Hadley Wood Golf Club

Hadley Wood Golf Club is one of the few Alister MacKenzie courses in the south of England, tucked into 265 acres of former royal hunting ground on the northern edge of London. It is just off junction 24 of the M25 and about half an hour from central London by train, which makes it one of the easier PJGT venues for families in the capital and Hertfordshire to reach.

The course was designed in 1922 and has recently come through a multi-year restoration that brought back MacKenzie’s original bunkering and the bold, strategic character he became famous for. It is a par 72 of just over 6,500 yards from the back tees, with four par fives and four par threes, and his trademark tiered greens ask for a good approach shot rather than just a long one.

Golf World called it “an absolute gem”, and the club has a relaxed, friendly clubhouse that suits a junior event well. Rookies play from the forward tees, so it is a fair test for the younger age groups too.