Sundridge Park Golf Club (East)

Sundridge Park Golf Club is situated close to the city centre of London, within the suburbs of Bromley, a mere 25-minute commute from London Bridge train station. Even though it’s something of a hidden gem, this splendid 36-hole facility is easily accessible by car via the M25 motorway which is located 16 miles further south east at Swanley.

Established in 1901, Sundridge Park operates two 18-hole championship layouts. The shorter Willie Park Junior-designed West course is more than a hundred years old and the newer East course was fashioned by Sir Guy Campbell and C. K. Hutchinson, shortly after the club merged with Elmstead Woods in 1929, allowing the development of a second 18-hole track.

The East course was officially opened on 18th April 1931 with a 36-hole exhibition match between Abe Mitchell and Henry Cotton. During World War II, the layout suffered serious bomb damage but it soon recovered and was used for a few big charity events before it then hosted more prestigious tournaments like the Southern Professional and Kent Amateur Championships

Today, the course extends to 6,532 yards, playing to a par of 71, with tree-lined fairways set out on gently undulating terrain. The River Quaggy cuts across the line of play at holes 3, 4 and 5 though the most challenging hole on the front nine is the 414-yard 7th, which rises gently from the tee to an offset green that runs away from front to back.

On the inward half, the tough par four 14th – with its fairway sloping markedly from right to left towards the river – has ruined many a good score. There’s no room to relax at the right doglegged 18th either, because the final hole narrows to a pond on the right of the fairway before veering right and uphill to the home green.