North Middlesex Golf Club Course Review
GF £45 Mon-Thu, £50 Fri, £55 Weekend
Par 69, 5,691 yards
Slope 131
GM Verdict A short but very distinctive course that simply gets better all the way
Favourite Hole It has to be the eighteenth, a 224-yard par 3 over a pond in a dip and up towards the very distinctive clubhouse
Roughly five miles inside the apex of the M25 and therefore easily accessible from slightly further afield, North Middlesex is a very friendly club with a short but engaging 18-hole course that is up there among the best golf courses in London. With only two par 4s breaking the tape at 400 yards, accuracy and planning are the key elements to scoring well here. The club dates back to 1905, and its gently undulating course was designed by 5-time Open champion, Willie Park Junior.
The Front Nine
The opening hole, a short par 4 curving very gently to the left
The course opens with a gentle par 4 to warm you up, followed by a slightly longer one played to a sunken and sleepered green. Two par 3s then come either side of another short par 4 that big-hitters may be tempted to go for.
The undulating sixth is the first of back-to-back par 5s, the only two on the course
Next comes an excellent par 5 played to a fairway with a pronounced dip in the lay-up area, then up to a two-tier green. Beyond it, there is an attractive building that would probably have been a gatehouse for the old Manor that is now the clubhouse.
A large bunker protects the approach to the par-4 eighth, a 362-yard par 4
The only other par 5 is then played back in the opposite direction, before a well-bunkered two-shotter where the land tends to move the ball to the right.
The very attractive par-3 ninth is protected by a magnificent seven bunkers
The front nine finishes with one of the prettiest and most appealing holes on the course, 153 yards of carry from the back tee where correct club selection and a straight shot are needed in order to avoid the sand.
The Back Nine
The approach to the par-4 tenth calls for a high approach over a protective hedge
Heading back down into the valley through which runs Blackett’s Brook, the green at the 10th is on the other side and partly hidden by a hedge.
Looking over the green at the par-4 twelfth with the thirteenth fairway and green beyond
The 11th and 12th are both testing par 4s played to well-bunkered greens, while the next is the shortest two-shotter on the course where again the longer-hitters may well fancy their chances.
The fifteenth hole with the spire of St Katherine’s beyond
The 14th is probably the toughest par 4 on the course, and this is followed by another short par 4 playing over the valley and the brook. The 16th is a tiddler and is SI18, and it’s important to stay left at the 17th as it’s all too easy to get blocked out up the slope on the right.
There is a grandstand finish at the testing par-3 eighteenth
This charming course saves arguably the best for last in the shape of a really strong par 3 back up to a sloping green in front of the clubhouse. An exciting end to a very enjoyable round.
As a junior member, this is where Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston learnt his golf. He is quoted on the club’s website as saying that the course is one of the best in the area, and there is no doubt that this is one of the best golf courses in Middlesex. One of its most endearing features is that it is also one that simply gets more interesting and more enjoyable as the round progresses. The clubhouse at North Middlesex has character and charm, and the terrace overlooking the closing hole is the perfect spot for pre- or post-round refreshments.
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