Sunningdale New Course: 2026 Update
Harry Colt's New Course is the tougher, quieter half of the great Sunningdale double, a heathland test that many regular visitors come to prefer. Here is where it stands in 2026, the day ticket worth planning around, and how to book it.
The news: the day ticket is the smart 2026 play
The New Course at Sunningdale opened in 1923, designed by Harry Colt on the higher heathland beside the celebrated Old, and it has spent a century being underrated next to its famous neighbour. There is no renovation news for 2026 and none needed: the story here is access, and the most useful thing a visitor can know is that Sunningdale offers a day ticket covering both courses in a single visit.
For a traveling golfer that changes the calculation. A single round on either course is a premium ticket, but the day option lets you experience both Colt's New and the Old back to back, which is the only way to settle the long running debate over which is the better course. In 2026, planning around the day ticket is the smart way to play one of the great heathland addresses in golf.
The course, and the New versus Old debate
The New plays as a par 70 of roughly 6,729 yards, and where the Old charms with its tumbling, tree lined beauty, the New is the sterner test from the tee: fewer bunkers but tighter fairways, more exposed heather and longer carries, with a strong, demanding finish across open heathland. It is the course that rewards accurate driving and punishes the loose shot, and many who play both come away preferring it.
Together with the Old Course it forms one of the finest 36 hole clubs anywhere, the heart of the Surrey and Berkshire heathland belt that also holds Swinley Forest and Walton Heath. For the hole by hole detail and the facts box, see the full Sunningdale New Course profile.
How to play it in 2026
Visitors can book the New on most days outside members' times and competitions, with the option of a day ticket to add the Old. Players must hold a valid handicap index, with the club's stated maximums in recent seasons of 18.4 for men and 24.4 for ladies, so check current requirements when you book. The heathland is at its best from late spring through autumn, firm and fast in high summer and glorious when the heather is in color.
Summer 2026 green fees are indicative and premium, around three hundred and twenty five pounds for a single round on either course and materially more for the both courses day ticket, so treat any figure as a guide and always confirm directly before booking. Sunningdale's position west of London makes it easy to combine with the rest of the heathland belt on a short trip. For more, see our ranked best heathland courses in England and the Surrey and Berkshire heathland guide.
Our take
Our take is that the New deserves to be played on its own terms rather than treated as the warm up to the Old. It is a tougher, more exacting course, and the contrast between the two is exactly why a Sunningdale day is one of the best in English golf. Skip it and you only see half of what makes the club special.
For 2026 the advice is to book the day ticket, play the New and the Old in the same visit, and go in high summer or early autumn when the heathland is at its firmest and most colorful. It is a premium day, but few clubs in the world offer two courses of this quality on a single piece of ground.
Plan your Surrey heathland golf trip
From the Sunningdale New and Old to Swinley Forest and Walton Heath, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, working the right channels, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed the Sunningdale New Course and when did it open?
The New Course at Sunningdale was designed by Harry Colt and opened in 1923, laid out on the higher heathland beside the older Willie Park Junior course. It plays as a par 70 of roughly 6,729 yards, with fewer bunkers than the Old but tighter fairways, more heather and longer carries, making it the sterner driving test of the two.
Can visitors play the Sunningdale New Course in 2026?
Yes. Visitors can book the New Course on most days outside members' times and competitions, and a day ticket lets you play both the New and the Old in a single visit. Players must hold a valid handicap index, with the club's stated maximums in recent seasons of 18.4 for men and 24.4 for ladies. Always check current requirements when booking.
How much does it cost to play Sunningdale in 2026?
Summer 2026 green fees are indicative and premium: around three hundred and twenty five pounds for a single round on either course, with a day ticket for both courses materially higher. Fees move with season and demand, so treat any figure as a guide and always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, design credits and 2026 access details verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; the New Course was designed by Harry Colt and opened in 1923, and the club offers a day ticket covering both courses. Conditions, access and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.