Golf club reeling after fire devastates popular clubhouse

Historic golf club, West Essex Golf Club, has been left in devastation by a disastrous fire to the club's clubhouse building. 

At around 3pm on Monday 5 January, emergency services were called to a reported fire at the well-known venue near Waltham Abbey.  

There were around 60 firefighters on the scene, and the fire was fully extinguished later in the day. It is understood that no one was hurt or seriously injured in the incident. 

(Image by Essex County Fire & Rescue Service)

History of The Golf Club 

Although West Essex Golf Club was founded in 1900, the clubhouse building was first opened in 1989 by Sir Michael Bonallack OBE.  

The course itself is a par 71 championship course set in the beautiful Epping Forrest, featuring picturesque views over the city of London throughout the course. From the course you can see landmarks such as Wembley Stadium, Canary Wharf and the London Eye.  

West Essex Golf Course also has the smallest championship green in England. The 14-yard green on the par 3 fifth has been nicknamed the frying pan by members, for its not so impressive size.  

Community Impacted 

The clubhouse building was seen as a central hub for the local community and members of the golf club. The two-story building was known for its warm welcome and stunning views over the 18th and 16th greens. 

After hearing from Golfshake members from the local area, it has been made clear to us just how unique, special and most of all, historical this clubhouse was.  

The clubhouse was viewed with great amounts of love from the golf club's members and regular visitors; it was a renowned social hot spot for watching live sporting events. 

Golfshake Member Reviews 

Highly Recommended on Golfshake, this is a venue that golfers love visiting, as these reviews describe:

"Excellent setup here at West Essex. Played in Festival of Golf. Great event. Wonderful views and some exceptional holes."

"Very welcoming for non-members. One of the few courses I have played on this summer where the fairways were green and in perfect condition. Could not fault the tee boxes or greens either. Absolutely fantastic course maintenance. The breakfast options were also plentiful and great value. At £60 (£45 with a county card) the price is at the higher end of the private courses locally, but you get what you pay for here. Anyone who believes that Essex is totally flat will be in for a surprise here!"

"A very welcoming course, clubhouse and pro shop. Challenging course in great condition and immaculately turned out."

What Comes Next?

An update by Essex County Fire & Rescue Service has concluded that the blaze was started accidently during roofing works. 

A spokesperson for Essex Golf said that the local body extended "our heartfelt sympathy to the members, staff and friends of West Essex Golf Club" after the "catastrophic" events of Monday afternoon.

"We are thankful no-one was injured, it could easily have been much worse," they added.

"May the strength of your membership, and the love for our sport help bring resilience, unity and a speedy return to normality."

The Golfshake Community also extends its support and best wishes to everyone at West Essex Golf Club.