London Airlinks

[r0wly86]

Opening May 2023

https://www.glendalegolf.co.uk/london-airlinks-golf-course/

It was a very cheap parkland course run by David Lloyd I think and got taken over by Glendale Golf about 8 years ago, apparently spent several million, laying new greens and drainage. Most intriguing is that they are marketing it as a links style golf course, it used to be parkland, which is quite the change. I think also it is on Hounslow Heath (or what was many years ago) so could be trying to cover all bases.

Very short course, which is understandable given its location where there is premium on open spaces. By the look of it, very cheap (for the area) under a £1,000pa for subs which no other 18 hole course comes near.

I know Glendale don't have a great rep, but Richmond Park is decent especially for the price to maintain two 18 hole courses. As it is about 15-20 minutes from me and cheap I will definitely have a look once it opens

 

[Orikoru]

I have heard of it, but it must have closed so long ago it was before I started playing again, so I never played it or anything. Guess I assumed it would have been overgrown or developed into flats by now. I'd give it a play when it opens, not far from me. Forum meet?

Interesting step for them to design it in PGA 2k21... I have that game on PS4, does that mean I can play it on there now?

 

[r0wly86]

I have heard of it, but it must have closed so long ago it was before I started playing again, so I never played it or anything. Guess I assumed it would have been overgrown or developed into flats by now. I'd give it a play when it opens, not far from me. Forum meet?

Interesting step for them to design it in PGA 2k21... I have that game on PS4, does that mean I can play it on there now?

That would be quite fun, got an away day planned, fire up the PS4 and play the course before you get there

 

[Orikoru]

That would be quite fun, got an away day planned, fire up the PS4 and play the course before you get there

Lots of courses have been created on there by individual users. I have played the odd course on there before I visited it (obviously the nicer courses, most people aren't creating their local muni). It has limited usefulness though, because in the game my character can hit it about 340 yards whereas I can't.

 

[howbow88]

I think Glendale bought it, used it for dumping earth from building sites (got paid a lot for that) and then they rebuilt the course over the top of all the dumped earth.

 

[sunshine]

Wow, this is a blast from the past. I played here once in the 90s. It was a very basic golf course: short, flat, uninteresting and poorly maintained. It's also right next to the motorway so not exactly peaceful.

The Airlinks name is quite catchy I think, but it was never a links course. There did used to be a golf course on Hounslow Heath, but that wasn't Airlinks.

Looking on google maps it seems they've dumped a lot of waste earth on the plot (profitable as howbow mentioned above), but that won't suddenly make it a links course either

 

[r0wly86]

Wow, this is a blast from the past. I played here once in the 90s. It was a very basic golf course: short, flat, uninteresting and poorly maintained. It's also right next to the motorway so not exactly peaceful.

The Airlinks name is quite catchy I think, but it was never a links course. There did used to be a golf course on Hounslow Heath, but that wasn't Airlinks.

Looking on google maps it seems they've dumped a lot of waste earth on the plot (profitable as howbow mentioned above), but that won't suddenly make it a links course either

When I said on Hounslow Heath, I meant what would have been Hounslow Heath a couple hundred years ago, it was about 4 or 5 times bigger than it is now.

Interesting fact, Hounslow Heath is where Ordnance Survey measured their base mile before mapping the UK

 

[r0wly86]

Played the course yesterday.

It is a very short course 5,000 of yellows, 5,300 off whites.

But is far from easy, the rough is very thick and penal, if you go in it's quite easy to lose your ball, coupled with very narrow fairways.

Plus the design of the course, with lots of doglegs means it is harder to make the most out of the short distance.

You can cut corners but as the fairways are tight and penal rough it's a tough drive to make.

It was surprisingly high, I did not think there was any high ground there, around the 9th you are on the highest ground for quite a way and can see both Wembley Stadium and the Shard. As such it's very windy,or at least was yesterday which made the tight fairways even harder to hit.

The greens were not great, slow and woolly, but did run true. I am hoping this is just because it's 6 weeks old and needs time to bed in. Tee boxes were nice, very neat and mostly flat.

The clubhouse was as you'd imagine being brand new was nice, open and airy.

Now as per my original post, it was a parkland course, built on heathland and marketed as a links.

So how did it play, more like a links that the other two. The same whispy grass in the rough, yellowy green grass, and the mounds and dunes you find on links courses. Helped by an strong wind to really bed in the links feel

Obviously not a links first, wrong soil etc but did have a linkish feel.

As for noise, didn't notice the planes do all, don't know if that was just the flight plans for the day. One part of the course is quite loud from the M4 but for most of the course little noise altogether.

I wouldn't recommend people journeying a long way to pay, but if you're in the area and a few hours spare, you won't play anywhere cheaper.

And despite the issues it was enjoyable despite playing like an idiot.

 

[sunshine]

It is a very short course 5,000 of yellows, 5,300 off whites.

But is far from easy, the rough is very thick and penal, if you go in it's quite easy to lose your ball, coupled with very narrow fairways.

Plus the design of the course, with lots of doglegs means it is harder to make the most out of the short distance.

You can cut corners but as the fairways are tight and penal rough it's a tough drive to make.

This must be how the pros feel on tour when they play a 7,000 yard beast.

 

[Orikoru]

Played the course yesterday.

It is a very short course 5,000 of yellows, 5,300 off whites.

But is far from easy, the rough is very thick and penal, if you go in it's quite easy to lose your ball, coupled with very narrow fairways.

Plus the design of the course, with lots of doglegs means it is harder to make the most out of the short distance.

You can cut corners but as the fairways are tight and penal rough it's a tough drive to make.

It was surprisingly high, I did not think there was any high ground there, around the 9th you are on the highest ground for quite a way and can see both Wembley Stadium and the Shard. As such it's very windy,or at least was yesterday which made the tight fairways even harder to hit.

The greens were not great, slow and woolly, but did run true. I am hoping this is just because it's 6 weeks old and needs time to bed in. Tee boxes were nice, very neat and mostly flat.

The clubhouse was as you'd imagine being brand new was nice, open and airy.

Now as per my original post, it was a parkland course, built on heathland and marketed as a links.

So how did it play, more like a links that the other two. The same whispy grass in the rough, yellowy green grass, and the mounds and dunes you find on links courses. Helped by an strong wind to really bed in the links feel

Obviously not a links first, wrong soil etc but did have a linkish feel.

As for noise, didn't notice the planes do all, don't know if that was just the flight plans for the day. One part of the course is quite loud from the M4 but for most of the course little noise altogether.

I wouldn't recommend people journeying a long way to pay, but if you're in the area and a few hours spare, you won't play anywhere cheaper.

And despite the issues it was enjoyable despite playing like an idiot.

Cheers for the review. I like a short course where placement is key so I'll give it a go at some point.

 

[craig l]

Played the course yesterday.

It is a very short course 5,000 of yellows, 5,300 off whites.

But is far from easy, the rough is very thick and penal, if you go in it's quite easy to lose your ball, coupled with very narrow fairways.

Plus the design of the course, with lots of doglegs means it is harder to make the most out of the short distance.

You can cut corners but as the fairways are tight and penal rough it's a tough drive to make.

It was surprisingly high, I did not think there was any high ground there, around the 9th you are on the highest ground for quite a way and can see both Wembley Stadium and the Shard. As such it's very windy,or at least was yesterday which made the tight fairways even harder to hit.

The greens were not great, slow and woolly, but did run true. I am hoping this is just because it's 6 weeks old and needs time to bed in. Tee boxes were nice, very neat and mostly flat.

The clubhouse was as you'd imagine being brand new was nice, open and airy.

Now as per my original post, it was a parkland course, built on heathland and marketed as a links.

So how did it play, more like a links that the other two. The same whispy grass in the rough, yellowy green grass, and the mounds and dunes you find on links courses. Helped by an strong wind to really bed in the links feel

Obviously not a links first, wrong soil etc but did have a linkish feel.

As for noise, didn't notice the planes do all, don't know if that was just the flight plans for the day. One part of the course is quite loud from the M4 but for most of the course little noise altogether.

I wouldn't recommend people journeying a long way to pay, but if you're in the area and a few hours spare, you won't play anywhere cheaper.

And despite the issues it was enjoyable despite playing like an idiot.

I played London Airlinks yesterday (Sunday) and I totally agree what r0wly86 as said its a nice little golf course and with a bit of care and attention to the Tees and Greens will be the perfect course for beginners and shorter hitters, i was hitting 3 hybrids of most tees and at times leaving a wedge into the green a unheard thing for me.

I didn't hear any noise from Heathrow but then again the wind as blowing towards the airport.

Cheers