Golf North of London

I'm a Kent/Sussex/Surrey golfer and have hardly played along the M25 stretch between, say, Watford and the Dartford tolls (The Grove and Brocket Hall aside). I need to find a course along this stretch as our fourball consists of a North Essex lad, two guys from W London and me in SE London so we picked this area to make it easy for us all to get to.

I was looking at Enfield GC as I played there years ago in a county match and that seemed okay but wondered if anyone had any thoughts? There is a big restriction though in that two of the players are as tight as bumholes and don't want to pay anything more than £25-30 for an afternoon weekend round!?!? Any help would be much appreciated...

I played Sandy Lodge last year in their open with LJ, that's a decent track but no idea what the green fees are. Worth playing if it's in your price range.

Also consider The Shire

Thanks D4S - had a look and Sandy Lodge doesn't accept visitors at the weekend. Looked at The Shire and it's around £65 - am tempted to pay up for the lot of them so I can enjoy a good course - is it as good as it seems?

Moor Park. It's the best club inside the M25 by miles. Two Colt courses and the most spectacular clubhouse in the world of golf.

http://www.moorparkgc.co.uk/index.lasso?pg=0f3e3391a876acd4

It's an awful lot more than your budget I'm afraid. You'd be taking a serious hit on your pals' behalf.

Realistically, for that money, you'd be looking at a municipal. Little Hay, which is between Bovingdon and Hemel Hempstead is quite good. Also there's a municipal at Rickmansworth - it used to be the third course at Moor Park.

You'll have to check prices on these, but I've played all of these as part of a mid week society, and they're not too bad. I wouldn't say they are top notch, but have been friendly and welcoming. All are in easy reach of South Mimms Services.
Old Fold Manor - has been/is a Regional Open qualifier location.
Elstree - cheaper end.
Potters Bar - more expensive - "home" of Tony Jacklin.
Redbourn.
Mill Hill.

25-30 quid at a weekend.

Try crews hill. Good track. Or one of the hainault forest courses. Enfield is good but more expensive. Or my track, north weald.

Anyone played Hadley Wood? It's on my list of Mackenzie courses to play.

Yep. Very nice place. Another open qualie spot i believe

sharrison01 wrote:Thanks D4S - had a look and Sandy Lodge doesn't accept visitors at the weekend. Looked at The Shire and it's around £65 - am tempted to pay up for the lot of them so I can enjoy a good course - is it as good as it seems?

I really enjoyed it because of the variety, 6 holes of each par which is quite unusual. I'd recommend playing it off the back tees though, bit fiddly off the yellows

Hadley Wood is a nice course. It's not particularly testing though, it requires some straight hitting rather than long hitting. There's a lovely par 3 over a lake - maybe the 9th or 10th. It's really pretty.

I live in NW London, a couple of courses i like are Pinner Hill, not played it for a couple of years, but was always in good condition when i did. Also has public days wednesdays and thursdays, so a bit cheaper. Also Hatfield London, is a nice course and never gets very busy.

sharrison,

I know the NW corner of London pretty well. Here are some highlights at your budget, starting at Heathrow (9 o'clock) and moving clockwise to 12 O'clock...

Stockley Park - used to be great, but they ballsed it up by sticking a driving range where 1st and 18th used to be, but that still leaves 16 great holes.
Thorney Park - acceptable course, interesting front nine with some water hazards and rather bland second nine.
Richings Park - nice enough course, fairly gentle with a good finish.
Wyke Green - flat parkland course, well looked after. Major drawbacks: picadilly line runs through the middle of the course, M4 down one side and is under the heathrow flight path.
West Middx - shortish and quirky, it plays a bit like a surrey heathland course and is well looked after. flanked by council estate tower blocks so watch your possessions.
Pinner Hill - lovely secluded course playing up and down a hill, never a flat lie. Some tough holes and some very easy par 5's. Very quirky in places eg 17th is a 230 yard blind par 3.
Northwood - great layout. terrible greens. avoid unless they have improved.
Haste Hill - next door to Northwood, and the only public course I have chosen. Shorter and tighter than most private courses, but a very testing front nine with some good holes.
Sandy Lodge - played here for £35 a couple of years ago, but may be out of your price range. Cracking course, best described as an inland links
Stanmore - shortish but well looked after course, with some very tough long uphill par 4's. Finishes with a lovely par 5 with a big green in front of the clubhouse. Usually reachable in two so always nice to walk off the course with a birdie!
Mill Hill - nice course but a little bland in my opinion. tough finishing 4 holes. can be a bit boggy in winter.
North Middx - nicely manicured, but very short and tight. No par 4 requires more than driver and wedge.
South Herts - may be out of your price range, but a previous host of open qualifying.
Old Fold Manor - another open qualifying course. immaculate condition, best greens in the area, very tough finishing stretch.
The Shire - bit of a marmite course. every hole is a signature hole and they have overdone it with ponds and hazards. First 3 holes feature very artificial forced lay ups. Having said that, the layout is a good test and has plenty of variety. The greens were poor when I played last summer but others have said they are fine now. one for the future.
Hadley Wood - way out of your price range. not because it's fantastic, but the members like the exclusivity. It is a nice course, another former open qualifier.
Enfield - nice enough, but nowhere near as good as the 4 courses immediately above in this list. It has a very easy finish: I would expect a single figure golfer to play the last 6 holes under par, and a pro would expect to birdie at least 4 of 6.
Hatfield - 2 courses, one for members and one for visitors, so it always feels empty. Very tranquil location and the course has always been really lush when I have played there. if you want a challenge you can play it off the blue tees which makes it a bit of a monster.

Thanks a load guys for all your thoughts on this. Have decided to go for Hadley Wood as it looks like a great track and is not ridiculously priced so paying up for the rest of the group means I can get a good game in without breaking the bank.

Thanks a load again...

Can't go wrong with Hadley Wood. What are the green fees? must have come down to fit your price range.

Not come down unfortunately. I think the green fee is £65 but I'm happy to pay a bit more for a good game of golf with friends...

In that case I would recommend Old Fold Manor. About a mile from Hadley Wood, the clubhouse isn't as impressive, but the course is as good if not better. Host to Open qualifying for the last 5 years.