East Course

Sundridge Park’s East Course is one of two eighteen-hole layouts at a historic club only about seven miles from central London. Set around the listed Sundridge Park Mansion in Bromley, the golf combines old parkland, undulating ground, tree-lined fairways, precise bunkering and the Kyd Brook/Quaggy river running through the property. Despite its metropolitan setting, the course retains a remarkable sense of calm and separation from the city.

Sundridge Park Golf Club was founded in 1901. Willie Park Jr was engaged to set out the original course, with construction proceeding under the supervision of James Braid and club professional Jack Randall. Play began in 1902 and the courses were officially opened in 1903 in the presence of Prime Minister A. J. Balfour. From 1929 the club undertook a major reorganisation, and the new East Course was formally opened on 18 April 1931 with a 36-hole exhibition match between Henry Cotton and Abe Mitchell.

The East Course plays to par 71 and currently stretches to 6,560 yards from the black tees, with a course rating of 73. 4 and slope of 135. The club credits Willie Park Jr with the original design and James Braid with later additions. The course is not exceptionally long by modern standards, but elevation, tree-lined fairways, well-positioned bunkers and slick greens provide a strong test. The river creates additional risk-and-reward decisions through the heart of the property.

The East has a notable competitive record. It was used for Regional Qualifying for The Open from 1992 to 1997. The Waterford Trophy also forms part of Sundridge Park’s high-level amateur identity. The club has strong links with important golfers: professional Alf Padgham won The Open in 1936 and played in three Ryder Cups, while member Alfie Plant later won the European Amateur and the Silver Medal at The Open in 2017.

The estate’s landscape history predates golf. In 1792 Edward Lind commissioned Humphry Repton to produce proposals for improving Sundridge Park. Golf therefore sits within an already structured historic park surrounding a Grade I listed mansion. Undulating ground, mature trees and the Quaggy repeatedly change the scale and visual frame of the holes, creating an environment that feels unexpectedly rural for such a London-adjacent location.

Sundridge Park remains a thirty-six-hole club with East and West courses, a covered driving range, practice facilities, clubhouse and function spaces. The two courses provide complementary experiences within the same historic park. Its proximity to London makes it a rare example of a major traditional golf estate preserved within the metropolitan area. Visitor days, competition schedules, range hours and course conditions are dynamic and should be checked directly.