Batchwood Hall Golf Club

Great course, really good value for money. Regular offers for membership, I paid £120 for 3 months winter membership and had a chance to get another 3 months for same price in May. Otherwise only £34pm (minimum 3M). Great value for money for the course. Wide fairways and good for new or high handicap golfers. Drains really well in most places but a couple of holes where the green can be flooded after heavy rainfall.

Enjoyed playing here today. Good long holes. Plenty of variety and thankfully no water hazards.

Batchwood Hall GC is situated in a lovely area of Hertforshire, in St Albans. An easy location to find from the M25 (J21A). Apparently it is the oldest municipal course in England, acquired by the Council in 1935. A pleasant parkland, fairly well maintained, the Tee boxes could be more level, but the fairways, bunkers and greens were good. There are some elevated Tees.

It was designed by the famous JH Taylor, apparently Sam Ryder had a certain influence in that. Fairly easy walk, some elevations, a pleasant surrounding, nature everywhere, we saw a lot of red kites flying above and heard the many pheasant.

The most memorable holes for me were the 4th downhill, Par 4 and the 7th, Par 5 from Red, down and up again, with a huge crater where 3 of our 4 balls landed. I manage my escape onto the green very well, a beautiful pitch "a la Brigitte" et voila, golf is so simple. I did like the Par 3, 16th hole where my drive landed exactly where I planned it, and got my Par.

A friendly welcome in the Reception, with very limited facilities open due to Covid.

The Green fee was surprising excellent, thank you John B. for organising the game, I am sure I shall return as it is half way between Twickenham & Brentwood where there is a lovely & lively household I visit regurarly.

Plenty of parking even with the main car park being used for people attending their vaccination again COVID-19.


THE END....

The staff in the clubhouse for very polite The fairways could have done withBeing watered they had cracks all over them 1st time I played on a course and I dog Takes my golf ball off the tee Just as all about to heat it

Easily found on the outskirts of St. Albans, Parking myay be restricted on more popular days. A stroll to the Golf Club and reception, so advice is to take your bags and shoes when you leave your car. limited catering available (so if you want breakfast it is best to make alternative arrangements).

The course itself is an interesting layout - clevely intersprered with established trees on subtle elevation changes. Greens were in need of some attention, but once corrected they will prove challenging - lots of undulations on most greens).

A good walking course - and not very busy for a weekend. Staff were welcoming and good fun, locals were friendly as well.

Worth another visit - perhaps later in the season - especially if the grass is cut and the greens are treated.

it was my 1st time at batchwood,i thought the course had a good variety of holes,short,medium and long par 4"s and 3"s.I would like to play the course again when the large greens have been cut and rolled properly after the treatment has taken,as they look like they could be very interesting.At £20 for a weekend it was very good value

The good: Nice variety of holes, with par 3's from under 130 yards to around 190, and a similar mix of 4's from just over 300 to over 440. The three par 5's are all nice holes, potentially reachable in 2. Greens are generally large and interestingly undulating. Fairways were cut (or not cut) a fraction long but in pretty nice condition considering it's not been the easiest winter and early spring.

The bad: The tees and greens were hugely variable - the bad tees were all grassy but scruffy (not many flat areas) and the poor greens were very bobbly. Oddly the good ones were bordering on excellent - perhaps drainage at some parts of the course is way better than at others. The other oddity was the fact that most of the poorer-condition holes came at the start, then there was a run of properly great holes, and later a run of fairly repetitive short par 4's before you finish with two par 5's.

Overall: I'm guessing that, as a public course, the course has been kept open when it might have helped some of the poorer parts to close and protect it, and budgets haven't run to repairing the damaged tees and greens. The setting is fabulous - really tranquil and very pretty - and with some decent weather I feel there's a really good, interesting, course trying to break out.

There's a members clubhouse that visitors don't get to use, guests using the sports centre reception, changing rooms and lockers instead, which is functional but not much else. There are a couple of nets in OK condition and a massive putting and chipping area that would be great if the grass was cut closer than fairway height. I'll definitely return and hope to find more consistent tees and greens making this a really good track.