Maylands at Maylands Golf and Country Club

Maylands Golf and Country Club sits in Romford, on the eastern edge of Greater London where Essex begins. The course was designed by Harry S. Colt, the celebrated English architect whose portfolio includes Sunningdale New, Wentworth East, and significant work at Pine Valley. Colt's design philosophy emphasized strategic variety and natural integration with the landscape, and Maylands reflects his characteristic attention to routing that uses existing terrain rather than imposing artificial features.

The course occupies gently rolling Essex countryside, typical of the region's modest elevation changes and mature tree cover. Colt's layout works through wooded corridors and more open stretches, creating variety in both visual character and shot requirements. The design incorporates his familiar principles: thoughtfully positioned bunkers that reward accurate play, greens with subtle contours that demand careful approach work, and holes that offer multiple routes depending on skill and conditions.

Maylands serves primarily as a members' club with country club amenities beyond golf, including facilities for dining and social gatherings. The course remains relatively quiet in the broader conversation about English golf, overshadowed by Colt's more famous works and by championship venues elsewhere in the region. Still, it represents a solid example of golden-age architecture adapted to the Essex landscape, offering members a well-conceived test of golf in a setting that has matured considerably since Colt's original design work.