Function Room Hire at The Lodge, Lullingstone Park: Parties, Receptions and Wakes

If you are looking at function room hire in Kent and everything within reach is either a hotel suite priced for a wedding or a room above a pub with a fruit machine in it, a golf clubhouse is worth a look. The Lodge at Lullingstone Park Golf Course is exactly that: one private room with its own bar, a terrace over the course, and parking that comes with the building rather than costing four pounds an hour.

Here is what is actually on offer, what The Lodge publishes, and what you have to ask for.

What The Lodge is

The Lodge is the clubhouse at Lullingstone Park Golf Course, on Park Gate Road at Chelsfield, Orpington, postcode BR6 7PX. It works as a cafe and bar for golfers and for anyone walking in the park, and it has a separate function room available for private hire.

The room overlooks the golf course and the parkland around it, and it has its own well-stocked bar which is staffed exclusively for your event rather than shared with the day-to-day trade. The Lodge lists birthday parties, wedding receptions, christenings and general celebrations as the occasions it takes, and invites people to come and see the room in person before booking. Its own function room page is the primary source for all of that.

What is not published, and why that matters

Two things you would expect to find are not on The Lodge's website: a hire fee and a capacity.

Several venue directories carry numbers for both. We checked them and could not match them to anything The Lodge publishes itself, and at least one listing carries a phone number that is not the venue's. Do not plan a guest list around a figure from a directory. Ring 01959 532 928 or email info@thelodgelpgc.co.uk and get the seated capacity, the standing capacity, the hire charge and any minimum bar spend confirmed for the specific date and layout you want.

That is normal for a venue of this size rather than a warning sign. Small function rooms are usually priced by day of the week, time of year and what catering you take, which is why they quote rather than publish. It does mean the enquiry is the first real step, not the last one.

Opening hours and food

The Lodge opens daily from 7:00. Food is served Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:00 and at weekends from 8:00 to 17:00, running from cooked breakfast through to light lunches. Function catering is arranged separately with your booking, so the everyday menu is a guide to the kitchen rather than the list you choose from.

The bar and terrace look over the 18th green. On a summer evening that is the whole argument for the venue, and on a wet January afternoon it is still a better outlook than a function suite with no windows.

Wakes and memorial gatherings

The Lodge does not advertise funeral catering specifically. It is still worth asking, because the practical requirements for a wake are the ones this room happens to meet: a private space that is not a public bar, staff who are not serving anyone else, easy parking for people who may be elderly or coming straight from a service, and somewhere to stand outside.

Say what the booking is for when you make contact. Timings for a wake are usually early afternoon and open-ended at the end, and the catering is normally a buffet rather than a served meal, all of which the team needs to know before quoting.

Questions to ask before you book any function room

• What is the hire fee, and is there a minimum bar spend on top of it?
• What is the capacity seated for a meal, and standing with a buffet?
• How late does the licence run, and when does the music have to stop?
• What time can you get in to decorate, and what time must you be out?
• Is the catering in-house only, or can you bring a cake or a caterer?
• What deposit is taken, and what are the cancellation terms in writing?
• Is there step-free access from the car park to the room and to the toilets?

Ask all seven in one email. A venue that answers them clearly is a venue that has done this before.

Making a day of it

The obvious combination is golf in the morning and the room in the afternoon, which is what most society and corporate bookings here look like. If you are organising one, see our guide to organising a golf society day and the society and group day packages.

For guests staying on afterwards, the Darent Valley is on the doorstep: Eynsford village and its ford, Lullingstone Roman Villa and the country park walks are all within a couple of miles. Start at the Lullingstone Park Golf Course home page for green fees and tee times.

Frequently asked questions

Can you hire the function room at Lullingstone Park?

Yes. The Lodge, the clubhouse at Lullingstone Park Golf Course, is available to hire for private functions including birthday parties, wedding receptions and christenings. The room has its own bar, staffed exclusively for your event, and looks out over the golf course and the surrounding parkland.

Where is it, and what is the postcode?

The Lodge, Lullingstone Park Golf Course, Park Gate Road, Chelsfield, Orpington, Kent, BR6 7PX. It sits on the high ground between Orpington and Eynsford, so it is inside the London Borough of Bromley but reads as Kent countryside from the terrace.

How much does it cost to hire?

The Lodge does not publish a hire fee or a minimum spend. You enquire on 01959 532 928 or at info@thelodgelpgc.co.uk, and the team will arrange to meet you at the venue to talk through the room and the catering. Ask for the figures in writing before you commit to a date.

How many people does it hold?

The venue does not publish a capacity. Third-party listing sites quote figures that we could not verify against The Lodge's own material, so ask directly and get the seated and standing numbers confirmed for the layout you actually want.

Can you hold a wake there?

It is worth asking. The Lodge lists birthdays, wedding receptions, christenings and other celebrations rather than funerals specifically, but a quiet private room with its own bar, plenty of parking and a countryside outlook is the shape of room most families are looking for after a service. Say what the booking is for when you enquire so the team can plan the timings and the catering properly.

Is there food, and what are the opening hours?

The Lodge is open daily from 7:00 as a cafe and bar. Food is served Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:00 and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 to 17:00, with breakfast and lunch on the everyday menu. Function catering is arranged separately when you book the room.

Is there parking?

Yes. Lullingstone Park has its own large car park serving the golf course and the clubhouse, which is one of the practical advantages of a venue on a course rather than a room above a pub in a town centre.

Who runs the golf course?

Lullingstone Park Golf Course is managed by Everyone Golf, part of Everyone Active Sports and Leisure Management Ltd. The Lodge operates its own cafe, bar and function room within the clubhouse and has its own contact details.