Paul_Stewart
Tour Rookie
Located next to Epsom Downs racecourse, home of the Derby. The clubhouse is located about a mile from the Grandstand on Longdown Lane South next to Epsom Downs BR station.
CLUB WEBSITE
http://www.epsomgolfclub.co.uk/
OVERALL
This is a pure downsland course with undulating fairways, very fast greens and totally exposed to the elements. There are only two bunkers on the entire course, both by the 18th green. The course is a 5,780 yard Par 70 from the white tees, playing some 300 yards less and a Par 67 from the yellows. But two of the par changes are less than 10 yards in difference from the whites making the latter worth playing from throughout.
The course crosses several roads and you find yourself concerned with cars on the left of the 11th fairway as the trees on the right. People wander all over the course and you will often find families having picnics on a fairway. The greens are in amazing condition for an open downland course.
During Derby week, the 8th, 9th and 10th holes are taken over by pikeys (sorry Census ethnic group = Travellers). Fortunately they abstain from their natural instinct to tarmac the surrounding area. But it does leave that part of the course hammered for a few weeks thereafter.
GREEN FEES
£29 midweek (£10 Monday pm) - £15 after 4pm
£35 weekends - £20 after 4pm
THE COURSE
There is not a lot of rough in the normal way, just longer download grass than the fairways which are bumpy and not pristine condition. After an initial loop with three shortish par 4s in the first four holes, you head up to wards the Grandstand with a monster 440-yard uphill par 4 that normally plays into the wind.
The 5th hole also passes a car park which pretty much every local youngster has scored on the back seat of a car in at some point in their youth (ticked that box in 1989!).
The 8th through 11th play in and around a copse of trees which play very differently to the wide open nature of the rest of the course. The 8th in particularly is a very tight tee shot with a mid-iron over a narrow gap in the trees.
After two more wide open long holes at 14 and 15, you cross the road to head back downhill to the clubhouse with a short par 4 down a valley, and then 17 and 18 play from the same tees, one a short par three and then the final hole a 430-yard dog-leg left with the green tucked to the side of the clubhouse.
IS IT WORTH PLAYING
Yes because the greens are very quick and the most undulating this side of the Castle Course at St.Andrews.
Yes if you like playing in the wind (which is only on days ending in Y).
Yes if you are using the Monday afternoon discounted rate of £10.
No for every other reason you can think of. You cannot stop anything on any green, it is luck if you find the putting surface and even then, you could end up above the flag with no chance of stopping the ball within 15 feet of the hole. You have cars and people everywhere and even the view from the 6th tee across London where you can see Wembley and Canary Wharf does not make up for it.
Many local pros hate the course and will not play events there. The club tries hard and keeps the course in as good a condition as they can based on their circumstances but it is sure as hell not worth the full price and why anyone would want to be a full member there totally beats me.
But at least it is not the worst course in Epsom. Horton Park has that one by a mile.
DID YOU KNOW?
That someone myself and Homer both used to work with, once dressed in a top hat and tails to stand by the start of the Derby? And then dropped his trousers and mooned the camera just before the off?
CLUB WEBSITE
http://www.epsomgolfclub.co.uk/
OVERALL
This is a pure downsland course with undulating fairways, very fast greens and totally exposed to the elements. There are only two bunkers on the entire course, both by the 18th green. The course is a 5,780 yard Par 70 from the white tees, playing some 300 yards less and a Par 67 from the yellows. But two of the par changes are less than 10 yards in difference from the whites making the latter worth playing from throughout.
The course crosses several roads and you find yourself concerned with cars on the left of the 11th fairway as the trees on the right. People wander all over the course and you will often find families having picnics on a fairway. The greens are in amazing condition for an open downland course.
During Derby week, the 8th, 9th and 10th holes are taken over by pikeys (sorry Census ethnic group = Travellers). Fortunately they abstain from their natural instinct to tarmac the surrounding area. But it does leave that part of the course hammered for a few weeks thereafter.
GREEN FEES
£29 midweek (£10 Monday pm) - £15 after 4pm
£35 weekends - £20 after 4pm
THE COURSE
There is not a lot of rough in the normal way, just longer download grass than the fairways which are bumpy and not pristine condition. After an initial loop with three shortish par 4s in the first four holes, you head up to wards the Grandstand with a monster 440-yard uphill par 4 that normally plays into the wind.
The 5th hole also passes a car park which pretty much every local youngster has scored on the back seat of a car in at some point in their youth (ticked that box in 1989!).
The 8th through 11th play in and around a copse of trees which play very differently to the wide open nature of the rest of the course. The 8th in particularly is a very tight tee shot with a mid-iron over a narrow gap in the trees.
After two more wide open long holes at 14 and 15, you cross the road to head back downhill to the clubhouse with a short par 4 down a valley, and then 17 and 18 play from the same tees, one a short par three and then the final hole a 430-yard dog-leg left with the green tucked to the side of the clubhouse.
IS IT WORTH PLAYING
Yes because the greens are very quick and the most undulating this side of the Castle Course at St.Andrews.
Yes if you like playing in the wind (which is only on days ending in Y).
Yes if you are using the Monday afternoon discounted rate of £10.
No for every other reason you can think of. You cannot stop anything on any green, it is luck if you find the putting surface and even then, you could end up above the flag with no chance of stopping the ball within 15 feet of the hole. You have cars and people everywhere and even the view from the 6th tee across London where you can see Wembley and Canary Wharf does not make up for it.
Many local pros hate the course and will not play events there. The club tries hard and keeps the course in as good a condition as they can based on their circumstances but it is sure as hell not worth the full price and why anyone would want to be a full member there totally beats me.
But at least it is not the worst course in Epsom. Horton Park has that one by a mile.
DID YOU KNOW?
That someone myself and Homer both used to work with, once dressed in a top hat and tails to stand by the start of the Derby? And then dropped his trousers and mooned the camera just before the off?
