The Course

Walton Heath sits on a high plateau of the North Downs with no tree cover between the fairways and the sky — which means that what the wind does to this course is entirely different to what it does at Wentworth or Sunningdale, where the pines offer some measure of shelter. Here the gusts come unimpeded across open heathland of heather and bracken, and the golfer must account for them on every shot.

The Old Course was designed by Herbert Fowler in 1904 and is among the finest of his — and any designer’s — achievements in English golf. The layout stretches to over 7,400 yards from the back tees and plays to a par of 73, but it is the quality of the individual holes rather than the length that defines the experience. Each hole has a clear problem to solve, a correct line to play, and a genuine penalty for failure to execute. There is nothing arbitrary about Walton Heath Old; every bunker is precisely positioned, every green angled to reward the correct approach.

The 1981 Ryder Cup was played at Walton Heath — the last time the matches were played on a course other than The Belfry, Valderrama, or the K Club for many years — and the Old Course acquitted itself magnificently. Several European Tour events have also called it home. The New Course, also by Fowler, is shorter and arguably more accessible but equally rewarding.

The Club & Access

Unlike Wentworth and Sunningdale, Walton Heath does accept visiting societies and individual visitors on weekdays — making it one of the more accessible of Surrey’s elite heathland courses. The welcome is proper and the clubhouse well-appointed. Green fees reflect the quality of what is on offer.