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Woking, England |
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Woking Golf Club has a charming Old England heathland course, laid out by Tom Dunn in 1893. The club was intended to provide relief for a few golf mad barristers who were sick and tired of playing on muddy clay. We must thank Woking wholeheartedly because nobody thought that heather and gorse-strewn land was viable ground for golf and this was the first experimental heathland layout.
At the turn of the 20th century, there were only a few heathland courses around London and Bernard Darwin described them as “the stars of sand and heather”. He had a soft spot for Woking Golf Club because it’s the oldest and one of the best. He went on to say, “although my judgement may not be strictly an impartial one, I think it is still the pleasantest of all upon which to play, and the golf is undeniably interesting.” Darwin was once a mad barrister himself and also a member at Woking for more than sixty years.
There is absolutely no doubt that Woking is located in an idyllic spot and the unusual pavilion clubhouse only adds to the charisma. This is not a championship layout by any stretch of the imagination; the course only measures 6,531 yards from the back tees. But Woking is a mature and strategic layout requiring well-positioned tee shots that must, at all costs, remain out of the heather and in play. We recommend that you leave your driver in the boot of the car to avoid any temptation.
Woking is not riddled with bunkers but those that are there are adroitly positioned. In 1900, a controversy raged when two bunkers were dug into the 4th fairway. The members were mortified that they might be penalised after hitting a good straight drive. Looking back at this, Woking was a pioneer in architectural terms, forcing the player to make a decision, lay up short or bravely aim on the right line.
In 1926, a match involving captain Bobby Jones and the rest of the American Walker Cup team took place at Woking. The Americans were beaten 6-3 by the “Moles Golfing Society”. The British Amateur champion was captain of the Moles. Woking was also once home to the Alba Trophy, a celebrated amateur competition. These days, Woking is used to genteel peace and quiet in Surrey’s suburbia. This is definitely a course for the connoisseur. Or as Darwin said in his 1910 book, The Golf Courses of the British Isles, "I can only end as I began by asserting that there is no more delightful course whereon to play golf." | |
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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: |  | | | Played this brilliant track as part of a society in 20 degree May sunshine. Very friendly and welcoming pro shop, impeccable lunch and comfortable (and slightly unusual!) clubhouse. Now to the main event, the course..
Someone told me that it's a pretty simply course. It's not. At 6,600 yards it's not exactly short for a par 71 and the greens are very tough. You need to be a good putter to shoot a good score here, without doubt.
Hole Highlights:
#3 - Long dog leg par 4 with a tough green. Tempts you to cut the corner but it's easier said than done!
#6 - Absolutely stunning par 4 from elevated tee. Heather in abundance and water just short of the green. Breathtaking hole
#8 - Best hole on the course in my view, very long par 4 with water, heather and sand. Hit it short on the 2nd shot like I did and dice death with the bunkers. Tricky green.
#10 - Lovely shortish par 3 with a sheer drop on the left edge to catch any pulled shots.
#12 - 11/12/13 all excellent par 4s, 12 is the pick of the three due to the fact the fairway is a nice large target and the second shot is downhill to a very undulating green
#14 - Long par 5 playing directly in front of the veranda, very easy to hit it off the back into the clubhouse!
#16 - Strong last par 3 over water, new hole is apparently opening very soon, looks good (if not quite similar to the current setup?)
Bits I wasn't a huge fan of:
#1 - Slightly disappointed by the lack of length on this short par 4. Green slopes downwards and in the hot weather it's basically impossible to stay on the green unless you hit it well short and let it roll on.
#9 - Actually a delightful hole for the serious hitters but it's almost impossible to reach in 2 for even the decent players. Unless you can hit the high power draw and cut the corner you leave yourself with a 230 yard uphill 2nd shot, good luck. Could easily be a par 5 but regardless of the challenge, a love or hate hole.
Stroke indexes appear to be unrelated to the difficulty of the hole (age-old tradition?) which could be frustrating for handicap matches.
Condition-wise: 10/10. Superb conditioning, best greens I've putted on in the south of England in a long, long time. The whole course has been lovingly attended to and it's clear from your first shot to the last.
This was the first time I'd played Woking since about 2005. The club really has made significant improvements and I'd put Woking right up there at the forefront of the golf courses in Surrey. Very much looking forward to a speedy return to Woking..
I'd give this a 5.5/6. Considering the unbelievable condition of the course, I'll bump it up to 6 ball. |
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| 11 May 2013
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| Visitors to Surrey have a hard choice. Sunningdale? Wentworth? St Georges Hill? Those in the know will head for the three W's or the Addington, Maybe Coombe hill in June when the Rhododendrons are in majestic full bloom or Royal Wimbledon if you can't take too much time out of London? They are all less than half the price of the lauded links but all are fastidiously maintained to an enviable standard and far less busy. Having played the other 2 W's that bless this corner of Surrey, Worplesdon and West Hill being the others,  It was high time I sought the pleasure of Woking's oldest club. The clubhouse is as pretty as a picture and has an old world charm dripping with history perfectly in keeping with the course. I enjoyed a very nice steak under the ancient wisteria whilst overlooking the closing holes from the terrace before my round, £11!!! This course does not feel short by any stretch and the holes are given plenty of space between them. Mature Trees and heather frame nearly all of the fairways and classic well placed heath land bunkers and running streams influence your strategy and please your eye as you lose yourself on the gently undulating heath. Whatever troubles you brought here, you leave in the car park. There are plenty of standout holes that are achingly pretty and inviting. Overall there are no filler holes. I particularly enjoyed the 6th and the 8th. I can remember every hole too and look forward to returning. It is a must play course. It's as simple as that. As quintessential an old English Golf course as you will ever play. The greens will really test you here. They are fast, fair and true. Not to mention devilishly contoured and lovingly maintained. Everyone should try and rate the three W's but there is not much to pick between them although they are all very different. I'm going for Woking, Westhill and then Worplesdon. Seriously though, that could change very easily!! JCB LAY |
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| 05 May 2013
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| | A stunning course.
Woking really is the sort of course you could happily play every week for the rest of your life - beautiful, challenging, rewarding. |
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| 30 April 2013
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| | I played as a guest of a member last week - fortunately we had a sunny and dry day! This was my first time playing Woking and it really is one of the elite courses in England. How Swinley Forest is #9 in the ranking (played three weeks ago) whilst Woking is #38 is just plain laughable!
So - firstly, the greens are the best inland greens I've ever played. In the past 4 weeks I've played Walton Heath, Sunningdale, Swinley Forest and none of them are anyway comparable to the state of the greens at Woking. Not only are they in fantastic condition, the contouring of the greens is truly unique and makes it very difficult to score even if you're hitting greens in regulation.
Aesthetically the course is right up there - not quite as pleasing on the eye as Sunningdale's 36 holes but certainly a real treat. For me the best holes are the 6th (par 4 from elevated tee), the dog leg, severely uphill 9th, the beautiful 11th/12th/13th par 4 stretch and the 16th short hole over water (although apparently a new hole opens in the summer). The 14th/18th holes play by the veranda of the clubhouse - there were lots of people eating lunch and having drinks outside so it added some nerves - needless to say everyone applauded even though i missed my short putt!
The only criticism I would have is that the length of the course won't test the very best of players, even though the black tees make the course about 6600 yards. However, the testing greens should make up any difficulty lost from reduced length.
There is something very special about Woking. The bunkers are placed so strategically you find yourself trapped frequently. The heather is abundant and tricky, but playable. The clubhouse is unique, quaint and historic. An excellent day at an excellent course! |
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| 20 April 2013
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| | Woking is a wonderful course with a delightful setting and the condition of the course is truly excellent. The course itself is very good and after a relatively easy opening hole the course then gets going with a long par 3 and a couple of strong par 4s were par is a good score. The course has alot of changes in elevation with abundant heather which gives the course defination. Best hole for me was probably the 10th and the 18th is a fantastic finishing hole. In my opinion slightly better than its neighbour West Hill. |
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| 19 August 2012
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| | A brilliant course - old school clubhouse with a great terrace for drinks after your round. Really friendly club pro who helped us out when we arrived a bit late. The course is outstanding - I think it's the best of the 3 W's. Spectacular tree lined fairways and lots of quirky and very different holes. They were only playing 2 ball golf on the day we played which made for a very quick and hugely enjoyable round. One of the very best courses in Surrey in my view. |
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| 17 August 2012
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| | Woking is in the best condition I have ever seen it. The green are fast and true and as always deceptive. We have put in two new tees at the 14th and 18th and this has added another 200 yards. If you get a chance and want to play a course that is actually much better than its position in this chart, come and play. |
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| 29 July 2011
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| | This was the last course we played on a four day trip. The others were Sunningdale (36), Swinley Forest and The Berkshire (36), and Woking certainly fits well into that group. As have been mentioned by others the greens are superb but the rest of the course must be pretty good too as I remember both the routing and all the holes. And those are fond memories. Unlike at Swinley Forest though, I was pleased rather than spellbound. |
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| 22 May 2011
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| | I simply cannot believe this course is not ranked higher up the list - being below Worplesdon for a start is a joke (even 'funnier' as the initial review on this website states Worplesdon as the best of the 3 W's, when it is inferior to the other 2). Rightly, the top courses on this list are links - I love links golf more than any other 'type' and this opinion is shared by the majority of serious golfers. But to rank this place so far below Swinley Forest and St George's Hill is way off the mark. Berkshire Red / Blue courses, Bearwood Lakes, Chart Hills all superior? Are these people serious? I don't even know where to start with Woking, the place has such atmosphere and you feel like you are playing somewhere special. It was the original heathland course (the history adds to the aura) and nothing else comes close in terms of quality of layout - with the possible exception of Sunningdale (which has an inflated reputation owing to it's famous name and also the relative superiority of Sunningdale over the rest - bar Woking). I wont bore with details of the course hole-by-hole, but with the possible exception of the first (a 270-yard downhill par 4 reachable with 3-wood) there is not a single average hole on the golf course. It is classic risk / reward stuff all the way round and unlike other courses in the sandbelt (primary example being the Berkshire) it doesn't consist of 18 (or 36) identical holes flanked by trees and heather. There is an excellent mix of terrain with water hazards (natural), tall pines, heather and sand (minimal bunkering but always placed perfectly) providing a contrasting backdrop for every tee shot and approach. Then there are the greens - if there is a finer set of 18 green complexes in the land then I am yet to play them. What a fabulous mix of shapes and sizes, with innumerable humps and hollows providing a real challenge. Those who argue the course is too short (6,500 yds par 70 is pretty stiff given how tight it is) don't realise that this is the point - in order to find the right level/portion of any green with your approach you must be hitting a reasonably short iron. By all means lay up off the tee and leave yourself a long to mid-iron approach, but find the wrong part of the green (or worse, miss it altogether) and you can quickly rack up the bogeys / doubles. You simply must be hitting short irons in here to get close to the pins with regularity, and that reason alone forces the issue off the tee. I can only recommened that anybody yet to play this course does so at the earliest possible opportunity - you will not regret it and I can guarantee you will feel too, like me, that this course is severely under-rated. Maybe that's the way the members like it. I'm off to fill out an application form... |
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| 29 September 2010
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| Response: | | | Carl | 10 October 2010 | | A big fan. Myself though I love visiting them all and I don't think any one is greater than any other. When the changes really set in this will be an even greater course. The one thing for me though I would never start on the first ..... the 15th so I could walk straight off the green to the outside bar for a pint of local beer | | | Ally McIntosh | 13 October 2010 | | Carl, if you went with that routing, you'd be left with a very awkward walk from 18 green to 1 tees... A possible option could be 13 green to 16, then 17, 18, 14, 15 to finish... Again a bit awkward though... The current routing is best no doubt... | | | Nigel Bradley | 17 October 2010 | | If I only had one UK course I could play for the rest of my life, then this would be it. Need I say more. | | | am | 28 October 2010 | | An accurate review of quality course which reflects the general Southern/Berkshire/Surrey leaning of the England listing. Royal Worlington, Bowood, Burhill are top 100 ? "I simply cannot believe this course is not ranked higher up the list." At least two lower ranked comparable courses - Little Aston and Sherwood Forest - should be ahead of Woking in the listing and at least three unranked courses - Blackwell, Northants County and Whittington Heath - are of equal merit. To me the three ball score indicates a good course well worth playing, four, one travelling some distance to play, five, one to plan a golfing holiday around and six, one to travel any distance and pay any fee to play in a golfing lifetime. If Woking is worth the very top score how can you rank the exceptional English inland courses - Woodhall Spa, Ganton, Hollinwell, and, with apologies, Sunningdale Old and Walton Heath Old ? On this basis Woking would score a strong four, possible five. | | | Tom | 18 April 2011 | | I played here Autumn/Winter last year (2010). I have to say this is this nicest, most charming golf course I have ever played. There is a special atmosphere which surrounds this course, which is rarely experienced. The fairways were a particulaer stand out for me- they were beautifully shaped and conditioned. The greens were also of an extremely high standard, that guranteed some testing putts. My particular favourites were the 5th (a mesmerising view from an elevated tee-box and the second of the par 5s which was framed by the huge pines that are prominent here at Woking GC. A class act which caters for the more refined of golfers. Superb! |
| | | Woking will always have a special place in heathland golf history, being the original track in the Surrey/Berkshire belt. The course certainly holds its position as still being one of the best tracks and whilst less infamous than some of its neighbours it remains comparable in terms of architecture, conditioning and golfing challenge. The club have also invested heavily in making improvements and most notably the redefining which has been done on the 6th including the new green has subtly enhanced the golf course. When contrasted against the “3 W’s” it holds its own favourably and there are an equal measure of great holes on this course compared to Worplesdon and West Hill. We could not single out a weak hole around here although granted that a few of the par 4’s are shorter they are still nonetheless good golf holes. The 18th being a case in point, a beautiful finishing hole with the lake to the right of the green. The challenge up to and around the turn gives this course its toughness, but for us playing Woking was about its history, the idyllic heathland setting and the wonderfully warm and friendly atmosphere generated by the club and its members. Ian Henley |
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| 01 November 2009
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| | This was my first foray onto the famous sandbelt of Surrey, so it was felt best to start at the original heathland course. Its hard not to echo previous reviews, the welcome from the Pro and Members we meet was warm and helped put you at ease from the off. I'm sure better golfers than me find it short but for myself, off 14, playing from the whites it was plenty long enough with traps and heather in all the right places to gobble up my mishits. My thoughts on the 18 holes were that the front 9 allowed me to use my imagination, while the back 9 seemed to be straighter and ask questions of my ball sticking abilities. The greens will test the best of players, were lighting quick and all 18 could be 3 putted if care was not taken when lining up, i think it would be fair to say they were the best I've played in the U.K this year. As a reviewer so wonderfully said, its a perfect thatched old cottage of an English course. I've always felt that although England has some world class links courses its our great heathland and parkland courses that we do best and along with the classic Scottish and charming Welsh links helps make this tiny island such a magical and diverse place to play golf. The history of Woking makes it a must play course, and one that any golfer really should enjoy. |
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| 20 August 2009
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| | Played 36 holes at Woking yesterday with a friend and joy-of-joys we took less than 7 hours for both rounds and a quick break for a sandwich!! Anyway, that apart, Woking is a cracking course. Not sure about the comments about it being short, we played from thew white tees and that means it's around 6300yds for a par 70 (only 2 par 5s on the course) and I can only recall 2 maybe 3 short par 4s (the 1st, 4th and probably 18th)! That aside, the course was in great condition even after 2 days of rain and the greens immaculate and very tricky! Happily be a member here until the day I popped my clogs - talking of the members - all those we met were courteous, friendly and a credit to the club. My only comment about the course layout is that the 14th (long par 5 to a green right in front of the clubhouse) should really be the 18th, I reckon a path could be built from the 13th green to the know 16th tee and the course rerouted so that you finish on 2 cracking par 5s!!! Just a thought, but really the course is top notch! |
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| 03 October 2008
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| | Wonderful heath and heather gem.Yes, a bit short but devilish designed greens and bunkers. Excellent value for the quality of the course and the friendly atmosphere. reminided us of Blairgowrie in Perthshire. No higher praise possible! |
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| 11 August 2008
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| | A cracking course. There is a £35 midweek after 3pm rate for non members that offers superb value.
Its a little short so play it off the back "tiger" tees. This make most of the holes a good length.
They have a two ball rule here so play is swift. It was too swift for me a my playing partner but we let a members two ball through and then settled in behind an older man and his wife which was much more to our pace.
The two balls rule means it not a place to go as a group expecting to have spend 5 hours going round larking about.
Its not a pompous place either. Although we did have to shell out for tailored shorts as the ones we had one were not smart enough. (i have played all over the place in those shorts and never had a problem).
In short a beautifully kept course thats a must if you can get on at £35. |
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| 22 May 2008
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| | Hard work and an enormous amount of investment in the course in recent years is starting to pay off and should have Woking rocketing back up the top 100. A significant number of the holes have been lengthened to provide a challenge for even the longest hitters, with the black tees now requiring a career long iron to get close. The magic and intimate feel that won such plaudits from Bernard Darwin and Harry Vardon has been retained and in many ways enhanced by a tree clearance programme which is slowly turning the heathland course back to how it appeared originally. The greens frequently attract the highest praise for both their quality and the challenge they provide; they are in imaculate condition and were by far and away the best I played on in 2007. A wonderful course, an absolute must. |
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| 15 February 2008
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| | What a lovely course. Played here on a warm mid October day. Friendly welcome to the club, very old style clubhouse which adds to its charm. The course itself was in super condition, the greens are the best i've ever played and the hardest to read, unforgettable. For me it has the edge over Worplesdon, just. Many cracking holes with the pick's being the 2nd,6th,9th12th and 16th!! Play here if you have the chance its good value at £50, you won't be disappointed. |
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| 06 November 2007
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| | Out of all the great Surrey heathland courses Woking is the one that retains it’s old world charm the most. There is a real feeling of intimacy, timlessness and permancy about the whole club. The pot holed car park, tree lined fairways and wooden pavilion all add to its charm. As the first of the heathland courses it is of course not a modern day test of golf, despite the recent and ongoing work to lengthen some of the holes. But then even when these courses were built they were not meant to be championship tests, they were meant to be membership clubs and they were designed that way. I personally don’t think this is a problem, the heather and the trees will keep most of us mid handicap players fully in check and it’s very nice to play a course where the normal golfer can be flattered by hitting driver - wedge on some par 4’s particularly the 1st………… as long as we hit it straight enough that is! The course itself is in transition, the fairways and greens are immaculate, but there is an ongoing plan to remove trees and encourage the heather. This I think is good, you can definitely see that the trees have encroached far to much onto the course and as a result the heather has suffered badly in some places. There is also a bunker rejuvenation plan in place and I think the one criticism I would have of this course is the bunkering, it needs to be more difficult up near the greens, like New Zealand. My greatest praise though is for the greens, not just their conditioning but their overall design, they are small but multi tiered with some really vicious pin options. This was my first visit to Woking and it is a wonderful place to play golf and if I lived close enough this would be the course I’d want to be a member of, it’s charm and beautiful clubhouse would swing it for me, even though Worplesdon of the three W’s is the better course. I think if you were flying in from the States the best way to describe this place is the perfect thatched old English cottage of a course ……….. visit and enjoy. |
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| 28 June 2007
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| | Having played the 3 W's of Woking, West Hill and Worplesdon I can honestly say it would be a pleasure to be a member at any. Woking is the shortest and probably the easiest of the three yet there is enough to keep you interested all the way round. Greens with some significant undulations are kept in superb condition, as is the rest of the course. Some heavy tree clearance underway presumably to encourage the return of heather means it's less aesthetically pleasing as Worplesdon. Well worth a visit and at £35 in the winter it's a bargain. |
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| 10 March 2005
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| | The heathland course at Woking is well worth a visit. Quality is a key word here and the club are currently working hard around the course to maintain the high standard. Be prepared though, this is a short course and it’s not a place that you need your ‘A’ game to score well – rare for me to call a course easy but with so many short par 4’s, this is one of the easier I have played. Best holes for me are the 8th, 9th, 10th and 16th but in all honesty, only the 3rd looks a touch ordinary.
Lasting memory ….. great course, looks a treat, bit short but had a lovely day here. Oh and to end, those lady members – bless them … I’m sure they are not all the same ! (Make sure you check if they have the 1st tee booked before you visit – you have been warned).
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| 11 February 2005
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| | Woking has bags of class despite being a traditional golf club in every respect. The course is short and when I last played it at the end of the hot summer of 2003 it was so short that it played much harder than normal, it was almost links-like. It's hard to split Woking from West Hill, but for me Worplesdon has the edge. Nevertheless, Woking is a must play course for the traditionalists...and it's not bad value either. |
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| 02 February 2005
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| | Good course - but the most irritating lady members who glare at one constantly, and seem to rule the roost here. The surviving saving grace is the men-only bar, where the bossy harridans have to peep through a hatch to order a drink! |
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| 24 October 2004
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| Response: | | | Richard | 11 June 2007 | | Sorry you were so intimidated by the lady members. It is a lovely course, setting and the recent changes to the course make it play plenty long. | | | kate | 12 November 2007 | | You really should go back to the dark ages where you belong. This lady golfer woud be happy to show you some manners....and some game! | | | Carl | 28 May 2008 | | There is a strong lady membership at the club ...... and they are infamous. But they are also real characters and great fun for it. Basicly if you find them intimidating/harridans then there is a reason for that and isn't they that have the problem ..... ! | | | John | 16 October 2010 | | Carl, Kate, if the reviewer had lady members glaring at him / others and they were behaving in a bossy way then that's something people should know and it doesn't sound to me as if he has a problem - incredibly patronising message by the way. You shouldn't come to a golf club to get grief - personally, it would make me less likely to be a member there despite the quality of the course. |
| | | Classy and traditional if a little on the short side. It's good advice to leave the driver at home, I got into all sorts of trouble with mine! Thoroughly enjoyable. |
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| 01 April 2004
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| Response: | | | Anthony Cave | 06 March 2008 | | I grew up playing Hook heath, it is and will always my favorite course, havnt played it for a number of years but still i know every blade of grass, best approach to each hole....love it!! |
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