5 Day Surrey Heathland Golf Itinerary
The Surrey and Berkshire heathland is the finest concentration of inland golf in the world, a belt of heather, silver birch and fast sandy turf within a short drive of London. Five days is the sweet spot, enough to play the headline courses without a single long transfer. Here is a day by day plan around Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath, St George's Hill and Swinley Forest, with drive times, the booking realities and where to stay.
Photo: Sunningdale Golf Club via Google, contributor Mark Glithero.
Who this trip suits
This is a trip for golfers who want classical architecture over resort gloss, and who will happily trade a sea view for the strategic genius of Colt, Park and Fowler. The courses sit close together, so there is no touring fatigue and no internal flights, just short drives between rounds through some of the prettiest commuter countryside in England. It works beautifully as a buddies trip, a milestone celebration or a serious architecture pilgrimage, and it pairs naturally with a few nights in London at either end.
The one thing to plan early is access. Most of these clubs are private and take visitors on set days, several with handicap requirements, and the best of them book out a season ahead. Fix your marquee rounds first, then arrange the rest of the week around them. The plan below assumes a logical loop with a single base, which keeps the driving short and the logistics simple.
The 5 day plan
Sunningdale, Old Course
Open with the spiritual home of heathland golf. The Old Course by Willie Park Junior is the pilgrimage, all heather, pine and that famous tree on the eighteenth, and a both courses in a day ticket lets you add Harry Colt's New Course if your legs allow. Visitors play weekdays with a handicap limit, so this is the round to lock in first. Arrive early for the short game area and the celebrated halfway hut.
Wentworth, West Course
A fifteen minute drive away, the West Course is the home of the BMW PGA Championship and a sterner, more wooded test than the heathland purists' favourites, with water guarding the closing holes. It is the most famous name on the trip and a thrill to play the course you have watched on television. Book ahead, as tournament weeks and member events close the diary, and confirm current visitor green fees directly.
Walton Heath, Old Course
Swap counties for the wide open heath of Surrey's downs. Herbert Fowler's Old Course is bigger, bolder and more exposed than the wooded Sunningdale belt, a Ryder Cup and Open final qualifying venue that plays firm and windswept on its high ground. It is many travelling golfers' favourite of the week. Pair it with the New Course if you want thirty six holes in a single big day on the heath.
St George's Hill
Back west to one of Colt's masterpieces, a dramatic, tumbling layout cut through pine and heather among some of the most expensive real estate in Britain. The elevation changes and the routing make it a thrilling, photogenic round, indicatively around 240 pounds for a weekday in the high season. Visitors play weekdays with a handicap, so slot it into the midweek and confirm current fees directly before booking.
Swinley Forest
Close with the most intimate and exclusive round of the trip. Colt called Swinley Forest the least bad course he ever built, a typically modest verdict on a short, strategic gem of par 3s and clever angles set deep in the pines. Access is by invitation or arrangement rather than a public tee sheet, so it is the round most worth handing to a planner. If a Swinley time is out of reach, The Berkshire's Red and Blue courses make a superb alternative finish.
Drive times and logistics
| Leg | Indicative drive |
|---|---|
| Heathrow Airport to Sunningdale area | Around 30 to 45 minutes |
| Sunningdale to Wentworth | Around 15 minutes |
| Wentworth to Walton Heath | Around 40 to 50 minutes |
| Walton Heath to St George's Hill | Around 30 minutes |
| St George's Hill to Swinley Forest | Around 30 minutes |
| Base to central London | Around 45 to 75 minutes by car or train |
Drive times are indicative and traffic dependent. A car is the practical way to link these clubs. Green fees and visitor days change, so always confirm directly before booking. Find places to stay near the heathland.
Where to stay and how to play it
One base serves the whole trip. The Sunningdale, Ascot and Virginia Water triangle keeps you minutes from the western courses and within an easy run of Walton Heath and St George's Hill, with Pennyhill Park near Bagshot and a range of country house hotels and inns nearby. Stay put for five nights, take a car, and let the days flex around confirmed tee times rather than a rigid order. If you would rather mix golf with the city, a London base with a hire car works too, though the morning drive out to a tee time argues for staying closer to the courses.
Plan your Surrey heathland trip
We secure the marquee tee times, including the clubs that take visitors only by arrangement, set the order to keep the driving short and sort the stay and the car. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Surrey heathland trip questions
How many days do you need for the Surrey heathland?
Five playing days lets you take in the headline courses, Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath, St George's Hill and Swinley Forest, without rushing, since they all sit within a short drive of one another on the Surrey and Berkshire border. A tighter three day trip can cover the three you most want to play, while a week leaves room for The Berkshire, Woking, West Hill and Worplesdon as well.
How much does a Surrey heathland golf trip cost in 2026?
Green fees are the big variable. Marquee rounds carry premium prices, with Sunningdale's Old Course indicatively around 395 pounds and St George's Hill near 240 pounds for a weekday round in the high season, while several fine clubs sit lower. As a rough guide, budget the green fees plus a comfortable hotel and a car, and expect a five day trip to run into several thousand pounds per head once the best courses are included. Always confirm current fees directly before booking.
When is the best time to play the Surrey heathland?
Late spring and early autumn are the sweet spots, when the heather colours, the sandy turf runs firm and fast and the courses look their best. These are also the most requested weeks at the members clubs, so book early and stay flexible on exact days. Summer is busy and lovely, while winter offers quieter tee sheets and lower rates with softer ground.
Do you need handicaps for the Surrey heathland clubs?
Several of the best clubs are private and ask visitors to hold a current handicap and to play on set visitor days, and some, such as Sunningdale, set a maximum index and check a certificate at sign in. Plan the trip around each club's visitor rules and have everyone's handicap details ready, which a trip planner can confirm and arrange for you.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative green fees and drive times verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.