I hadn’t even heard of footgolf until I was asked to go and do a review of the London Footgolf Centre in Ealing. They’re based in Hangar Hill Park on the site of an old pitch and putt golf course. If you have no idea what footgolf is, basically it’s a combination of football and golf – not just a clever name!! Instead of having a golf club and golf ball you have a football and, um, your foot!
We were gifted a game by the London Footgolf Centre but they did not see the review prior to publication and had no input in its contents.
What age is footgolf suitable for?
Before we visited I wasn’t entirely sure what age footgolf would be suitable for. Smallest Child is 4 and I’ll admit she got a bit bored towards the end. The fact that she’d been told that no, she couldn’t keep the ball probably had a part to play in that! Realistically any age can play, but I think they’ve either got to be big football fans or at least 4/5 to get the most out of it. London Footgolf Centre don’t recommend doing more than 9 holes for children under 5. I think the boys probably could have done a full 18 holes, as long as they got to have snacks half way round! I definitely wouldn’t have taken just Smallest Child, but she was OK as part of a group.
There are slightly different rules for young children than adults. Grown-ups all take their turn and then the person furthest from the hole starts the next turn. That continues until everyone has successfully completed the hole. Young children get an easy ride – they just keep kicking until they get the ball in the hole! No waiting, no getting bored. The only disadvantage? I have no idea how many shots each of the kids actually took on each hole. Somehow their scores seemed surprisingly good, and surprisingly similar!
How long does it take to play a round of footgolf?
How long is a piece of string? We took about an hour to do 9 holes, with five people. A larger group would take longer. The kids were actually significantly quicker than Hubby and I, well mainly I, was. That’s because I’m not very good at the whole kicking-a-ball-in-an-intended-direction thing.
The day after we visited the London Footgolf centre to do this review, they were changing from a nine hold course to an 18 hole one. From now on you have the choice of doing either length course whereas currently you’ve just done the same course twice if you wanted 18 holes.
The London Footgolf Course
If you’re looking for inspiration then look up – the footgolf centre has stunning views across London, including Wembley Stadium. It’s quite hilly in places which works to your advantage when kicking downhill. Not so much when you’re kicking uphill. There were a couple of times when we got a bit lost where we should go next, partially because the course change was imminent. The staff were wandering around the whole time and helped send us back to the right place. The course itself was impeccably clean as well, mainly because they’re litter picking as they’re going around.
During the lockdown(s) this place was closed and apparently quite a few local residents got used to walking their dogs on the course. They’re supposed to be kept on a lead and anyone walking their dog without a lead will be asked to put one on. There was the one lady who, despite seeing that we were all kicking a ball right towards her, was determined to walk right up the middle of the green. She didn’t get in the way or anything but it did make me laugh. Clearly she was walking that way and nothing was going to stop her.
Our London Footgolf Course Review
Having spoken to my brother apparently footgolf is a thing now and he’s done it before. Well, I’d never heard of it and I think it’s hilarious. I’m rubbish at golf. I’m rubbish at football. I’m pretty rubbish at footgolf but actually I had a lot more fun doing this than either of the separate sports. Until she got tired, Smallest Child really enjoyed tearing around the course and actually did quite well. I think this is a great thing to do with older kids, or adults. A little bit of exercise and a lot of fun.
They don’t serve alcohol here, but you can BYO. I genuinely don’t know if a bottle of prosecco on the way round would make me better or worse. Maybe I’ll have to try it out and see. It’s the kind of place I can see being quite popular with groups of friends, work-dos and stag-dos, as well as families. There was a stag-so there when we visited the London Footgolf Course but they were all really well behaved. You’re pretty much always far enough away from other groups that they won’t disturb you (unlike when we visited Mr Mulligan’s indoor golf!)
Admission cost
9 holes – £8 (adult), £6 (student), £5 (child)
18 holes – £10 (adult), £8 (student), £6 (child)
Ball hire is £1 per person, but you’re also allowed to bring your own if you prefer. Visit their facebook page for the details of how to book.
Parking / How to get there
Parking – You can either park on Hillcrest Road (W5 1HW) or Sandall Road (W5 1JD). Both have parking restrictions at certain times of the day during the week, but are otherwise free to park on. Make sure you double check the signs on the side of the road you intend to park on as each side has a different time! Basically there’s always somewhere you can park for fre, you just need to make sure you’re in the right place.
Address – Hangar Hill Park, Hillcrest Road, Ealing, W5 1HW
Toilets
On-site. Currently they’re doing up the buildings, which do look a bit shabby at the moment.
Food
They sell cold drinks and ice creams but you’re welcome to bring your own food.
What else is there to do nearby?
There’s a fairly decent playground within Hangar Hill Park itself.
Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
