Royal Epping Forest Golf Club (Chingford Golf Course)

Forest Approach,

Chingford, London E4 7AZ

  • Office

    +44 (0)20 8529 2195
  • Pro shop

    +44 (0)20 8529 5708
  • Fax

    +44 (0)20 8559 4664

About the course

  • The Course:

    18 holes. Tree-lined & open parkland. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.

  • Surroundings:

    Woodland.

  • Designer:

    Original 1888 design by Willie Dunn Jr; later modified by James Braid.

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
6342
5902
5555
Par
71
71
72
SSS or slope
70
69

At the same location:

The above distances are for the Chingford Golf Course, the home course of the Royal Epping Forest Golf Club.

Location

Latitude:

51.634576

Longitude:

0.011773

How to get there:

o.2 mi NE of Chingford Railway Stn / 12 mi N of central London.

Leave the M25 motorway at exit 26, and follow the A121 direction Loughton. After 1 mile turn right at roundabout onto the A104 direction Woodford / London. After 2.8 mls turn right into Rangers Road (A1069) direction Chingford. After 1 mile turn right into Bury Road. After 100 yards golf is on your right.

Royal Epping Forest Golf Club

2-star: Reasonably okay course - if better courses not available.

Est. 1888

Royal Epping Forest Golf Club: As is the case with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Royal Epping Forest's home course is a municipal layout, shared with other golf clubs. Whereas the R&A has use of the legendary Old Course, Royal Epping Forest's members ply their golfing skills on Chingford Golf Course, one of many layouts in Britain designed by legendary golfer and prolific course architect James Braid.

Bordering the largest of London's ancient forests, it's easy to feel transported back to an earlier golfing era here at Chingford. The course is laid out on an area of common land that's not just busy with golfers. Here you'll also find walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders all enjoying the pleasant parkland setting.

Chingford's front-nine is relatively flat, open and quite compact. You'll need to be alert to the possibility of balls appearing from other holes. The back-nine is played over more interesting and undulating terrain, where Braid made excellent use of a small hill that skirts alongside the forest itself. In the mid-section of the closing-nine you'll encounter several tree-lined holes and the tightest section of the Chingford layout. To preserve the natural appearance of the landscape, bunkers are only found away from the public gaze, on the "upper" holes in the forest.

For such a busy municipal parkland course, the overall conditioning is generally good, although signs of the constant wear and tear it receives can show through. If possible it's better to play during the week, rather than at the very busy weekends.

List of courses: Around London

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.

Must book in advance. No handicap required.

Green fees

Contact club for green fee details.

Other information

Up until March 2014 all golfers on the Chingford Golf Course had to wear a prominent item of red clothing. This ensured golfers were cleary visible to other members of the public using the paths around the course. The "red rule" was abolished in March 2014, and golfers can now wear appropriate golf clothing of any colour.

Practice facilities

Limited

Did you know?

Royal Epping Forest Golf Club is one of three golf clubs (together with Chingford GC and Chingford Ladies' GC) to play on the Chingford Golf Course, which is also a public course for green-fee payers. It was here that golf was first played in Essex on an officially recognised layout. The course is now operated by the City of London Corporation.

Founded in 1888, Royal Epping is the only golf club in Essex with a 'Royal' prefix. It is one of only four Royal clubs in the UK that plays on a public course shared by other golf clubs, the other three are the Royal & Ancient Golf (St Andrews), Royal Montrose and Royal Perth. | Queen Victoria conferred the Royal prefix on the club in its founding year (1888), following patronage by her third eldest son Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. By royal prerogative, 19 English golf clubs use the "Royal" title, namely: Ascot, Ashdown Forest, Birkdale, Blackheath, Cinque Ports, Cromer, Eastbourne, Epping Forest, Household (Windsor Castle), Liverpool (Hoylake), Lytham & St Annes, Mid-Surrey, North Devon (Westward Ho!), Norwich, St George's, West Norfolk (Brancaster), Wimbledon, Winchester, Worlington & Newmarket.

Where2Stay

  • Holiday Inn Express, London-Chingford, N Circular3-star

    5 Walthamstow Ave, London E4 8ST

    +44 (0)870 444 2789

    Visit website

    The Express by Holiday Inn London Chingford is situated just off the North Circular Road near the Crooked Billet roundabout in Chingford, within easy reach of Walthamstow, Woodford & Ilford.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Chingford (Royal Epping Forest)

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Thorndon Park; Abridge; Hanbury Manor; The Hertfordshire; Finchley; Hadley Wood; Old Fold Manor; Porters Park; Mill Hill; Royal Blackheath.

  • Waltham Abbey Marriot Hotel4-star

    Old Shire Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 3LX

    +44 (0)1992 717 170

    Visit website

    Bordering the ancient woodlands of Epping Forest, the Waltham Abbey Marriott Hotel offers an ideal setting for business and leisure travellers alike. Located near the M25, M11 and M1 motorways, and the London Tube, this contemporary hotel is 30 minutes from central London.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Chingford (Royal Epping Forest)

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Thorndon Park; Abridge; Hanbury Manor; The Hertfordshire; Brocket Hall; Finchley; Hadley Wood; Old Fold Manor; Porters Park; Mill Hill.

Find a course

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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