There are plenty of very good courses in this part of Essex, but this club stands out for offering both quality and quantity.

There’s no doubt that Stapleford Abbotts Golf Club is one of the gems in the crown of Essex Golf. Located in a quiet spot off a little side road near the olde worldy village of Stapleford Abbotts, the club is located just 10 minutes drive from both Junction 5 on the M11 and Junction 28 on the M25. There is a nice practice putting green and practice range on the other side of the car park and the Club is lucky enough to have two challenging golf courses, The Abbotts Course and The Priors Course. The Abbotts Course was sculpted to exacting USGA specifications by distinguished golf course architect, Howard Swan. It’s only 20 years old, but you would never guess that from the ambience.

The course
The older course, The Abbotts, has a proper, established feel – if you were told it was a century old or more you wouldn’t disbelieve it. The parkland setting here is full of mature trees and the course winds its way through landscape rather than imposes itself on it.

The Abbotts course stretches to a little over 6,500 yards – long enough to entertain the sloggers and short enough not to depress the out of form! It’s peppered with bunkers and well-positioned water hazards, adding another dimension to an already tricky layout. If you’re not accurate from the tee you could endure a long round on this course as it is full of strategically challenging par-4s. The 8th, for example, can be played either of two ways. You can play the safe dogleg left or cut the corner and take the blind tee on for more chance of getting a birdie. Then there’s the 11th, a tricky par-4 with trouble down the right and water guarding the left hand side of the fairway from the tee shot.

The overall layout is great fun and presents the golfer with a series of risk–and–reward posers to keep him on his toes throughout the round.

But if you are long in handicap and/or out of form with the driver you won’t be disappointed with The Priors course, situated just on the other side of the lane.



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