Walton Heath Old

About the course

The Old course at Walton Heath runs across high, open heathland near Tadworth in Surrey, on the North Downs south of London. Trees are scarce on the heath, so the holes are shaped by heather and sand rather than woodland, and the wind moves across the property more freely than on almost any other inland course in the region.

The club was founded in 1903 after Sir Cosmo Bonsor asked his brother-in-law, Herbert Fowler, to consider the heath as a site for golf. The Old opened in 1904, a second course followed in 1907, and Fowler went on to design widely in Britain and the United States. In the early years the club became a gathering place for politicians, with David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, Bonar Law and Arthur Balfour all members. Its tournament record also includes five editions of the European Open between 1978 and 1991, the Senior Open in 2011 and, every year since 2005, a qualifying event for the US Open.

From the championship tees the Old stretches beyond 7,400 yards, though most visitors play it from forward markers. With little shelter, the strength and direction of the wind can change the character of a hole from one round to the next, and a club that is right in the morning may be two clubs wrong after lunch. Fowler’s bunkers sit at the edges of the landing areas and close to the greens, so a running approach has to be judged carefully, and the putting surfaces quicken noticeably in dry weather.

Why we recommend it

Walton Heath Old is the closest thing to a links you will find near London, with firm, running fairways and thick heather in place of trees. It asks for accurate positioning rather than power, and the heather punishes anyone who strays. The club has a rich tournament history, including the Ryder Cup and the Women’s Open, and James Braid was its professional for decades. About 25 miles from central London, it pairs naturally with the New course on the same heath.

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