Welcome to UK-GolfGuide's page which contains feedback from site users who have played at Hainault Forest Golf Club.

Whilst UK-GolfGuide.com attempts to turf out the more unhelpful or just plain daft contributions, some may slip through. If you have played the course or hold a different opinion to those of the contributors, feel free to use the Add your Comments icon to provide a broader spread of views. If you have a gripe with the club then take it up with them directly - please don't use this facility for airing grievances!.

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Keith Bateman (England) 21/06/08

I played the upper course at Hainault Forest Yesterday. I liked this parkland course with occasional great views over the rolling hills. I had a 6:30am tee-off so there were no problems with slow play, but the member I played with did confirm the course gets very busy later in the mornings. The course is quite hilly, but I didn’t find this off putting or the slopes too steep.

There are the usual annoyances with public courses, i.e. lots of diverts and obvious deep pitch marks in the greens, but I’m not sure we can complain about these being the green staff’s fault.

My only complaints with this course are the bunkers; they are in a disgraceful condition. A few of them have been declared GUR as they are in such poor repair and the others are like playing out of a grey dried stony river bed. Many of them have tall vegetation growing in them and look like they have not been deep racked for years. I really don’t know how the owners and the green staff can hold their heads up over allowing their bunkers to suffer such neglect. It is easy to say, “then play better and keep out of the bunkers”, but there are so many in terrible repair (and did I mention the grey appearance) that you can’t ignore them even if you don’t go in them.

The greens are in great nick, even with the aforementioned pitch marks.

It is strange that the clubhouse’s refreshments (café) are in an outside building; the owners opting for a Chinese restaurant within the clubhouse building. That said, the café offered good food with ample seating. The course also has a large halfway house which I’m told is also very good …… but I played too early to benefit from this as it wasn’t open for our early game.

The main clubhouse male toilets were out of order when we tried to use them, so we had to queue for the disabled facilities. This wasn't too much of an issue for an early game, but I bet later on when the club got busy it really was a problem.

I will be visiting again and also hope to play the lower course. I do however feel that after a few games my annoyance with the appalling bunkers will eventually ruin the experience and I’ll move on to somewhere else. It’s a shame, because otherwise I could quite happily stump-up for a 7-day membership at Hainault Forest, if they would just sort the bunkers out!! Bottom line the course needs some TLC, but not with an increase of green fees.

Value for Money	6
Challenge	6
Off Course	5

Michael Young (England) 11/02/08

Played the lower course on the 9th February

£25 is imho a lot to pay for this course. The first 6 holes are boring being very straight and lacking in interest. In fact the course can be described as boring with only 2 par 3's and 2 par 5's it gets very samey.

There are some interesting holes that wind there way through some mature trees but unfortunately the whole course gave you the impression of being over played, It was very worn, tyre tracks trough the first green being a good example.

Also the drainage was quite poor, I played on a bright dry day with little rain on the days prior and large parts of the course were very boggy. Finding a drive you have just smacked down the middle plugged was not an unusual occurrence.

However the driving range was excellent and the food facilities after the 14th very welcome.

All in all quite disappointing day, the course needs more variety and wouldn’t recommend playing in winter.

Value for Money	3
Challenge	7
Off Course	7

Matt Pipe (England) 24/09/07

I played the upper course yesterday and can see why there are mixed reviews of the course... There's definitely potential here, but it seems to need a little TLC and also some stronger marshalling (in fact, some marshalling at all would be good). We were somewhat concerned to see a 6 ball playing the 18th when we arrived and were held up for most of the afternoon by a 5 ball playing in front! It's hardly surprising that the round took over 5 hours (frustrating for a swift golfer such as myself). Generally, the tee boxes were pretty scabby, but the greens were fairly true and quite fast too. It's a shame that more of the Hainault golfers don't repair their pitch marks and rake the bunkers, but to be honest that seems to be a more common problem everywhere these days.

I'm used to hilly courses as I usually play courses on the south downs, so I didn't find it as hilly as some seem to, but I can see how the hills and different wind directions could make the course pleasantly different if I played it again.

It's a short course - a few 260-300yd par 4s and a par 3 under 100yds (actually playing about 85yds yesterday as the tee was well forward), but still challenging for accuracy on a few tree-lined holes and dog-legs.

The chinese restaurant in the clubhouse is a surprise, but the food was good - they put on a buffet for our society and looked after us well.

To sum it up, it's a course you will enjoy if it's not too busy and you're not too hung up about imaculate tee boxes and perfect course etiquette. It's a public course after all, so to expect a member's course experience is a little hopeful. Saying that, it wouldn't take much more in terms of maintenence and marshalling to improve matters greatly.

Value for Money	8
Challenge	6
Off Course	7

Robert Pease (England) 11/09/07

I played the lower course on 5th September and found this course lacking in overall general maintenance. Grass not cut on some holes and where it had the cuttings left where they had fallen. You do not expect to find long cuttings left on the surround of greens. Bunkers were lacking sand and were like playing off a clay tennis court. I cannot agree with previous reports posted, this is a long way from being the best course in Essex, there are very much better out there. I know that it is a public course but that is no excuse for its state. The more people who play, the more should be spent in maintaining it, something that appears not to be happening here. I will not be returning.

Russell Middleton (England) 16/08/07

I played the lower course on Wednesday 15th August 2007.

A great course but in dire need of some maintenance.

The hackers have spoilt what should be a stunning public course.

Each fairway must have had over a hundred divots that had not been replaced.

Each green had at least four or five pitch marks that had not been repaired.

And every bunker I passed/went in had foot prints in it despite there being two or three rakes to each one.

The views are stunning and there are some truly great holes to play.

I would recommend that you play this course as I prefer it of the two courses here.

The lower course is hilly but not as hilly as the upper course! You have been warned, if you are not as fit as you think you are hire a buggy.

Value for Money	7
Challenge	7
Off Course	10

Pepe Gonzales (England) 03/06/07

The lower course is the nicest course in the county.

For a public course it is well maintained, yes the odd bunker doesnt drain and the tees get alot of use so you can't always get a good spot but for shher beauty and playability you cannot do better. The upper course is knackering. Equally as beautiful but use a buggy. The 7th, 12th, 3rd et all are beautiful holes. This course stands up.

Value for Money	10
Challenge	7
Off Course	7