Golf Courses Near Orpington and Eynsford: A Darent Valley Guide

Looking for golf courses near Orpington or a round somewhere near Eynsford? This corner of the Kent border is unusually well supplied. Within a few minutes of each other you have a public 18-hole parkland course, a nine-hole layout, two golf centres with driving ranges and a handful of private clubs, all sitting around the Darent Valley. This guide covers what is here, what each one is actually good for, and how to pick.

Lullingstone Park, Chelsfield

Lullingstone Park sits at Parkgate Road, Chelsfield, on the southern edge of the borough where the built-up area gives way to the valley. It is public pay and play, so there is no membership to join and no member needed to sign you in: you book a tee time and you play. There are two courses, the 18-hole Championship Course and the shorter 9-hole Valley Course, plus a covered driving range and a pitch and putt. That mix is the reason it works for so many different visits: a full parkland round at the weekend, a quick nine after work, or an hour on the range with a bucket of balls.

For anyone in Orpington, Chelsfield, Eynsford, Shoreham or Farningham, it is the nearest full-size course by a distance, and the drive is a short one from any of them.

The Darent Valley setting

The valley is the part visitors tend not to expect. The Darent runs north through Eynsford and Shoreham on its way to the Thames, and the landscape either side of it is open chalk downland and woodland rather than suburbia, despite how close London is. Eynsford village, with its ford and its ruined Norman castle, sits below the course, and Lullingstone Castle and the Lullingstone Roman Villa are in the same valley. Lullingstone Country Park wraps around the golf course itself. It is a genuinely rural round a few miles from the M25, which is not something many courses this close to London can claim.

Chelsfield Lakes Golf Centre

Near Orpington, Chelsfield Lakes is a large golf centre with an open layout and a driving range, and it takes visitors on a pay and play basis. It is a reasonable alternative if Lullingstone is busy on your preferred date, and the range makes it a practical stop for practice.

High Elms Golf Course, Downe

A short drive west of Orpington, High Elms is an 18-hole public course owned by the London Borough of Bromley, set in the wooded parkland of High Elms Country Park near Downe. Like Lullingstone it is pay and play, so it is the other obvious choice locally for a full round without a membership.

Bromley Golf Centre

Off Magpie Hall Lane to the north, Bromley Golf Centre is built around a shorter game and a driving range, both pay and play. It suits beginners, a quick session, or a warm-up before a longer round elsewhere.

Private members clubs

The area also has established private clubs, West Kent Golf Club near Downe among them. These generally require membership or a member to sign you in and sit at a higher price point than the public courses. If you play most weeks and want a settled club with a fixture list, they are worth a look. For an occasional round, they are not the route in.

So which should you play?

Work backwards from the visit rather than the course. A full 18 with no commitment points to Lullingstone Park or High Elms. A short or beginner-friendly game points to the Valley Course or Bromley Golf Centre. Practice points to any of the three ranges. And if the appeal is the setting as much as the golf, Lullingstone is the one in the valley. Green fees vary by course, day and season, so check current prices before you set out, and see our green fees and tee booking guide to plan a round here.

Frequently asked questions

What golf courses are near Orpington?

Lullingstone Park at Chelsfield is the closest full-size course to Orpington, with an 18-hole Championship Course and a 9-hole Valley Course. Chelsfield Lakes Golf Centre sits just outside the town, High Elms Golf Course is a short drive west near Downe, and Bromley Golf Centre is north off Magpie Hall Lane. All of them welcome visitors without membership.

Is there a golf course in Eynsford?

There is no course in Eynsford village itself, but Lullingstone Park sits at the top of the same Darent Valley, a few minutes up the hill at Chelsfield. It is the natural round for anyone based in Eynsford, Shoreham or Farningham, and it is public pay and play, so you can book a tee time without joining a club.

Can you play golf in the Darent Valley without being a member?

Yes. Lullingstone Park is a public pay and play course, so you book a tee time and play as a visitor. Chelsfield Lakes, High Elms and Bromley Golf Centre also take non-members. The private members clubs in the area, such as West Kent near Downe, normally need membership or a member to sign you in.

How do you get to Lullingstone Park from Orpington?

The course is at Parkgate Road, Chelsfield, BR6 7PX, on the southern edge of the borough and only a few minutes from Orpington by car, with parking at the clubhouse. Chelsfield station is the nearest railway station, and the M25 runs close by for anyone coming from further out.

Which local course is best for a quick nine holes?

The 9-hole Valley Course at Lullingstone Park is the obvious choice if time is short or you are new to the game, and it sits alongside the covered driving range and pitch and putt on the same site. Bromley Golf Centre is the other good option for a short game and a bucket of balls.