Golf Courses In Essex - A Visitors Guide

Essex Golf courses showcase the talents of many of the UK's foremost Golf course architects; James Braid, Harry Colt and Sir Henry Cotton in particular have been busy in the county with courses blending into their natural surroundings and reflecting the styles of the ages. Braintree GC was founded near Stisted Hall during the Golf boom of the late 19th Century and North Weald GC during a period of Golf expansion a hundred years later yet both offer variety and a good test of Golfing ability.

Channels GC is a fine example of Henry Cotton's ingenuity as it's built on land reclaimed from gravel workings and though it's a relatively modern Essex Golf course, founded 1974, it boasts a 14th Century clubhouse. Cotton was also busy in Essex when called upon to oversee the design at Abridge Golf & Country club when they were forced to move to a third location.

All the architects, however, have had a head start with the lie of the land in the county with it's gently undulating landscape and mild dry climate lending itself to their creativity. James Braid was able fashion a links-like course at Orsett GC that often acts as an Open qualifier course.

Essex, however, has a significant coastline so courses like Clacton-on-Sea GC are exposed to the elements behind the sea wall.

Royal Epping Forest GC is of particular interest to visitors of Golf courses in Essex because it has very unusual rule. In 1894 Forest Bye Laws made it compulsory for every Golfer is required to wear red outer garments presumably because the course is laid out on public land.

Many Golf courses in Essex were affected during World War II when their fairways were dug up to deter enemy troop carrying aircraft from landing an invasion force, however Golf went on with many courses introducing local rules to cope with wartime circumstances. Chelmsford GC were forced to declare that 'a ball moved by enemy action may be replaced as near as possible to where it lay, or if lost or destroyed, a ball may be dropped, not nearer the hole without penalty'.

Thorpe Hall GC, original club of the former R&A Secretary Sir Michael Bonallack had it's fairways dug up but fortunately the Elizabethan clubhouse was unaffected and the James Braid designed course at Colchester GC was requisitioned as a military training camp. Interestingly Essex Golf & Country Club was constructed on the site of a former WWII airfield.

The Essex Golf Union lists 79 members so visitors to the area are sure to find many top quality and varied Golf courses in Essex.

Mark Hainsworth is an avid Golfer and editor of the FREE Golf ezine
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