Essendon Country Club in Welwyn Hatfield

A brilliant, friendly golf course. Two fantastic courses and very reasonable prices for the quality. The food is always absolutely amazing. The Sunday Roast is a must-have. The food is quick, hot and very tasty. The staff are all very friendly and accommodating and always helpful. A beautiful location and the barn at the back is stunning.

A fantastic clubhouse setting with two great challenging courses and a brilliant environment for golf. Love the drive into the clubhouse and the fantastic range facilities!

I've been a member here for over a decade, and (although I may be biased), I think it's the best club in the county all things considered. The staff are as friendly as any club I've visited around the world, the service and food is consistently good - while the owners are constantly investing in the golf facilities to make them the best they can be. Perhaps most importantly, the membership is great fun and there's always plenty of likeminded people to play with. I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for a golf membership in the area!

I have been a member for over a year now. Great courses (love the new), great staff and great facilities. Looking forward to the summer months ahead.

The first thing that strikes you about Essendon Country Club from the moment you step through the front doors is the fantastic welcome that's offered by the whole team. The clubhouse itself is fantastic, with a vast array of food and drink options available. The two golf courses are both great to play, with a vastly different feel to the two but both equally as enjoyable as the other. Would certainly recommend to anyone looking for a brilliant venue to enjoy a round of golf (or two!) and a great bite to eat afterwards in a relaxed and welcoming environment!

Was a member here for 3 years. The new course is superb in the summer months. However, those that run the club are completely out of touch with their members. Doesn’t have a members feel about it at all. General manager is consistently on a power trip who sets the expectation Essendon is the Grove. There’s a small clique of members who stroke his ego to this extent. The old course is a joke - unplayable for 6 months of the year. If looking at a club membership do not join - other options much more reasonably priced, much more welcome and in better year round condition. It wouldn’t surprise me if the club is losing huge amounts of members at the moment…

Arrived today after a 2 hour drive in what can only be described as a monsoon the lovely lady in the pro shop gave us a complimentary buggy after 3 hours in torrential rain we gave up on return to pro shop was meet by another lovely lady who felt for us and got 2 vouchers to return to play a beautiful course customer service at its best pro shop staff a credit to the course

Best Burger, nice ambiance, even on a Mid-week afternoon, not too busy but not empty either, sorry for brevity but not more to say

Fabulous Mother’s Day lunch. Great service, food and ambience. There were nice additional little touches too to make it a memorable afternoon for my mother. Thank you.

A 'first', as thankfully I have never reviewed a venue for an unbelievable 'Wake', following a funeral, for a beloved Sister-in-Law's funeral, my wife's best friend. On to happy things, I have played the Golf Courses here, many times in the past, but not following, what was the 'Japanese' Courses, since taken over, following the new owners, I think a couple of years ago. The old clubhouse, is now 'up market' apartments..and very nice they appear too! Follow the private road round and, well I never, a beautiful new Club House, sympathetically twinned & joined..you can't see the join, with a grand massive barn, which used to be a feature of the the old Courses..there are two here. I had recently 'walked' the new course ..note to golfers..many golf course staff have committed suicide, or spent months in recovery hospitals.. as you can never satisfy all golfers, as to greens or fairways, or anything really. However as a sociable golfer and playing for some 30 years & still an 18 handicapper, these courses are brilliant. If I made enough time now to join a club..at some £1900.00+ for a 7 day membership..this would be it! If you're local and would like a super club, investigate this place, as to me (I don't know anyone or have a financial interest in this club)..investigate! As to the visit on the 19th September..what a day..my birthday actually, what a day to attend a funeral! The 'Wake' Celebration, was superb: On the 'back' of a friend of the family, who had died a few months ago, which, both sister-in-Law and husband had attended here and been impressed with the arrangements made. The Church Service in Northaw, was attended by over 200 mourners and was absolutely superb for a lovely lady who had a full life until the age of 86. The celebration afterwards, at the Country Club, was absolutely brilliant..generally much attention to family requirements, excellent food and efficient bar service, for approaching 200 guests, together with the atmosphere, aided by the Barn's beautiful conversion, fayre and service quality of their excellent staff..absolutely no critisism at all..wonderful views across the fountains and golf course. A really wonderful day, for a wonderful lady: Essendon Golf club & staff..Very many thanks.

Beautiful course... friendly atmosphere..

Arrived at the course 22/08/23 and would like say how welcomed we felt by all the staff who we spoke to, from the manager who took us on a tour of the clubhouse, to the halfway van parked between the 9th and 10th,the course was in fantastic condition ,we played the old but look forward to Coming back soon to sample the new. Again I'd thank the staff who are a credit to the club .

A great place to entertain , a lovely breakfast in a perfect setting.

Clubhouse and pro shop impressive. Putting green and short game area extremely poor for a club of this size. Old course was good to play fairways were in good condition but the greens were terrible unfortunately, slow and very bobbly. Personally I don't think it warrants the 2K annual fee.

New course is better than the old in summer. Greens are lovely and lively.

Dear Essendon Country Club, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for the countless enchanting experiences my husband and I have had at your magnificent establishment. From the moment we married amidst the picturesque surroundings a few years ago, to the countless celebrations we have joyously returned for, Essendon has consistently exceeded our expectations. It is with utmost admiration that I extend my deepest gratitude to your exceptional staff, with a special mention of the incredible hospitality bestowed upon us by the incomparable John. His unwavering dedication to ensuring every detail is perfect, his warm and genuine care, and his unparalleled customer service have left an indelible mark on our hearts. His presence is truly a testament to the epitome of excellence that Essendon Country Club represents. Our recent family breakfast at your esteemed establishment further solidified our unwavering devotion. Every member of our beloved clan was treated to a truly magical experience, where the magic of your hospitality danced in perfect harmony with our collective joy. It is moments like these that reinforce our unwavering decision to choose Essendon as the sanctuary for our celebrations and milestones. Rest assured, our loyalty and admiration for Essendon Country Club shall forever be proclaimed, not only through our personal return but also through our heartfelt recommendations to friends, family, and beyond. With sincerest appreciation, The Hegarty’s

Fantastic food, great service. Very friendly staff. Restaurant was very clean and well maintained. Warm atmosphere too.

Golf course is stunning. Food afterwards in the bar was horrible. We had a chicken katsu curry which was bland. Also ordered a burger which come with a vile burger sauce and a onion jam - the worst thing I’ve ever tasted in a burger. Shame the food ruined the day.

Family wedding in Great Barn. Really good professional staff and good venue. Meal was very good and surroundings good Evening security need to learn how to talk to young children tho

Lovely course.played the new course .a lot of drainage work being carried out and bunkers very poor .would have thought they might charge a bit less under the circumstances but 40 pounds for a members visitor was a bit steep on a bank Holiday Monday

Booked 18 holes on the old course for 2 players £110 , when we arrived was told we were starting on the 10th tee fair enough, i can understand drainage works going on but we weren’t told of this and virtually every fairway on the back 9 had 6 inch wide furrows every 5/10 metres going across and along the fairways . When we finished the back 9 we proceeded to the first tee , when we arrived we were greeted with a front 9 closed sign 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️. When we spoke to the course Marshall in his hut we were advised hat this should have been mentioned on booking . We were told we could play the back 9 again but what’s the point of that 🤷🏻‍♂️ Not pleased with paying £110 on 9 holes

Beautiful place. Ample car parking. Nice barn like feel inside. I don’t golf but looked stunning.

Joined this club at the start of the first lockdown etc in April 2020 and couldn’t use the club for almost 8 months of the first year membership. Was not only refused any months in lieu but was told we probably wouldn’t have played in winter anyway because it was cold! Couldn’t make it up! Absolutely laughable. They then had the cheek to try and demand an affiliation payment and hounded me for this which again was laughable, I was demanding some recompense for when the golf club was closed as I’d paid £1,000 up front and could only use the course for 3/4 months maximum. Coupled with the fact many people had lower income and lost work during this time the club couldn’t have cared any less. I haven’t even mentioned the fact they restricted playing to two balls and made a temporary course in this time for the months we could play, so essentially I received nothing I had originally signed up to pay for. Equally diabolical was the fact you had to rush to book a tee time each week for the weekend when they made the booking live during a weekday evening, truly poor experience all round. Fancy treating new members like this, and they wonder why so many societies left the club, money over everything there and the staff are completely up themselves. Chancers. If I had the time and energy I would have taken this to solicitors but best to wash hands with people like this. Lesson learned. Take this at face value, absolutely nothing I have said here is untrue.

Went to quiz night absolutely first class everyone made you welcome

Was there for a quiz night ,fantastic 👏 all the staff were brilliant, thanks, and the quiz master first class, will definitely be going back ,well done to everyone involved 👍

We stopped for coffee here, as we had in the summer when walking. A young man came to our assistance as we were trying to see which door we could enter. He was very helpful. Staff were really helpful and friendly as always. Jolly nice coffee, will be visiting again .

The perfect restaurant for our Christmas ex-works get-together. Booking is easy, especially if one of the group is a member, however even if not there is no problem. Nice bar for that pre lunch drink and chat before being led into a beautiful ‘barn’. Where tables are laid with pure white linen and sparkling glasses and cutlery. The barn, at this time of year, decorated with Christmas trees and lighting. Service is second to none. Water always immediately on the table elsewhere you have to request this. Starters were so delicious and the presentation beautiful. Some had wild boar pate with sourdough bread while I, and a few others, had gravadlax salmon in beetroot. Main course was divided between pork, chicken and, of course, roast beef. All very plentiful, well cooked and presentation, once again, perfect. Accompanied by masses of beautifully cooked veggies in separate serving dishes shared by the table. For a change we all sat back for a while before ordering dessert. All in all a wonderful Sunday lunch. Delicious and filling with exemplary service. Therefore, a 5* review is called for. Thank you one and all, not forgetting those in the kitchen who work so hard and are rarely seen.

Beautiful grounds for a wedding.

One of my favourite courses. Well kept greens and fairways. Very fast greens when we played in August which made it very challenging. Beautiful scenery on both new and old courses. Good well stocked bar and full menu for breakfast lunch and dinner. We play here once a year for a Society Day but made an effort to have a warm up game as such a lovely place. Staff are friendly throughout the club. Now after over a year the sauna and baths are open again. Golf shop has a nice choice of golfing goods.

Not a golfer but this place is great.

The course was in amazing condition as a past member returning to the course I found it in amazing condition . Club has done a great job of creating space for light meal afterwards . Thanks for a great day

Great course & fantastic facilities but sadly can't use them at the moment

Great club friendly staff ....2 courses to choose from...picturesque fairways with lakes and woods.

Played the New Course, very nice but just very muddy at this time of the year. Staff in the club house are very welcoming and friendly.

Lovely course..can not wait to play again..

We have been planning to visit Essendon Country Club for Sunday lunch for some time and I wish we had visited sooner. Don't panic as you walk through the golf shop and bar, you will be led into a beautiful cavernous converted barn with a great table lay out. All the staff were very attentive, professional and above all happy. We were treated to live music which was lovely. I had the roast beef which was great, but all the courses we chose were wonderful and all very good value. We will return.

We reserved a table of 12 for Sunday lunch to celebrate a birthday Our group included 3 children and the choice of food also the quality were top notch the service staff were excellent and took great care of our needs during our visit Well recommended

We went with friends for lunch on one of their "Super Sundays". What a great place! Someone singing with a piano, big crowd, good menu, great service. Superb value. My roast beef was quite one of the best I've eaten, delicious and tender. What a great place.

A well deserved ‘five star’ review for this wonderful Country Club. Service, by wonderful young staff, cannot be beaten. Food, in this case Sunday roast, was fantastic and so filling. Prices, from the bar and restaurant, are very reasonable and, I would say, cheaper than anywhere close by. The whole décor, for Christmas, was very comforting and not OTT. Bookings can be made by non-members and I would definitely advise anyone to give it a try at some point in time.

The meal generally is poor and it seems that on the two occasions I have been there most of the vegetables appear to have been cooked from frozen, not fresh. I am just wondering if a lot of the food is bought in and re-heated?

We just celebrated out Niece's wedding, I was very impressed with the venue, the grand Barn, the staff were helpful, nothing was a both, they are happy to help. The food was stunning and well presented. I would highly recommend this venue for wedding up to 150, 200 people.. set in beautiful grounds you and your family will love it... As we did...

Two superb courses, excellent bar area and welcoming staff

I went to eat with my family and it was excellent. It is a lovely place with really nice people and delicious food.

Great place for lunch/brunch. Lots of choice on the menu, everything reasonably priced. Service was excellent, especially Alison. Would recommend.

Stopped by Essendon a few months back for a supercar event (I am a car photographer) and a chap serving the BBQ recommended the restaurant. Decided to treat my mum to Dinner here and so glad I did! We were made to feel really welcome from the moment we walked through the door. Only thing better than the amazing service was the divine food! Our waitress was friendly and informal yet professional. I can see myself becoming a regular - If only I knew how to play golf I'd spend all year here!

We were welcomed by Claire who was fantastic served by Karen who knew how to treat people amazing and was excellent at what she did. the food was lovely well cooked and great choice the ambience was great would recommend this restaurant as I could not fault it was a perfect Sunday lunch well done to you all.5star .

Had a lovely fine dining and wine pairing evening here last week. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and look forward to the next. Not sure if you have to be a member to enjoy these evenings. Place is gorgeous now it's been done up and everything is a very high standard. If you had a gym/spa I am sure more people would join. My husband is a golf member and I would love to be a leisure member if the facilities were though. You have room to build I am sure.

I been working here for a few months now and the people here are brilliant I believe we will get both courses in top 10 in county in near future got good people here

We had great weather and good company.

The restaurant is nicely set within a golf course and has a nice atmosphere. The food is good and the staff is helpful.

Came to a wedding here yesterday. Great food , service and grounds.. usually wedding food is not great but this was delivered hot, well presented and ran like clockwork.good dance floor and all the staff were most helpful and polite.

Interesting course! Played tough in the wind. Staff here were exceptional! Every single staff member I encountered was extremely helpful and nice. Had a good experience here. Didn’t get 5 star as £55 for a round of golf here is a bit much. The clubhouse and stature of the club is, but they actual course itself is good but not £55. But judging by the cars in the car park, not many people who play here would care about that. Haha

Ok, so perhaps I was wrong to expect more. However they portrait a higher class Sunday lunch experience from their advertising. The pros ...food that we had was good, the staff we encountered were pleasant! The cons, on first impression we expected a restaurant but the dining area felt more like a garden centre cafe, as was very informal, loud not particularly clean. The table we were given was very small and unstable. We had complementary water but had to request glasses, I was surprised that there were no starters offered, so we ordered a beef and a pork roast. Both meals were very nice (a little on the cold side) they completely forgot to bring the crackling that should have accompanied the pork (we assumed they had ran out, but two other tables had it after us) veg was good too. Ordered a bottle of wine that was nice but just put on table with no offer to open or pour. The desert was small and just ok. All in all service was below average but I suspect they just haven’t been taught how a little goes a long way. Food was nice but a few little things could make it special, like a separate gravy boat, instead of serving a roast that’s swimming in gravy. Also I felt that watching ‘darts’ on a 60” screen was not fitting for a Sunday lunch was not necessary, I understand that it’s a golf club that’s priority is it’s members... but I expected more for the price!

接待ゴルフで初めてこのゴルフクラブに行きました。昔、お菓子のカバヤ食品が所有していたゴルフ場だそうです。英国らしからぬ日本風な石の灯篭がオブジェにあるので、「なんで？」と思っていたらそういう話でした。

I was invited by Bayernlb for the GermanReunification Day. The Old Course was in good condition and greens were pretty fast still. Overall, in decent condition.

Went to a meeting, very impressed with the venue. Just had coffee and cake. Will go back for lunch soon.

Average meal, place was empty and not impressed at all with the food and found it expensive for what we had. The staff were really friendly.

Be wary of going back to the same place where you have had a good meal because it never reaches those first visit expectations.

Played both courses today A fantastic experience The courses are in wonderful condition Challenging yet fair Well equipped pro-shop Good bar and food facilities

Lovely grounds, played the new golf course on the summer greens which were playing quite fast. Would like to play again. Good facilities in the clubhouse, excellent locker rooms. Food was very good, and the staff were friendly & helpful. Plenty of car parking.

I am a member at this golf club, but do choose to have a Sunday lunch there at least once a month with friends, it never lets myself or my friends down! The service and attention to detail along wit the delicious food leave little else to be desired, and they have a real ale on draught!

Incredible course, first class service and a wonderful team. Highly recommended.

We have started to make coming for Sunday lunch a regular thing! The restaurant is nice and spacious, staff are friendly and very helpful. We've never had to wait long for our food, which is great with the kids. We also like the extras...roast chicken that comes with bread sauce and crackling sticks on the side. As for the desserts they are traditionally English - crumble and custard or my favourite the lemon meringue pie.

We have just returned from a fantastic Sunday lunch at this beautiful venue. A golf and country club in the most delightful setting. Wonderful extensive building giving plenty of room for a large bar with plenty of comfortable seating and a large restaurant. As a friend stated 'plenty of elbow room'. Food was second to none using, where possible, local produce. Great service by professional, but friendly, staff.

very nice country club and very helpful staff.AAA

A club like no other , very inviting even for non golfers and family's

I always enjoy this location for golf. Two courses both well established and a pleasure to play. Always worth a visit.