Richmond Park Golf Club - Est 1923

Info correct at last date played: 22nd October 2000

Club Facilities

AGN Review Score 5.6

Duke's Course Card

Course Review

Despite being in the middle of London this course has a nice little tree-lined country feel to it. The fairways were in perfect condition but the greens could have been cut a little closer, we will overlook this as we did play it at the end of September after it was wet all week. Well placed ditches in the middle of the fairways come into play from some of the tees and you have to watch out for the occasional deer crossing in front of you. One thing we did not like was the bunkers, there was slightly more mud in them than sand.

Favourite Hole

Hole 7: 425 yard par 4 dogleg to the left.
A good drive is required to clear the ditch in the middle of the fairway but you also need to be on the right as you will not be able to see the green around the corner if you are on the left. If you get the drive right then you will have a mid iron approach to the green, get it wrong and you will be shaping up to draw your second shot round the corner.

Visitor Comments

Submitted by Nick Lambert on 30th April 2002
I would disagree with the previous review that the ditch which runs across the course is "well placed".
Having a ditch constantly at a driving distance of 230-275 yds is very lazy course design. All holes should, in a perfect world, have 2 ways to play them. The risky tee shot, successfully executed gives a proportionate gain, in the form of an easier second shot and vice versa.
Anybody carrying the ball 230 through the air and running 20-30 yards ie. a good player, has their skill completely negated on such holes because one either lands straight in the water, or runs into it.
Richmond Park is a average enough course to swing a club on but by no means is a well designed course. If you pay £20 a round you get a £20 course. Sounds elitist - but its true. 7th is the best hole definitely though.

Submitted by Richard Calvert on 5th August 2002
I thought Dukes was a more pleasant course to play than Princes, because there is more variation between the holes, but Princes still has some hilly bits that are worth doing.
Richmond Park is the only place I know where you can hire shoes, and there is a hamburger stall halfway round Dukes.

Submitted by Jason B on 23/12/2002.
It's obvious to any golfer that the holes on each green remain static, they are permanently placed ceramic cups. If you never move the holes, the area around the pin becomes raised, as is the case with many of the cups on this course. An average course.

Submitted by Reg Dehl on 28/03/2006.
For beginners only..Played this course in Sep 2005 and still below average. Very uninteresting and not even worth £20...Greens are like most tee-off areas and all tee-offs grouped into 4 balls at 8 minute intervals...Maximum revenue for club/minimal enjoyment for golfers...Left after 10 holes, which took 3 hours...You may be able to hire shoes, but I'd buy my own then walk to another club...

Submitted by Wayne on 29/03/2007.
Very boggy and weedy course. I have never lost so many balls in the rough, in grass left to get 2-3 feet in length. Sloping greens and holes with raised lips make putting a game of chance, rather than skill. In all I would rather spend the extra and drive 10 minutes more to get to Silvermere.

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