Sunningdale Old Course
The course that taught the world what inland golf could be. Willie Park Jr laid out the Old on the heather and sand of the Surrey and Berkshire border in 1901, Harry Colt grew it into the most admired parkland heathland in the game, and well over a century later it still sets the standard. Bobby Jones called his qualifying round here in 1926 as near perfect as he ever played.
Photo: Sunningdale Golf Club via Google, contributor Mark Glithero.
The verdict
If you play one inland course in England, the wise money sends you here. Willie Park Jr routed the Old in 1901 across heather, sand and pine, and Harry Colt, the club's first secretary, spent the next two decades softening it, planting trees and turning a bare heath into the warm, enclosed cathedral of golf we know today. The result is a par 70 of around 6,627 yards that has nothing to do with brute length and everything to do with charm, strategy and the most beautiful walk in English golf.
It is a private members club, so a round here is a privilege rather than a transaction, and that is exactly the point. You come for the famous halfway hut, the towering oak behind the 18th green, and a sequence of holes so natural they feel grown rather than built. For the travelling golfer building a Surrey and Berkshire heathland week, Sunningdale Old is the round the whole trip is organised around.
Sunningdale Old at a glance
- Opened
- 1901
- Designer
- Willie Park Jr
- Refined by
- Harry Colt
- Type
- Heathland
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- 6,627 yds
- Green fee
- Around £325
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the club and leading course databases. The green fee is indicative, around 325 pounds for a summer round on the Old in the 2026 season, with day rates available to play the Old and the New together. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Old opens gently and then begins to sing. The par 5 first eases you in, but it is the run from the 5th onward, where the course climbs and the heather closes in, that you remember. The short par 4 holes are masterclasses in temptation, daring you to take on the corner over the sand and the scrub when discretion leaves a simple wedge.
The par 3s are among the best collection on any inland course, played to greens that sit on natural shelves and fall away from anything overhit. Club selection is everything; the ball that finishes pin high and below the hole is the one that scores. The famous halfway hut sits between the 9th and 10th, a small wooden landmark that every visiting golfer photographs.
It closes with one of the great finishing holes in English golf, a par 5 that sweeps down to a green guarded by the vast oak tree that has become the club's emblem. There is no water, no manufactured drama, just heather, sand, fir and an examination of strategy that has never needed updating. You leave understanding why architects have studied this course for more than a hundred years.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members club; visitors welcome on weekdays by prior arrangement, away from member competitions |
| Green fee | Around 325 pounds for a summer round on the Old, with day rates to play the Old and the New together (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | Reserve well ahead through the club office; a handicap certificate is expected |
| On the day | A walking course; caddies and forecaddies can be arranged with notice. Smart traditional dress |
| Getting there | Sunningdale, on the Surrey and Berkshire border, a short drive from the M25 and around 40 minutes from Heathrow |
| Best months | May to October, with the heather in bloom in late summer |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with Sunningdale or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The heathland belt is compact, so a single well chosen base puts a dozen great courses within half an hour. Ascot and Sunningdale village offer country house hotels a few minutes from the gates, ideal if the Old is the centrepiece of your trip and you want to walk in for breakfast before the round.
Many visiting golfers prefer to base themselves toward Windsor or along the M25 corridor, trading a slightly longer drive for more choice and easy reach of Wentworth, Swinley Forest and the wider Surrey and Berkshire cluster. Heathrow is close enough that you can land, settle in and tee off the same afternoon.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Sunningdale.
Build a heathland week
We pair Sunningdale Old with Wentworth, Swinley Forest and the best of the Surrey and Berkshire sand belt, secure the visitor times in the right order and handle the country house hotel and transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Sunningdale Old questions
Who designed Sunningdale Old Course and when did it open?
The Old Course was designed by Willie Park Jr and opened for play in 1901. Harry Colt, the club's first secretary, reshaped and softened it over the following years, planting much of the heather, pine and birch that frame the course today. It became known as the Old after the New Course opened in 1923.
What is the par and length of Sunningdale Old?
It is a par 70 heathland course measuring around 6,627 yards from the back tees. Length has never been its defence. Angles, the tilt of the greens and the heather off the fairway are what protect the card.
How much does it cost to play Sunningdale Old?
Indicative visitor green fees in the 2026 summer season run to around 325 pounds for a round on the Old, with day rates available to combine the Old and the New. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
Can visitors play Sunningdale Old?
Yes, on a limited basis. Sunningdale is a private members club that accepts visitors on weekdays by prior arrangement, usually away from member competition times. A handicap certificate and advance booking through the office are expected.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.