough Beacon.

However, you may well be right about the quality of public courses inside the M25... And access to the courses above certainly needs a car (the second two being in Sussex).

Still, within half an hour of the M25 in all directions (primarily west and south) there are approximately 20-30 courses that I would rate above EVERY inland course in Ireland.

I think your big problem is the word inland.
Dublin / Wicklow / Louth have great coastal golf. So London can't go near that.

Anyway - a bit of a stretch to say every - I'd imagine.

The_Architect

Fixedpitchmark - I stated inland because we're lacking in top class ones when you compare them to the heathland and downland courses in the south-east of England. The sheer quantity of quality courses within 40 or 50 miles of central London is astounding. Plus if you want links, you've Royal St Georges, Deal, Princes, Rye & Littlestone all within a quick hop.

Sydneybound - you are right that most of these courses don't qualify as "London" but only in the same way the K-Club or Carton House don't qualify as "Dublin". They are all in general commutable distance if good golf is your priority. All that said, I'm talking in an ideal world. For most people, money and access to try and join some of these clubs becomes quite a big obstacle. But if one's objective is just to play a lot of great golf, then London is hard to beat as a base.

As for Addington, directing someone away from that beauty to search for some 7,000 yard slog without much merit is a big mistake in anyone's book. The Addington has plenty of big shots. Just extrapolate the 6,200 yard par-69 by 225 yards per shot and you'd have a 6,900 yard Par-72 equivalent.

rambojon

i know its slightly off topic but im playin forrest of arden next week outside birmingham... any1 played it...?

AGC

sydneybound wrote: »

Ridiculous.

Looks like we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one Architect.

I still state courses in the Great London area are generally a poor standard to those in and around Dublin.

Here are a few courses in London particularly North as I know the area better which are distinctly average to poor when compared to Luttrellstown, Catleknock or even a Roganstown which are on the same membership prices if not cheaper

Muswell Hill
South Herts
Hampsted
Highgate
Richmond Park
Finchely
Old Fort Manor
North Middlesex
The list goes on….

Sunningdale, Queenswood, Wenthworth are all brilliant courses but not in Greater London, there closer to Ascot.

Royal Ashdown is in East Sussex (i.e. not in Greater London), 25 miles from Croydon and that’s at the edge of Greater London, which is a huge distance in rush hour traffic or even Saturday afternoons. I have an old work colleague a member in Ashdown and all I can say is good luck getting in there… it won’t happen.
The Addington is 6200 yards off the medal tees the very back… Par 69… not exactly ‘long’ that the OP wanted.
Crowborough is nowhere near Greater London…

East Sussex is not London, that’s like saying Newbridge is in Dublin but it has no traffic compared to South London, which you have to bear in mind.

I was a member in Highgate for a couple of years and it was always in excellent condition, lovely course. Quite short but very tree lined and tight with tricky greens. Also had some great internal competitions.

Fees were also not at the £1,500 mark which was said. I think it was in around £600

sydneybound

AGC wrote: »

I was a member in Highgate for a couple of years and it was always in excellent condition, lovely course. Quite short but very tree lined and tight with tricky greens. Also had some great internal competitions.

Fees were also not at the £1,500 mark which was said. I think it was in around £600

Not sure about that. In 2010 I enquired about membership and spoke to the membership guy called Nick and was quoted £2,100 entrance fee and £1,400 yearly subscription.

I'm happy to pass on the email with the above stated fees.

AGC

Have the emails myself, I can see where our difference in cost is though possibly. I was under 30 so different fee.

Kevinmarkham

rambojon wrote: »

i know its slightly off topic but im playin forrest of arden next week outside birmingham... any1 played it...?

A couple of times. A big, leafy place, with one of the toughest par threes I've ever encountered to finish. It's well maintained and fairly generous off the tee if I remember correctly.

The first time I played I was on the course by 7.30am and played solo, with deer, hares, pheasants, foxes bounding around the place like a cartoon.

Kevinmarkham

The_Architect wrote: »

Fixedpitchmark - I stated inland because we're lacking in top class ones when you compare them to the heathland and downland courses in the south-east of England. The sheer quantity of quality courses within 40 or 50 miles of central London is astounding. Plus if you want links, you've Royal St Georges, Deal, Princes, Rye & Littlestone all within a quick hop.

Sydneybound - you are right that most of these courses don't qualify as "London" but only in the same way the K-Club or Carton House don't qualify as "Dublin". They are all in general commutable distance if good golf is your priority. All that said, I'm talking in an ideal world. For most people, money and access to try and join some of these clubs becomes quite a big obstacle. But if one's objective is just to play a lot of great golf, then London is hard to beat as a base.

As for Addington, directing someone away from that beauty to search for some 7,000 yard slog without much merit is a big mistake in anyone's book. The Addington has plenty of big shots. Just extrapolate the 6,200 yard par-69 by 225 yards per shot and you'd have a 6,900 yard Par-72 equivalent.

I played a few down Surrey way and never had a problem with quality.

My experiences close to London city were not so good (Richmond Park), but I agree that there are so many to choose from in the 'London area' you're going to have plenty of beauties. OP will have no problem finding a good course. Yes, a few horrors, but easy to avoid with a bit of research and common sense.

Sadly, I can't even remember the name of the best course I played over there. Heathland, that's all I remember... and two ladies behind us who were scratch golfers and were bombing the greens the moment we stepped off.

Architect, have you heard much about the Centurion Club up by St. Alban's?

JohnHenry

I've been playing golf in London now for 4-5 years.
The main difference between Ire and Eng is that you really have to put in a lot more effort to get out for a decent game in London.
Book in advance, organize transport, travel (around an hour to Surrey from Central London) but its worth it.

I've played a good variety of courses, heres a few i can remember

Best - both pricey but top quality
Stoke Park
The London Club

Decent
Foxhills -pricey
Malden (close to central, good value)
Silvermere (tight but decent)
Wildwood - Good test, lovely but a long spin

Average but good value
Surrey National

Poor
Richmond -battered by hackers and slow - every hole looks the same

i walked wenthworh twice following the BMW. its awesome, crazy long but Nick Faldo just said recently theres no way he'd pay £250 quid to play.
sunningdale is the same, crazy money.

Thats my 2 pence worth, hope it helps.

If your just after moving, try and get around and play a few courses, some proper gems in surrey and if youve got a car, youre laughing.

The_Architect

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

I played a few down Surrey way and never had a problem with quality.

My experiences close to London city were not so good (Richmond Park), but I agree that there are so many to choose from in the 'London area' you're going to have plenty of beauties. OP will have no problem finding a good course. Yes, a few horrors, but easy to avoid with a bit of research and common sense.

Sadly, I can't even remember the name of the best course I played over there. Heathland, that's all I remember... and two ladies behind us who were scratch golfers and were bombing the greens the moment we stepped off.

Architect, have you heard much about the Centurion Club up by St. Alban's?

Kevin, I know about the Centurion Club in as much as I know the architect and I've seen photos. From those, I like quite a lot of what I see but am not overly enamoured by the mounding.

Shame you can't remember the name of the heathland you played. You really should make a visit back to Surrey /Berkshire / Hampshire some time and play a few of the better ones.

My advice would certainly be to avoid Wentworth. Sunningdale is magical but very expensive. The same goes for Walton Heath. Lesser known, excellent courses such as Woking, Worplesdon, Hankley Common, Liphook, West Sussex etc... etc... are much better value and a real treat.