Wentworth West Course
The most famous parkland and heathland test in England, the West Course at Wentworth was laid out by Harry Colt in 1926 and reborn under Ernie Els in a renovation completed in 2017. Home of the BMW PGA Championship and the spiritual headquarters of European golf, it is a private club where play is reserved for members and their guests.
Photo: Wentworth Club via Google, contributor Mark Ren.
The verdict
Wentworth's West Course is the grand old stage of English tournament golf, a tree lined Harry Colt design from 1926 that has hosted the BMW PGA Championship and its forerunners for decades. Between 2016 and 2017 the club's champion in residence, Ernie Els, working with European Golf Design, carried out a thorough renovation, rebuilding every green with modern sub air systems, reshaping bunkers and refining the strategy, so the West now combines its classic Burma Road character with a championship surface and finish.
It is not a course you can simply pay a green fee to play. Wentworth is a private members club in the Surrey pines at Virginia Water, and visitors play only as the guest of a member, so for the travelling golfer it is more often a tournament to watch than a tee time to book. We profile it because it is one of the defining venues in the game, and because it anchors the celebrated Surrey heathland belt that includes Sunningdale and Wentworth's own East and Edinburgh courses.
Wentworth West Course at a glance
- Opened
- 1926
- Designer
- Harry Colt; Ernie Els renovation 2017
- Type
- Heathland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,284 yds
- Access
- Members and guests
Designer, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the club and course databases; the West Course was laid out by Harry Colt in 1926 and renovated by Ernie Els Design with European Golf Design, completed in 2017. It plays around 7,284 yards, par 72, and hosts the BMW PGA Championship. Wentworth is a private members club; there are no public visitor green fees, and play is reserved for members and their guests. Always confirm access directly before planning.
The holes worth the trip
The West is known as the Burma Road, a long, demanding journey through avenues of pine, oak and birch on the Surrey heath, with out of bounds threatening the wayward and the famous closing par 5s offering both reward and ruin. The Els renovation kept that essential character while modernising the greens, which now hold and roll at championship pace thanks to the sub air systems installed beneath them, the first of their kind in England.
The closing stretch is the part most golf fans know by heart. The seventeenth and eighteenth, both reachable par 5s, have decided countless BMW PGA Championships, tempting players to go for the green in two with water and bunkers waiting, and they produce drama on the final afternoon almost every year. It is a finish built for grandstands and roars.
Add the manicured Surrey setting, the sense of history and the quality of the rebuilt surfaces and the West stands as one of the most polished championship tests in the country, even if, for most of us, it is admired from the ropes rather than the fairway.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club; play is reserved for members and their accompanied guests, with no public green fees |
| Guest fee | Paid by the inviting member and seasonal, indicatively from around 195 pounds in winter to about 360 pounds in summer in 2026, often including a caddie (indicative) |
| Booking | Through a member only; there is no public tee time route to the West Course |
| On the day | Walking with caddies; a grand clubhouse and the East and Edinburgh courses also on the estate |
| Getting there | Virginia Water, Surrey, close to the M25 and about forty minutes from central London |
| Best month to visit | September, when the BMW PGA Championship brings the West Course to life for spectators |
Access and indicative guest fees verified June 2026 from the club and public sources; Wentworth is private and figures change by season and year, so always confirm access and any guest arrangements directly before planning. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
There is no resort accommodation on the estate, so visitors to the area, whether playing the heathland courses nearby or attending the BMW PGA Championship, tend to base themselves around Virginia Water, Ascot, Windsor or Sunningdale, all within a short drive and well supplied with hotels and country inns. Central London is close enough for a city base too.
For golf you can actually book, the Surrey and Berkshire heathland belt around Wentworth is one of the richest in the world, with Sunningdale's two courses, Swinley Forest, The Berkshire and Walton Heath all within easy reach, so a heathland week here is a glorious alternative to chasing a guest invitation to the West.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Virginia Water and Sunningdale.
Plan a Surrey heathland golf trip
We build heathland weeks around the Surrey and Berkshire belt, arrange the courses you can book such as Sunningdale and The Berkshire and advise on watching the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Wentworth West questions
Who designed the Wentworth West Course?
The West Course was laid out by the great architect Harry Colt in 1926. Between 2016 and 2017 it was extensively renovated by Ernie Els Design, the club's champion in residence, working with European Golf Design, who rebuilt every green with sub air systems, reshaped the bunkering and refined the strategy while keeping the famous Burma Road character.
What is the par and length of the West Course?
The West Course plays as a par 72 of around 7,284 yards for championship play, with the members' card sometimes listing the opening hole as a par 5 for a par of 73. Its defence is the tree lined corridors, the out of bounds and the rebuilt greens, which run at championship pace.
Can the public play Wentworth West Course?
No. Wentworth is a private members club, and the West Course is reserved for members and their accompanied guests. There are no public visitor green fees, so the only ways to play are to join the club or to be invited as the guest of a member. For most travelling golfers it is a tournament to watch rather than a tee time to book.
How much does it cost to play Wentworth as a guest?
Guest fees are paid by the inviting member and vary by season, indicatively from around 195 pounds in winter to about 360 pounds in summer in 2026, often including a caddie. There is no public rate. Fees change by season and year, so any member arranging a guest round should confirm current rates directly with the club.
What tournament does Wentworth West host?
The West Course is the long standing home of the BMW PGA Championship, one of the flagship events of the DP World Tour, usually played in September. The dramatic closing par 5s, the seventeenth and eighteenth, have decided many editions and make the West one of the most recognisable finishes in European golf.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; access and indicative guest fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.