Hainault Golf Club | Essex | Reviews, Scorecards, Green Fees Offers, Golf Tee Times

Hainault Golf Club

Course Type
Parkland
Designer
TBC
Par
Lower 72; Upper 70 
Slope
0
Rating
3.5
Golf Professional
TBC
Green Fees
Reviews
37

Course Information

ADDRESS:
Romford Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 4QW, United Kingdom
WHAT/THREE/WORDS:
Unknown
TELEPHONE:
0208 500 2131
DESCRIPTION:

Hainault Golf Club, set across 300 acres of rolling Essex countryside, offers two diverse 18-hole courses: the Upper Course, a par 71, and the Lower Course, a par 70. Established in 1909, the club is known for its panoramic views stretching as far as London’s skyline. The Upper Course offers sweeping fairways that navigate through mature woodland, while the Lower Course is renowned for its more open and strategic design, with challenging bunkers and water features.

Hainault Forest Country Park, adjacent to the club, provides additional natural beauty, offering walking trails and wildlife. Located near the A12 and M25, the club is easily accessible from central London, making it a popular retreat for both locals and visitors.

The nearby Hainault Lodge and Fairlop Waters add to the appeal, with family-friendly attractions and leisure activities. With a rich history and a balance of challenging layouts, Hainault Golf Club is a captivating destination for golfers of all abilities.

Courses Rating

Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value
Overall Course Rating
3.5 / 5

Share your thoughts and opinions on your visit to this club and help other golfers who may be considering playing here!

These reviews represent the personal view of the individual and are not those of The Social Golfer.

Location / Map

Hainault Golf Club map and location.

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Course Scorecards

Course Tee Holes Par Rating Slope
Hainault Forest (Upper) Gold 18 70 69.0 116
Hainault Forest (Upper) Blue 18 70 68.0 115
Hainault Forest (Upper) Red 18 69 69.6 115
Hainault Forest (Lower) Gold 18 72 72.0 120
Hainault Forest (Lower) Blue 18 72 70.0 118
Hainault Forest (Lower) Red 18 72 72.0 120

Regulars At This Course

Dave Wright
25.7
Graham Titmuss
20.0
russell fleetwood
36.0
David Baker
36.0
Mukesh Sejpal
36.0
Dave Blaney
11.6

Golf Club Reviews

Dave Golledge
16.2
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Good course, great geography, very wet.

Played upper course. Extremely wet, puddles and standing water on greens. Very slippery under foot. Winter tees are nearly all at very back of tee boxes making it very long for average players in winter conditions.
Date Friday, 13, December 2024
John Gibbons
32.3
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Enjoyable

Enjoyable round of golf. Greens were fast. Bunkers were hard and in need of sand.
Date Thursday, 25, July 2024
Anthony Banister
14.9
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Well kept

Well kept
Date Monday, 27, May 2024
Nick Regan
13.7
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Played Old course enjoyed it

Undulating tree lined course some blind holes but enjoyed the course.. But play was very slow as group 2 ahead of us was really slow so needs a marshall in a cart keeping everyone moving that would be great!
Date Monday, 07, August 2023
Dave Golledge
16.2
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Good challenge

Hard ground made distance control difficult, easy to run through greens and off fairways. Looking forward to playing when ground a little softer.
Date Monday, 15, August 2022
Jason Clauson
34.2
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Great Challenge

I found the course very enjoyable but with some very tough holes & especially the Greens, very undulating & difficult to read.
The course is in my opinion well maintained, but I accept my experience is not huge.
Looking forwards to going again.
Date Friday, 10, June 2022
Lee Kyprian
21.9
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Upper course Hainault, worth a game

Considering the weather recently the course was in ok condition. Greens were ok, no complaints. Some nice holes and scenery, enjoyed playing there and will go back.
Date Friday, 08, April 2022
Martin Eyles
8.5
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Upper (old) course. A good test of golf, some great holes.

The autumn leaves ( those not already on the floor) gave a splendid back drop to most holes. A good mix of short and longer par 4’s. Winter mats were in operation which significantly shortened some holes. They were also very variable in condition, some being very hard to get a tee in. Bunkers were pretty solid, some with rakes that no one seemed to be using, some with no rake. Overall good value for money at £17. I will be back!
Date Monday, 22, November 2021
'JB' John Barber
18.1
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Not the Lower

Second visit in the past few weeks. Upper course is OK, but the lower course is not as good. 1st tee needs a complete re-turf - you'd think that people have been teeing of with a shovel. 1st green had been cut, but had the cuttings left in lines.

The course is not bad, just needs someone to 'care' for it, because it is being kept in play, but not very well. Obviously the owner is milking the course at present as there is bound to be a drop off in players as we go forward, but I would guess that it may well come back and bite them.

If you want to play it, Lower is a fair test and exceptionally up and down. The Upper is the easier course and not used as much (not on a Monday morning anyway).
Date Tuesday, 29, September 2020
Martin Kelly
11.3
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Phew

The hills are alive with the sound of 'forrreeee' lol. First time at Hainault but hopefully not the last, well maintained, tricky course, so many hills which all seemed to go up with none going down lol. Fun to play, highly recommend.
Date Monday, 07, September 2020
Dennis Smith
28.3
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Fantasic course, well worth the visit

Hainault Golf Club is a great day out and yes I would return.
Date Wednesday, 30, October 2019
Rob Burnell
23.8
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Hainault golf club

Hainault golf club was in very poor condition greens were terrible woulnt go back for a very long time despite me getting 41 points still think it wasn't worth he money would rather pay 10 pound more and play a much well maintained course
Date Monday, 13, August 2018
Ian Archer
20.9
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Great pay and play. Recommended.

Excellent golf course, fairways and greens were in good condition. Hainault has two courses, Upper and Lower. Played Lower this time, but both courses are excellent and have interesting holes to suit all abilities. Practice facilities include a full driving range, putting green and chipping area. Upstairs there is a licensed Chinese restaurant, and serves as the 19th hole.

Midweek it is £17 and £13 Senior over 65. It is my regular "go to" course. Recommended.
Date Tuesday, 19, July 2016
Steve Rawlinson
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Not bad. Not Great.

The tee boxes are in a pretty poor state, some of them look like the goalmouths of Sunday league football pitches. Most of the bunkers are like concrete.

But the fairways are well maintained, the greens are acceptable, the staff are very friendly, and it's very good value for money. There's a decent driving range and the pace of play was good for a weekend on a public course.

If we have a winter as wet as last year this course will really struggle because the greens are already very damp after a few wet days but right now it's a good morning out.
Date Saturday, 25, October 2014
Brian Scott
1.5
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

the cousre where we all started

A good game of golf for the money
The only down side is it gets busy
Date Thursday, 07, August 2014
Richard Adinolfi
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Bang Average

Taken as a whole, Hainult is good. There are 2 courses, a driving range, putting green and a cafe that serves up decent breakfast. However, taking the lower course as an individual entity, then I would have to say that it is an average course. The tee boxes were shoddy, the fairways not bad and the greens deathly slow. The standout hole is the 12th, which is nice but that is pretty much it. Certainly not the best pay & play but by no means the worst either....
Date Wednesday, 30, July 2014
Alan Haywood
21.2
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Good test of golf

This long-ish Lower course is a good test of golf, particularly from the white tee's. Fairways are wide and generous for the most part, and generally very good. Many of the greens are very tricky, and difficult to hold from distance but they are true and well maintained...a lot of money has gone into improving the course over the last year or so. Bunkers are fair...some good some bad. The par 4 12th is reckoned to be one of the best par 4's in the country... A driving range is a short walk away from the club house and a good putting green is provided. Altogether a good course and I certainly recommend it.
Full English can be had at an excellent cafe adjacent to the Club house....clubhouse food is generally of the Chinese variety and excellent, in fact people travel to sample it. An excellent bar with drinks on the verandah afterwards rounds off a good day.
Date Monday, 28, July 2014
TSG
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Lower course

The greens were poor long and fluffy,,also not constant speed on them all.
It's still suffering from winter,not a place I would go back to for a month at least.
Date Tuesday, 08, April 2014
Peter Harris
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

The Upper course

I played the Upper Course which is an open parkland course with mainly wide fairways. It is fairly hilly and drains well in wet conditions, being not too long with reasonable greens. It has the added benefit of a cafe stop after the 8th hole if you need a pit stop for a hot drink or food. I will definitely play the course again. The mid week rate was £13.50.
Date Sunday, 05, January 2014
Andy (fingers crossed) Flynn
13.3
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

hainault lower course

Club house is a decent 19th hole, and I always find the bar area staff very pleasant.
The lower course has a few holes that will bite you, 1 hole is claimed to be 10th best hole is essex!, not in my book, but we all have our preferences.
It's a decent course I guess, but the bunkers are absolutely awful, you don't need to rake them, they need a Rotavator through them first they are so compacted, making a mockery of trying to play out of them. Turning some interesting holes into a bit of a joke when you hit the protection for a green.
Date Sunday, 27, October 2013
Tony Clayton
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

upper course very interesting everyhole different and well thought out.

Really liked the course,Great design ,cut into hills and superb tree lined holes.One of the best public courses in Essex, If not the best.Only downside some bulkers very little sand and stoney.
Date Sunday, 28, July 2013
Adam Peek
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

An Old Favourite

I have played at Hainault Upper countless times over the years and I never get bored of the challenge of this course. Some tough holes and the majority of the course is tree lined and quite tight in places. Some excellent risk/reward shots on offer - at least 2 drivable par 4's for the bigger hitters if you're prepared to be brave.
Some very nice views on offer - but a word of caution for the less mobile, this is a very hilly course and the 5th hole isn't called heart attack hill for nothing!
My only complaint is that for £27 for a weekend green fee, I'd expect the bunkers to be maintained better than they are and when I played Saturday the greens were a little sluggish as they could probably do with a cut.
All in all though a very good course and an excellent challenge of golf for low and high handicappers alike.
Date Monday, 03, June 2013
Steve Collins
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Hainault lovely course

Hainault Woodlands course lovely conditions ,
Date Monday, 06, May 2013
John Amos
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Play here at off-peak times

Today, the UPPER Course - shorter & more variety with 4 short Par-3's. Fun to play and, on the right day, a good score can be had. I know this course well, but hadn't played it for several years.

Quite hilly - in fact the 5th has been called 'heart attack hill', so consider a buggy.....but isn't walking one of the best forms of exercise? Dating from 1909, it's certainly a very good place to walk! You'll find many sloping lies and a few 'blind' shots, so leave time for those in front to be out of range. If a shot is in the direction of trees, a provisional is a good idea, as balls can run off fairways - especially when conditions are dry.

Improvements have been made since I was last here, but there is still work to be done. Greens looked quite good, although dry, hard and in need of cutting. Some tee boxes now have wooden posts/rails to keep the buggies away - a problem in past years. There is no signage at all, so play with someone who knows the way. No ballwashers and very few seats on this course, but a 'halfway' hut by the 8th green.

This was an afternoon round on a warm/sunny spring day, when the course was very quiet, so under 3 1/2 hours and very enjoyable. However, it can get busy here and at those times, with standard green fees of £19/£27, I think better value can be found elsewhere.

Date Saturday, 04, May 2013
John Amos
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

No Motorway in Sight!

Locked security gates prevent entry except through the clubhouse building - slightly strange, but probably due to previous problems, so a good idea to check anything of value is locked out of sight in your car. Don't let this put you off.....it gets better!

We played the LOWER course, which is the longer of the two 18-hole layouts, designed by five time Open Champion, JH Taylor. There are two Par-5's and only two Par-3's, so variety is lacking, but this is a good test of golf - some of the long uphill holes will take two good blows to reach. The 12th, inviting a good long drive, has been described as the best golf hole in Essex and the 13th is possibly one of the toughest Par-4's around. The last five holes give a chance for a score to be rescued, with the 18th being a driveable (occasionally) downhill Par-4.

This was a quiet Friday afternoon on the course, so ideal to take in the pleasant surroundings - fields and the Hainault Forest Country Park. Once away from the first tee, you won't see or hear any cars, which is quite refreshing after playing several courses in the area close to Motorways!

There are some scruffy areas around tees and greens - some marked GUR, so should be repaired. Greens had been tined and sanded, but will improve soon. The two bunkers I went in were good, but I noticed several resembling water hazards, but there is a plan to rebuild these. Lots of un-repaired divots make some fairways a bit messy, but the reason a sign reads 'Preferred Lies All Year'

Overall, a good experience and I shall look forward to playing the 'Upper' course in the near future.
Date Saturday, 20, April 2013
Ed McLatchie
17.9
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

UPPER very open parkland course, easier then the Lower

Mature and very open parkland course with undulating hilly fairway with not many hazards.
More for the higher handicapper, but still enjoyable ever for the lower handicapper.
With some super 'driving' holes.
Green good just little woolly.Bunkers looked hard.
Practise putting green, chipping area & friendly staff. Sadly no practise nets.
This is my sort of course I definitely recommended.
Date Monday, 01, April 2013
Mark Tucknott
29.7
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Enjoyable Course

Played the upper for a bargain £11. Very forgiving, with wide fairways, which were all in very good condition. Very few shots are played on level game, which adds a challenge to anyone's game. Probably a course which would be enjoyed by the high handicapper, as it may be a tad too easy for better players.
Date Monday, 01, April 2013
TSG
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Have to see it dry.

Very wet underfoot but just playable. Agood test when dry I should think?
Date Saturday, 02, February 2013
David Izen
5.4
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Good facilities, decent course

Third time playing the Upper (shorter) course here, never played the Lower. A few greens very soft, tees a little scruffy and a few mats in play (very wet early/mid November) but overall condition was pretty good considering.

There's a driving range, a large putting green and a pitching/chipping area, along with cafe and bar/Chinese restaurant.

Course is enjoyable, just a couple of par 5's and a couple of 400+ yard 4's.
Date Sunday, 11, November 2012
Ed McLatchie
17.9
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

LOWER is Mature open parkland course with undulating fairways

Mature open parkland course with undulating fairways some with lateral ditches with a nice design too it. Green good just little woolly. Bunkers looked hard.
Practise putting green, chipping area & friendly staff. Sadly no practise nets. This is my sort of course I definitely recommended.
Date Friday, 03, August 2012
Steve 'The Power' Slater
19.6
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Upper Course - Challenging on so many levels

A return visit still confirms the Upper course as a real challenge - a mature parkland, cleverly established in some undulating hills. Clarity of thought may get you around, but on a day where the ground was still boggy in places (we do need the rain apparently) this was a tough day to work out. Greens were fluffy, soft in paces and really quite slow uphill. Tricky to read quite difficult to avoid the odd 3-putt. Bunkers still water impacted so playing out was hard... Course Management at a premium to navigate some twisty, sloping, and inconsistent roll...

A critique was that tee times were a bit close, and lots of people on the course could have made it a slow round... as it happened not too much of a delay... never a fan of overindulgence in blind holes - there are a lot...

Visit the Caddy Shack pre-round, tea and sandwiches various, served with humour... Do sample the lunch menu (Chinese influence and good quality)...Nice people very attentive...

Lots of unrepaired pitch marks evident today, rememeber to make 1 and fix 2....

Whilst this course isn't ever going to be my favourite, it is value for money and never uninteresting...

Latest update, return to the upper course, on a day when the rain stopped just before play began, we had a late tee time, course played OK but of course the recent rains had left it soggy in places, with a selection of temporary tees. Observation was that the yellow tee boxes were showing signs of wear and were a bit soft. Playing conservatively may be the best way around this course. Forgot to mention adequate car parking and going though the building to get to the first tees.

Lunch was again rather splendid, we alw2ays get a good welcome here.



Date Saturday, 05, May 2012
David Allchorne
16.3
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

some nice holes

played lower course, some good holes esp. 12th and 13th but with only 2 par 3's and 2 par 5's, bit lacking in variety. enjoyed the round but wouldnt want to play there every week
Date Thursday, 13, October 2011
Greg Butler
17.4
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

1st time on Lower course.

Nowhere can be too bad when played on probably the warmest Saturday of the year so far.
Tees where still mats, but good quality and large enough for plenty of tee position options. The course condition was fairly good although the greens had suffered a little fungal type desease due to the Winter weather extremes but were still good for putting but fairly tricky.
The holes are very nicely laid out, mainly flatish terrain with a little undulation on some holes. Plenty of room for driving, which is useful as there are a lot of medium to long par 4s. Course guide/ yardage booklet great vfm at only £1,
I shall play here again this Summer on this layout or the Upper course.
Date Saturday, 26, March 2011
Chris Emms
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Very Good will go back

played the lower course well worth the green fees
would go back and may try the upper course next time
Date Tuesday, 19, October 2010
David Jacobs
20.2
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Hainault

Lower course, plays longer than upper, conditions very good, now this club has a new owner they are putting a great deal of effort in to make this a top course as it should be. greens are starting to run fast as this is how they are making them, I think a few more months and it will get there.
Date Saturday, 17, April 2010
Ian Mullins
19.4
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Nice enough......

Played here last week and found the course quite tough over the first few holes but it eases off over the final four. A rich tree-lined parkland course with some fantastic views over London, it was a little bare in places and the greens needed a cut - they were longest I've seen this year anywhere! Otherwise a nice enough course and if you wish to see some of the Essex stereotypes in action - this is the place!!
Date Wednesday, 16, September 2009
Russell Middleton
36.0
Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Practice Facilities
Value for Money

Two Nice Courses

The upper course is very hilly, but shorter than the lower course.

Both courses have a variety of holes.

This club gets very busy at a weekend, especially in the summer months.

Well worth a visit
Date Sunday, 14, December 2008