Advice on which club to join in the South East London area

[Mackers]

Hey guys

I’m new to this forum so forgive me if this is in the wrong category.

Since the turn of the new year my friend and i have been playing golf once/twice a week and have fallen back in love with the game.

Instead of scrambling around for tee times on golf now or ringing every club up in a 10 mile vicinity we now want to join a local club.

We live in Brockley SE4 and have been recommended Shooters Hill which is just up the road but neither of us have played it before.

I was wondering if there were any other clubs in the area that you guys would recommend us checking out for membership before we go and part with all of our savings for a membership?

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Welcome!

How far can you easily travel? You’ve got a car presumably?

I don’t know the courses inside the M25, there are quite a few as you get out towards Orpington etc..

Although I’m sure you’ll get some sensible suggestions, my advice would be to look at the map and try all within the distance that you are comfortable travelling. There can’t be that many, can there?!

 

[Dando]

THe only 18 hole courses I can think of are dulwich and sydenham and royal blackheath
Going towards Orpington gives you more choice but the courses aren’t members only course and they get very busy
Shooters hill is only 10 mins from me and although I’ve never played there I know a few members and they say it’s a great course but it can suffer in the winter

 

[Bunkermagnet]

From Brockley, you have Shooters Hil, Dulwich and Sydenham, Royal Blackheath, Sundridge Park, Chislehurst, and Eltham Warren That I can think of that are within a short drive from Brockley. I would imagine your nearest would probably be Dulwich but I think fees and possible waiting lists might also play a part. Of course, there are plenty of option slightly further out towards and just into Kent.

 

[spongebob59]

I was a member.at shooters hill many years ago, so no idea what it's like now. I liked the course layout but I could see why some may not, you certainly need to be fit if you carry. Why don't you try and get a green fee there.

 

[backwoodsman]

Dulwich & Sydenham Hill is your nearest. Great club to be a member of. Layout is not long but its no pushover. Really good greens and course is really good in summer. But I'll be honest and say we do suffer a bit from drainage problems in winter - London clay subsoil is not helpful to the greenkeeper. No waiting list. Fees arent especially cheap - but then we are extremely close to central london (if you tried hard, you could probably spit in the Thames from the clubhouse balcony ? )

(The 9 hole Aquarius Golf Club is actually nearer (just the other side of One Tree Hill) - but sadly the course has nothing to recommend it. Built on top of a large Thames Water underground reservoir).

 

[Mackers]

Thanks guys. Spoke to Shooters Hill today and they are only offering a restricted membership with tee times mid week and after 2pm on a Saturday for £1200. Not much help if you work Monday-Friday...Will try the other suggestions - all sound great. We were just recommended Langley Park which seems like a good club and they've offered us a courtesy round (usually £60) if we're interested in membership so will give that a shot too!

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Thanks guys. Spoke to Shooters Hill today and they are only offering a restricted membership with tee times mid week and after 2pm on a Saturday for £1200. Not much help if you work Monday-Friday...Will try the other suggestions - all sound great. We were just recommended Langley Park which seems like a good club and they've offered us a courtesy round (usually £60) if we're interested in membership so will give that a shot too![/QUOTE
Langley Park is quite flat, but apparently is quite challenging according to some of their members I have spoken too.

 

[Rebuteo]

How far can you get? I joined Croham Hurst recently, just outside Croydon.

They currently have academy memberships for £500 which includes 6 half hour range lessons, and 3 1 hour on course lessons with access to the course any day after 2pm in the summer, 1pm in the winter. With 2 people you can get it for £800 total. https://www.chgc.co.uk/membership

The times might be a bit restrictive, but if you're working Monday-Friday and can get out weekend afternoons, for £400 each it's a good deal. The course is nice, clubhouse is good and everyone I've met has been friendly even while I'm hacking it around.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

How far can you get? I joined Croham Hurst recently, just outside Croydon.

They currently have academy memberships for £500 which includes 6 half hour range lessons, and 3 1 hour on course lessons with access to the course any day after 2pm in the summer, 1pm in the winter. With 2 people you can get it for £800 total. https://www.chgc.co.uk/membership

The times might be a bit restrictive, but if you're working Monday-Friday and can get out weekend afternoons, for £400 each it's a good deal. The course is nice, clubhouse is good and everyone I've met has been friendly even while I'm hacking it around.

I ve always liked the look of Croham Hurst, but I would have said that Brockley to South Croydon every time for golf would soon wear thin especially when you drive past Shirley Park

 

[Rebuteo]

I ve always liked the look of Croham Hurst, but I would have said that Brockley to South Croydon every time for golf would soon wear thin especially when you drive past Shirley Park

I get the train down there from New Cross Gate, no driving past other courses and no issues having a pint after!

 

[chrisd]

I would choose Sundridge Park over Langley Park for definite

 

[Dando]

How far can you get? I joined Croham Hurst recently, just outside Croydon.

They currently have academy memberships for £500 which includes 6 half hour range lessons, and 3 1 hour on course lessons with access to the course any day after 2pm in the summer, 1pm in the winter. With 2 people you can get it for £800 total. https://www.chgc.co.uk/membership

The times might be a bit restrictive, but if you're working Monday-Friday and can get out weekend afternoons, for £400 each it's a good deal. The course is nice, clubhouse is good and everyone I've met has been friendly even while I'm hacking it around.

i like croham hurst and have a few friends who are members there.
They have some wickedly quick greens

 

[Leftie]

I also like Croham Hurst and play there several times a year (knowing many members and club friendlies). The first two holes are quite a challenge for any mid/high h/capper to score on. The course is only spoilt a bit by the 3 holes on the adjacent land. Overall though it's a good place to be and I can recommend it. I nearly joined 20 years ago until I played Sundridge Park and joined there.

Considering we have arguably the best two courses in the area and our annual subs are not much more than other local clubs with only 18 holes it's a no brainer - apart from the current joining fee and possible waiting list.

 

[Mackers]

Thanks guys. Sundridge Park looks amazing but the cost is pretty eye watering so that rules it out for us unfortunately.
looking like we’re going to opt for Langley Park - they’ve been really accommodating, the course is flat but interesting enough and the subs aren’t too bad - £1450 for me as I’m under 36 and they’ve said we can join straight away...
thanks again for everyone’s comments - really appreciate it.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Thanks guys. Spoke to Shooters Hill today and they are only offering a restricted membership with tee times mid week and after 2pm on a Saturday for £1200. Not much help if you work Monday-Friday...Will try the other suggestions - all sound great. We were just recommended Langley Park which seems like a good club and they've offered us a courtesy round (usually £60) if we're interested in membership so will give that a shot too!

Langley Park is an excellent test of golf. it may be flat (not necessarily a bad thing) but it used to make me use every club in the bag when I've played it. That hasn't been for a while, but is something I need to correct as my club has a reciprocal with them. My only dislike, and this is purely a personal thing, is that the 18th is a par 3. It's not that it's a bad par 3, I just don't like them as finishing holes.

Sundridge Park is a little further, but for two courses that are markedly different if you can run to it I'd say it's worth it.

Eltham Warren is a nine hole course with 2 sets of tees; not unpleasant but not at the same level as Langley Park or Sundridge Park.

If you are happy wit a 9 hole course with two sets of tees, you could do worse than look at Shortlands Golf Club. Literally next to the station, it's actually a 10 hole & was always a very social club, and not too much of a schlep from Brockley.

Chislehurst is quite tight and has a lot of par 3's, although the 3's vary from (from memory) 95 yards to 249 yards, uphill, downhill, flat; they've used the tight parcel of land they have very well. The clubhouse is an old mansion. It's another that's worth a look.

Good luck.

 

[Bermuda]

Sundridge Park is ace, I was junior Captain there many years ago. A proper 36 hole club

 

[Foxholer]

For a 'newby'(newbies) to Golf, there's considerable expense involved. so I'd suggest you wait until you are totally 'hooked' before committing to joining a club - especially in the ultra expensive London Metro area. And, depending on transport, (is a car available?) you may want to find a club that is near to a public transport venue. Mitcham is such a course - right beside the Tram line from Wimbledon - and the sort of course where relative 'beginners' (that's an assumption that might not be justified) won't lose too many balls. Not the most salubrious clubhouse, but provides all that's needed. I've certainly seen plenty of folk on public transport with golf bags as I've travelled, likewise, (clubs are in mate's boot) to my club in Barnet.
There's also a number of other courses quite close to public transport in other areas of London (e.g. Totteridge to the North - though it's a fair old hill to get to it!; Ealing to the West)

It may also be an idea to hook up with some of the established sites like GolfNow to get guaranteed bookings - and occasional bargains. That certainly beats hunting around direct 'on the day'!