Verulam Golf Club

A number fall into the trap of criticising Verulam. Maybe it does have too many short par fours, and maybe it is close to the railway, and being split by a road isn't the best. But, and it's a big but, the greens are excellent. You won't find greens like Verulam has on any modern course. Proper greens. I'd say among the best in the county.

We played here recently (May 2012) on their “spring special”. The clubhouse is steeped in history about the start of the Ryder cup and the famous golfers who have been associated with it, and I think it rather trades on these connections. Be prepared for the frequent passing of trains that run very close to the opening holes. I found the course quite average; certainly the greens were quick and the contours interesting and putting tricky. Several bunkers were bereft of any sand; a few tee boxes’ looked in need of some treatment. I liked the use of grass humps and hollows instead of bunkers, thus easier to maintain and just as punishing to escape from. However, my main concern is the closeness of many tee boxes to the green just played, this can be quite distracting and perhaps a little dangerous having a group moving around in one’s eye line when playing into the green, a thinned wedge could also be dangerous. This can be a common problem when very old coursers are faced with the progress of modern equipment forcing the movement back of tee boxes to keep pace with SS of the course. Often the course doesn’t have the land to avoid this action, but for the visitor this can be distracting and a little worrying on safety grounds. The signage was quite good with discs at 200,150 and 100 yards, however, the course crosses a fairly main road four times, several vehicles seemed to enjoy speeding up when golfers came into view. The 17th hole, allegedly, recorded in a list of top 100 of Britain’s extraordinary holes was a rather non-event for me, perhaps just short of a “Micky Mouse” description, and yes I did par it. The few members we encountered seemed pleasant enough, the staff pleasant, the ham-egg & chips nice, bar prices a little on the high side. Would I play it again, probably not, just an average course trading on its past and in the higher price bracket due to its proximity to north London.

Nice enough but not a challenge for a good golfer. Didnt rate the layout or design, with lots of boring shot par 4s and easy holes. Most of the greens slope away making it unrewarding, though the greens are excellent and very quick. I came back in 1 under despite not hitting a true shot off the tee or to the green. Drive for show and putt for dough maybe, but i was so bored by the 16th that I was actively hitting the wrong club off the tee to try to make it exciting. It was cheap enough at £20, the pro was nice, clubhouse and changing well maintained and would be happy if it were my club, and would be an excellent society course for the older golfer. For me though, one to forget

Day one of the Bavarian Father&Son's Golf Holidays in England 2010 found us stepping on true traditional grounds, yet very enjoyable in today's spirit. Sam (Ryder), Jim (Braid) and Abe (Mitchell) have a benevolent eye on our struggles, thus encouraging us to follow their paths. The course is quite open while showing plenty of trees and woods at the same time. The holes are pleasantly undulated, the greens just perfect. We enjoy each further hole more than the last one, discovering yet another trick, only distracted by the views of St. Alban's cathedral from the 10th on. A peak is reached on the 14th green, looking back to town through the fairway in the late afternoon's sun, "and par!" - the first of the day for my son who eventually had found a game plan leading to a break-through. This was only followed by a true James Braid invention - the drive at the 15th over an impressing earth wall in 140 yards distance, leading to yet another par of the young fellow. The welcome and the clubhouse service matched the high standards of the course, giving us a good start to an ambitious week!

Tidy little course with good greens. Fairways can be hard and dry in the summer with lots of run and greens hard to hold. A mixed bag of holes with a few good ones. Make sure you know where you are going as there is quite a walk between a couple of them. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

I enjoyed a round here at the weekend, even with the snow!!!!! The course was in fantastic condition considering the wether we have been having, the fairways weren't at all water logged and the greens were still quite hard and true. I played with a member in a work match play competition, so i did get the round cheaper than normal £19, but its still only £20 during the week. Its not the most challenging course in the world but well worth a round, especially in the winter when your course is shut.A 9 hole course which is the easiest I've played in the Leicestershire area, though nonetheless enjoyable. The 2nd hole is the feature hole, over 400 yards, with a pond in front of the green. Bearing in mind I played this hole twice and played it 3 over, and the other 16 holes 2 over reflect the challenge of the course, myself being a 14 handicapper. Very well priced for an afternoons entertainment.

Played here November 07 (£20 Monday rate). Underated hidden gem. This course took me by surprise & was a much better course than i was expecting.As you'd expect from a James Braid course it's well designed & laid out.It flowed really well & there's great variety in the holes.Almost every hole offers you something different.There's a mix of conventional ,quirky & even some links overtones here but it's put together in such a way that it all works perfectly. Also, although there's not that much of it ,the Braid fairway bunkering enhances the course cosmetically as well as strategically. Another plus for me was that the course isn't overloaded with long ,tedious par 4 slogs with the emphasis being more on strategic shorter par 4's defended by subtlely sloping greens. The quirks i liked were things like the L shaped bunker next to the 1st green,a fantastic short par 3 17th were you hit from an elevated tee down over a road to a green with a hedge in front of it(featured in the '100 extraordinary holes' book) & the big bank about 150 yards from the tee that you have to drive over on the 15th. I'd read articles stating that there is a lot of internal/external out of bounds here & also that it was quite a 'tight' course.I only noticed one external o.o.b.white post section & as for being 'tight' i thought it was actually fairly generous off the tee with no tee shots feeling restrictive. The course was in good condition & the greens were excellent. We also received a friendly & welcoming reception at the club . Overall ,one of the most enjoyable clubs that i've played in Hertfordshire & a course that i could happily play on a regular basis . Kevin B.

Have to also agree with the comment below. We played yetserday as a society and although the facilities were fine the course itself was a little uninspiring. The course is very short which would be fine if it was very tight, but it isnt. The greens were quick and undulating, but there wasnt a great deal to test your game. Im not saying this is a bad course, but for what you expect it does make you feel a little deflated.

Have to disagree with the previous comments. With the history of the club (and not forgetting the £35.00 green fee) I was expecting far more from the course. In the course's defence I didn't play well and the round was so painfully slow we gave up after the 13th and went home. However, a fortnight after playing there my memory is of bland hole followed by bland hole. The greens were in nice condition but nothing else stands out whatsoever. At half the price I might return but otherwise I shall be giving Verulam a wide berth.

An excellent, challenging course. I played a day after it rained torrentially and it was in good condition. Some of the views are fantastic, particularly of the magnificent St. Albans cathedral. The course is quite hilly and there are a number of dog-legs and blind tee shots. A word of warning, the fourth and nine-holes criss-cross each other, which I found a bit disconcerting, if not dangerous. Add that to the fact that at least four holes go over blind hills and it can get a bit scary. Keep your eyes peeled or better still wear a crash helmet! All told a great course and well worth doing.

Verulam - a James Braid designed course - and at over a hundred years old,reeking of tradition. The real home of the Ryder Cup, by virtue of Samuel Ryder being the fomer Captain and mayor of St Albans. The first two holes look simple. They can wreck your card. OB all down the left with the railway a' la Hillside). The third takes you out into the "Promise Land". So called because so many have ventured forth with promise, and come back with nothing to show for their efforts. The challenge of the course is in the greens. You must be patient, taking care to put the ball in the right place in order to be able to have a real chance at scoring. 15 of 18 greens go away from you, and in the summer months, the greens (on this naturally draining course) are difficult to hit & hold. Greens 5 through 9 are a challenge to the best putters. There are three challenging par 3's and three par 5's. The view back from the 14th green must be one of the prettiest in Herts. The 18th at 575 yds is a monster. It usually plays into the prevailing wind. Be pleased to make par here and walk off. The course is a great little challenge and generally rewards those golfers who think their way around. Enjoy!