Thurrock doesn't have the volume of golf you'd find elsewhere in Essex, but the four clubs here cover a fair spread of styles within a small area, and all sit within easy reach of the M25 corridor. Two parkland courses, one heathland layout, and a fourth club at Belhus Park in South Ockendon make up the county's offering, with towns like Orsett, South Ockendon and Upminster each hosting a course worth knowing about.
The standout is Orsett Golf Club, a heathland course designed by James Braid and founded in 1899. It's ranked the number two course in Essex and has hosted Open Championship regional qualifying eleven times, which tells you plenty about the standard of the layout. The heathland ground gives it established woodland and a firmer, more natural playing surface than the parkland courses nearby, and it holds up well year-round. Sitting within five miles of the M25, it's an easy course to reach for a serious round without travelling far into the county.
Parkland Golf at Langdon Hills and Mardyke Valley
Thurrock's two parkland courses take a different approach. Langdon Hills Golf Club in Upminster is set on undulating ground with water hazards worked into the routing, and the club runs a computerised tee reservation system alongside twilight golf from 5pm for those wanting a shorter, cheaper evening game. The main course is reserved for members on Saturday and Sunday mornings, so visitors are better placed booking afternoons or weekdays.
Mardyke Valley Golf Club, in South Ockendon, has a more homespun story. The course sits across 140 acres of countryside threaded with the River Mardyke, streams and lakes, and mixed specimen trees give it a settled, established look despite being shaped by members over more than twenty years rather than laid out by a single designer in one go. The 17th, known as Watery Grave, is the club's signature hole and lives up to its name given the amount of water in play. Beyond the golf, the club has set aside environmentally protected areas that support a decent range of wildlife, which adds some interest to a walk round even on an off day.
South Ockendon's Second Club
South Ockendon is also home to Belhus Park Golf & Country Club, giving the town two courses within its boundary alongside Mardyke Valley. Between the two, golfers in this part of Thurrock have a reasonable choice without needing to travel far.
Planning a Round in Thurrock
Green fees in the county start from around £60, which puts Thurrock's golf on the higher side for a visiting round, so it's worth checking each club's fee structure and any members-only windows before turning up, particularly at Langdon Hills. With Orsett's heathland test at one end and the parkland courses at Langdon Hills and Mardyke Valley at the other, the county offers a decent contrast in styles for such a compact area, and its position just off the M25 makes it a sensible stop if you're passing through Essex rather than a long detour.