Enville (Lodge)
This fascinating private members club was founded in 1935 as a nine hole course before it was gradually increased over the next half a century or so, when two eighteen hole courses were completed, to what we have today.
The current Highgate and Lodge courses both possess nine holes of superb woodland and nine holes of inspiring heathland. And unlike many clubs with two courses it is hard to single out which is the superior. Both I should add are excellent.
After a quick lunch it was time to tackle the Lodge course, regarded by some as slightly inferior to the Highgate but preferred by others, so I was intrigued as to what would lie ahead.
As it turned out it was almost a repeat of the morning round on the Highgate. Start on the heathland, play through some woodland then finish back on the heath.
This time you only play three holes before venturing into the tree-lined part of the course, this time across a road. This opening trio of holes are not too taxing but the second is a fantastic hole where you must decide where you want to approach the hole from; either at green level from a long way back or from a blinder position in a large hollow but much closer to the green.
The wooded stretch of the Lodge course is fantastic. This much is clear from the first hole you play where you must decide if you wish to try and reach a second part of the fairway; closer to the green but at the bottom of a deep depression.
This part of the course has a similar feel to Woburn with many of the holes featuring towering pines that frame them magnificently. The green at the driveable fifth is perfect for this length of hole, large in size but with a pronounced slope. Six and seven are also fine holes on this part of the course but the climax comes at the 11th when you play from a high fairway to a narrow and angled green set in a valley below.
The 13th makes an impressive return to the vibrant purple heathland with a demanding drive before the final five ease you home. All of these are good holes, three of them (14, 15 and 16) excellent shortish par fours in their own right but as a trio they don’t quite ask the same questions that the Highgate course does over the closing stretch. The shining light of the homeward run is perhaps the 17th, a short par three that merges into its surrounds effortlessly.
The variety of holes is noticeable on both courses. All are individual in nature but work extremely well collectively. It’s also good to see that the Club are promoting heather regeneration on the heathland part of the courses.
So which is the best? Ultimately I found very little between both courses in terms of quality, and also as a golfing experience, with the Highgate just getting the nod thanks to a slightly stronger finish. I preferred the woodland part of the Lodge course more so than Highgate but it was the other way round for the heathland holes. It could also be argued that the Lodge has more of the top holes across both courses.
The only slight niggle I had about Enville was that with equal parts of heathland and woodland it might have been better to create two contrasting courses rather than both being a hybrid as such. I think I would have preferred it that way but I suppose if you only have the opportunity to play one course then you get the best of both worlds.
The pedigree of Enville has not gone unnoticed by the various governing bodies either. From 2007 to 2011 the Highgate course was used by the R&A for Regional Open Qualifying whilst the day prior to my visit had seen the conclusion of the English Boys Under 14's Reid Trophy and in 2017 the club hosted the British Girls Open Amateur Championship.
Enville also boasts one of the finest and most extensive practice facilities in the country. There is an excellent practice ground as well as at least three short game areas I spotted.
Read the review of Enville (Highgate) here.
