Not far from Wembley Stadium, Sudbury Golf Club has a Harry Colt course and an extremely friendly membership…
Sudbury Golf Club Course Review
In February last year, while preparing a Golfer’s Guide to Middlesex I spent a very enjoyable morning at Sudbury Golf Club. The club itself dates back to 1896 and it moved to its current location alongside the Grand Union Canal in 1920, employing the great Harry Colt as architect. Incidentally, if some of the photos looks as though they are missing something, there had been a heavy frost and we were on a number of temporaries which is why some of the main greens had no flags!
There is a testing opening with three long par 4s that mean you can, and indeed must, open your shoulders from the off.
The first is one of three tough par 4s that open the round
The 2nd eases its way from left to right and up the hill back to the clubhouse. If you’ve had a bad couple of holes, you may want to start again!
The second hole brings you back to the clubhouse
The 4th is the first short hole before the only par 5 on the course which dogs its way from right to left and is only separated from the canal by trees and out-of-bounds.
The iconic Wembley arch viewed from the fifth green
Three more two-shotters work their way back round towards the clubhouse which is then reached via the attractive par 3 9th played up the slope to a well-protected green.
Take an extra club at the uphill, short ninth
I think that the back nine is probably the more attractive and varied of the two, and it opens with two long par 4s with the 11th played to a beautifully-sited green.
The eleventh green is close to an old archaeological site
There is some relief at the shorter par 4s at twelve and fifteen which bookend another strong par 4 that borders the canal, and the tough par-3 14th.
At just 316 yards, the twelfth should be a fairway wood and pitch
The 16th is the final par 3 and it’s played down a slope to a must-hit green with views towards the centre of London beyond.
The final short hole is played from an elevated tee
The closing pair of long par 4s, the first of which is uphill all the way, provide a strong finish to an entertaining course where a number of such holes are the greatest challenge.
When playing at Sudbury, it is surprisingly easy to forget you are in central London
Sudbury is a club that understands that it is about more than just the golf, and that in today’s economic climate, it’s vital to make the most of its assets such as its comfortable and roomy clubhouse with fine views out over the course. The members are also proud to have popular Thai Thongchai Jaidee as an honorary member. It’s a very friendly and social place to be, and with the benefit of an interesting and challenging Colt course, it really is enjoyable by all.
The Sudbury flag and crest on the eighteenth green
This article Sudbury Golf Club Course Review appeared first on Golf Monthly.