Hidden Gems - Henley Golf Club
Designed by James Braid in 1907, this enjoyable layout is situated just over a mile from beautiful Henley-on-Thames
Designed by James Braid in 1907, this enjoyable layout is situated just over a mile from beautiful Henley-on-Thames
Hidden Gems - Henley Golf Club
Henley Golf Club, Harpsden, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 4HG
W: henleygc.com
GF: £50 weekday; £25 weekend (after 2pm only); £60wd per day
Stats: par 70, 6,264 yards
It’s easy to understand why Henley is such a popular choice for corporate golf days, because visitors can expect a warm welcome and an extremely pleasurable day on one of the finest courses in the region.
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Even if the shared fairway with the 18th makes the opening tee shot less daunting, bailing out right will leave you a long second.
Don’t be right again or you’ll struggle to open with a par.
The first of six par 3s, appropriately named ‘Heaven or Hell’, comes at the 2nd.
Speak to a member and the advice will be to take at least one extra club.
Come up short in one of the hazardous bunkers and you won’t be faced with a more difficult shot for the rest of your round.
Related: Best Hidden Gems in the UK&I
One of the many attractions of this Thames Valley gem is the super variety of holes, especially the par 3s.
The 13th is beautifully framed; it’s Henley’s Golden Bell without Rae’s Creek, where the swirling wind plays tricks with the mind.
Related: Hidden Gems - Long Ashton Golf Club
Meanwhile, the 16th requires pinpoint accuracy with a long-iron or wood to a raised green.
Come up short and you’ll be faced with a devilish chip.
If you’re banking on taking advantage of the par-5 18th, beware the OOB down the left.
Follow the pro’s tip and favour the right side of the fairway, which will open up the green.
Related: Golf Monthly UK&I Top 100 Courses
However, be careful not to over-club if you have designs on taking on the green in two, as the road and OOB are still very much in play.
This is one of those courses that you’ll definitely want to play again.
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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