Golf, a deceptively straightforward sport glorifying dexterity, precision, and grace, is a prestigious game in Britain. A popular sport in the upper echelons of British society, the country is home to a major chunk of the world’s golf courses. England has the highest number of golf fairways in Europe, with 1,872 courses.
The first ever 18-hole course was built in St. Andrews, a town in Scotland, which significantly moulded the trajectory of the game. Moreover, the world's oldest golf championship, known as the “British Open,” took place in the country in 1860, thus placing golf on the global stage. As such, Britain has an age-old bond with golf that is unlikely to be altered anytime soon.
Surrey, a county in south-west England, hosts 5% of the state’s golf courses. The county boasts a prolific history with the sport. There are more than 100 golf clubs affiliated with the Surrey Golf Union. It was in Surrey that women were empowered to play golf – in 1929, Surrey Women's Golf was founded, a union that nurtures over 7,000 female players today.
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Wentworth, Virginia Water
Set in Virginia Water, Wentworth is one of the UK's most affluent golf courses. It hosted the iconic 1953 Ryder Cup match between the USA and Great Britain.
Established in 1922, the picturesque game field comprises three handsome courses, a tennis club, and a spa. Several Victorian estates line the sweeping Virginia greens, many unabashedly draped in crimson rhododendrons.
Wentworth’s crown jewel, however, is its castle, a showstopper that greets fellow golfers pulling up to the course, in all its regal splendour. Built in 1805 for the Duke of Wellington, the baroque structure now serves as a clubhouse with an exclusive bar, a pro store, private cocktail lounges, and deluxe suites.
An illustrious playground of the wealthy and well-known, Sir Elton John once called the Wentworth estate his home.
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St. George's Hill Golf Club, Weybridge
A fashionably lavish golf course with royal roots, St. George’s Hill is a magnificent fairway set in the hills of Weybridge.
A quintessential heathland course, this golf club stands out for its boastfully curvaceous hills, meandering, rising, and falling dramatically like a rollercoaster. As such, the game on this course is particularly challenging yet incredibly rewarding.
Built in 1913 by eminent architect Harry Colt, the golf course is designed with 27 holes, spread across nine holes in three loops named Red, Blue, and Green.
A stately red-brick clubhouse makes a grand entrance, exquisitely designed in the 1920s vogue. It is outfitted with an elegant bar that is embellished with historical newspaper cuttings and a comely terrace offering breathtaking views of Surrey's countryside. There’s also a quaint dining room overlooking the vivacious courses, furnishing English culinary masterpieces for worn-out players.
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Hankley Common Golf Club, Farnham
Sprawling a heathland rich in heather and pine, Hankley Common Golf Club has been touted as “one of the very finest inland courses” in the country.
Founded in 1897 on an 850-acre heathland, Hankley Common is an 18-hole golf course spanning 164 acres. It measures 6,909 yards, with a par of 71. The designer, James Braid, manicured an impressive layout bound to challenge a player’s swing. The par threes, specifically the 7th and 11th, are quite formidable, measuring 400 yards.
Hankley Common’s clubhouse is a heavenly retreat, perched in moors of immodest shrubbery. It is fitted with a purple-speckled dining room, a sophisticated members’ lounge, and a terrace presenting awe-inspiring views of the heath and the Farnham countryside beyond.
Hankley Common has been playing host to the Regional Qualifying for the Open every year since 1984.
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Walton Heath (Old and New), Tadworth
First opened in 1904, Walton Heath comprises two golf courses. It has an honourable history, as it was eminent golf player and designer James Braid’s home turf – he won five Opens and remained affiliated with the club for 54 years. Walton Heath was also Winston Churchill’s playground.
With a combined hole count of 36, the Old course measures 7,400 yards off the trees' backs, and the New course spans 7,200 yards when stretched fully. The Walton Heath Old Course has consistently featured in the World’s Top 100 rankings since the inception of the rankings in 1938. The New course, which shares the same heathland as the Old, has earned its place in the UK and Ireland’s Top 50 courses for more than ten years. The courses also share an avant-garde pro shop and an elaborate clubhouse with dining rooms and cocktail patios.
Walton Heath hosted the US Open qualifying, the 2018 British Masters, and the 1981 Ryder Cup.
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Queenwood Golf Club, Ottershaw
Reposing in the Ottershaw countryside is Queenwood Golf Club, one of the country’s most exclusive, impenetrable golf clubs. Highly secretive about their amenities, green fees, and members, one needs official login credentials to peruse their website. Rumour has it that the initiation sum for new members is £200,000 and the annual membership fee is about £8,000.
Queenwood was designed by David McLay Kidd, a designer with an impressive reputation in the golfing industry. The club was established in 2001, measuring 6,800 yards with a par of 72 and 18 holes.
It has been speculated that Queenwood has a large American membership, many of whom may be from the film industry or financial sector.
New Zealand, Addlestone
Established in 1895, New Zealand has risen to become a prime golfing haunt in the past few decades.
The estate was originally part of the Royal Forest of Windsor and only became a sanctioned common in the 18th century. Acquired by the Locke King family, the estate is named so owing to their personal links with the colony. The sweeping greens flaunt a wealth of heather and pine trees that dance blithely in Surrey’s warm winds.
The 18-hole parkland course measures 6184 yards with a par of 70. It was designed by Samuel Fergusson, a former elite player and captain of the R&A.
Worplesdon Golf Club, Woking
A typical Surrey heathland course, the Worplesdon Golf Club was established in 1908 by J. F. Abercromby.
The 18-hole course is relatively modest in size, measuring about 6,500 yards. The idyllic course has been lauded for its remarkable layout over the years. The 500 World’s Greatest Golf Holes guide elaborated on Worplesdon’s 11th, a 520-yard par five: “Surrounded by brilliant heathland, this interesting hole has seen its challenges change with the times, but its supreme strategic character remains.”
According to Top 100 Golf Courses, “par threes at Worplesdon are especially strong.” The publication cited the 175-yard 13th as their favourite, owing to its verdant milieu.
Worplesdon Golf Club’s enchanting clubhouse is straight out of a fairytale, with its cottage-core aesthetic and rustic simplicity. Golfers are treated to traditional English grub and pints with romantic views of the fairway.
West Hill, Woking
West Hill is a pristine heathland course, designed by its first professional, Cuthbert Butchart. Since its establishment in 1907, it has largely remained unchanged.
The 18-hole course measures 6,350 yards. Its compactness and unique mapping of the holes offer immense testing challenges, with merely two par fives and a small par of 69. Mastering a game here requires special technique. According to Top 100 Golf Courses, “the key to scoring well at West Hill is the successful negotiation of the five short holes,” such as the 15th. The 15th has gained notoriety after golf maestro Henry Cotton proclaimed that it was the best short hole in all of Britain – he holds the West Hill course record of 67.
The West Hill golf course has played host to the Father and Son Foursomes Tournament since its inception in 1931.
Woking, Woking
Woking is Surrey’s prized golfing heathland jewel, ranked 18th in England and 77th in the world by the latest Golf World Top 100 rankings. It is the first of Surrey’s celebrated “3Ws” (a W-trident tying together Surrey’s most beloved golf courses: Woking and the aforementioned Worplesdon and West Hill.).
The 18-hole course was built in 1893. Spanning a mere 6,602 yards off the back, the tees are precisely laid out. With the rolling hills and tufts of heather, one is in for a challenge at this golf course. It starts with a straightforward opener, a 280-yard par four, and becomes progressively more strenuous.
Competitions of note have been hosted on the grounds of the Woking Golf Club, such as the Alba Trophy, the Bernard Darwin and Gerald Micklem trophies, the Bath Cup, and the Scrutton Cup.
The pavilion-fashioned clubhouse is soaked in sun-kissed hues and fringed in woodland greens. Linksmen can indulge in a high-end afternoon tea while gazing at the verdant 14th.
Surrey, dotted with exalted golf clubs and luscious heathlands, holds immense promise for golf aficionados. Home to illustrious golf pros and custodians of an impressive legacy, there’s no better place to play the glorious sport. It’s time to master your stroke and head to Surrey’s legendary golf courses.
