The Old Course at Sunningdale

Why it is on the list

Willie Park Junior, twice Open champion, built the Old Course on heather, gorse and pine, and it opened on 23 September 1901 as one of the first successful courses away from the coast.¹ The greens are large and follow the ground; cross bunkers, ditches and heather banks frame the holes, and Harry Colt, as the club's secretary, moved the 4th, 7th and 12th greens to where they sit today.¹ Bobby Jones shot 66 here in qualifying for the 1926 Open, a round of 33 shots and 33 putts.¹ The course has held the Walker Cup, the Curtis Cup, the Women's British Open and the Senior Open.²

It is the wrong choice at a weekend or in winter: visitors play only Monday to Thursday, May to October.³ For a group of 24 or more, ask instead for a golf day, Tuesday to Thursday between April and October, on either course.⁴ Colt's New Course of 1923, on the same heath, is narrower, with less bunkering and fewer trees, and can be asked for in the same request.⁵³

How to get it

Write to the club at info@sunningdale.com with the dates, the number of golfers and the course, Old.³ The 2026 season is full; the diary for 2027 opens from November 2026, and a request sent now goes onto the 2027 list.³ The office is on +44 (0)1344 621681.⁶

Group days in 2027 run from 27 April to 29 July and from 31 August to 21 October, and dates are very limited; a corporate day costs £672.00 a golfer for one round and £802.00 for two, 24 golfers at least. Call 01344 298 006 or write to simoned@sunningdale.com.⁴ The satnav postcode is SL5 9RR; the club is about 10 miles south-west of Heathrow.⁶

Discretion

Public footpaths and bridleways cross the course, and walkers on them have priority at all times; the club may close them during a major tournament.⁶ The club stages tournaments on both courses, so check the dates before asking.²