205 Shirley Church Rd, Addington,
Croydon, Surrey CR0 5AB
Office
+44 (0)208 777 1055Fax
+44 (0)208 777 6661Website
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Phil Womack (PGA, Head Professional).The Course:
18 holes. Open heathland. Undulating terrain - several slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Woodland, and (to the south) Addington Palace GC.
Designer:
Original design by John Frederick "Aber" Abercromby, assisted by Harry Colt. Renovation by Mike Clayton, Mike DeVries & Frank Pont (2021).
51.364887
-0.037529
12 miles S of central London
Leave M25 at Jtn 4. Follow A21 direction Bromley. After 5.5 miles turn L. onto A232 direction Croydon. After 2.5 miles turn L. at roundabout onto A2022 direction Addington. After 1.7 miles turn R. at roundabout direction Addington Village. After roundabout bear R. in front of church and follow road for o.7 miles, after which golf is on your L.
The Addington Golf Club was regarded in its heyday as home to one of the best inland golf courses in the UK. Although perhaps overshadowed in notoriety by the Surrey-Berkshire courses to the capital's southwest, this south London layout is again being much talked about ... not least after a huge and character-changing renovation in the early 2020s.
The renovation included a serious thinning out of the tree density, which has hugely opened-up the course. This new-found openness once again gives full vent to Abercromby's bold and imaginative design. It also opens-up many spectacular views of the London skyline from the more elevated parts of the course. The famous skyscrapers of the City of London and Canary Wharf provide some excellent sighters, especially as you tee off at the gently downhill par-4 14th and par-5 16th holes. (Behind the 16th tee is the proposed new clubhouse location).
Early on you're introduced to the layout's opulently-sized sand-faced bunkers, the large mesmerising greens, and several very helpful wooden bridges (that transport you across grassy "ravines"). By the time you come to the blind drive at the 8th and the dangerous carry onto the 9th green, you should be well and truly under Abercromby's spell, and the excellence of this rejuvenated layout. The back-nine, like the front, retains its wonderfully varied collection of "larger than life" holes.
Although only a par-69 from the tips, the par-4s are plenty long enough, and the six par-3s are all excellent. The downhill semi-blind par-5 12th (as tough a short par-5 as they come), and the sweeping downhill par-5 16th, both require pinpoint accuracy on the second shot. The Addington is certainly one of London's most revered courses, and once again up-there on the "inner" London golfing map alongside the likes of St George's Hill and Walton Heath.
Pick of the holes: the long par-3 13th takes some beating ... see our "Did You Know" section below. And be careful of the greenside bunker at the par-4 6th (DYK below also refers).
Visitors welcome on weekdays, and weekends (after 12pm).
Must book in advance. Handicap required.
Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2024].
Players generally walk this course. Golf carts available for hire. You'll find a cosy halfway house at the par-4 10th green/par-3 11th tee.
Good
The Addington's designer John "Aber" Abercromby lived at the club for many years until his death in 1935. He devoted much of his time to the Club, and was described as its "sole, autocratic and on the whole benevolent dictator." The course is regarded as Abercromby's masterpiece.
The Addington has always been a privately owned club, rather than a member-owned club. After a long period of ownership by the rather eccentric Moira Fabes, the club was bought in 2006 by Ron Noades, a local entrepreneur and football club owner.
The Addington's par-4 6th hole was made famous in the writings of P.G. Wodehouse (British author and humourist), who must have been "trapped" in there on many occasions. He penned "all correspondence to me, should be addressed to: P.G. Wodehouse, c/o the 6th-hole bunker, The Addington Golf Club, Croydon, Surrey." The bunker, not unsurprisingly, is called the Wodehouse bunker.
The acclaimed golfing writer and former Addington member Henry Longhurst described the 230-yard par-3 13th as "with the exception of the 5th at Pine Valley, near Philadelphia, the greatest one-shot hole in inland golf". The 16th is also included in his all time great golf holes.
England's 36th best course (Golf World, 2023).
Britain & Ireland's 73rd best course (Golf World, 2024).
The Sentry: known for many years as the Tournament of Champions, the PGA Tour’s 2025 season-opener gets underway on Kapalua’s Plantation course (Jan 2-5). Chris Kirk defends.
Tournament of Champions: the LPGA Tour’s 2025 season is launched at Lake Nona with the their Tournament of Champions (Jan 30-Feb 2). The 2024 edition gave Lydia Ko her 20th LPGA Tour title.
Attahya Thitikul: also known as “Jeeno”, the Thai golfer won the LPGA Tour’s 2024 CME Group Tour Championship … and an eye-watering $4 million, the richest first-prize in women’s golf.
Rory McIlroy: scooped the 2024 European (DP World) Tour season-long Order of Merit title, joining Seve Ballesteros as a six-time winner of this prestigious award.
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.
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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