Coombe Hill
Not long after designing Worplesdon, JF Abercromby turned his attention to a beautiful plot of land just to the south of Richmond Park in London. After much deliberation and planning, the fruits of his fertile imagination were revealed when the course at Coombe Hill opened for play in May 1911. Winston Churchill was an early member of the club, as were other luminaries such as David Lloyd George, W Somerset Maughan and Ian Fleming. They were all drawn to this wonderfully peaceful, lush green haven in leafy suburbia, just 8 miles from the centre of the capital as the parakeet flies. It is one of the very best golf courses in London.
Struggling for members in the aftermath of WWII when the course and its surroundings had been heavily battered and bruised, Coombe Hill was bought by businessman Lou Freedman. He had a more welcoming philosophy than was then the way at many private clubs, with the committee soon announcing that “this club is open to anyone, of any colour or creed.” As well as attracting many celebrities to its fairways, the club has also managed to recruit a succession of leading professionals to its ranks. No fewer than four were Open Champions; Sandy Herd, Arthur Havers, Henry Cotton (three times) and Dick Burton.
Design Genius
While the Abercromby design portfolio is not exactly bursting at the seams, it is nonetheless packed with quality and distinctive flair. As well as Worplesdon, he was responsible for the likes of The Addington and Knole Park, and he is remembered for making the best-possible use of the tapestry on offer. He was lucky enough to have Willie Park Junior to offer assistance, a prolific architect who had designed the Old Course at Sunningdale in 1901. This lovely course is not long by modern standards, constricted as it is by its prime real-estate neighbours. But this is of no matter, Abercomby’s subtle and scenic design has endured extremely well and provides a proper test happily balanced with a generous dose of fun.
Holes of Distinction
As you would expect at a tree-lined course, there is a benefit to being able to drive well. Here, with few very long par 4s and just a trio of three-shotters, accuracy from the tee will be the key to scoring well. Keep the ball in play and you then contend with some well protected and at times subtly sloping greens. The four par 3s are a particular joy; none particularly long, and nor do they need to be. Particularly when the rhododendrons are in flower, this is a very beautiful place for a game at the same time as being a challenging and fair test of golf.
