Upminster - Essex - England

I played Upminster in August on a nice hot English summers day, it is worth a visit. The course itself is pretty uninspiring, the design is formulaic and doesn't leave a hole lot to the imagination, but it is extremely well maintained and cared for. It has lovely greens which run true and will test most golfers. The setting also has nice vistas over looking the surrounding area. Not the best in the London Borough of Havering but if you have 4 hours to kill you will enjoy the nice stroll through the Essex countryside.

It is always fairly easy to write course reviews when things are good to very good. Not so easy when the words will be negative but to get the balance between courses that we want to play again and want to recommend I think we have to. I played Upminster this August and it was not really a pleasant experience – the course did not inspire, excite or deliver on any front at all I am sorry to say. The positive is that the club is vibrant, busy and looks to have a fantastic community feel, there is even a crown green bowling club here too.

The opening and closing holes are both par-3’s and the only two holes that are on the clubhouse side of the busy Hall Lane – to reach the other sixteen, the lane has to be negotiated via the zebra crossing and dodging the double decker London buses – not great. Rather than talk about each and every hole, my general opinion is that many holes are played in what can only be described as a field, bunkering is poor and misplaced on many holes too. I am sure that for some category of golfers, this course will fit the bill but for me a lack of any design quality coupled with maintenance at a low level says better or well-travelled golfers will not enjoy the course.

A course that I cannot recommend on this occasion.