Essendon Country Club Old Course

Essendon Country Club (Old Course) — classic Hawtree parkland in the Hertfordshire hills

Stand on the second tee of the Old Course at Essendon Country Club and the round opens up beneath you: a long, downhill par three tumbling towards a two-tiered green, framed by mature trees. It is the sort of moment that has made this corner of Hertfordshire a quiet favourite among golfers in the know.

Set within the 400-acre Bedwell Park estate near the village of Essendon, close to Hatfield, the Old Course is a par-72 parkland layout stretching to 6,782 yards from the back (blue) tees. Designed by Fred Hawtree and opened in 1976, it is the senior of the club’s two eighteen-hole courses and a genuine, undulating test for golfers of all levels.

Key Details

• Location: Bedwell Park, Essendon, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 6HN, England
• Length: 6,782 yards (blue tees); 6,334 yards from the whites
• Par: 72
• Designer: Fred Hawtree
• Established: 1976
• Notable Events: A well-regarded members’ and visitors’ venue rather than a championship host; the layout is frequently praised by UK golf media

History and significance

The Old Course was laid out in 1976 by Fred Hawtree, one of the leading figures of the famous Hawtree dynasty of golf course architects, whose family practice has shaped courses across Britain and beyond since the early twentieth century. He worked with what nature gave him at Bedwell Park: rolling ground, mature woodland and long views over the Hertfordshire countryside.

The club that grew up around the course was for many years known as Hatfield London Country Club before being relaunched as Essendon Country Club, and a second eighteen, the New Course, was later added on the estate. Today the Old Course remains the original heart of the club — a tree-lined layout that golf writers have often singled out for the variety of its holes and the quality of its setting.

The course and how it plays

This is undulating parkland golf in the classic English style. Tree-lined fairways ask honest questions from the tee, and the changes in elevation mean you are constantly judging uphill and downhill shots rather than flat, stock yardages. The scorecard is nicely unbalanced in the best sense: the front nine plays to par 35, the back nine to a longer par 37.

Variety is the course’s calling card. You will face long and short par threes — from a 244-yard brute at the 9th down to a delicate 161-yarder at the 17th from the blue tees — reachable par fives, and doglegs where placement matters far more than power. The 3rd and 11th, both par fives, even share a double green, a distinctive feature that rewards anyone who can thread the tee shot between the trees guarding their tight fairways.

Off the back tees the Old Course is a stern examination, but multiple tee options bring it back to a friendly 5,509 yards from the forward men’s markers, so mid- and high-handicappers can enjoy the same scenery without the same suffering.

Signature holes

Three moments on the Old Course stay with almost everyone who plays it, and each one is a genuine feature the club itself highlights.

Hole 2 (the downhill par three)

Measuring over 200 yards from the white tees and 214 from the blues, the 2nd plunges downhill to a demanding two-tiered green. Pick the wrong club or finish on the wrong level and a three suddenly becomes hard work — it is one of the most loved holes on the property and an early statement of intent.

Holes 3 and 11 (the double green)

These two par fives — 555 and 525 yards from the blue tees — flow to a shared double green, a rarity on English parkland courses. Both offer real birdie chances, but only if you stay on the fairway; trees crowd the landing areas and punish anything loose.

Hole 7 (the oak-tree dogleg)

The stroke-index-one 7th is a 391-yard par four (blue tees) that doglegs right around a striking oak standing in the middle of the fairway, roughly 260 yards from the tee. Placement from the tee is everything here: flirt with the tree and you can open up the green, bail out and you leave yourself a much harder approach.

Why play Essendon Country Club’s Old Course

Because it delivers the full parkland experience without pretension. You get a Fred Hawtree design of genuine pedigree, a rolling 400-acre estate setting, and a routing whose variety keeps you thinking from the first tee to the last green. It is testing enough from the back tees to satisfy low handicappers, yet welcoming enough — in both set-up and atmosphere — for a relaxed social round.

The club prides itself on an “all welcome” ethos, deliberately free of stuffy traditions, which makes it an easy day out for visitors and societies. Add the second eighteen and extensive practice facilities on site, and it is a natural base for a full day of golf within easy reach of London.

Clubhouse and facilities

The clubhouse makes a striking first impression, with a high ceiling and exposed beams, and its dining area was extended to create a bright, modern hub where members, visitors and societies mix easily over a meal or a coffee. A well-stocked pro shop looks after equipment, hire and bookings.

Practice facilities are a real strength. The covered driving range is fitted with TopTracer technology, there is a state-of-the-art swing studio with a simulator and launch monitor, two putting greens and a dedicated short-game area near the first tees. Beginners and families can also enjoy the Muntjac course, a nine-hole par-three layout, while padel courts add a further option off the fairways.

Green fees and booking

Essendon Country Club uses flexible visitor pricing rather than a fixed tariff, so rates vary by day and demand across both the Old and New Courses. Visitors can book tee times up to five days in advance through the club’s online booking system or the pro shop. For current green fees and tee times, check the official website.

Getting there and parking

The club sits in quiet countryside between Hatfield and Hertford, yet is only a short hop from the main north–south routes out of London.

• By car: Leave the A1(M) at junction 4 for Hatfield, then follow the A414 towards Hertford before turning onto the B158 through Essendon village; the club entrance is at Bedwell Park.
• By public transport: Hatfield station, on the Great Northern route from London King’s Cross, is the most convenient railhead, with Bayford station on the Hertford Loop line also nearby; complete the journey by local taxi.
• Address and parking: Essendon Country Club, Bedwell Park, Essendon, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 6HN. On-site parking is available at the clubhouse.

Where to stay

Hatfield is the natural base, just a few miles from the course, with familiar chain hotels close to the A1(M) and the Galleria shopping area. Welwyn Garden City, a short drive north, adds further mid-range hotel options in a pleasant garden-city setting, while historic St Albans offers characterful guesthouses and boutique stays around ten miles away. The club itself also offers stay-and-play accommodation packages on the estate, which are worth asking about if you plan to play both courses over two days.

What to pack

The Old Course is genuinely undulating, so pack for the terrain: comfortable, well-broken-in golf shoes with good grip, and consider a trolley or buggy if hills tire you. Bring a full set of wedges and confidence with long irons — the par threes range from 161 to 244 yards off the blues. A waterproof layer and umbrella are sensible year-round in Hertfordshire, along with a cap and sun cream for summer rounds. Smart-casual golf attire will see you right both on the course and in the clubhouse.

Nearby attractions

Conclusion

Essendon Country Club’s Old Course is Hertfordshire parkland golf at its most complete — a Fred Hawtree original that pairs real challenge with real warmth, and leaves you planning the return round before you have left the eighteenth green.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the Old Course at Essendon Country Club?

The Old Course was designed by Fred Hawtree, a leading member of the celebrated Hawtree family of golf course architects, and opened for play in 1976. Hawtree routed the course through the mature woodland and rolling ground of the Bedwell Park estate near Essendon village, creating a tree-lined parkland layout noted for its variety. The club later added a second eighteen-hole course, the New Course, on the same estate, but the Old Course remains the original Hawtree design and the club’s traditional test.

How long is the Old Course and what is its par?

The Old Course plays to a par of 72, made up of a par-35 front nine and a par-37 back nine. From the back (blue) tees it measures 6,782 yards, from the white tees 6,334 yards, and from the yellow tees 5,884 yards, with shorter forward options as well. That spread of teeing grounds means the course can feel like a stern championship-length examination or a comfortable members’ round, depending on where you choose to play it from — one reason it suits golfers across a wide range of abilities.

Can visitors play the Old Course?

Yes. Essendon Country Club welcomes visitors on both the Old and New Courses, in keeping with its deliberately open, “all welcome” ethos. Visitor tee times can be booked up to five days in advance through the club’s online booking system or by contacting the pro shop. Green fees are set flexibly rather than as a fixed published tariff, so prices vary by day and demand. For current green fees, availability and any dress-code guidance, check the official website before you travel.

What is the difference between the Old Course and the New Course?

Both are full eighteen-hole courses on the same 400-acre Bedwell Park estate, but they are distinct designs. The Old Course is the original layout, created by Fred Hawtree and opened in 1976 — a tree-lined, undulating par 72 regarded as the club’s sterner traditional test. The New Course was added later on another part of the estate and offers its own separate challenge. Visitors can play either course, and many make a day of it by combining the two; this guide covers the Old Course specifically.

What practice facilities does the club offer?

Essendon Country Club has some of the best practice facilities in the area. The covered driving range is equipped with TopTracer ball-tracking technology, offering interactive games and detailed shot data, and there is a swing studio with a simulator, launch monitor and high-speed cameras for detailed coaching. Closer to the first tees you will find two putting greens and a short-game area for pitching, chipping and bunker play, while the nine-hole par-three Muntjac course is ideal for sharpening the scoring clubs or introducing a beginner to the game.