Bentley Golf Club

Situated close to Brentwood, with convenient connections to both the M11 and M25 motorways, the course at Bentley Golf Club is one of the premier golf venues in Essex, hosting a number of prestigious amateur events in recent years, such as the Essex County Championship.

Established in 1972, the club engaged architect Alex Swan, founder of the successful international firm Swan Golf Designs, to fashion an 18-hole course for the members and he set out the fairways across gently undulating terrain, with several small ponds and ditches occasionally brought into play.

The lightly bunkered course now extends to 6,703 yards from the back markers, playing to a par of 72, configured as two returning nines. It’s well respected locally as a testing track and golfers who can shape their shots right or left, as required, will prosper as they play the tree-lined holes on this challenging course.

Notable holes on the outward half include the long par three 2nd, played to one of the few heavily sand-protected greens on the course, and the short par four 7th, which veers sharply left past a small pond to the green, with out of bounds lurking all along the left side of the fairway.

On the back nine, the 419-yard 11th is rated stroke index 1 on the card and another small pond has to be negotiated en route to a bunkerless green. The signature hole arrives late in the round at the 392-yard 16th, where the fairway veers right towards a green which is fronted by yet another water hazard.

Bentley Golf Club is owned by the members (purchased in 2004) so profits are ploughed back into the club to improve the facilities, evidenced by the recent installation of new drainage and paths around the course, enhancing the playing experience for members and visitors alike.