The Best Golf Courses in Essex

Spoilt for choice

Essex does not always get the credit it deserves for golf. Tucked between London and the coast, the county has a bit of everything: mature parkland courses with proper pedigree, breezy seaside layouts, relaxed pay and play options, and resort venues built for a big society day. Wherever you are in Essex, there is good golf within a short drive.

A quick word before we start. This is not a league table. Every club in Essex has its own character and its own regulars who love it, and we would never try to rank one above another. Think of this as a friendly tour of some of the courses worth knowing, grouped by what you fancy. There are plenty more we have not got room to mention, and you can browse them all on Golf Match UK.

Parkland classics

Essex is parkland country, and there are some lovely mature layouts to enjoy.

• Thorndon Park, near Brentwood sits in old deer-park land with a Harry Colt design and a real sense of history. A treat to walk as much as to play.
• Warren Golf Club, Woodham Walter is a long-established, friendly parkland course set in rolling countryside near Maldon.
• Colchester Golf Club is a well-kept parkland layout on the edge of Britain's oldest recorded town, and welcoming to visitors and societies alike.
• Chelmsford Golf Club is a classic tree-lined test right on the doorstep of the county town.

If you are based around the county town, we have a separate round-up of the best courses near Chelmsford.

A touch of heathland

• Orsett Golf Club, near Grays is the one to seek out for heathland golf in Essex. Sandy soil, heather and gorse give it a springy, fast-running feel that drains well and plays beautifully into the autumn.

By the sea

The Essex coast gives you a different kind of golf, with sea air and a bit of wind to think about.

• Frinton Golf Club is one of the older clubs in this part of Essex and a proper seaside test, with the breeze off the North Sea keeping you honest.
• Clacton-on-Sea Golf Club runs along the front with sea views from several holes and a warm welcome for visitors.
• Burnham-on-Crouch Golf Club sits up above the estuary with big skies and a relaxed, friendly feel.

Resorts and society days

If you are organising a society day or fancy making a weekend of it, Essex has venues built for exactly that.

• Forrester Park, near Maldon is a family-run golf and country club with a parkland course, good facilities, and the kind of welcome that brings societies back year after year.
• Five Lakes, Tolleshunt Knights is a resort venue with two courses, a hotel and plenty of room for a group.
• Three Rivers, Cold Norton has two courses and a clubhouse set up nicely for society days and golf breaks.

For more on running a group day, have a read of our step-by-step guide to organising a society day.

Easy on the wallet

You do not need a members' club to enjoy good golf in Essex. There are friendly pay and play and municipal courses dotted across the county, perfect for a casual round, a beginner finding their feet, or a quick nine after work. We have rounded these up separately in our guide to the best pay and play courses in Essex.

New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide to golf in Essex.

How to play more of them

The best thing about Essex golf is the sheer variety. You could play a different course every weekend for months and still not run out. The hard part is usually finding the time, a tee time, and someone to play with.

That is where we come in. On Golf Match UK you can browse every course in the county, check the details, and find playing partners near you who play at a similar level and time. Fancy somewhere new this weekend? Post an open game and see who is up for it.

However you like to play, there is a course in Essex with your name on it. Get out there and enjoy it.