Anyone playing golf at The Addington Golf Club would find it difficult to believe that this gorgeous heathland gem is just a stone’s throw from the busy, bustling centre of London, as venturing through this undulating 18 holer, weaving your way through mature birch, towering pines, gorgeous purple heather and the odd explosion of rhododendrons is as relaxing a golfing experience as you can find.
A yardage of 6,284 off the tips and a par of 69 might suggest a simple test, but The Addington’s sweeping undulations, tight fairways and fast running nature, not to mention one of the most devilish bunkers in the country which P.G.Wodehouse described as “that chasm from which no 18 handicap player has ever emerged within the memory of man”, ensure that golfers of all abilities will be put through the metaphorical ringer here! The standard scratch of 71 is testament to the course’s challenging nature.
Unusually, the Addington features 6 par 3s – a contributing factor to its modest total yardage – which range from 136 yards to a whopping 229, with each one being as testing as the last. Of the club’s signature hole, the dramatic 229 yard par three 13th Henry Longhurst said, “I swear it to be, with the exception of the fifth at Pine Valley, the greatest one-shot hole in inland golf.” High praise indeed.
The par 4s are not overly long, calling for position off the tee more than anything else and the par 5s, although reachable for the longer hitters are by no means pushovers. This is a thinking man’s course where strategy and shot making will prevail over brute force and ignorance. A true gem with enviable heathland turf that ensures the course is in excellent condition year round, the Addington is one of London’s best kept secrets; a secret that, come 10th July of this year, will have been kept for a century.
It all began on 10th July 1913 when Addington Golf Syndicate Ltd was incorporated with an initial share capital of £1,000. Leading the way was South African born John Frederic Abercromby, a former member of the Stock Exchange. He had become private secretary to the owner of Bridley Manor, who instructed him to build a course. Though a top class golfer who played off a handicap of plus six, Abercromby was a relative amateur in course design. With the aid of the experienced Willie Park Junior – of Sunningdale fame – he made an impressive start by building Worplesdon and Coombe Hill before he took on The Addington.
The signature par 3 13th at The Addington is among the finest par 3s in the land.
The Addington became so popular between the two World Wars that a second course was opened in 1923. In the 1950s Henry Longhurst included both the 13th and 16th holes in a book entitled: “My Perfect Course”. The opening of the second course in 1923 was met with great excitement. Leading stars of the day including James Braid, Percy Alliss and Abe Mitchell played a match just before the formal opening with famed golf writer, Bernard Darwin, saying, “The ideal for golf architects to reproduce as closely as possible the best features of links golf and adapt them to an inland course, have been achieved here by Abercromby”.
The Addington was certainly the place to play and be seen in the glory years between 1919 and 1939. There were 800 members, of whom 200 were women and it was said: “You could count those who did not come in their Rolls Royce’s on the fingers of one hand.” Indeed there was even a chauffeurs’ hut next to the caddies’ hut.
Its distinction was underlined when King George VI became a Patron in 1937, leading to it becoming temporarily known as Royal Addington. In 1930 the legendary Bobby Jones and the US Walker Cup team paid a visit and three years later Walter Hagen and the US Ryder Cup team practiced on the course before the match at nearby Walton Heath.
Two serious events were to end those halcyon days. During World War Two the New Course was appropriated for military purposes and in 1944 Croydon Corporation recommended it for compulsory purchase to alleviate a housing shortage. After a protracted battle the whole site was sold to Croydon and compensation of £100,000 (£2.5million at today’s values) was eventually paid in 1948. Seek out an aerial map of the area and you may still see outlines of the old holes among the houses.
The second blow to hit The Addington came on the night of 2nd February 1952 when a blaze destroyed the entire clubhouse, destroying with it all the treasured records and trophies plus no fewer than 2,000 golf clubs. Not surprisingly the membership more than halved in the wake of these two crippling events – but the spirit and direction of the club were maintained by The Addington’s second dominant personality; Moira Forbes. Her father, the previous Chairman, had acquired the majority of the syndicate’s shares. Moira ruled in every sense from 1964 to shortly before her death in 2005 and she spared no effort in maintaining the club’s standards and practices.
Among today’s notable members is veteran comedian Ronnie Corbett whose home backs on to the course while Zola, Gullit and Di Matteo are among a raft of leading faces from football who share the fairways with cricketers such as Mark Butcher and Alec Stewart.
In 2006 The Addington was bought by the Altonwood Group which also owns & operates Surrey National, Westerham, Woldingham and Godstone Golf Clubs. Determined to restore the course’s high reputation work has been progressing at a pace. The undergrowth has been cleared, bunkers have been completely renovated and several new tees have been constructed alongside other major course improvements. The Addington is ranked as one of the best in Surrey – a considerable achievement considering the sheer quantity of world class courses in the county – and among the best in England as well. Among future plans, says Managing Director Simon Hodsdon, is a new purpose built clubhouse.
