Pyrford Golf Club

Pyrford Golf Club is a superb course that is set in the beautiful Surrey countryside, has a clever design and requires very good course management. A brilliant challange!

The Course

Overall course summary- Pyrford Golf Club is a course hidden just off the A3 and is a brilliant place to play if you live in South-West London or Surrey..or even if you are passing through. It is a must-visit if you want to really test your game. It is part of the Crown Golf Club franchise (it is one of their 15 courses) and possibly one of the best.

Technically it is quite a difficult course, with plenty of water and doglegs so your course management really needs to be dialled in. At 6,256 yards it is quite a long course (if you are used to playing the shorter London golf clubs) and it has been cleverly designed by  Peter Alliss and Clive Clark. There are plenty of Tiger lines that can be taken if you like risk and reward golf but if you can play your way around the water (there is a lot of it), then you will be able to score a very satisfying round of golf. Every tee box has a spectacular view over some part of the golf course and even though you are so close to London you really do feel like you can escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

Facilities

The facility’s at Pyrford Golf Club are good! The driving range is situated in the middle of the back 9 and was in good condition. The clubhouse was large and had all the facilities you would expect. The putting green was situated to the right of the clubhouse and was in brilliant condition. Finally, the pro shop was well stocked and the staff were very friendly. (We actually visited during the COVID-19 restrictions so will go back when it is fully open for a follow-up visit to check out the food/ bar etc!)

Greens

The greens were in fantastic condition. They were quite quick and on some holes, the line was difficult to read. This made for some challenging putting but that is part of the fun! A lot of the greens were situated by water which meant you had to be very accurate with your approach shot. This was made even more difficult on the day that we played, as there were high winds!

Fairways/Rough

The fairways were in very good condition. Pyrford had cut them short and the rough was very fair. It allowed you to go off the normal line without punishing you too much. Finally, if you did go really offline (especially from the tee) then you tended to end up in water that was hidden from view. This was especially a problem on the back 9 where my playing partner lost 6 balls!

Bunkers

The bunkers were in excellent condition, with fine sand and no stones! They had clearly been raked in the morning before play began, as the sand was easy to get out of and fresh!

The Challenge

Pyrford Golf Club is a difficult course that need careful course management to score well on it. However it is also a good course for everyone, including beginners as you will really learn how to play golf properly here!

A good example of this is on the 557 yards par 5 9th hole. It is Pryford’s signature hole and certainly is a brilliant example of where course management is key. Your tee shot will require a careful drive, avoiding the lake to the right that takes up most of the fairway. Your second shot needs to be an accurately targeted shot into the small landing area (left of the lake) before your final shot cuts the corner of the lake onto the green. All we can say is the lake is always in play and it is always in your head throughout your swing. This is a simply marvellous hole that finished a brilliant front 9.

As you venture onto the back 9 you are met with an abundance of water that needs to be carefully navigated. Our favourite hole was the 14th, a 275 yards par 4. Your tee shot allows for the Tiger line over the lake if you are a big hitter or a carefully placed 8 iron down the righthand side of the fairway. However, do not go too far right as you will end up on the driving range and out of bounds. Your second shot will be a careful chip onto the green and then the green itself is on on a slight slope which causes plenty of break in your putts. A brilliant hole to negotiate!

Finally, the round will finish on the 18th with a challenging 488-yard par 4. All the way down the left-hand side of this hole is water. Your shot off the tee needs to be a well-placed drive or 3 wood that lands short of the stream that runs partway across the fairway and before the slight dogleg. Your second shot needs to be into the green or just short, again avoiding the water on the left and the trees on the right. If you do decide to lay up here then you need to hit a careful chip into a green that is protected by a bunker on the front right and water off the back of it. Again a challenging hole that will conclude a superb round of golf!

As we have said previously…hats off to Peter Alliss and Clive Clark who have designed a brilliant course…but the club must be mentioned too (along with the greenkeepers) as the course was in a brilliant condition when we played it.

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

The view from the clubhouse veranda

Off Course Facilities

The clubhouse was well kept and the facilities look to be very good. The problem was that when we visited the course it has just opened after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. We would love to go back and revisit once everything is in full swing to get the full experience!

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Tee Fees/ Rental Services/ Tee Times

£35 per round.

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Summary

Pyrford Golf Club is a great golf club that has a well-designed golf course that requires careful course management and is suitable for all abilities. We would 100% recommend a visit here and look forward to visiting it again when it is open fully.

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Rating: 4 out of 5.