The Royal Blackheath Golf Club

The Royal Blackheath Golf Club: Located close to the heart of London, Royal Blackheath is the oldest golf club in England .... by a large margin. It also lays claim to being the world's oldest golf club (see our Did You Know section below).

The course is laid out in quiet parkland, in the grounds of the former Royal Palace of Eltham. Royal Blackheath's clubhouse, although not the palace itself (which stands just across Court Rd), is a neighbouring stately mansion, which dates from 1664. The mansion house was built for Sir John Shaw, banker to King Charles II, and now serves the golf club's members very handsomely.

Within a relatively flat and garden-like setting, James Braid's skilful design work is clear to see. The layout contains many excellent golf holes, opening with a long par-4 that takes you down and away from the back of the palatial clubhouse, to which you'll return at the short-par-4 18th. The front-nine loop closes, and the back-nine starts at the front of the mansion house. The interwoven nines take their turns on the course's perimeter and in the layout's centre.

Not overly long by modern-day standards, the layout offers several shortish par-4s and 5s, which big hitters can capitalise on, provided accuracy from the tee is maintained. The relatively small greens are usually maintained in excellent condition, as is the bunkering.

There is a wonderful subtlety about much of this layout, pleasing on the eye, but not without its dangers and demands. Course records here are seldom broken. The par-4 18th for example, brings you back to the imposing clubhouse, requiring a well-flighted, semi-blind approach shot over a hedge - just one of many memorable holes.