Family golf near London?

[John Shimp]

Any suggestions of courses/clubs in or close by London that would be architecturally enjoyable but could accomodate play of me and my 2 sons aged 14 and 12?  My one son is an excellent player and the other is just beyond beginner stage.  We won't have a car so tube/rail would be the mode of transport most likely to be used.  Thanks for any ideas you may have.

[Melvyn Morrow]

John

In England, my only suggestion is fly to Scotland and enjoy Fife - the English are having problems with their MP, so if they can't get that right what chance have they got to get anything right. Some think a links course is inland, others dont undestand golf, but if we do not let them have their way then tend to invade Scotland, so I am being kind.

Melvyn

[Scott Warren]

John,

With the exception of probably four holes that could break your beginner son's heart, I'd say The Addington fits the bill. Great design, close to Croydon - which has two stations serviced from central London (15-20 minutes) as well as the tram from Wimbledon (35-40 minutes), accessible and not a crazy price. See the review from the GCA.com Courses By Country page here.

[Tony_Muldoon]

John where will you be staying and how much do you want to pay?

some interesting courses are right on Raliway stations.  Sandy Lane GC and Moor Park in NW London.  Sunningdale and Denham to the West. Are all good and relatively expensive. Train plus a short Taxi would bring alot more into play e.g. Wimbledon.

"Muni's" include Hainault Forrest (2 courses) Stockley Park (train and taxi/shuttle bus), Mitcham, and there's a completly natural 9 hole Heathland course by Esher station Leave dirver and woods at home and you'll have fun round for £15 each at the weekend.

IM some detilas and I'll suggest a few more.  Enjoy your trip.  Tony

[John Shimp]

Thanks for the thoughts so far.  I will be staying near Convent Garden.  As far as amt to pay, I 'd rather it not be crazy high as I'm not looking to check the biggies off my list or anything like that but I would like some quality and real fun.  Also, I don't want to impose on a club with my 2 sons.  The Addington sounds great based on the review.

[Scott Warren]

John,

www.surreygolfguide.co.uk is a good resource also.
Surrey borders SW London and is easy to access by train from Waterloo Station, which is close to Covent Garden.

[Melvyn Morrow]

John

May I seriously suggest a couple of course in East London that might be of interest? Tube train Central Line runs out to Essex Loughton.

Theydon Bois GC between Epping & Loughton
Web site http://www.theydongolf.co.uk/ 

West Essex Golf Club not far from Theydon Bois
Web site www.westessexgolfclub.co.uk

Epping Forest Golf Course 
Web site www.eppinggolfcourse.org.uk – not certain this is that good

Melvyn

[John Shimp]

Great suggestions.  Golf guide to Surrey is great.  Addington may work all the way around with something like Theydon Bois as a nice sure bet for my weaker playing son.

If I were to step it up for one other round with younger son who is a mid single digit where should I think of playing keeping in mind proximity to central london and likely public transport.  I'm not as interested in paying a monster number like Sunningdale and Wentworth charge but would consider Walton Heath, Woking, St George's Hill, West or Royal Mid-Surrey.   I'm sure there are others that provide great architecture and fit the bill on location and price that I am overlooking.  Thanks again.

[Tony_Muldoon]

So many choices

http://www.thedssc.co.uk/dssc/golf/golf_londonpubliccourses.htm 

How to find them using public transport.
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en

The Addington is a fine choice, but Scott has a lot of game and it may be intimidating for your younger son. Still taking him to one of Doak’s Flavour’s of Golf should inspire him, enjoy.

Theydon Bois is very nice but short and tight.  Not played West Essex but it has the reputation as being a notch baouve Theydon.

Melvyn, Epping is my home course.  I wouldn't claim it to be a great one, but quirky and interesting definitely. And one of the friendliest I’ve ever encountered. John if you could make it out on the Central line one Saturday and your boys would rather play with golfers their own age I could set them up with a Match and we could follow on behind.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Tony

I lived in Loughton in the 1980’s playing quite a few of the courses around Epping. My Accountant had his office in Chingford and we would pop down for a round after some business then into the local Italian Restaurant called Batista opposite Chingford Station. There was also a big steakhouse up the hill near Elizabeth I hunting lodge. Never got home much before midnight after a local game. Those were the days. I remember something about wearing red to be able to play, has that changed?

I agree Theydon Bois is a short course under 6,000 yds, but if enjoyment is the order of the day, then getting there is easy from Covent Garden.

Melvyn

[Tony_Muldoon]

Melvyn, you are referring to Royal Epping Forrest. http://refgc.ambico.co.uk/document/homepage.html   I've not played it because all those who have tend to agree with you.   However it's a real throwback for John and it might be fun to adopt a special dress code for golf  as it's still the law of the land that  players at this club, and one of the Wimbledon ones,  MUST wear Red to alert the public

My Epping is a new course which has one hole in common with a club that was lost in WW11.

[Jason McNamara]

What about Royal Blackheath, in case the museum might hold interest?  (Don't know to what extent they welcome juniors.)  Tube doesn't look convenient, but rail is right there.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

You could also try Beaconsfield, a delightful Colt course on which Luke Donald grew up. It's right by Seer Green and Jordans station on the Chiltern line from Marylebone. Denham (Colt, too) is also on the same line and it even has its own station!

West Surrey (Fowler) is a very short walk from Milford station on the line from Waterloo to Portsmouth.

New Zealand (Simpson) is a modest walk from West Byfleet station.

West Hill is a short walk from Brookwood station.

I'm told that Finchley is quite easy to get a game on, and I recall that it was an interesting course (though I am going back to the 1970s). It's a short taxi ride from Finchley Central tube station.

[John Shimp]

Thanks very much for the suggestions.  I'm still focused on The Addington and was rereading Doak's Confidential Guide and started getting excited about Woking.  Are either of these reasonably accessible by rail from South Kensington ?  I saw on the Woking site mention of rail from London Waterloo out to Woking or Brookwood stops just not sure how long/tough a ride that is? Given the fierce taxi fares I may otherwise dial down my aspirations and take some of the suggestions given by others on courses close to stations.   I'm very excited to play my first bit of golf in England.  Please let me know if I can help with golf course selection in the Carolinas.

[Scott Warren]

Hi John,

I made the trip to Woking Rail Station last week to play at New Zealand GC, so I can tell you it is about 20-25 minutes from Waterloo. South Kensington to Waterloo by tube involves one easy change and is about 10-12 minutes travel time.

A taxi from Woking station to the course will only be 5 pounds or so. I paid 10 for the trip back up to NZGC at West Byfleet.

Woking is charging 35 pounds after 3.30pm at the moment, which is a steal, I reckon.

The Addington from Sth Kensington is the same 10-12min tube trip to Waterloo, then a 15-20 minute trip from Waterloo East to Croydon and either a 10 quid, 5 minute cab or a 1 pound tram ride of 10 or 15 minutes to Addington Village, which is about 5mins walk to the club. You could also just get the tube from Sth Kensington to Wimbledon and the tram from there to Addington Village. Might be a shade longer, but it will involve fewer changes.

Similarly, to get to Woking, you can get the tube to Wimbledon (which is on the same line as South Kensington) and get the train from there, and in fact that might even be quicker than going to Waterloo.

If you have any other questions, or need me to clarify the rambling mess above, don't hesitate to ask here or by PM.

cheers,
Scott

[John Shimp]

Scott,
Perfect.  Thank you.  Sounds very doable.
JS

[Mark Bourgeois]

John

Woking is a two-ball course so you're out of luck there unless two of you want to play alternate shot against the third.

The Addington is going to be too hard for your beginner son.

I would pay close attention to Mark R's recommendations.  He literally wrote the book on UK courses. Tony's should be on point as well.

The great things about London courses given your requirements are:
1. Fantastic depth of quality.  Top to bottom the best golf city in the world IMHO.
2. Classic match-play oriented courses means many are of manageable length for your beginner son yet of sufficient interest, particularly around the greens, for your low-handicap son.

The key IMHO is to focus not on the course but on the experience.  The memory you will make for your sons is not only of the course but of one of the greatest things in the world, the English club experience.

Therefore I would be sure to write to the secretary of your short list of clubs in advance -- email tends to work these days -- and explain to him / her your situation.  Explain you are seeking not only the golf but to expose your boys to the specialness of the place.

The secretary will explain any relevant rules etc and will provide you with a warm welcome.

It is not beyond imagination to consider that your low-handicap son may be invited to play in a club youth tournament should one be scheduled!

Melvyn is right in saying the Scottish clubs generally are more welcoming of youth but I have seen adolescents numerous times on St. George's Hill.  But the green fee rightly will scare you off!

Good luck
Mark