Walton Heath New

Played 3rd July 2025

Given the fact that Walton Heath is only a 25 minute drive away from my house down a lovely stretch of B road, I end up playing as a visitor several times a year. Despite the frequency, for some unknown reason, there is something very special to me about playing at Walton Heath, and I have always tried to put my finger on it despite the fact that from an objective golfing standpoint, I can totally understand why people would rate some of the neighbouring Surrey gems such as Sunningdale and Swinley Forest higher on the list. Obviously there is the historical aspect, having been the site of the 1981 Ryder Cup and several highly prestigious tournaments since. But honestly, I think it is as simple as not getting the chance to play it until well into my foray of the upper echelons of British golf courses, which allowed it to build a level of reverence in my head that has remained unchanged to this day, 10 years later.

From a golfing perspective, there are certainly obvious and glaring drawbacks, and maybe if I didn’t have permanent rose tintned glasses on when I visit then I would care a bit more about these misgivings, because I know if it was any other courses, any of these things would be a major nuisance:

The clubhouse (and the first hole of the old course) is on one side of a major road, and the rest of the 35 holes are on the other. With no actual pedestrian safe crossings in place, this feels more like a member size management system than anything else
The driving range is a good 5-10 minute walk away, but not just across the busy road, but also through a random football field and some bushes
Due to restrictions on building anything on the Heath itself, there are no sources of refreshments anywhere on the course. Sprinkled are some huts (see pic below) which for first time visitors give some hope of a zesty drink like an oasis in the distance, only to find it is a source of shade at best when up close
In the winter the conditions can be quite muddy, which is a surprise as the nearby Surrey courses built on the sand belt certainly don’t face this problem. It is always very surprising to find this much mud on what is supposedly a heathland course
The road noise on the back side of the property from the M25 is almost deafening at times, and highly noticeable for a stretch of 4-5 holes (especially on the old course)
For first time visitors, there are several intersections when walking off the green where it feels like 5 teeboxes are within a 2 club length, which can lead to some confusion in finding your way

But despite these misgivings, Walton Heath will always have a special place in my heart and I will always grab any opportunity to play there. The holes are difficult, with the heather extremely punishing if you find yourself going offline, but at no point do they feel impossible. Places like Sunningdale or Wentworth make you feel like a worse golfer, but at Walton Heath you can just as easily have the round of your life as a major catastrophe, and I think that is the true genius behind the design.

The other magical component that I always highly enjoy, is that because of the openness of the heath, you can see pretty much the entire course, and all of its participants, but at the same time because of the prevailing wind it also means you can’t hear anyone else (with the exception of the M25 road noise as mentioned). This makes it akin to a silent movie, but instead of black and white its a combination of green, blue and white clouds. There is something about the visual depth combined with the auditory isolation that enhances the experience.

Personally, if forced to choose I prefer the new course, but only because I have historically played better on it, and given I am writing this on the eve of playing the old course I hope I am singing a different tune after tomorrow.