Addington Court is offering a round of golf on its Falconwood course for less than a tenner, in a price-cutting innovation that could help to discover Croydon’s own Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods, or Laura Davies.

A long walk spoiled? Not if you keep your ball on the wide fairways at Addington Court

The £9.99 offer applies to rounds played after 1pm each day, including weekends, on its Falconwood course, the 18 holes laid out across Featherbed Lane from the centre’s main clubhouse and which stretch up towards Lodge Lane and New Addington.

Addington Court claims to be England’s original purpose-built “pay and play” public golf course, having broken the golf convention of strict club membership, which often required joining fees and annual subscriptions that run into hundreds of pounds, putting the game beyond the reach of ordinary working people and youngsters.

The new rate is a reduction of £3 on the course’s old “twilight” charge, which was applied on rounds begun after 4pm. It is also £8 less than the standard charge for a round. For those who have never played golf before, it even offers sets of clubs for hire, so that you can give the game a try without the expense of buying your own bag.

“The Falconwood is a lovely golf course, not too difficult, and so it suits anyone who likes to play golf,” Clive Hartley, the club’s general manager, said. “We think that reducing the price to just £9.99 after 1pm, every day, will make it an irresistibly simple deal for golfers in the Croydon area.”

The Falconwood course is 5,472 yards long, with a par of 68, it has only one par 5 hole – where it is more than 500 yards from tee to green – and with its wide fairways, it is not too demanding for novice players.

On the other side of the lane is the club’s original 18-hole Championship course and its 9-hole Academy course.

The clubhouse that looks out over the 1st tee of Addington Court’s Championship course

Designed in 1932 by golf architect Fred Hawtree, Addington Court was England’s first privately run public golf course. Now Addington Court GC also has a large golf driving range and academy, and two golf stores. In 2012 the club was runner-up in England Golf’s Club Of The Year Awards, and in 2011 it won the Bonnallack Award, given by The Golf Foundation for its work with schools.

Addington Court won the 2012 Community Sport and Recreation Award, given by The Sport and Recreation Alliance for its schools and community golf work.

• See www.addingtoncourt-golfclub.co.uk for more details.

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