Walton Heath Old Course
The grandest of the great Surrey heathlands, laid out high and exposed on open common where the heather runs to the horizon. Herbert Fowler's 1904 masterpiece plays with the firm, fast feel of a links carried inland, and its honours are immense: the 1981 Ryder Cup, the 2023 AIG Women's Open, and forty five years with James Braid as its professional. This is championship golf of the old, severe school.
Photo: Walton Heath Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
Walton Heath is heathland golf at its most muscular and most pure. Opened in 1904 to a design by Herbert Fowler, the Old Course sits high on exposed Surrey common, and that elevation gives it a wild, windswept quality the sheltered heathlands lack, with firm, fast running turf that plays far more like a links than its inland address suggests. The heather is the defining hazard, a sea of purple that swallows the wayward shot whole, and the par 72 stretches to about 7,331 yards from the championship tees.
Few inland courses carry honours like these. Walton Heath hosted the 1981 Ryder Cup, where a formidable United States side prevailed, staged the 2023 AIG Women's Open, and serves regularly as a final qualifying venue for the Open Championship. Add the fact that James Braid, five time Open champion, was the club professional here for more than four decades, and you have a course steeped in the game's history. For the golfer touring the Surrey and Berkshire heathland belt, Walton Heath is the big, serious, exhilarating examination at the heart of it.
Walton Heath Old at a glance
- Founded
- 1904
- Designer
- Herbert Fowler
- Type
- Heathland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,331 yds
- Green fee
- Around £250
The opening in 1904, the Herbert Fowler design, par 72 and a championship length of about 7,331 yards verified June 2026 from the club and course databases. Walton Heath hosted the 1981 Ryder Cup and the 2023 AIG Women's Open, and James Braid was its professional for more than forty years. The green fee is indicative, around 240 to 265 pounds for eighteen holes in high season 2026 depending on weekday or weekend. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Walton Heath is a test of ball striking from first to last, an open, exposed course where the wind has free rein and the heather punishes the smallest error of line. The fairways run firm and fast, demanding control of both flight and roll, and the bunkering, natural and rugged, is positioned to catch the very shots a good player is tempted to take on. There is little respite and no hiding place, which is exactly why the championships keep coming back.
The closing stretch is among the most demanding in English golf, a run of long, exposed holes where par is a fine score in any breeze and the heather waits on both sides of every drive. The greens are firm and true, asking for the approach flighted to hold, and the high ground means the wind can turn a routine hole into a genuine struggle in a single afternoon. Length helps here, but control and nerve matter more, the mark of a true championship heathland.
What lingers is the wild, open character of the place, more moor than manicured parkland, with the heather glowing purple in late summer and the sense of golf played on the roof of Surrey. Fowler built a course that has needed little change in more than a century, and walking it in the footsteps of James Braid and the Ryder Cup gives every round a weight of history that few inland courses can match.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A members club that welcomes visitors on weekdays and, after midday, at weekends; a working championship venue, so plan ahead |
| Green fee | Around 240 to 265 pounds for eighteen holes in high season 2026 depending on weekday or weekend (indicative), with the New course and day rates also available |
| Booking | Book well ahead, particularly in spring and summer and around qualifying and championship dates; weekday mornings offer the most availability |
| On the day | Walking course with caddies available; a dress code and handicap awareness expected; a handsome, historic clubhouse with deep Braid and Ryder Cup heritage |
| Getting there | At Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey, about forty minutes from central London and twenty from Gatwick, an easy pairing with Sunningdale, Wentworth and the heathland belt |
| Best months | April to October for the firmest turf and the heather in bloom; the exposed high ground means wind in every season |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the club; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with Walton Heath Golf Club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The Surrey and Berkshire heathland belt is best enjoyed from a base near Sunningdale or Ascot, within easy reach of Walton Heath, Wentworth, Sunningdale and the cluster of classic courses around them. From there a few days can take in the finest inland golf in England, with London close enough for an evening in town.
For luxury, the country house hotels of the Surrey hills and the Ascot area offer characterful bases a short drive from the first tee, while central London is only forty minutes away by road or rail. Both Heathrow and Gatwick are close, making the heathland belt one of the easiest great golf regions in the world to reach.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts across Surrey and the Berkshire heathland belt.
Play Walton Heath and the heathland belt
We build Surrey and Berkshire heathland trips around Walton Heath, Sunningdale and Wentworth, secure the tee times that are hardest to get and sort a base near Sunningdale with the transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Walton Heath Old questions
Who designed Walton Heath's Old Course?
The Old Course at Walton Heath was designed by Herbert Fowler and opened in 1904. It has needed remarkably little change since, a testament to the quality of Fowler's routing across the high Surrey heath. James Braid, the five time Open champion, was the club professional here for more than four decades.
What is the par and length of the Old Course?
The Old Course is a par 72 that stretches to about 7,331 yards from the championship tees. The defence is the exposed, windswept high ground, the firm fast running turf and the thick heather, which together make it play far tougher than the yardage alone suggests.
Has Walton Heath hosted major championships?
Yes. Walton Heath hosted the 1981 Ryder Cup, staged the 2023 AIG Women's Open, and serves regularly as a final qualifying venue for the Open Championship. It is one of the most decorated inland courses in England.
How much does it cost to play Walton Heath?
Indicative 2026 visitor green fees are around 240 to 265 pounds for eighteen holes in high season, depending on weekday or weekend, with the New course and day rates also available. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Where is Walton Heath and what is nearby?
Walton Heath sits at Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey, about forty minutes from central London and twenty from Gatwick. It pairs naturally with Sunningdale, Wentworth and the rest of the Surrey and Berkshire heathland belt on an inland golf trip.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.