Golf in London

Loughton Golf Club is owned privately on a long lease from the council. The 2240 yard par 33, 9 hole course was laid out some 25 years ago and is open to the public on a pay and play basis. It’s situated on a hillside, on the north-eastern edge of Loughton, where the town ends and Epping Forest begins. Its neighbouring courses are Theydon Bois Golf Club to the North East, High Beech to the West, and Woolston Manor Golf and Country Club to the East. 

VIEW OF THE 7TH GREEN FROM THE 5TH HOLE

Loughton Golf Club
Clays Lane
Loughton
Essex
IG10 2RZ
Tel. 020 8502 2923
Google Map

The unpreposessing clubhouse has a bar and shop, and a seating area outside, looking out to the 2nd hole. The bar/shop offers sets of clubs and trolleys for hire,  and golf balls, tees, and gloves for sale, along with your tipple and snack of choice. The staff are friendly and welcoming and a round of 9 holes of golf is £7.50 (or £8.50 at weekends) with 18 holes for £12 (or £14 at weekends).

THE CLUBHOUSE FROM THE FIRST TEE

The teeing areas are of a reasonable size and quite even, but the grass is patchy, and they look untidy. Once they’re repaired, they could be good. There are also mats to tee off from when the conditions are poor. It may be that Loughton suffers a bit from rabbits and moles, which aren’t a friend to fairways and greens, but there doesn’t seem to be any repair work on the teeing areas going on. 

THE TEE OF THE DOWNHILL 2ND

The fairways had been allowed to grow long, and mown grass clippings lay in clumps everywhere when I visited. To be fair, I guess this may have been due to the heavy rains we’ve had during the summer. I wouldn’t mind at all if this was just in the rough, but on the fairways it’s quite poor.

LOCAL RULES

The greens are in excellent repair and look fantastic, but they are very soft. This takes some getting used to in order to gauge your pitching and chipping. I guess it suits the course setup though, as if the greens were rock-hard it would be nearly impossible to hold some of them. And, although they are soft, they don’t seem to suffer much from unrepaired pitch marks. There is also evidence of work going on to improve them, particularly the 7th.

REPAIRING THE 7TH GREEN WITH NEW GRASS

I’m not certain, but I think the course is built on clay, which can of course shrink and crack depending on the weather. In general I would say the course is in fair condition, with a lot of room for improvement, but there’s nothing in the condition of the course that will spoil your enjoyment. I played in the summer, it may be a different story in the winter.

There aren’t any bunkers on the course. The hilly landscape provides the hazards. Misjudge your shot to a green, and your ball can take a vicious bounce away from the target or stick into the rampart like aprons to the greens.

THE STEPS IN FRONT OF THE 7TH GREEN

From some of the tees, the way to the greens can look perilous, if not impossible. The trees of Epping Forest surround the course, and encroach onto the fairways, narrowing your options to mid-to-long irons, and playing havoc with your confidence.

Apparently some of the members here are of advancing years and still manage to play regularly over the rolling hills of Loughton’s nine holes. And not all of them have little beards and hooves. They’re fitter than I am. Some of the climbs are quite steep, and the walk to the 8th tee is known locally as cardiac arrest hill. The climbs are worth it though, with some fantastic views from the first green and second tee.

CARDIAC ARREST HILL

Other hazards on the course are ditches (across the 5th, 6th, and 7th, and one abandoned water hazard (on the fifth). The little white posts showing out-of-bounds are a frequent feature too.  

Walking the course, you feel quite pleasantly isolated. There are the odd walkers and houses that back on to the fifth, but not much to spoil the sense of seclusion. And there’s plenty to admire among the trees and bushes, wild flowers, and horses that graze and grow on the land at the edge of Epping Forest.  

GRAZING NEXT TO THE 4TH FAIRWAY

The course begins with an uphill par 4 of 212 yards to a raised green. This really ought to be a par 3. It’s a tough shot to make the green, with the elevation requiring at least two extra clubs. There are trees to right of the green, and younger trees separating the 1st from the 2nd fairway to the left, but it’s a fairly open from the tee, with no out-of-bounds to trouble you. That doesn’t stop it being a tough shot to carry all the way to an average sized two-tier green, and I imagine most golfers will, like me, be short of the green, leaving an almost blind uphill pitch to get close enough to save par.

 I would keep lengthen the tee, and play it as a par 4 on the front nine and a par 3 on the back nine, but as a short par 4 it needs a hazard on the fairway. It seems to me as though there may have been a hazard in the middle of the fairway once, now it’s just a grass.

THE TEE AT THE 1ST HOLE (8TH TO THE RIGHT)

The second is around 194 yards downhill, to a round green in front of the clubhouse and carpark. There’s no trouble here, with the way open to the left and right. It’s just difficult to judge the length. The ball doesn’t seem to run on much, but it’s still at least 2 clubs shorter than usual.

The third tee is tucked into a corner, with trees and out-of-bounds tight to the left hand side. The green is straight ahead, some 172 yards away gently uphill. Gently that is, until you reach the green itself, where it rises steeply from the fairway. It’s very easy to leave your teeshot short of the green.

THE THIRD TEE

The fourth is a sharp dog-leg left of 325 yards. The teeshot is played over a fairly steeply rising fairway, with trees and out-of-bounds pasture to the left and trees to the right. Play too long a club and a good shot, straight shot can leave you out-of-bounds as the 8th fairway lies beyond the right angle of the dog-leg dead ahead of the tee. It’s a tee shot that will reward a straight shot of around 180 yards, or a longer high draw.

THE FOURTH TEE

Short or topped tee shots may leave you no shot to the green, or bring the tall tree which guards the left of the green into play. If you’ve managed to keep it in play and are long enough, you’ll have a straight shot the to the green over flat ground. But pull your approach and the tree will bring your ball down short.

VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE 4TH GREEN

The long and narrow fifth tee is behind the fourth green. Your line of sight to the green 256 yards away is worryingly narrow. The distance may be longer towards the back of the tee too. The trees all down the left mark the boundary of the course as it meets the back gardens of well-to-do Loughton houses, and will have you teeing up another if you pull your tee shot.

THE FIFTH TEE

The ground in front of the tee falls away into a valley where an old water hazard lies in wait. The narrow opening between the trees which leads to the fairway, opens out a little after 150 yards, but the fairway rises steeply from here to a green that looks like it takes its inspiration from an iron age fort. From the back tee, you must be lucky or a tour pro to hit a high perfect draw to make the green with a 3 wood. Humans merely need to carry their tee shot 200 yards to a plateau on the right-hand side of the fairway to have any chance of a par. It’s a tall order. Anything pushed or sliced will find the trees which divide the 5th from the 7th fairway. You’ll find your ball, but be left with nothing better than a chip back to the fairway for your trouble.

VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE 5TH TEE

 The pitch to the narrow green is hard to judge, as you won’t have a view of it or the flagstick. It’s hit and hope. And if you haven’t found the plateau on the fairway, you will trying to keep your balance on the steeply rising fairway. It’s a fantastic golf hole.

The 6th offers no reprieve. There are two tees, one currently closed and under repair. The other offers a straight line to the green, some 326 yards away. The tee shot is played over a valley. The fairway again rises steeply some 170 yards away, all the way to the green.

THE 6TH TEE

But in the unlikely event of your ball landing on the centre of the fairway, it’s likely to take a sharp bounce to the left. Your approach from the left can be blocked by the tree to the front of the green, or if you’re wide on the right a grass mound before the green leaves a blind uphill pitch. And, even if you’re dead straight off thee, if you’re too long you can be caugth out by the ditch running across the fairway some 50 yards short of the green.

VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE 6TH GREEN

The 7th is another fantastic golf hole of 270 yards. The green lies at the top of a hill, elevated by broad steps into the fairway and sleepers, from the tee it looks impregnable. There is hardly any view of the fairway from the tee either, just the green surrounded by trees. Anything down the left will leave you with no shot, even if you are lucky enough to find your ball among the trees.

THE 7TH TEE

 You’ve another carry of 200 yards to try to find the right hand side of the steeply climbing fairway. Stray too far right, onto the sixth, and you’ll be out of bounds. If anything the approach to the green is even harder than the fifth, although the line of sight is clearer. The green is, whilst newly seeded grass takes root, a mere slither to aim at.

VIEW FROM THE START OF THE 7TH FAIRWAY

 You’re likely to come up short of the green with your pitch, having misjudged the severity of the slope, and may find yourself pitching over a rosehip bush or railway sleeper.

VIEW ACROSS THE 7TH GREEN FROM THE RIGHT

 

The walk back up the hill will give you plenty of time to calculate how many shots you’ve just played on the 7th, and after cardiac arrest hill, it’s time for a breather and some quiet contemplation.

VIEW BEHIND THE 8TH TEE

The 8th is a relatively benign, downhill par 4 of 360 yards. Hit a perfect right to left shot with your driver, and in the summer there’s a chance your ball might get a good bounce and keep rolling to the green. The tee shot is played through and avenue of trees with out-of-bounds waiting to the right (where it meets the 4th fairway).

THE 8TH TEE

 

Get your drive away reasonably well, and you’re left with a short downhill pitch to an attractive green in front of great views of the surrounding countryside, framed by the white, gnarled branches of two ruined trees. A low pitch and run will see you close to pin for a good birdie chance.

APPROACH TO THE 8TH GREEN

 The 9th is a short par 3, mainly flat, with trouble lurking down the left. But the green is one of the larger on the course, and at 125 yards it’s a good chance to recover some scorecard dignity.

VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE 9TH GREEN

As you’ve no doubt guessed, I’ve fallen in love with Loughton a bit. It’s a pleasure to play. For all its unfairness and punishing out-of-bounds, tight tree-lined fairways, and sweaty climbs, it’s a gem. 

Yes, it could be better. The tees and clubhouse need work, and the grass cuttings on the fairways let it down. Alternate tees would make playing 18 holes a better experience, and the first should be a par 3. The owners do seem to care for it, and from what I read they have been making improvements to the course over the years.

Really, it ought not to be missed. It’s everything golf in London has no right to be - beautiful, challenging, and cheap.

Give it a try, but bring plenty of balls.