Tuesday 14th October 2008
The London Club, Stansted Lane, Ash, Nr Brands Hatch, Kent
18 holes
SORRY THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED.
The London Golf Club is situated in rolling countryside close to Ash Green and historic Brands Hatch motor racing circuit. The late Sir Denis Thatcher - husband of the former Prime Minister Margaret, opened the club in September 1993. But the official course opening took place in July 1994 and was marked by a Charity Challenge Skins Match on the Heritage. Jack Nicklaus - the Heritage course designer - battled with Seve Ballesteros and Tony Jacklin. Seve's magical short game eventually helped him to edge Jack out with ten skins to eight.
The Heritage Course is the realisation of the dream of businessman Masao Nagahara who felt there was a need for a world-class golf club within close proximity of the capital. Nicklaus designed the Heritage with five sets of tees and if you can get a game on this private members course there is bound to be a tee for your ability. The sister course - called the International - is almost as good as the Heritage and it is more accessible, proving to be a popular corporate venue.
With wide generous fairways, the Heritage is a course that tempts you to reach for the driver on many tees, but the key to good scoring is in your approach play. The huge USPGA greens are well protected by enormous irregularly shaped bunkers which wait to catch the wayward shot. Naturally, Nicklaus has used water as a feature on a number of holes and perhaps one of the best examples of a water hazard is the par five 5th where a lake edged in stonework guards the green. There are two drop zones on the excellent par three 7th indicating that the lake is a serious problem and the custodian of hundreds of balls. But perhaps the best water hole of all comes at the short par four 13th which requires an iron off the tee and than a short iron approach across the lake to a narrow green which slopes away from you. It's a cracker.