LONDON, ENGLAND

Sunningdale Golf Club (Old Course)

Park's rolling greens and diagonal hazards thread through heather and pine.

LONDON Lieu
HEATHLAND Course type
18 TROUS Holes
PAR 70 Par
TOP 100 MONDIAL Distinction

Beyond the Scorecard

Course established: 1900
Course designer/s: Willie Park Jr. and Harry Colt
Known for: Bobby Jones's celebrated 1926 round of 66
Defining feature: Large undulating greens shaped by natural contours
Classement mondial: #22
Classement Royaume-Uni et Irlande: #8
Classement national: #2

Park's Inland Heathland Masterpiece

The Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club grew from plans agreed in 1899, when Willie Park Jr. was commissioned to create an inland course of exemplary character. The club formed in 1900, and the course opened on 23 September 1901, proving that first-rate golf could thrive away from the coast.

Park used the natural heath to shape large, rolling greens and diagonal hazards formed by bunkers, ditches, and heather banks. Harry Colt, Sunningdale's first full-time secretary, later refined the layout, moving the fourth, seventh, and twelfth greens to the sites still played today.

The round moves through pine, birch, oak, heather, and gorse, with varied changes in height rather than a single repeated rhythm. The elevated tenth tee begins one of its most recognised holes, while the long par-three 15th asks for a committed strike to a heavily guarded green. The Old Course also carries one of golf's most famous scoring stories: Bobby Jones's 66 in 1926, completed without a five on the card.

Why Add This Course to Your Golf Experience

Sunningdale Old deserves a central place in a London-region itinerary because it combines England's #2 national ranking with the chance to play the New Course on the same day. Kinfern can arrange the pair as a 36-hole Sunningdale visit, subject to visitor access, or place the Old within a wider Berkshire and Surrey heathland route.

Its history as a Walker Cup, Curtis Cup, Senior Open, and Women's Open venue gives the day championship context without distracting from the course's enduring architectural appeal.

Course Facts

Country: England
Region: London
Course type: Heathland

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