Pleasantly Surprised!

[Sneds]

My membership runs out at the end of the month and although I don't intend to play over the winter due to an upcoming knee operation I thought I would ring around my local clubs and find out if they done a student membership offer, or an intermediate membership offer for young golfers, who are just a little too old for junior status. It's usually around the 19-24 bracket, although this changes from club to club.

The result of my research means that in actual fact, every local club I spoke to has an intermediate section to their membership. This is despite only one finding one club that actually published this on their website (and the club in question isn't even that local)

Although saying this, I couldn't get through to Brocket Hall to enquire, but I'm guessing Brocket is kinda pushing the limits even if they did offer a intermediate membership.

So I now have a very wide selection of golf clubs to chose from after I have recovered from my operation. At the moment it's between 3 clubs

Mill Green Golf Club
Mill Green is an Alliss/Clark course, with a new clubhouse. It has a grass driving range, putting green and a half decent par 3 course.

£451/year

Hatfield London Country Club
HLCC has two 18 hole courses, a par 3 course, two grass practice and teaching areas. Also has a Japanese spa area - pfff

£495/year

Welwyn Garden City Golf Club
Welwyn didn't have too much information about it's facilities, but it does have a good reputation and is where Nick Faldo played as a youth.

£361/year

My decision will be made once I get a chance to look and play each of the courses, but Mill Green and Hatfield London are sounding really attractive.

I have no idea why some clubs would not publish their membership offers though!

 

[ADB]

I don't know any of these courses, but I guess the club with 36 holes would offer the most interest and variation.

Not sure about the Japanese Spa but for 500 quid and for those facilities, it seems an absolute bargain.

 

[drawboy]

Not sure about the Japanese Spa, but there is a Chinese supermarket near me.

 

[USER1999]

Mill Green was a swamp when I played it. Needed a boat to get round, and it should have been closed. Sadly it wasn't, as it didn't want to give us a refund.

 

[Smiffy]

I have played at the Hatfield London and found it to be an excellent venue.
We played 27 holes, 9 on one and 18 on the other (can't remember which way we played them now!) but both courses had some very good holes on them and were in great condition.

 

[viscount17]

I've played Welwyn.
Tight 18-hole course, but interesting. Set up on both sides of a lane which is home to speeding traffic, the crossing point is almost blind. (For anyone who watches DIY SOS, Billy the electrician is a member)

Limited practice facilities.
The grass 'driving range' is a narrow strip bordering the 17th, with no boundary fencing. It's oob when playing the 17th but a lot of range balls remain on the 17th.
Nets near the first - terrible condition
Putting green, there are two, the one near the nets is very small and b. awful. the other in front of the clubhouse is decent
Pro Shop is small.

 

[Sneds]

Fantastic. I appreciate all the information. Obviously I will have to play them all myself, but it's excellent to hear of peoples experiences of the courses x