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Wentworth (West), England |
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The Wentworth Club
Virginia Water
Surrey
GU25 4LS
England |  | Harry Colt and Ernie Els |  | Stephen Gibson |
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 | +44 (0) 1344 842201 |  | M25 J13, then A30 towards Bagshot |
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Golf Club Website
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 | Need handicap certificate - contact in advance - not at weekends |  | Julian Small |
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Wentworth Golf Club played host to the 1953 Ryder Cup matches between the USA and Great Britain. Team Captains were Lloyd Mangrum (US) and Henry Cotton (GB). This was one of the most fiercely contested competitions in Ryder Cup history and the Americans had to wait until the closing stages of the singles matches before gaining a single point victory. Peter Alliss took a six at the final hole to lose 1-up to Jim Turnesa and Bernard Hunt missed a putt on the 18th green to halve with Dave Douglas. U.S. Captain Lloyd Mangrum said he would “never, never captain an American team again because of the 9,000 deaths I suffered in the last hour”. USA 6 ½ - GB 5 ½. The Ryder Cup was played at Pinehurst in 1951 and at Thunderbird in 1955. | The West course at the Wentworth Club is the most famous of the Surrey heath and heather courses. The club is also the most televised in Britain, once hosting three professional tournaments every year (World Matchplay, PGA and the Seniors Masters), but now only the PGA Championship is hosted annually at Wentworth. The West course was also the venue for the fiercely contested 1953 Ryder Cup, resulting in a single point American victory 6½ 5½.
It must have been an absolute delight for Harry Colt when he was asked to design the West course, which opened for play in 1926. After all, he was already familiar with this landscape, having designed the East Course (founded two years earlier).
The West is a relative youngster in the scheme of things. Many of Surrey’s famous sand-belt courses were established around the turn of the 19th century. Wentworth was also one of the first golf course developments to feature fairway-side houses, quite a number of which are owned by well-known celebrities. It’s a sort of up-market 1920s golf and country club complex.
Bernard Darwin refers to the West Course as the Tiger Course in his book, Golf Between Two Wars. He writes: “The course is intended to test that rampacious animal to the full. It is a little hard to assign the Wentworth country as a whole to any precise class. There is heather and there are trees and yet it is not quite of the same nature as its near neighbour, Sunningdale. It is set in park-like surroundings, and yet it is certainly not what is usually called a park course. It is a cross between the two, although the Tiger Course has about it least of the park and most of the heathery character”.
At the start of the Second World War, the Army requisitioned the clubhouse and labyrinths of underground bunkers were built. Deep below the famous clubhouse lies a secret wartime HQ. It was the Second World War that gave rise to the other name for the West Course – “Burma Road”. The course was allowed to grow wild because it was feared that enemy aircraft might land on the fairways. Towards the end of the war, German prisoners were brought in from a nearby internment camp to clear the course. One of the officers overseeing the clearance operation reputedly said: “Let this be their Burma Road”.
There are many memorable holes on the West course. The 2nd is a charming, exacting short 155-yard par three; a huge sentry oak stands between two bunkers guarding the right-hand side of the plateau green, the tee is level with the green, but the tee shot must carry across a valley to find the putting surface, don’t be short. Next, we come to the 3rd, a brutal, uprising 448-yard par four; avoid the bunkers on the right-hand side of the fairway, positioned 250 yards from the tee. Otherwise any chance of reaching the green in two has gone. A crisp accurate long iron or a fairway wood will reach the huge, 37-yard deep, three-tiered green that is protected by a bunker to the left and a bunker to the right; three-putting is commonplace. The 13th is yet another of the West’s long par fours (par five for the ladies), measuring 437 yards. The hole sweeps around to the left, the green is invisible from the tee; the obvious line for the tee shot is down the right-hand side of the fairway, but here lies a cleverly located bunker. A good drive down the right of the fairway will leave a tough approach to a subtly contoured green that is protected by two bunkers to the left and two to the right. A par here will definitely feel as good as a birdie.
The last hole we'll mention is the famous bunkerless 17th. It’s a huge 566-yard par five that seemingly sweeps infinitely to the left – from the narrow tee there are tall trees on both sides, creating a tunnelling effect. A footpath dissects the hole some 200 yards away. The ball must be struck down the right-hand side of the fairway – anything left will be blocked out by trees or, worse still, out-of-bounds. Only the longest hitters should take the strategic line down the left side of the fairway, a solid 300-yard swish will make it to the corner of the dogleg. The approach shot is played blindly over a rise, aim for the large oak in the distance, but be aware that everything slopes onto the green and then everything seemingly slithers off again.
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"Feel the heritage, feel the glamour, feel special in strangely familiar surroundings."
| When you step onto the first tee of the West course, you will feel an overwhelming sense of familiarity. It is definitely a place most people would be more than happy to call home and play the monthly medal here for the rest of their lives. The holes weave their way through sprinklings of heather and across gently undulating terrain. Mature oaks, pines and silver birch trees line each and every fairway. This is a truly classy golf course and it's a tough one too, especially after Ernie Els gave the West a new set of teeth for 2006. It now measures more than 7,300 yards from the tips and with 30 new bunkers and some stunning new tees, the Burma Road is now a serious 21st century challenge.
The West course closed to visitors for twelve months from 1st June 2009 for an extensive £6.5m renovation programme. Ernie Els was in charge of the changes which included 18 new USGA specification greens, new bunkers and a new canal-like stream, which protects the green on the famous closing hole. The new-look Burma Road received mainly positive comments from the pros at the 2010 BMW PGA Championship, but Paul Casey argued that the changes had stripped the West course of its character. Click here for the latest Wentworth Club press release – “All Change On The West”.
The West came in for further criticism during the 2011 BMW PGA Championship. Ian Poulter joined forces with Paul Casey stating, “I don't like this golf course. Period. End of story.” Poulter went on to say, “Some of the fun of the last few holes has been taken away.” Wentworth’s owner, Richard Caring, stated after the 2010 event that he had not quite got it right first time. Caring admitted, “the 18th was a dream I had, I wanted to give the spectators a bit of excitement, a bit of theatre. We might have gone slightly too far because it’s proven to be quite difficult.”
Ernie Els was against the changes to the 18th, and the green was lowered for the 2011 event with the depth of the putting surface extended to invite second shots. However, the 18th still proved to be too difficult for most pros and the vast majority opted to play the home hole as a three-shotter.
The 2011 PGA Championship took its toll on most of the field but the play-off was all set to be a thrilling affair featuring World No.1 Lee Westwood and World No.2 Luke Donald pitching their wits in a sudden death head-to-head on the 18th. Neither player opted to go for the green in two and both players had similar pitches into the green. Donald judged his pitch and spin to perfection but Westwood’s pitch spun off the green into the new canal. The play-off turned into a flop rather than a thriller. Donald not only claimed the PGA Championship title but also knocked Westwood off the World Number One spot in the process. | |
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If the above course review article is not accurate, let us know by clicking here |
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 |  | | Average Reviewers Score: |   | | | Simply amazing course and a joy to play, played here 3 times, ive always managed to shoot well as the greens are superb and fairly straight forward once you are used to the pace....yes its extremely expensive to play here but well worth the experience if you've watched the pga on the box and you fancy a crack at playing the 2nd 12th and 18th which are awesome golf holes. |
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| 14 October 2012
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| | I played the West course and thankfully I was with a corporate member so the price was £85 instead of the full fee. It really is quite an experience the opulent clubhouse the huge houses around the course. The anticipation of standing when on the 1st tee it certainly has the wow factor! Then you reach the greens. Terrible you can't quite believe it maybe it's just the 1st but no all 18 greens are very poor bare grass bumps spongy. I do not know how they have the nerve to let you play on them without warning you the greens are very poor unless they just want your money! |
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| 31 August 2012
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| Response: | | | Tom | 02 September 2012 | | Wentworth (West). Three words spring to mind. 'Colt', 'spinning' and 'grave'. |
| | | I have had the pleasure of playing Wentworth (West) a number of times. Twice before the changes, once with the first set of changes and another 3 times since they once again lowered the 8th and 18th greens. Whilst I agree that the changes are drastic and the greens are not always as good as they could be (possibly protecting them for the PGA in May each year), I feel that this is still a fantastic course and deserves to be ranked highly. They clearly did not want to lose the PGA Championship and this would have been a risk if they didn't make it tougher! Off the yellows however, I do not feel this is a long course (especially with 5 par 5s) The 1st, whilst a VERY short par 5 is a beautiful opening hole, and its quickly backed up by a great 2nd, tough 3rd and brilliant 4th! In fact I honestly don't think that there is a weak hole on the course! The final 6 holes all play in a straight line (apart from the 18th), so if the wind is up and into your face, its mega tough! Yes, the fee is ridiculous and yes, I have never paid a penny to play it, but its clear that the fee is so steep to stop the everyday 'hacker' turning up intending to follow in the footsteps of their idols. Pebble Beach is $500 and you cannot even get on a number of the top courses in the States, why shouldn't they protect it? If you really want to play it, pay it. In conclusion, I think the West course is a work in progress, moving a famous old course into the modern era. They will continue to make changes every year and people will continue to moan! If you get the chance to play it, take it, with an open mind, you will love it! |
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| 29 February 2012
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| Response: | | | Chris | 24 May 2012 | | "and yes, I've never paid a penny to play it" Why is this relevant to a review of the course? Is this merely you bragging you don't have to pay and others do? | | | Sam | 25 May 2012 | | The idea of me putting that was that is that having a courtesy round certainly has a bearing on the overall enjoyement of the round. Personally, i dont think any golf course is worth £360 a round, but this course gets way too much criticism - its simply brilliant! | | | steve | 10 July 2012 | | i played the course before the changes 3 years ago and i paid £180 5 days before the pga. You are right this course is very often slated unfairly by people who look at the cost of a round judge it with that in mind and the snob factor. i am saving to play it again before i am too old because when i played here i personally could not fault the place and i was buzzing for weeks and weeks after for the experiance. In my opinion it is the english version of augusta and you try and play augusta. FANTASTIC place. |
| | | Wentworth West has become a sad joke, Caring and Els think nothing of ripping up a high profile classic course to "improve it" and then they can't even get a decent stand of grass on the greens.
A good lesson on what not to do with an old loved course.
Not even Top 30 in England now. |
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| 20 November 2011
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| Response: | | | Nick | 20 November 2011 | | I was, once told, that Wentworth was "Egham Municpal". How true. No one in their right mind would pay the money being asked given the relative value available nearby. | | | Sleats | 22 November 2011 | | Ricey! |
| | | Played late September in the middle of a heatwave. Clear blue skies and light winds should have made for golfing heaven given the reputation of this place. I believe that the West Course has a reputation as the most expensive green fee in the UK. You can now add a second accolade of the worst greens in the UK. The day we played at least half the greens had recently been hollow tined and then had considerable amounts of sand thrown on top. The remaining greens had not been mown on the day (or possibly for longer) and were covered in spike marks and pitch marks and were ridiculously slow. This completely spoiled the whole experience - in reality the course was not fit for play and should have been closed. I was told by the starter that the problem lies with the bent grass greens which are not well suited to the UK climate nor can they withstand the considerable traffic that the course obviously gets as Wentworth tries to milk every last pound of income out of its over hyped reputation. The course itself is a good test with some excellent holes - particularly the closing stretch. Fairways are reasonably generous but bunkers are in play off pretty much every tee and if you catch one they are a proper penalty. As an experience it does not come close to Sunningdale (which is considerably cheaper). There is just not the same feeling of isolation and I have to say that the experience of cars driving across the numerous access roads that cross the course without stopping or looking is quite disconcerting. |
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| 02 October 2011
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| Response: | | | De | 03 October 2011 | | Savage review ! Im not wanting to defend the place but wonder if you paid a reduced green fee ? If not thats bad crack ! if you did pay a reduced green fee im afraid thats life ..... most golfers have a complete ignorance of back end essential maintenance work ! Jump to get on these big name tracks at the reduced fees and some how expect it to play in tournament condition! I do hope you made your feelings clear when you finnished and asked for a refund if you paid the full buffter ! If not maybee wentworth needed to explain more clearly the schedule of works and surface conditions. | | | D | 03 October 2011 | | Played as a guest of a Corporate member who still paid a hefty fee to sign in 2 guests. No mention of problems with greens at time of payment or by the starter (my comments around bent grass where from discussions after we finished playing). Fully understand need for maintenance - but given they have 2 other courses to choose from they could have closed the West for a day or so to get all the maintenance work done propoerly. I pity the Company who had the dubious pleasure of holding their golf day on the same day. No doubt they paid a fortune and ended up very embarrassedwith the whole experience. | | | andy ross | 15 October 2011 | i agree. i played the week before and they had hollow tined the greens with what can only be described as the largest holes i have ever seen. i actually had putts vere off at right angles as they appraoched the hole - not a true roll and when the south african chap on the 1st tee states the pro has tested them and they are rolling true is actually rubbish. it is the premier european tour course and the greens were quite simply a disgrace. all different paced and half of them hollo tined.but they still charge £370 for the round. thank god i didnt pay for it myself.
this was the 1st time i had played the west since the changes and i have to say i was not impressed. im not sure whether it is just me but every bunker on the whole course looks the same - a 3 leaf clover. and they are tactically positioned off the tee which i dont mind but one yard off the fairway u find one and all u can do is hack it out cos the lips are so high. very unforgiving. i will praise what els has done to to the 8th - magnificent hole now - the water in front of the green really is fantastic. apart from the bunkers which are all the same the 17th run off area on the right of the green just doesn't seem right. even with then 18th green supposedly lowered i cant see many pros going for it in two. the green is not the biggest and trying to hold a wood on that green is virtually impossible. although i went driver 8 iron wedge so not a very exciting par 5.
overall im disappointed with the course. i feel as it is world famous, you have the iconic club house, and the PGA tournamnet they take the regular punter for an abosolute ride. you can play 4 rounds on the hotchkin at woodhall spa for the amount you pay to play on the west, and the hotchkin is far better. overall i feel the west course is one of those courses where u say ive played it and chalked it off the list. value for money in my view is woodhall spa and even woburn have some cracking deals there. |
| | | Please do not listen to the criticism of this course too much and certainly don't let it put you off playing it. I played it several times before the changes and three times recently. It was a good course before but for me, the changes have made it significantly better. The bunkering is brilliantly done and the new green structures really make you think, but are very fair. Better suited for lower handicap golfers certainly, but it is simply a pleasure to play and a fantastic test. |
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| 28 July 2011
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| | I cannot agree with any of the negative comments on here. I was completely blown away by this course - the sheer majesty and scale of the tall trees and undualting fairways really were spectacular. Each hole hase been sculpted beautifully and the greens all seem to be raised with challenging slopes. The run off areas are better than most greens.
I do not see what more there is to want from a golf course. The last now has a fantastic element of theatre with the addition of the water. All in all, one of the best courses I have ever played. If you get the chance then you wont be disapointed. |
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| 25 July 2011
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| | The course was very good prior to the recent changes, all I do know now is that the 18th lost its charm, history, and likeability factor. The club is so high brow and posh why spend the time and money to play the West course? $588 USD!?!? Seriously? That is annual subscription type money. |
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| 24 July 2011
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| | Just played and the course was in excellent condition with the greens very smooth and relatively quick. I had not played since the changes to bring water into play on several holes including the par 3 as well as the finishing hole. Not convinced these additions are consistent with the original design and it does make the course play more like a course in the USA. While I understand the desire to make the course difficult for the professional tournament, I would have preferred to see the classic defenses for the green complexes. |
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| 19 July 2011
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| | I was invited to play The West in July by a member and having been to Wentworth many times to watch the pro’s I was very excited about playing a course I had admired from afar but never had the opportunity to play until now.
Standing on the first tee in front of the clubhouse really gets the juices flowing, and after a friendly chat with the starter I was ready to tee off on the infamous West!
I won’t give a hole by hole description of the course as I am sure everyone is reasonably familiar with the layout. I can say that the overall conditioning of the course was excellent and the greens were true and pretty quick. I didn’t recognise all the changes made to the course, although the green on the Par 4 3rd is significantly different and in my opinion is far better than the 3 tiered option before. The bunkering around the course is severe in places and you can often find yourself in deep with only a hope and a prayer of getting out close to the hole.
The 18th is clearly the most recognisable of all the changes and having not played the course before I didn’t know any different, all I will say is playing off 9 I had little chance of even attempting to reach the green in two. It is a narrow entrance with no real layup option other than short of the creek, the green is tiny in comparison to many of the other greens and it slopes towards the back bunkers. The height of the green in relation to the fairway also makes it incredibly difficult to stop the ball on the green unless you’re hitting a lofted club with plenty of check for your 3rd. I can understand why some of the pro’s questioned this particular change and they are indeed lowering the green within the next few weeks.
The West is not overly long and there are plenty of opportunities to hit a short iron into some of the Par 4’s, I was surprised that the Par 5 12th was stroke index 18…..it is by no means a straight forward opportunity to reach in two and 150 yards or so from the tee there are two huge pine trees you have to navigate and surprise surprise I smashed my tee shot straight into one of them and was only ever laying up after that!
As an overall experience I would recommend anyone to play The West if given the opportunity. I would not pay the full green fee of £360 as I don’t believe it is THAT good but paying a members guest fee was reasonable and I would certainly take up the offer of playing there again if presented.
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| 03 August 2010
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| | Fantastic elegant setting and a good if not great course. If it wasnt on TV every year it would be less well regarded thats for certain, and anyone paying £360 a year has too much money.
Saying that the fairways are immaculate, bunkers cavernous and well positioned, they are real card wreckers. Greens were sensible and not stupidly quick, and very receptive.
The final 6 holes are a joy, especially looking at the huge houses either side. You wouldnt know they were there, and playing the holes requires single figure golf.
The new design on the last doesnt feel right, but all its still a great hole.
All in all a joy, but not one that comes close to £360. I wont tell you what i paid |
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| 30 June 2010
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| An invite to Wentworth should never be turned down in my opinion and after the West course had been closed for a year for the latest round of hole changes, my recent visit had extra anticipation about it. In recent years there does seem to have been a fair bit of Wentworth bashing, either from the pros (complaints about the greens), the visitors (the prices are too high) or the traditionalists (the course does not resemble how it used to be!). I will base my review just of the course and not whether you actually get value for your fee, as I think that is separate and does not have anything to do with the course. The first significant change to the course comes on the 3rd green, previously this was three tiered and a little bit of a lottery if you ended up on the wrong level. Now it is still very downhill from back to front but the tiers have been softened and there are many more pin positions available - a big improvement.  The 4th green has been extended to the left and again gives a new pin choice behind the front left bunker. The water in front of the 8th green is now a huge factor on approach shots and again another success. One thing that has been left un-touched at Wentworth is the wonderful half-way hut, a bacon and egg sandwich is difficult to improve on and should never be tweaked! The 9th green has been improved and is easier to find but the previously un-used ditch to the right of the green is now in play. Before moving on the the back nine observations, it is clear that all greens are brand new and many have been raised a few feet - this makes the run-up shot that much more difficult and a lot of approach shots will hit the front of the greens and roll back a few yards. The next big change is at the 12th hole, still a par-5 for the amateur but this green is about 8 feet higher than before. The 14th is a well recognised par-3 as seen on TV over the years but now the false front of the green is un-believably severe - get this wrong and your ball will roll back around 40 yards. The par-4 15th has always been one of the West course's tough holes - well it is now tougher! The ditch that used to run along the tree line on the right has been brought in about 6 yards and is now a hazard that is in-play for the entire hole. The subtle breaks on the tricky 16th green are still there but the front bunker is now very very deep. Obviously the 18th hole has the most talked about changes and for me a fairly weak ending to the famous course has now been spiced up and has to be seen as a triumph - The green has been raised, there are some un-kind run offs and the water hazard in front will catch out many a heavy pitch-shot ...the pros will still have the odd eagle and plenty of birdies but they now have to be worked for a little more. As for the rest of us, a par 5 is still well within our reach and if you get your approach right, a birdie putt is not out of the question. I am sure the updates to the course will create plenty of debate and will spilt opinions but I am a fan of the changes and one thing is for sure, people are talking about Wentworth again. |
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| 05 June 2010
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| | The West is a good course but every change they make seems to remove any of Colt's original ideas. To be honest with you I feel the Edingburgh is a better test of golf (more strategic placing needed of the tes etc) and the East is more enjoyable ie what a golf course should be like (long and short par 4s, long and short testing par 3s and risk v reward par 5s) not the slog the West is turning into. Yes play it to 'tick a box' but if you have to part with hard earned cash then you may wish to consider other courses whihc previous reviewers have mentioned. All in all the price makes it average for me; if it was under a ton then a birdie maybe eagle could be justified. |
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| 12 June 2009
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| | Wentworth has been steadily dropping through the golf rankings and will be out of the top 100 world by the time Ernie Els is through with it. Els hasn't designed a course that is 1) close to the quality of Wentworth West or 2) close to the design style that great architects like Colt used. So why entrust him to "modernise" the course (whatever that means)? Just because he's a famous pro doesn't mean he knows how to design a golf course; most of the truly great courses of the world were built by amateurs. Colt's greens were built by men with shovels so I'm sceptical that Els and his crew with a JCB can do anything good and will probably remove all the subtle character. The first redesign of the bunkers by Els was uninspired, nothing like Colt's original work, and the course continued to drop through the rankings....expect it to continue. The right course of action would have been to thoroughly examine historical archives restore this great course and return the heath character by removing trees. Lets hope they leave the East alone. |
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| 02 May 2009
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| Response: | | | JT | 02 July 2009 | | I agree, but instead of removing loads of trees like many other courses have been doing to enhance the heathland character, and return them to how they were originally designed, they seem to have planted loads more trees! They seem to want to turn the course into an american style parkland course. Why they want do this is a total mystery? Every time I go there there is less heather than before. Its like they dont understand the value and beauty of heathland courses. | | | pbt | 12 July 2009 | | yep, planting trees on the 8th was completely clueless and against Colt's principles. He regarded trees as "obnoxious and fluky hazards". God knows what they're going to do all the Colt greens there. The press quotes from Els are just lip service "Our other main objective is to bring the greens back to the form, shape and contour more in keeping with architect Harry Colt’s original vision." how on earth can he come up with this? Since they are changing the contours of a few greens and nevermind what will happen to all the great original mounding. |
| | | I was lucky enough to play the West Course at Wentworth on Monday 17th November 08 and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The whole experience will be difficult to match. The tee's/fairways were in great condition although due to the time of year the manicured finish was obviously not upto summer standards. To be honest I didn't recognise that many holes from the TV and those I did recognise played differently to what I was expecting. I found the majority of holes gave so much to think about, doglegs, bunkers, pin positions on tiered greens and severe undulations tested club selection and course management like nowhere else I have played. The course and surroundings were very pleasing on the eye and stood over every shot the sense of drama felt will live with me for a long time. I didn't find the course as difficult as I was expecting either which was a bonus and probably made me enjoy the day even more so. The clubhouse/main building was massive which I found a bit impersonable however staff were friendly and helpful enough. Everything as you would expect was expensive! Even if I was a multi-millionaire I probably would not choose Wentworth to be my home club. The final thing was the greens, as previously mentioned they were still appalling, it was like walking on a sponge and putting was a lottery as the ball bobbled and bounced its way to the hole. I have read these are all being dug up next year to be replaced with USGA specification greens anyway. The 18th was a shock, totally unrecognisable without the corporate building and grandstand, I bet when these are in place to walk up to that green would blow you away. As it was, very open with greenstaff blowing leaves around it was slightly disappointing. However, the West as a course is a total masterpiece and one I could not tire of playing...... ever! |
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| 28 November 2008
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| | Magnificent setting, terrific layout, played the course on 14th Sept 2008.... worst greens I have seen this year. As Lee Westwood said regarding Gleneagles " dig all 18 greens up and start again". It was like putting on a sponge. |
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| 28 September 2008
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| | The West Course is very good, not great, just very good.
However, you get a great feeling whilst playing the course because it is so familiar from all the televised golf that we have seen from Wentworth over the years.
Not worth the money, but great to say you have played it. |
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| 26 September 2008
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| | Played here in the winter, a great course layout and nice to play the famous holes, but the greens were very poor for the expensive green fee. There's much better value courses nearby and in better condition as not so busy. Great to say i've played it, but thats about it, overated. |
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| 03 June 2008
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| | Having played the course after a week of rain the condition was second to none. What a place, the whole aura of Wentworth leaves a smile on your face, I just didn't want it to end. Having played some great courses (Woodhall Spa, St Mellion, The Belfry, Carton House), the West course is a league above will definitely play it again even at the cost, must be a course for every one to play. |
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| 03 May 2008
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| | I played via a corporate card and I must say it was a real treat. It is a fabulous course and the staff are a pleasure to deal with. I am not sure that I'd pay their green fee though no matter how nice the whole set up is. But the course, bar the 18th, was in great condition and real pleasure to play. I am going back to play the other two courses via the corporate card soon ........ looking forward to it. |
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| 01 January 2008
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| | The whole atmosphere surrounding Wentworth has to be experienced at least once in a lifetime even at the price. The feeling of getting a drive away over the famous Burma Road first hole is a mixture of relief and exaltation. The condition of the course played at the end of November was very good, especially the greens which were true and fast. Tee times are well spaced, allowing a relaxed paced where you can appreciate the finer qualities of the course. The last 6 holes are the best last third of a golf course I can think of though I was disappointed to find the 18th green being dug up and having to play a temporary green left me feeling slightly robbed of the complete experience. |
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| 02 December 2007
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| | An expensive round compared to some other great courses around the country. Some excellent holes, and you can be punished for not being straight off the tee.... so if you are not then it could ruin your day and expectations of this fine course. |
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| 03 October 2007
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| | It's a nice course , but it's not worth the price, there are plenty and much better courses to play around the area and it's a better PRICE! |
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| 11 July 2007
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| | What an amazing test of golf the west is. It's a brute of a course in the heart of surrey. TV and fame aside no one can deny the design. My only gripe is that the course only ever appears in great condition 3 weeks of the year. The rest of the time it's overplayed and "chunked up" by corporate hackers (yes you). I only wish Wentworth would better preserve the west. All the same, great golf course and "almost" as good as Hankley Common and Sunningdale Old. |
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| 26 April 2007
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| The changes at Wentworth have certainly improved the course. From the back it plays a very long 7300+ yards (circa 300 yards extension), and from the yellow it is more than 6,700. Therefore, there is no real change in the length for us normal folk – just the pros. The best changes, to me, are on 1 and 18, both of which are a lot better due to extra bunkers. The first hole used to feel very open and lacking in definition, combined with the fact that it was short (as a par 5 – not as a 4 for the pros) and the green was not too guarded. Now, two bunkers frame the fairway about half way down, around driving distance, and they add a much better sense of definition. Combined with extra bunkering around the green, it makes you think more rather than taking the hole for granted (provided you didn’t go into the trees).
The 18th is an even bigger transformation around the green, with no less than 6 new bunkers around the green, making a total of 8, and another a few yards short of the green. If that were not enough, Ernie has now decided to add another bunker around the green (which is currently being worked on), meaning that the green is almost completely surrounded. This makes an easy hole much tougher if you wanted to toy with the green in two. Apart from these holes, the changes are more subtle off the yellow tees, involving fairway and greenside bunkers on several holes – none of which makes a huge difference to the feel of the course other than tightening things up, which, after all, was the intention.
For the pros, apart from the things just mentioned, the big difference is length, mainly on 3 holes – 4, 6 and 17. There is an extra 161 yards alone on these 3 holes. The par 5 4th has a new tee just over the back of the 3rd green, making the drive much harder and more intimidating. Similarly, the new 17th tee extends back towards the 16th green taking length to around 600 yards and meaning that the dog-leg left with a right sloping fairway is much harder to negotiate. The 6th hole was, in my opinion, the weakest on the course – a short, relatively easy par 4. The new teeing area for the pros is now shared with the 5th on the East course but they have planted a series of trees in big wooden pots (in place of tree that were cut down) that are on a rail system to keep the division between the 2 courses – i.e. they pull the tree barrier out of the way when the tee is in use on the West. Standing on the new tee, the hole is much better and the tee is raised considerably over the white and yellow, giving a much better vista – however, only the pros will use it and it has only been possible to do this by “stealing” from the East course.
Overall, the quality and test of golf has improved at the West course but most of the changes have been subtle, just quite a lot of them in a very short period. And the feel of the course has not changed; it has just enhanced what was always a good layout, albeit one which is still not as hard as some people might think. Wentworth is a lovely place to play golf, and certainly has a bit of the “x-factor”. The West is a great course layout in beautiful surroundings that is slightly let down by the number of roads that cross the holes. On several shots we ended up waiting for cars to cross. There are no views at all outside of the course itself other than along the 9th, which runs alongside the Reading-Waterloo rail track, where you can see across the line to some lovely looking heathland that looks prime golfing country – indeed, I think Sunningdale is probably lurking just beyond view.
I particularly like the area around the 8th green and 9th tee (and 6th hole, I think, on the East), which is next to the half-way hut. My other favourite area is near the 12th green and 13th tee – this feels the most peaceful and pretty corner of the course, and the 13th is probably the best hole. We played the course on August 15th in the afternoon, following torrential rain on Sunday evening/ night and following recent tining. The green staff had been working solidly to get the course playable as several bunkers had been badly damaged. Most bunkers were playable, if still a little wet. Although a sand-based course, I suspect that drainage is not as good as some of its neighbours such as The Berkshire. The greens were a fair bit slower than I could remember, with a few bobbles on some of the most-tined areas. However, the fairways were magnificent – like a green carpet, and far and away the best I have played on recently.
Wentworth scores very highly on ambience, and it is not let down by rude or officious staff that are sometimes present on certain less high-quality courses in the area. The facilities are first rate, the course planner superb, and the feeling of nostalgia in the clubhouse – looking at all the clubs of former champions on the wall – makes your hairs stand on end. Wonderful. The locker rooms and car park are all very good. The only slight downside was that the quality and variety of food offered in the Burma Bar was poor. There is a newly-refurbished-in-art-deco-style restaurant next door. There is a gap for better food and variety in the bar, as the restaurant looks distinctly up-market and not what I would choose before or after a round of golf – too formal. The bar and the terrace are very nice and the building overall is stunning. The only negative would be its aspect in relation to the course – the only view of the course, if you are in the right place, is of the 18th on the East – which is very nice but, compared to some clubhouses, a bit more detached from the action, especially with 54 holes on your doorstep.
Wentworth is justifiably a place that most golfers would like to visit and I would certainly recommend all three courses. The main detractor from a game at Wentworth is value for money, an area where it does not score highly. Wentworth is very similar to many of the other courses in the area – not substantially better than most heathland courses, in the premier division for sure, but so are many others nearby. PN, Wokingham |
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| 22 December 2006
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| | The West Course, is a gem.
The whole place has a buzz about it, it is not as corporate as I thought, in fact far from it.
I bumped into a number of very friendly members, one chap in particular was very helpful - Guy Morgan (semi retired at 40 and spends his life playing golf) showed round all the facilities and even treated me to a bucket of balls on the range.
This is a must play course, the changes that Ernie Els and the team have made are brilliant and make the course a real challenge of the back tees.
I shot a gross 73, so I really enjoyed it and will be returning again shortly
Expensive - but worth every penny |
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| 18 July 2006
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| | Its an average course when you look at it fairly and a below average when you factor in what you have to pay to get on. The majestic drive and the fort like club house surely lend an atmosphere and perhaps thats whats enhanced the golfing experience of those who have praised it on this site. I can't understand it. The Edinburgh course is shorter but much better laid out than the West course. Compare it with other parkland courses like Brocket Hall (Palmerston) or Woodhall Spa and this just falls away. Sorry, does not make the cut! |
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| 03 July 2006
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| | Have now played Wentworth three times. It is not difficult to see why the pros murder the front nine. There are a few holes that are quite weak and short. The condition is usually quite good. However, as a test of golf it is not a patch on Woodhall Spa which has a much greater variety of shot requirement. |
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| 27 April 2006
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| | Played here in March and loved every minute. From the glamour of the club house drive to the course itself, considering it had rained for a week solid beforehand the course was in excellent condition and a good test. The staff offered excellent service and were very friendly. I would recommend playing in Winter, our green fee was £100 and unless you are friends of a member I just cannot see how to justify the hefty £280 summer green fee. |
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| 29 March 2006
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| | Played the West course last week for the umpteenth time and it's an experience I always enjoy. It was a cold and miserable March day and after the round I still came away thinking what a great place Wentworth is to play golf. We were lucky enough to be the first group off at 8am in the morning and our fourball wizzed round in 3hrs 20 mins... that in itself was special (and unusual). The recent changes made by Ernie Els will need some time to settle in but the West has certainly been toughened up and tightened up. The water at the 8th is now a real problem which cuts all the way around the green and the numerous extra bunkers have been thoughtfully placed. The new back tees are not there for mere mortals (certainly in the winter), so we stayed well away from them. Great course, great atmospherse, great experience. Expensive but if you can afford it. in my view it's worth it. |
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| 24 March 2006
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| | Wentworth - what can be said with reflection ??
It's entertainment for any golfer playing well or badly. It's not the best in the country (it's not the best in the surrounding area) but you do get half way around and think "wow, this is Wentworth". I've read the previous 'disappointed' comments and can understand them - but you won't leave the grounds and be saddened. Expensive it is, but that's probably what sets it apart on the desirability stakes.... Top 100 Yes - Top 20 No !!!! |
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| 15 March 2006
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| | The approach to the club house is very impressive. The Beautiful houses, the clubhouse and the first tee over the road. The welcome was also great and you get a nice goody bag to soften the shock of the bill. It is a very unstuffy place despite the number of celebrities around. However the golf course just doesn't live up to the billing and certainly not the price. It is a good course, but not great and there are many many better heathland courses in the area. My advice would be to go for a quick beer and then go and play Walton Heath or Sunningdale especially if you are a visiting American. |
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| 02 February 2006
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| | A fantastic design and without doubt it is a classic. However, as most have said it isn't anywhere near as good as some of its neighbours... Enjoyable to play but perhaps so because you can recall so many memories from TV and history of the game?! The condition is way below that of Walton Heath, New Zealand, Hankley Common, The Berkshire, St Georges Hill etc etc. All the same a good test of golf, but by no means worthy of its high position in this list. |
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| 11 January 2006
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| | Wentworth West is certainly not the cheapest green fee, nor is it the best course in this locale, but it's certainly one of the most memorable and engaging golfing experiences available around the London area. From the first tee shot until the last putt drops the feeling is captivating. I love it here and although I'm lucky enough to know a member, it's still £60 on the West to be signed in as his guest. In my view it's money well spent at any time of the year. Oh, and a word about the clubhouse, it's unpretentious, has great service and an excellent atmosphere...one of my all time favourites. |
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| 02 February 2005
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| | Overrated almost as much as Loch Lomond and Gleneagles, would only be an average parkland course in the US. Conditions were poor both times I've played it. Too expensive for what you get. |
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| 01 January 2005
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| Response: | | | Chris Jones | 10 October 2006 | | Expensive? yes agreed - but Wentworth, Loch Lomond and Gleneagles are certainly not average or overrated... |
| | | It was great fun to play such a famous course, I didn't want the round to end. Obviously one of the best in the UK. |
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| 04 September 2004
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| | A beautiful location with some lovely holes. Unfortunately let down by its condition. Seems to only play well around the tournament dates. Good but doesn't live up to its reputation. |
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| 06 May 2004
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| | I’m not sure what’s more impressive at Wentworth, the number of Ferraris and Aston Martins in the car park, the course itself or the houses that line it. If you’re into your golf you’ll recognise the holes as you step onto the tee and it is most gratifying to smack one down the middle as you’ve seen the pro’s do a hundred times before (or thin one into Bruce Forsyth's garden). A delightful course to play as a guest but the summer green fee is very expensive. I think Woburn offers better value with another 3 exquisite courses. |
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| 23 April 2004
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| | There is nothing quite like playing a course that you can see the pro's play on TV. A birdie on the 2nd, followed by watching Colin Montgomerie bogey the very same par 3 two weeks later is quite satisfying. Wentworth lives up to its billing as one of the top 20 courses, beautiful woods surround the course and each hole is very different. As with most courses, keeping the ball in play is crucial so conservative play is rewarded providing you can putt on greens which are both beautifully maintained but difficult to read, with cunning borrows intended to fool players of any calibre.
The 17th is a very special hole and those with a good draw off the tee will be seriously tempted to tackle the green in two. The scenery is worth contemplating if your round is going badly, and the clubhouse is luxurious and welcoming. For what is considered a 'posh' club, the atmosphere is friendly and easy going, and the food and service is excellent. The practice facilities are easily accesible and of a calibre one would expect for a prestigious club. Worth the trip - the sort of course that makes a bad round feel very bearable. CJ |
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| 13 April 2004
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| | A lovely feeling playing the West course - very peaceful and tranquil. It's a tough test but managable from the normal tees. Always in great condition. Expensive if you don't know a member. |
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| 27 March 2004
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