London Club Membership

[Kamakozma]

Hi all. I currently live in NY and am a member at a club in eastern Long Island. I am likely taking a job in London, England for the next 2-3 years and cannot fathom a life without a heavy amount of golf, albeit in the rain more often. 

 

Are there any golf clubs within 30-45 minutes of central London (by car) that anyone would recommend I look into joining? I am told memberships are significantly cheaper in the UK versus most parts of the U.S., so I would be comfortable with putting $3K-$5K down upfront for a decent course. I would like to use it to meet people, practice, play in tournaments etc. so I would prefer becoming a member instead of just playing lots of different public courses alone. Hoping I am not way off here...

Appreciate any guidance! 

[jholz]

If you are coming from NYC and have a membership in Eastern Long Island, I'd say you are pretty primed for the London golf scene. 

 

Lots of good clubs and plenty of potential to join. Money and travel time will be the limiting factors - and it sounds like you have those covered. 

 

I'd begin concerning yourself with where in London you will live. West and South of the city tend to have greater golf opportunities. North isn't bad. East gets bleak rather quick. 

 

Best of luck to you. London is a wonderful place to live, for a short period of time. 

[Kamakozma]

Thanks! I am likely going to be central, so Zone 1/2 probably north of the Thames. I am fine with a 35 minute drive or so. Any suggestions anyone has that would be a nice course/club that would be welcoming and not overly expensive?

[El Gringo]

18 hours ago, Kamakozma said:

Thanks! I am likely going to be central, so Zone 1/2 probably north of the Thames. I am fine with a 35 minute drive or so. Any suggestions anyone has that would be a nice course/club that would be welcoming and not overly expensive?

I suggest you look into clubs which are easy to access by train. At least you will have the choice when you are fed up with traffic. Your choices of good clubs within 35 minutes of central London is very limited. 
 

Hadley Wood will take more than 35 by car, but it’s a very good course in a fairly quiet area….Barnet. I don’t believe it holds up great in winter, but that will be an issue for nearly all the clubs in this direction. Nice clubhouse. Currently spending money on the course to great effect. The Hadley Wood train station is maybe a mile away. 
 

Not quite as good as HW, Sandy Lodge drains better and has a nearby tube station, Moor Park. It’s a ways from Central London. 
 

Royal Wimbledon is the opposite end to the above two. Lovely course. Good club. Drains pretty well. Good connection by tube. Much closer to central London than the above courses.
 

 

Edited January 5, 2024 by El Gringo

[Chanceman]

Hadley Wood (Dr Mackenzie), Old Fold Manor (H Colt), Denham (Colt), The Buckinghamshire (J Jacobs). Might be a few to look at on the north/nw side of London.

[Kamakozma]

Thank you both!!

[Schley]

You will have a great time.  As you may know, you can play almost any UK course without being a member, albeit at a higher cost. Where will you work?  If for a company with any size you will find golfers as work colleagues, they have access to bring you as a guest as opposed to visitor and can try out some clubs to make your decision.

 

I would hate to live in London and be locked into playing 1/2 courses your entire time there. Great variety of heathlands courses and the be a DFL (down from London) to the coast on the weekends for links. You may want to play various places during the week in London and then join a links club on the weekends.