Sunningdale Golf Club
9.7/10
9.6/10
9.6/10
5.8/10
8.2/10
9.4/10
The Old Course
Willie Park Jr designed the Old Course in 1900 on sandy Surrey heathland that drains perfectly, holds its condition year-round, and produces the finest playing surfaces in English golf. The result — refined by Harry Colt who added the New Course in 1923 — is a layout of such natural elegance that it appears never to have been designed at all, but rather discovered, as if the course had always existed within the landscape and simply needed someone to reveal it.
The Old Course plays to 6,341 yards and a par of 70 — compact by modern championship standards, but the routing is so intelligent and the ground so alive with movement that length is never the point. The heather and bracken that frame every fairway are not merely decorative; they are genuinely penal, and the premium on accuracy is as high as on any course in Britain. The greens are among the finest in the world — consistent, fast, and subtly contoured in ways that only reveal themselves after multiple visits.
Bobby Jones played what he considered his finest ever round at Sunningdale Old in the 1926 Open qualifier — a 66 of such perfection that it was described as the ideal round of golf. Walking the same fairways is an experience that carries genuine historical weight.
The New Course
Harry Colt’s New Course, opened in 1923, operates in the shadow of its more famous sibling but deserves equal reverence. Longer than the Old at 6,648 yards and par 71, the New is a more muscular test with wilder heathland character — the rough is denser, the carries more demanding, and the overall impression is of a course slightly less refined but equally demanding. Many Sunningdale members rank it the equal of the Old on its day.
The Club
Sunningdale is one of the most admired private members’ clubs in the world — the atmosphere is civilised and unhurried, the clubhouse beautifully appointed and the catering genuinely excellent. Access is via member introduction, and the experience of being hosted at Sunningdale for a day on both courses is among the finest golf can offer anywhere.
- Play both courses on the same day if the invitation allows — the contrast is as instructive as it is enjoyable
- The Old Course is at its finest in summer on firm ground — the autumn is also exceptional for colour
- The greens on the Old are among the fastest in English golf — lag putting from distance is essential
- Stay at Great Fosters or Pennyhill Park for a complete Surrey Golf & Spa Break
- The heather in late August is spectacular — arguably the most beautiful the course looks all year
- Sunningdale is one of the top five courses in England by most informed assessments — treat it accordingly
Great Fosters, Egham
A Grade I listed Tudor mansion with exceptional spa, set within the Surrey Green Belt and minutes from Sunningdale. For partners who want luxury and history while golf is being played, Great Fosters is the ideal base — outstanding gardens, spa treatments and dining of real quality.