Westerham Golf Club

I have played Westerham GC many times since I joined it last September. As you arrive you can tell that you are in for a treat as the views coming down the 9th and 18th holes with the water features and fountains make it look special.

The practice facilities are great with a driving range, and a short game area , plus if you feel the need there is a short Par 3 course that you can go and establish your short game on a course.

As for the main course. . . It is a gem. I would say that you need to manage your round well around the course and you do not always need the driver for the par 4s and par 5s. Very testing in parts and you have to navigate a few water features on the way round. Some really tight drives so straightness off the tee box is essential on some holes. Two cracking par 3s at 11 and 13 will test your accuracy and distance as they both measure around 175 yards each. Coming down the 18th fairway towards the clubhouse is a view to behold and makes for a very exciting finishing hole over the lake to a difficult pin position.

The clubhouse provides excellent food and beverages and sitting out on the terrace on a sunny day watching others finish their round is a pleasant way to spend an hour or so after your round.

If anyone would like to play I should be able to get a discount rate for guests using some of my vouchers. let me check and if anyone fancies it then let me know. You will not be disappointed.

Regards

John

friendly and helpful staff and members. food available. course in great condition. 3 water holes. best course condition played all year, new favourite place.

Great course , love playing here , challenging but noT a killer.

Nice course, plenty of tight holes, and trees to cause problems, but wide enough to be enjoyable.

When you play at Westerham you'll want to bring your A game, simply because anything less and it wouldn't be in keeping with the standard of course you're about to play.

There is one other reason for bringing your A game though, and that's because if you don't then the course will kick your butt. Water, tree lined fairways and tiered greens ensure that you will need to play well to get a good score.

Whether you play well or not, you can't help but be impressed with the quality and variety of holes, along with some gorgeous views.

It's not just the course that this club has to offer. There are excellent practise facilities to warm up on before your round, and for after there's a superb clubhouse overlooking the 9th and 18th holes.

This won't be the cheapest round you'll ever have, but it will be one of the better clubs you'll ever play.

Not much to say exept a perfect cousre with very hard holes and set in a very picturesque setting

Good challenging course. Horrible day, inthe midst of all the wind and rain. Temp greens an winter tees on some holes and two holes closed. Good layout and would be superb when dry. Staff were really helpful; there was a trolley ban, and I brought my carry bag, but forgot to put my strap back on after cleaning. Pro offered to lend me a bag, or just a strap, which saved me carrying the clubs like a baby. Will definitely go back in better conditions.

That is the first thing you say to yourself as you emerge from the tree lined drive up to The Clubhouse, stand on the patio and look out across the 9th and 18th fairways - I suspect there are few courses that have a better view in the whole of the UK! However, it gets better...

A warm welcome from the Pro shop and you are soon directed to the first tee and a fairly easy Par 4 opener but stop to consider how good the greens are now, as they get better (incredible, given the dry summer!). The course then offers a picturesque set of holes that continues through dense woodland slowly undulating and with every hole both different and with beautiful placed and manicured greens.

Despite expecting the course to then become 'samey', it doesn't. The Par 5's are just about reachable and the Par 3's hard to get at but if you are striking the ball well you'll have a good day. As such it really is a superb course layout. On two or three occasions I had to stop, take a moment and appreciate how good this course is! This course may be considered by some as expensive at £35 weekday and £40 weekend but being on the TSG 'Preferred course' its only £28 and £33 resepctively, making it more affordable. I would recommend anyone to take advantage of the discounted rates and play this club asap before the winter sets in. The food was very good and reasonably priced too.

I will definitely be making this one of the regular venues on my golfing calendar, so if you see me post a game, come and join me! :-)

Westerham Golf Club was born from "nature revolution", ie. the freak storm of 1987 in an area of outstanding natural beauty in mature woodlands, Valence Park. As you drive to the golf course, it looks like the pre-Alps mountain tracks, so does the Upper car park as one has to park in areas created/designed by the tall pine trees, reminding me of French campsites in the Alps where I used to take my young children many years ago.

Westerham GC is only 15 years old, (10 years of conception!) but it has everything present to make a perfect golf course, the mature trees, the natural contours, slopes & addition of water features, etc. As you walk down to the Clubhouse you see the wide, lush fairways, the trees, the 9th & 18th greens with water features (lakes & fountain) in between the 2. From the terrace you can watch golfers negotiating the approach to their respective greens that are uphill. Everything is maintained to very high standards, from fairways, to bunkers (some very deep & fearful, today some had some standing water!), to greens, truly superb, "fast & true" (technical bit), lovely undulations, tiers.

The paths are well kept, so are the steps to the Tee boxes & the wooden fences next to them. There were a few wet/muddly areas today, so extra care needed if you walk the course. The approach to the greens are roped off to keep trolley & buggies away to avoid damage. The buggies have to keep to the paths as well. Lots of natural vegetation in the woods, bright red fungi at the moment (careful as they are deadly).

A few favourite holes:

13th, Par 3: Raised tee box, a large clump of goarse to avoid(yes Carlos!) to reach the green that is sloping to the left with, guess what? some bunkers on the left to catch any ball not pitched/chipped properly.

14th, Par 4: A slight dogleg right to an uphill green guarded by the steepest bunkers, 3 at the front and 1 large one on the right hand side. The approach is quite narrow.

15th, Par 4: A lovely downhill hole, very tight approach to the green the fairway is sloping to the left.

9th/18th: the 2 finishing holes, depending where you start your round, have a great design & may instigate fear as water is guarding the sloping greens set at an angle.

Must mention the 11th, Par 3, with a sheer drop on the right hand side, left by the great storm that created Westerham Golf Course. Pine trees by the approach to the green & deep bunkers are well.

Elegant clubhouse where staff are pleasant.

Friendly Proshop, well stocked. Smart changing rooms. Excellent practice area for putting, chipping, pitching , open air driving range & apparently an indoor teaching area as well. 2 car parks: Lower (tarmack), but small and Upper (large) amongst the pine trees, a lovely romantic area.

Westerham is a TSG preferred course, near J5/6 of M25 and Westerham village/town? seems very attractive as you drive through. A very enjoyable course, not too long, where one has to think their way. The greens are a pleasure to sink the putts in and today, it works for me. The above are my very personal views & recollection of the day.

THE END........

Testing my handicap, as I had to play of 3/4 (14). Shotgun start at 11th (nearest the pin) and managed to make par. Finished on the par 5 10th in the driving rain. Really enjoyed the course and looking forward to playing it again in September in our away league match. Bit dubious when I got to 1st and read the BEWARE OF THE ADDERS notice........

Played 27 holes today (front nine twice) and thoroughly enjoyed every single hole. Every hole gives you something to think about but is not over the top difficult. Greens and fairways in excellent condition all the way round. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Cost a little more than I usually pay but probably worth it. Will definitely be going back.

A beatiful course I've played twice recently and learnt to put away the driver and think what to play off each tee. Amongst the picturesque, tree-lined fairways, even a wood is too long on some. Yet you can hit out on the two fabulous finishing holes (9 & 18) over water back down to the clubhouse, a great setting for a drink on the patio as the sun goes down. I paid £51 for a society day in May (incl bacon rolls, meal after etc) and £40 for the same in April, which I thought was excellent value.