Golf in London

Dukes Meadows is a small and popular golf club close to central London. Among its facilities are a manicured nine hole par 3 course which has some of the best greens in London and a 50-bay driving range. The club is situated close to Chiswick Bridge in West London, where the University Boat race ends. Its neighbouring courses are Gunnersbury Park Pitch and Putt, Roehampton Golf Club, Palewell Pitch and Putt, Royal Mid-Surrey, and Richmond Park Golf Club, and Wyke Green.

VIEW ACROSS THE RIVER FROM DUKES MEADOWS TO THE SHIP PUB

Dukes Meadows
Dan Mason Drive
Great Chertsey Road
London W4 2SH
Tel. 020 8 994 3314
Google map
9 hole par 3 course. £9.50 - £12.00.

Chiswick, is the old English word for ‘beloved of the middle class. The roads here are paved in coffee beans and panninis, worn smooth from the passage of a thousand 4×4s. Every weekend alabaster stick insects march the length of its wide boulevard. Their transluscent skin stretched sparely over brittle skeletons by too much pilates, their heads pumped fulll of botulism. Sustained by a diet of hot milky coffee and organic vegetables during the day, at night they are drawn by the flickering bright lights to sip cocktails and marked up wine in the roadside bars, cafes and restaurants.

The Duke behind the Meadows was the Duke of Devonshire, and prior to that Lord Burlington who owned Chiswick House. Now it’s Chiswick Council. The council developed the promenade and has let parts of the land to private clubs for leisure. One of these is Dukes Meadows Golf Club.

Dukes Meadows Golf Club was opened in 1995, close to the site of a much earlier 12-hole course (which opened in 1892 and closed in 1907 - another casualty of housing development).

The club has a large single storey driving range with 50 floodlit bays (open until 10pm), a short game practice area, a six-hole academy course for juniors, practice bunkers, a pro shop, practice green, bar and function rooms.

The General Manager at Dukes Meadows is Scott Margetts. He has become an ‘Advanced PGA Professional’ and coaches the Middlesex Ladies County Golf Association. Scott’s website (www.3w9i.com) has plenty of instruction articles, including an accurate yardage chart for Dukes Meadows driving range.

Dukes Meadows has 14 golf professionals who can offer coaching on the range, courses, short game areas, and on a full size course with which they have an arrangement. On Friday evenings there is free video analysis of your swing on the driving range and free group coaching on mondays 11-12 (ladies) and wednesdays 12-1 (seniors - men).

The driving range is of a high quality. It’s flat and around 250 yards, with plenty of greens to aim for and a green with flags to practice pitches on the left-hand side. It does become very busy and is expensive in comparison with other driving ranges in London.

I believe that the short game area can be used if you pay for an annual membership of the Academy, or I think it can be used by the hour. If you’re having lessons you can ask to have a lesson on the short game area.

The main course is a par 3 nine hole. The shorter Academy course is for juniors and complete beginners.

If you want to play the main course, you ought to book a tee time in advance. A round will take over an hour and the course is busy, especially at weekends. A starter sits by the first tee to ensure that games begin on time and the course doesn’t become too congested.

There is a dress code. You will need your own clubs, soft spike golf shoes, and smart shirt and trousers. I suppose I won’t hold this against them.

The course is in fantastic condition. The teeing areas are spacious, flat, and well looked after. Coralled by odd looking fences. Mats give a year-round playability and save the tees from becoming damaged in boggy conditions.

The bunkers are plentiful and well positioned to make the most of this short course. Unlike many par 3 courses these bunkers do have lips to play over and some are quite deep. They are placed strategically to decieve the eye from the tee and are always in play.

BUNKERS ACROSS THE FRONT OF THE THIRD GREEN

DEEPER BUNKERS AT THE SHORT 4TH HOLE

The fairways are attractively presented, mown to create a manicured criss-cross pattern, and cut out of the rough grass in pleasing curved shapes on each side. Although they won’t get much use on such a short course, the owners have spared no expense on their presentation

The greens are the real strength of this course though. Generously proportioned and immaculately maintained. Cut into interesting shapes to narrow the landing area and bring the bunkers into play. Their size can mean the difference between two clubs in places, and their severe undulations can make you look daft if you don’t take time to read them. The owners have landscaped the area around the back and sides of the greens, creating humps and swales to leave awkward chip shots from their slopes, or flop shots over them. The greens are even given proper aprons and fringes to give you opportunities to practice of every conceivable shot around the greens.

The first is 133 yards with water to the right and trees all down the left. There might be a club’s difference between the front and back of the long stretched green. The teeing area is set back in a narrow avenue of trees which blocks your vision and makes you think there is less margin for error. The tall trees down the left mark where the short game area is I think, and a pull could cost you a lost ball here. Well, it did for me anyway.

VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE FIRST GREEN

The second is flat and short, but with a large green to make club selection awkward. A bunker is cut into the left hand edge of the green and there is lots of dead ground between the first bunker and the front of the green to confuse your judgement.

VIEW FROM THE SECOND TEE

The third is a great short hole with a shallow kidney shaped green making it easy to bounce through or come up short. The bunkers flow in a line from left to right, following the cut of the front of the green, which has some severe slopes to contend with.

VIEW FROM THE THIRD FAIRWAY

The fourth is even shorter to a two tier green protected by deep bunkers. This time, the bunkers surround the green, which is surrounded by a steeply landscaped area which can leave you with a difficult chip if you run through the green too far. Even hitting the green can leave you with a difficult putt if you’re the wrong side of the tier. Perfect for a sand wedge or a knock down half wedge. A real pleasure to play

VIEW FROM THE FOURTH TEE

The fifth relies on the water to the right of the green to play on your mind when standing on the tee. If you climb on the front of the green you can be left with a very long putt, up to the second tier and the hole. Two deep bunkers protect the front left and right edges

The sixth might be the dullest hole on the course, but awarded stroke index 2. No bunkers. No water. Just a large green some 25 yards long, with a severe slope to make par a bit more difficult. Longer than most and perhaps the green is slightly raised, which can cause you to come up short. Not as easy as it looks

VIEW FROM THE RIGHT LOOKING ACROSS THE LARGE UNDULATING SIXTH GREEN

The seventh is a reply of the fifth, without the water. The green is very narrow at the front, with bunkers to catch a push and a pull at either side

The 8th has a huge green. 40 yards long and narrow. A long bunker runs most of its length down the left hand edge, and two small bunkers protect the right. Requires an accurate pitching wedge or 9 iron depending on the pin. Out of bounds lurks down the left side

The 9th provides an attractive finish, and is great fun to play. The pond hugs the fairway and the front and right hand edge of the green. Bailing out to the left won’t help as large bunkers lie in wait there.  Even a brave line to a pin on the right edge can leave you in the bunker at the back of the green. A tough hole, but oddly only given a stroke index 5. One for a well struck high pitching wedge. And holding the green can still leave you with a difficult putt over the sloping green.  

There’s no doubt that the course, in itself, is a real pleasure to play. It makes the best of some featureless land, and crams a lot of golf into a small area. However, the price tag of £12 for a short par 3 course doesn’t quite add up for me.  I don’t feel like I’m getting value for money.  £8 or £9 is about right, in my estimation. If you’re going to pay £12 you want everything to be perfect, but when you’re playing on a course where lots of beginners play, you’re likely to be held up and play will be slow

The rules, starter, and booked tee times add to the sense that this place is over managed, and perhaps the fee your paying is going on uncessary things

But that’s all a bit negative. I’ve been to Dukes Meadows on many occasions, and the fact I’ve kept returning demonstrates to me at least that it’s got quality.  It has, without doubt, the best driving range in the area, and the teaching facilities are excellent.

If you want to take up golf or want to practice your golf and live in West London, Dukes Meadows is place to go.

SCORECARD FOR DUKES MEADOWS