Help deciding which course to join? (around london)

Me and a couple of friends are looking for a decent course to join around london (within an hour from London Bridge ideall).  We are all now playing off about 28 and this is will be our first membership.

Have been a nomadic golfer typically playing pay and play or members courses in the weekend afternoons (Mitchan, Addington Court, Richmond Park, Woldingham).

 I'm 25 so hoping to find one with a speacial rate for 'young people'.  Maybe I can find something for around £600 for the year?

 Any suggestions much appreciated

Why not try Broke Hill Golf Club, Orpington. It is a very nice course and is now owned by Crown Golf which gives you the opportunity to play free golf at any of the other Crown Golf courses, of which there are now 50.

I am a Crown Golf member at Sherfield Oaks, near Basingstoke and it is tremendous value for money.

From where you live, if you take the tube, Trent Park is 45 minutes tops via Picadilly northbound. It's a great public parkland course too.  I play this course often as I live in central London near King's Cross and best of all, no taxi required from the station.  Don't know what the membership cost is but it can't be too much.

Trent Park is also owned by Crown Golf, but I am not sure whether they have a membership section, their website does not indicate that it has, so perhaps it is just a play and play and therefore not what Peter is looking for.

Wimbledon Common G.C. or London Scottish G.C which share the same course on Wimbledon Common is another option, The course is extremely difficult but very enjoyable, with nice true and fast greens, I used to be a member at one time when I lived in London. Incidently, this is the second oldest course in England, so it is very well established.

John

Trent does have a membership available.  I have an application form here somewhere but it does not show how much it costs to join.

Re Wimbledon or London Scottish, are either of those courses on a tube line or does one also need a taxi to get there from the tube or train station?  I would love to start playing a few other courses in the London area other than Trent or Mitcham Junction. 

Michael,

Wimbledon Common Golf Club is in Camp road and is the easiest to get to from Wimbledon tube station as it is just a short taxi ride from the station forecourt. Being common land it is law that all golfers have to wear bright red Shirts or pullovers.

If you can somehow make it to Richmond Park then there are two excellent public courses and you will always be able to get a game as they will help to fix you up with a game from within the ProShop. I always went on my own and always got fixed up.

John & Michael - thanks for the suggestions.  I'll look into what they have to offer.  Crown sounds like it could be quite good as I was concerned I'd get bored of playing mainly at one course.

 I have played a richmond park & while they are nice courses, I'd like to join somewhere (with a clubhouse).

 As for transport - yes I'm mainly restricted to train and tube.

Peter, If you want to play a round at Trent, let me know. Until I find a place that is easier to get to without taking a cab that costs more than the round of golf, I plan on making that my home club. Mitchum I've only played three times, but it just takes a lot longer to get to than Trent.

What I'd like to find out though is how does joining Crown golf get one free rounds? 

Michael, If you become a member of any Crown Golf club, then one of the perks is that you are allowed to play eight times a year, at each of the crown golf clubs, during the week only, at all the Crown Golf Clubs, of which there are currently about thirty three with about fifty different courses.

As I mentioned to you before, the course you play at, Trent Park is owned by Crown Golf, so joining there will give you all the benefits I have described.

http://www.crown-golf.co.uk/templates/home.aspx

If you click on the box that says 'specify your club' you will see a list of all the clubs they own and you will notice that Trent Park is one of them.

Hope this helps

I'm a member of a 'Crown' golf club, Stapleford Abbotts.

As John has already said I get the benefit of playing any Crown course for free midweek, at a weekend you get a reduced green fee in the afternoon.

I live in Romford and there must be 8 other Crown courses within 30 minutes drive from me.

As I like playing at different courses I find this a great bonus for my membership.

I've played Trent Park once, a month or so ago, good course but I have heard it's a nightmare at a weekend!

Good luck with finding a course.

Russ