Course

Thorpe Hall Golf Club is located at Thorpe Bay near Southend and dates back to 1907, when K. Costley-White leased part of Thorpe Hall Farm for the purpose of laying out a golf course with the help of the Bert Batley the club pro. Surrounded by housing on all sides, the course extends to a modest 6,242 yards from the back markers, with the front nine routed in a clockwise direction around the perimeter of the property, enclosing the back nine in the middle. It’s a parkland track but because it’s located so close to the Thames estuary, fickle sea breezes often play havoc with scoring. Highlight holes include the double doglegged 6th (rated stroke index 1); the 136-yard 13th (the shortest of the five testing short holes on the card); and the left doglegged 17th, which is a really tough par four to face so late in the round.