London Golf Club - The Road to Perfection

Golf Monthly’s contributing editor, Rob Smith, has been a regular visitor to London Golf Club for more than a quarter of a century.

Long before I started writing about golf, I set myself the target of playing all of the Top 50 courses in the UK & Ireland. This was way before the internet had taken over our lives, at a time when there was only one such domestic ranking. Not only that, but it lived on paper! London Golf Club was therefore a potential stumbling block for me as the Heritage Course has always been for members and their guests only. Happily, by pulling a few strings, I managed to wangle an invitation. In March 1997, Tuesday the 6th to be precise, I enjoyed my first-ever visit.

My very first memory is of the friendly welcome at the entrance gate and the milelong drive to the clubhouse with tantalising glimpses of the course on either side. This really got my adrenalin pumping; a feeling which hasn’t diminished in my 25 years of many happy returns. To be greeted at the bag drop, back then an innovation and still a treat, was also an indication that this is somewhere where the customer very much comes first. I arrived in plenty of time to appreciate the wow-factor entrance through the Great Hall and enjoy a coffee beforehand, as well as a proper warm up - very unusual for me - on the driving range. It struck me that having such comprehensive practice facilities was again something that most of us don’t get at our more traditional and space-limited clubs. By coincidence, some years later I did some freelance work for Volvo on their European Tour events. In 2014, I spent a full week working at the club covering the World Matchplay over the International Course. One of my roles was to interview the players, and I remember the professionals - stars such as Henrik Stenson, Shane Lowry, Paul Casey and Patrick Reed - were very complimentary about the whole set-up here. Going back to 1997, then as a mad-keen golfer myself, it was always going to be the course itself that would blow me away and make the greatest impression. This was years before both the Heritage and the International graduated to host European Tour events, so I had not yet seen it on TV and had only seen a few photographs in the golfing press. I was instantly thrilled by how it mixed the lovely downland setting of the Kent countryside with the drama of the water features and the most amazing conditioning. Having played both courses a number of times over the years since

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then, I would still struggle to say which is the better or the more exciting of the two, or which I actually prefer. I think this is another very impressive feature about London Golf Club - two tip-top Nicklaus Design courses, one exclusively for members and guests, is an absolute treat. With regard to the specifics, then on the Heritage, I love the thrill generated by the green sites on the fith and seventh, each capable of creating heartstopping moments. The 13th is a particular favourite as it seems to play though a secluded valley and is often right into the breeze, and the closing hole is a real gem skirting the water - hopefully - and up towards the clubhouse. On the International, the most memorable holes for me are the wonderful risk-reward par fives at the first and the 13th, and the world-class short holes at the eighth and 12th. Cleverly, although both courses are more than capable of hosting serious championships, choose the right tee and they are playable and enjoyable for all. And talking of enjoyable, the routing means you can divert for a half-time refresher in the clubhouse on the Heritage or at the excellent halfway hut beside the eighth on the International… and again as you approach the 13th!

Following the golf, it is back into the spacious and informal Spike Bar to select from the wide array of drinks and delicious food including daily specials. And while you relax and refuel with your playing partners, you can be rest assured that your clubs are getting their own freshen-up, ready for collection back up at the front, all in your own good time. What strikes me very much about London Golf Club is that in almost 30 years, despite starting life pretty much already at the top, it has continued to improve in every area. Almost imperceptible tweaks to the course have been more than matched with improvement to conditioning and presentation creating the best-possible golfing experience. That ambition and drive for perfection stretches into the future with all manner of plans for improving the visitor offering and experience and even the hope to stage the Ryder Cup the next time it is back on British soil in 2031. I would love to see it here and wish the club the very best in fulfilling this dream. Even if it doesn’t quite come off, the investment that it will take just to bid for the event speaks volumes of the club’s energetic ambition. Golf club members, myself included, are well-known for finding the faults in their own backyard. More often than not, they are actually perceived rather than real, but here at London Golf Club, I think they would be very few and far between. I have now been lucky enough to play more than 1,100 courses in almost 50 countries, and the visitor experience here at London Golf Club, along with not one but two DP World Tour championship-level courses kept in fabulous condition, is still something that gets me every time. HOLE 13 - HERITAGE COURSE

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