Traditions Golf Club - Est 1999

Info correct at last date played: 29th October 1999

Club Facilities

AGN Review Score 5.8

Course Card

Course Review

Operated by American Golf-UK, Traditions is a blend of tree-lined holes and parkland varieties. Four lakes scatter the course and 40,000 new trees have been planted to line the fully irrigated fairway's. The first nine holes are in wooded country and some are quite tight, the back nine are on more open parkland but there are four lakes to contend with. Some holes have undulating greens which require thought of where to put the ball if a par is to be made.

Favourite Hole

Hole 9:   A par 4 of not considerable length.
You have to be accurate wit your tee shot on this hole. It is a slight dogleg to the left but the holes main feature has to be the row of railway sleepers dividing the fairway from a lower section to an upper section. To clear the sleepers with a straight shot is a carry of about 170 yards but there are bunkers on the upper fairway to catch a straight shot. If you go to cut the corner the distance to carry the sleepers increases. After the tee shot the only danger at the green is a bunker on the right and a lake behind.

Visitor Comments

Submitted by Craig Stadler (allegedly) on 31/12/2002
A great golf course for those of you that live on housing estates! Jeans, T-shirts, stray dogs, you name it, anything goes on this 'TRADITIONAL' peasant golf course. Good luck if you play it and on Monday morning ask your boss for a pay rise, and hopefully you will get on somewhere nicer next time!!!

Submitted by Steve Irwin on 19/07/2003.
This is a nice, well-maintained course, with a good variety of golfing challenges. It can be quite unforgiving in places, so take plenty of balls with you. It's essential to purchase a detailed yardage map the first time you play the course as there are many water hazards that aren't easily visible from a distance. Other challenges include moderate length carries over hazards from tee shots, and some dense rough in places making a lost ball a near certainty if you venture in there.

The wildlife is a bit basic, though, with some swans and geese around the water features. A few crocodiles would liven it up a bit.

Submitted by David Alpin on 11/01/2004.
A waste and a shame, considering the ideal location and that the course does have a few nice holes. The first tells you the main problems as there is no course map or sign and you have to guess or ask where the green is. this is surely stupid for a public course. The second is a nice par four require a long or well controlled tee shot and then accurate second. The third a a lovely tight tree lined par three to an elevated small green which is hard to judge for distance. After the fourth though the course is mainly open with no real boundaries between holes and of no real interest, beauty or golfing challenge at all. The ninth that has the railway siding is interesting but again you have no idea where the line is too the green. The back nine is without any real interest and this is the shame as the course is reasonable in it condition and the green adequate.
I would stay away from this and I am not a golf snob, I play off fourteen and use two for one vouchers to play as many courses in Surrey and Hampshire as I can. There are ten or twenty better courses for the same fee within twenty miles. This is the waste as the area is very exclusive and pretty. I have played it five times and would not bother again although the staff were friendly the clubhouse and pro shop are very ordinary.
3 out of 10

Submitted by Rhys on 8/03/2004.
I am surprised by the comments as this is one of my favourite courses in the south london area. Others may be more scenic and certainly better signposted but I don't get bored playing this one. There is a lot of water which keeps you on your toes, the greens are in very good condition considering it is a public course and has a number of holes that are very tricky (for me at least) because of the way you have to approach the green, The 2nd the 13th spring to mind. Biggest concern is that it takes an age to play a round during peak time on the weekend and the idea of letting people through is unheard of so I play twilight or very early and it's not a problem.

Submitted by Rob Mathews on 12/03/2004.
Again very surprised about the comments on this course. With regard to the guy whom commented on the hole designs and not knowing where the flags are. He should have bought a course guide (Someone whom makes comments like that is probably too tight to buy one). I've played this course for many years along with many others in the area and I would highly recommend. Cheers Rob M

Submitted by john Wood on 27/04/2004.
My biggest compliment to the course is the playing conditions in winter. I was able to play virtually every weekend and as long as you tee off around 10.30am the greens have thawed and are in consistently good condition. Gets a bit soggy but fine if you stay on the fairway which I believe is the aim of golf. (Must try that)
In summer the course plays a bit short but playing off the white tees makes it more challenging especially the 18th which requires a good, long drive over the railway sleepers. The 16th hole is my nemises and I can't understand why it's only a stroke 14. Recommendations for the future, tighten up on the dress code and open the "way back" tee on the 4th.

Submitted by Duncan Ede on 26/08/2004.
I would have to disagree with some of the comments on this course, it is a most interesting course with various hazards, ok its not St Andrews but quality for money it is. The greens are always in good nick and the fairways are well attended.

Submitted by Lee Lambert on 07/12/2004.
I am surprised about the comments with regards to the course itself. The greens are PGA standard and very firm even after heavy rain. The course presents a tough challenge with plenty of water (deadly if you have a slice), doglegs, and other obstacles like the huge tree in the middle of the 17th Fairway! What I am not surprised about are the comments regarding some of the people on the course. I have seen jeans and trainers and fallen victim to a 4-ball in front playing excruciatingly slow. We (a 2-ball) politely requested to play through once they had fallen quite a few holes behind the group in front and were told in no uncertain terms where we could stick it... after calling the clubhouse they sent someone out to talk to them and even he admitted there was little he could do as their attitude was appalling. I have no doubt had we gone into the clubhouse after a fight would have kicked off so we thought better of it. I will not however let idiots like that stop me from enjoying what is ultimately a very good course. However, I think if they were to monitor slow play and enforce what is essentially a standard golf course dress code it would go along way to helping the reputation (and enjoyment) of this course.

Submitted by Christopher on 28/04/2005.
Having read the comments above I was a little concerned to what I'd find. However having played the course for the first time I was impressed for a public course. It has some great / fantastic holes which are up there with some great courses. Being critical, it's biggest problem is 'public right of way' across some holes which does lead to dog walkers and on the 10th we had a course invasion of 6 kids trying to steel our golf balls and verbally abuse us when we objected. If they had a course marshal around perhaps this wouldn't happen.

Would I play there again. Absolutely.

Submitted by Jona on 12/08/2005.
Played this course after trying a few nine holer's in the area. This is a tough course and no mistake, don't go near any trees because 9 times in 10 there is water at their base. The ninth hole is a real ball looser from the tee and for someone (like me) who is erratic with driving distance it is worthwhile taking 2 shot to get over the railway sleeper cliff onto the fairway.

All in all i was impressed by the course and the relaxed attitude towards things like dress code is a bonus, not a traditional 'stuffy old members chasing you off the course' sort of place and reasonably priced for 18 holes :)

Submitted by Phil on 30/07/2006.
Public course it may be but for £30 odd quid I expected a bit more. First 4 holes were ok but then it was right into parkland and a bit of a free-for-all. You know when you were at school and at playtime you had different football pitches running across each other and kids bumping into one another ? Well this is what it felt like.
I hit the ball quite long so I think I used the driver 3 or 4 times in the whole round so If you need to practice your irons then this is the place. Yes course management is essential here but I thought some of the holes were a bit silly. 16 is a par 5 like nothing I've seen before. First time you play expect to lose some balls. The electricity pylons were annoying quite frankly. Many tee shots went through wires on their way down the fairway.
The thing that really hacked me off was lack of yardage markers next to tee-boxes. Totally unacceptable in my view. I won't be back unless its for a society day. In a nutshell it's tough, rough and ready. Bit like the people playing there - but that's another story.

Submitted by Matt Greenwood on 10/04/2007.
Traditions is an OK course. £30 is quite a bit but the price does vary quite a bit a less popular times. Its drainage is pretty poor so don't play in the winter as it can be a bog. In the summer the ball rolls for ever so the par 5's are easy. A few unkempt bunkers can let it down. In short, if you can get on for £20 its well worth a go - £30 I'm not so sure....

Submitted by Alan Niel on 28/06/2007.
I'm surprised to read the favourable comments given by a number of reviewers. I played the course, recently, with a society, whose members are competent golfers. Most of us have played championship courses and, even competed, successfully, in national events. We all lost several balls each. This is one of the worst courses I have ever played. The 16th hole would be more suited to Disney world than a golf course. There are many excellent courses in the south east of England. This isn't one of them.

If you have played this course then why not add your own comments by using the form on the next page>>>