A borough built on parkland
Havering sits at the point where London gives way to Essex, and its golf reflects that in-between geography. Of the seven clubs in the county, five are parkland courses, laid out across the flat, well-treed farmland that once separated the capital from the countryside beyond. The exception is Ingrebourne Links in Rainham, an inland links opened in 2017 that broke from the local template entirely and was rewarded with the 2025 PGA Championship as a host venue, a notable achievement for a course still in its first decade.
The parkland golf here is not uniform, though. Romford Golf Club, founded in 1894, carries genuine pedigree: James Braid was its head professional from 1896 to 1904, winning the first of his five Open Championships in 1901 while based there, and Brian Huggett, later a Ryder Cup player, held the same post in the 1960s. The course has been used as an Open qualifying venue, and its flat, tree-lined fairways still bear Braid's stamp.
Romford's design heritage
A few miles away, Maylands Golf Club adds another significant name to the county's roll call. Designed by Harry Colt and opened in 1936, it sits in mature woodland with water features threaded through two loops of nine holes, and has hosted the PGA Euro Pro Tour on several occasions. Risebridge, also in Romford, takes a different approach as a pay-and-play public course built on old farmland, with a Hawtree dynasty design behind its well-groomed fairways and greens. Between the three Romford clubs, a golfer gets Braid, Colt and Hawtree within a short drive of each other, which is an unusual concentration of design heritage for one town.
Upminster and the River Ingrebourne
Upminster's clubs share a landscape rather than an architect, though Colt turns up here too. Upminster Golf Club, founded in 1928, was also designed by H.A. Colt and runs along the River Ingrebourne, which comes into play as a water hazard on several holes. It is home to the Upminster Trophies, run by the Essex Golf Union, and hosts the union's AGM. Cranham Golf Course, also in Upminster, is set in Essex countryside and is best known locally for its island green on the 18th, a memorable finishing hole on a course noted for good drainage even after wet weather. Top Meadow, the third Upminster club, was founded in 1985 and has built a reputation as much around its clubhouse as its golf, with a Michelin Star-trained head chef and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Planning a round in Havering
Green fees start from £27, which makes the county an accessible option for club golfers looking to play somewhere new without a long journey or a high price tag. The spread of courses across Rainham, Romford and Upminster means it is possible to play three or four rounds on distinct types of layout, from Braid's traditional parkland test to the open, developing links at Ingrebourne, within a single short trip. For a London borough of modest size, that variety, backed by real design history at Romford, Maylands and Upminster, gives Havering more substance than its scale might suggest.