Woking Golf Club

About the course

Woking Golf Club lies on sandy heathland just west of the Surrey town that gives it its name, with heather, pine and birch lining the holes. It is the oldest of the Surrey heathland courses, founded in 1893 by a group of London barristers from the Inner and Middle Temple who wanted a course within easy reach of the capital.

Tom Dunn produced the original layout, but the course owes its personality to two members, John Low and Stuart Paton, who reworked it from 1901 onwards. Their alterations angered many members at first, because a hazard placed on the ideal line penalised poor judgement rather than simply a bad stroke. The idea spread, and their work inspired another member, Tom Simpson, to take up course design himself. Bernard Darwin and Roger Wethered were among the noted amateurs linked with the club, and in 1926 a British amateur society beat the visiting American Walker Cup team here in a practice match.

At a little over 6,600 yards from the back tees, Woking is modest in length, and its examination is one of placement. The 2nd is a long par 3 played across a valley, and the 3rd climbs to a bowl-shaped green. Low and Paton’s green complexes reach their peak early on the back nine, where the 12th and 13th have putting surfaces broken into distinct sections by ridges and a gully, so finishing on the wrong tier can cost a shot. In dry summers the turf runs firm, which makes approaches harder to stop close to the flag.

Why we recommend it

Woking is where strategic golf design in England took shape, and it still plays like a lesson in angles, with bunkers set in the middle of fairways and the railway running beside the famous 4th. The greens are its main defence, so it rewards a thoughtful short game more than power. Visitors need a handicap of 24 or better for men and 30 for women, and some weekdays are kept for two-balls and foursomes. Jacket and tie are expected in the dining room.

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