Sunningdale Golf Club — Old Course
Sunningdale, England, United Kingdom
18 Holes · Par 70 · GBP 275–350 · Heathland
— About
About Sunningdale Golf Club — Old Course
Sunningdale Golf Club's Old Course is the standard by which all heathland courses in England, and indeed the world, are measured. Laid out originally by Willie Park Jr. in 1900 on the sandy heathland of Berkshire just 25 miles southwest of central London, the course was subsequently revised and refined to near perfection by Harry Colt, who served as the club's secretary from 1901 to 1913 before going on to become one of golf's greatest architects. The result of their combined vision is a course of such balance, beauty, and strategic intelligence that it has remained essentially unchanged for over a century. The Old Course occupies a natural amphitheatre of silver birch trees, Scots pine, purple heather, and golden bracken that creates a landscape of exceptional beauty. The fairways are routed through woodland corridors that provide both shelter from wind and a constant visual delight as the light changes through the seasons. The soil is pure sand, which drains almost instantly after rain and produces the firm, fast playing conditions that the course's founders intended. Bobby Jones played a qualifying round here at the 1926 Open Championship and shot a 66 that was described at the time as the ideal round of golf — every hole played to its designated par or better with an economy of means that has never been forgotten. Jones called Sunningdale a perfect course, and the compliment has defined the club's reputation ever since. Jones's scorecard from that day is preserved in the clubhouse. The course plays to 6,568 yards from the back tees, a modest length by modern standards, but it demands placement and thought rather than power. The greens are among the best-kept and most subtly designed in England, and the natural vegetation punishes wayward shots with dense heather and bracken that can swallow a ball entirely. Sunningdale has hosted numerous major professional events including the European Open and, most recently, the AIG Women's Open Championship in 2023, which brought the course to a global audience for the first time in many years.
- Bobby Jones called Sunningdale a perfect course after his legendary 66 in the 1926 Open Championship qualifying round.
- Harry Colt's masterful revisions established a template for heathland design that architects have followed for over a century.
- The combination of silver birch, Scots pine, heather, and sandy fairways creates England's most beautiful inland landscape.
- Host of the 2023 AIG Women's Open Championship, confirming the Old Course's status as a major championship venue.
- Pure sand subsoil ensures exceptional drainage and firm, fast playing conditions on every hole throughout the year.
History
Sunningdale Golf Club was founded in 1900 when a group of London businessmen secured a lease on heathland adjoining Sunningdale station in Berkshire, commissioning Willie Park Jr. — the Musselburgh professional and son of the first Open Championship winner — to design the course. The opening coincided with a period of intense growth in golf's popularity among the Edwardian professional classes, and the club's proximity to London by train made it immediately fashionable. Harry Colt joined the club as secretary in 1901 and over the following decade made subtle but significant modifications that transformed Park's original design into a masterpiece of strategic variety. Colt would go on to design Wentworth, design revisions at Royal Liverpool and Royal Portrush, and collaborate on overseas projects, but Sunningdale is widely regarded as the course most closely associated with his genius. The club opened the New Course in 1923, also substantially shaped by Colt, giving the club two world-class layouts on the same property. The famous qualifying round by Bobby Jones in 1926 — in which he made 33 shots and 33 putts for a 66, hitting every fairway and every green in regulation — became shorthand for perfection in golf. Jones's scorecard was framed and has hung in the clubhouse ever since. The club has hosted the European Open, the Senior British Open, and the Walker Cup, and its 2023 hosting of the AIG Women's Open brought Sunningdale to a new generation of international audiences.
Signature Holes
The fourth hole is a par-4 of 395 yards that plays gently uphill through a tree-lined corridor to a plateau green, requiring a precise approach that must account for the fall-offs on either side. It is considered one of the finest par-4s in England. The tenth, a par-4 of 478 yards, is the most demanding hole on the course — a long, slight dogleg right where the second shot must carry a shallow ravine to reach a well-bunkered green. Bobby Jones's approach to this green on his famous 66 was reportedly one of the finest shots of the round. The fifteenth is a beautiful par-3 of 226 yards across a valley to an elevated green ringed by bunkers and heather, playing into the prevailing breeze and demanding a long, accurate iron. The closing stretch across the 16th, 17th, and 18th provides a stern finish worthy of the course's reputation.
Best Time to Visit
Sunningdale's sandy subsoil makes it playable throughout the year, but the heathland landscape is at its most spectacular in late summer and early autumn when the heather blooms purple and the bracken turns golden. August and September offer exceptional beauty alongside the best playing conditions. Spring rounds in April and May, when the gorse is in bright yellow flower and the birch trees are coming into leaf, are equally memorable. Summer can see the course playing very firm and fast, which rewards the running game and adds considerable intrigue to club selection. Avoid January and February unless you are comfortable with potentially cold and wet conditions.
Playing Tips
Sunningdale is a strictly private club and visitors can only play as guests of a member or through reciprocal arrangements with other elite clubs. There is no open visitor booking policy. Handicap certificates are required, typically limited to 20 for men and 28 for ladies. The course has a rigorous dress code including collared shirts, tailored trousers or shorts, and a prohibition on denim. The clubhouse is one of the finest in English golf, with an exceptional dining room overlooking the 18th green. The course is 25 miles from central London and accessible by train from London Waterloo to Sunningdale station, which is a short walk from the first tee.
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Visit Sunningdale Golf Club — Old Course
Sunningdale, England, United Kingdom
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Practical Information
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Sunningdale Golf Club — Old Course
Can the public play Sunningdale Old Course?
Sunningdale is a private members club and is not open to the general public for visitor bookings. Access for non-members is only possible as a guest of a member or through formal reciprocal arrangements between elite golf clubs. There is no walk-up or direct online booking option.
What is the connection between Bobby Jones and Sunningdale?
In 1926, Bobby Jones played a qualifying round at Sunningdale for the Open Championship and shot 66 — making 33 strokes and 33 putts, hitting every fairway and every green in regulation. It was described as the perfect round and Jones called Sunningdale a perfect course. His scorecard is preserved in the clubhouse.
What type of course is Sunningdale?
Sunningdale is a heathland course built on sandy soil in Berkshire. The landscape features silver birch, Scots pine, heather, and bracken, and the sandy subsoil provides exceptional drainage and firm, fast playing conditions that make it more similar in feel to a links course than most inland parkland layouts.
Has Sunningdale hosted major championships?
Yes. Sunningdale has hosted the European Open multiple times, the Senior British Open, the Walker Cup, and most recently the 2023 AIG Women's Open Championship, which was won by Lilia Vu. The club is one of England's most important major championship venues.
What is the Old Course versus the New Course at Sunningdale?
Sunningdale has two eighteen-hole courses on the same property. The Old Course, opened in 1900, is the more celebrated and historically significant of the two. The New Course, opened in 1923 and also substantially designed by Harry Colt, is considered one of England's finest courses in its own right, though it ranks slightly below the Old Course in global reputation.
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