Essex – Golfing Agency

TSG Club Partners – South Essex GC

detlef32 — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 16:07:24 +0000

As a PRO member of The Social Golfer, you are free to take advantage of the special green fee rates we have in place with a no of golf clubs in and around London. Please take 5 mins to see which of our TSG Club Partners you would like to play…

Official TSG Club Partner – South Essex GC

As a PRO member of The Social Golfer, you automatically qualify for 15% off all green fee bookings.

How To Book – 4-Ball or less

Visit the South Essex website
Select your preferred Tee Time
Use the code = YJQNPY
Leave a 50% deposit
On arrival show your PRO membership profile to confirm you are a TSG PRO member
Play golf!
N.B. Code is valid until 31/10/2022

How To Book – More than 4 Players

Call 01277 811 289
Use the code = YJQNPY
Leave a 50% deposit
On arrival show your PRO membership profile to confirm you are a TSG PRO member
Play golf!
N.B. Code is valid until 31/10/2022

South Essex GC is a unique 27-hole layout set in nearly 300 acres of undulating countryside combines three separate loops of 9 holes.

Spaciously laid-out and designed with nature in mind, The Heron, Hawk and Vixen provide a variety of interesting course combinations. Blending into the gently rolling landscape, each hole is unique and offers a challenge to golfers of all abilities.

Practice before your round on our Toptracer driving range and enjoy a fantastic array of food offerings after your round of golf.

WOW! What a difference…

As a local Brentwood resident, I have had the pleasure of playing at South Essex Golf Club a number of times over the years. However, the change to the course (and Clubhouse) since my last visit in mid-2020 is huge! Not only have the owners spent a great deal of money on restoring the greens and fairways (to an excellent standard) but the hours that must have been spent re-landscaping some of the holes (and bunkers) is truly inspiring.

I counted at least six holes that look (and feel) completely different to what was there before. I have always maintained that Essex needs a good, superbly maintained but affordable golf club to play at…and this could be it. I can’t wait to go back and revisit. If you haven’t been to South Essex GC in a while, now is the time to visit!

Ian Mullins – TSG Editor

Read what other TSGers say about South Essex GC – TSG Reviews >>

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The best golf courses in Essex

detlef32 — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 18:45:53 +0000

With
approximately 80 courses affiliated with its county union, Essex boasts
tremendous variety when it comes to golf.

Some say Essex doesn’t have a ‘big name’ like other home counties. However, many of the game’s most revered architects have left their mark here, which makes a visit to Essex well worth your while.

Thorndon Park

Located in
240 acres of ancient deer park, the Harry Colt-designed Thorndon Park is just
over two miles away from the M25. As you thread your way through the mighty,
old oaks, it’s hard to believe it could be so close—this is a secluded beauty;
one of the county’s finest courses, if not THE finest.

Two loops of nine run in opposite directions around New Hall Pond, making for some memorable holes. However, with Thorndon Hall as the magnificent backdrop to the final hole, the 18th takes some beating. The short holes run it close, though, especially the 15th, the longest par 3, which plays over a small lake and stream to a well-bunkered green.

Chelmsford

Another
fine Colt course, Chelmsford, is one of the county’s oldest layouts. The club,
which celebrated its centenary in 1993, moved to an 18-hole James Braid design
almost 30 years after its foundation, before Colt made some considerable
changes. Measuring a fraction under 6,000 yards (par 68), it’s not the length
that’ll challenge you, so much as the number of tight shots you’ll face as you
negotiate fairways that are constantly changing direction.

The 7th is one of the most memorable holes, where you’re required to thread a long drive through the bunkers, while the 11th, the only par 5 on the course, offers the chance for big hitters to cut the corner and go for the green in two with an iron.

Orsett

Orsett
Golf Club, located just a few miles from the Thames, was founded in 1899; it’s
the work of James Braid and boasts both woodland and heathland features. The
club has hosted Open Championship qualifying on several occasions and presents
a real challenge when the wind is up, with holes 17 and 18, which are
invariably played into the prevailing wind, particularly brutish.

As signature holes go, Orsett has a real gem: the short par 4 6th, which is set in a valley. Many a visiting golfer has underestimated the difficulty of this hole, where an accurate tee shot is crucial.

Colchester

Colchester
is the oldest recorded town in Britain, and its club was formed in 1907. James
Braid is responsible for this undulating parkland where mature trees line the
fairways, so it’s straight driving that gets rewarded.

Coming home, most par 4s exceed 400 yards, so you need to make your score going out, which is where you’ll come across the course’s two par 5s, at the 2nd and 9th. Rarely will you find Colchester in anything but excellent condition, and it’s benefitted from a £750,000 state-of-the-art irrigation system, too. If you like fast greens, you’re sure to warm to Colchester’s subtly-contoured putting surfaces.

Romford

Romford
Golf Club, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2019, is located just 18
miles from the centre of London. No doubt, many of its members commute back
from the capital with haste to tee it up here. The course, another James Braid
design, is renowned for its taxing bunkers, traps that have cost many a player
looking to qualify for The Open.

The Regional Qualifying course opens up in a fairly sedate manner before showing its teeth at the par 4 4th, which at 470 odd yards, can only be described as a beast. “Card a five and move on” is the advice offered by the club pro, and the same could probably be said of the 14th, rated the hardest hole on the course and another par 4 measuring over 450 yards.

Canons Brook

The
legendary Sir Henry Cotton designed Canons Brook, situated close to Harlow on
the border of Hertfordshire and London. It opened in 1963, and while it may not
boast the same rich history as a number of the county’s other courses, it’s a
track that’s matured wonderfully over the last 50 years.

The club’s name comes from the ancient area in which it’s located, with the brook winding its way through the landscape and catching out many a player, especially first-time visitors. The 17th, meanwhile, known as “Death or Glory”, is set back in an avenue of trees, while up ahead, a ditch extends across the fairway.

Chigwell

Located
just 10 miles northeast of Central London, close to the A13 and M11, Chigwell
is easily accessible and well worth adding to your list of golf courses in
Essex. Set on undulating parkland, the club offers a warm welcome, so friendly
in fact that the 1st hole can rather catch you off guard.

The club describes its 467-yard 1st as “one of the hardest opening holes in the south-east”. The tree-lined fairways aren’t quite as intimidating as those you might find elsewhere, which means you can escape with the odd loose shot. As well as a fine collection of par 3s, which force you to use a different club each time, the course also boasts a wonderful closing hole—a strong par-5 of 556 yards with water down the left.

Bentley

Situated not
far from Brentford, Bentley is a beautiful parkland layout; one that has hosted
the Essex County Championship and remains a popular venue for the Essex
Captains. Designed by Alex Swan, founder of Swan Golf Designs, it’s configured
of two returning nines. The gently undulating fairways, which are flanked by
mature trees, veer this way and that, and should you stray off line, numerous
ponds and ditches lie in wait.

The signature hole arrives on the par 4 16th, and it’s worth the wait. A downhill dogleg right with out of bounds to the right and a lake guarding the green, it’s a bit of a knee-trembler if you leave yourself a long iron with your second.

West Essex

Affectionately
known as “The West”, the James Braid-designed West Essex was founded in 1900.
Epping Forest, Chingford, provides a beautiful location for this parkland
layout, offering picturesque views across the city of London, including many
famous landmarks such as the London Eye and Wembley Stadium.

It’s a course of two distinctive nines, with the tree-lined front nine winding its way through the forest, whilst the back nine is longer and flatter.

A fun fact: West Essex is home to the smallest championship green in England. Members nickname the downhill par 3 5th, which measures 159 yards, the “Frying Pan”. With a putting surface that measures just 14 yards, it rather goes without saying that club selection is crucial.

Abridge

Abridge
Golf & Country Club, set in 240 acres of beautiful parkland, has matured
beautifully since opening in the 1960s, and Sir Henry Cotton’s layout has
hosted Open Championship qualifying in more recent times. This gives you an
idea of the quality of the course, which is, without doubt, one of the best in
the county.

Golfers are treated to some wonderful elevation changes and several plateau greens. As well as making for a great variety of holes, the undulations do a fine job shielding the sound of the nearby M25. As close as it is, there’s no shortage of wonderful views of the Essex countryside.

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Golf Societies Essex – Where to golf…

detlef32 — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 03:24:09 +0000

Golf Societies in Essex

Golf Societies in Essex are extremely popular and there are a variety of courses in Essex to choose from to organise your golf Society or Charity fund-raising day, including private members clubs, proprietary clubs, and ‘Pay and Play’ clubs.

Essex is an excellent county for both the above golf day option but also for any corporate day, as the transport links make getting there simple.

It is an easy journey for a London golfer to make and is an ideal location for a corporate golf day out. The M25 and M11 motorways provide easy access, as do the two mainline rail networks from Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street.

There are more than 70 golf clubs in Essex and whilst the last few years have seen a number of closures, it is still one of the biggest golfing counties in the UK.

Whilst most of the county is based on clay, there are some courses that have good drainage and some with some exceptional views.

Some of the better-known clubs for golf societies in Essex to consider include:

Thorndon Park GC

Thorndon Park Golf Club’s course was created in 1920 on a deer park dating back to the 1580s. The deer park, already rich with oaks from the 16th century – some of which survive to this day – was enhanced with oaks and chestnuts planted in the 1730s by the eighth Lord Petre, a noted botanist.

The Hall in the image above, was designed by James Paine and completed in 1770.

It was here that George III was entertained in 1778 and later, Lancelot “Capability” Brown laid out a park that was the finest in the county.

Ravaged by fire in 1878, Thorndon Hall was offered a new lease of life in 1919 when a group of businessmen saw the grounds as the perfect place for a golf course and for developing a residential estate, similar to the one planned for St George’s Hill at Weybridge.

St George’s Hill had chosen Harry Colt as its architect – and he was selected to design Thorndon Park golf course.

With the onset of the Second World War and the subsequent constraints of the Green Belt laws, the plans for an estate never materialised. But the course did. It was opened on 1st July 1920 and it has thrived ever since.

Over a period of time, the Club bought the 240 acres the course occupied and, in 1968, Thorndon Hall.

With the building of a new clubhouse in 1974, the Hall was sold the next year to a building company, which restored the facade of the Palladian mansion to its former glory and turned the building into apartments with views over the course.

Abridge GC

The 18 hole course at Abridge was first designed in 1962 by renowned maestro of English Golf, Henry Cotton, whose outstanding feature was that both loops of nine holes started and finished at the clubhouse.

Since then, and as the course matured, a number of strategic changes and improvements have been made, making it one of the finest courses in the county.

The superb 18 hole, par 72 Championship Golf course, totalling 6704 yards, is set in 240 acres of beautiful parklands with some of the best views of the Essex countryside.

To complement the championship course, there are extensive practice facilities including a 300-yard driving range, 18 hole putting green, chipping area and practice bunkers.

PGA professional tuition is also on hand, together with a well-stocked Pro Shop satisfying every person’s needs. This is a great venue for Golf Societies in Essex.

Toot Hill GC

This renowned undulating parkland course is undoubtedly one of the best kept and most popular in Essex.

Measuring 6254 yards, this 18 Hole, Par 70 course has been created utilising the very best attributes of the natural landscape.

Rolling hills, carefully placed bunkers and water hazards, including a spectacular island green par 3 12th hole, all add to the challenges that inspire golfers of all standards on each and every hole.

The condition of the course and the maturity of the trees give the impression that the course is many years older than it actually is.

Construction of the course started in 1989 and it was open for play in September 1991.

For pure escapism and sheer enjoyment, there is arguably no course to rival Toot Hill in Essex.

Visitors to Toot Hill cannot help but enjoy their day. They will marvel at the condition of the course, the breathtaking views and its peacefulness.

The Rayleigh GC

Blending into the well-established and gently rolling landscape, each hole in this golf course is completely unique, and offers a challenge to golfers of all abilities.

In addition, the fully covered and floodlit driving range is one of the best in the region, with private bays, new balls and targets.

The South Course (Members course) poses a challenge to the abilities of the most capable golfers.

Widely recognised as one of the prettiest in the southeast of England, it has earned its status as a ‘Championship’ course, playing host to the PGA’s East Anglian Open.

A number of recent, eye-catching improvements over the years, have made it even more of a ‘must-play’.

Orsett GC

This magnificent Championship course, designed by the legendry James Braid was firmly embedded into this piece of the Essex countryside following its founding in 1899.

Situated less than 5 miles from the M25, this fine par 72 course has a demanding layout of over 6,600 yards.

Whilst well known in the area, in recent years Orsett has established itself as host to the regional qualifying round for The Open Championship, on no less than on eleven occasions.

The course is renowned for its year-round playing surface, its established woodland and striking heath-land features, free-draining soil, combined with the latest irrigation system contributes to a golf course of outstanding quality.

And unlike many of our neighbouring courses in Essex, the course is rarely (if ever) unplayable!

By Ian Mullins