Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course: Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info

Sunningdale's Old Course is a classic heathland layout and one of the world's very best inland courses

Sunningdale Old
The 17th green of Sunningdale's Old Course, looking up to the clubhouse
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)

Top 100 Courses UK & Ireland 2023/24

(Image credit: Future)

Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course Key Information

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Header Cell - Column 0 Header Cell - Column 1
AddressRidgemount Road, Sunningdale, Berkshire, SL5 9RR
Phone Number01344 621681
Websitehttps://www.sunningdalegolfclub.co.uk
Emailinfo@sunningdalegolfclub.co.uk
Green Fees£325
Visitor TimesMon-Thurs
Par70 (Men), 74 (Ladies)
Slope Rating139 (Blues), 133 (Whites), 128 (Yellows), 141 (Reds - Ladies)
Opened1901
Designed byWillie Park Jnr, Harry Colt
Golf Monthly Verdict

Sunningdale - Old Course - Hole 17

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A heathland masterpiece. A joy from start to finish, played across springy turf and rolling terrain.

The course delivers a classic test of heathland golf, where placement and strategy must be to the fore. The greens and surrounds are always immaculate.

The Old Course is a majestic layout set amidst the pines, playing past heather and gorse to superb, sprawling putting surfaces.

REASONS TO PLAY THE COURSE

– It's the number 1 inland course on the GM Top 100 ranking.

– A perfect example of the heathland track

– Tremendous competitive history

RANKINGS

UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2023/24 - 9

The Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club, a Willie Park Jnr design that was opened for play in 1901, is a superb heathland layout set amidst the pines with heather-lined fairways leading to fabulous playing surfaces that are famously smooth and true.

The positive effects of a recently installed irrigation system see this classic heathland track remain inside the top-10 of the Golf Monthly UK&I top 100 golf course rankings and it is top of the list when it comes to the best inland courses in the UK.

There’s tremendous variety to be found on the Old Course with brilliant par-3s, a number of classic short par-4s, together with some testing longer holes. The front nine begins gently with a straightforward par-5 but the challenge ramps up with the long and difficult right-to-left 2nd.

There follows a succession of truly memorable holes from the short, uphill par-3 4th to the downhill par-4 5th and then the majestic par-4 7th, with a blind drive and a visual treat when you get over the crest of the hill, and the picturesque par-3 8th.

Then, after the turn, the 10th tee provides the golfer with tremendous views, with the fairway sweeping away towards Sunningdale’s excellent and always much-anticipated halfway hut.

The Old is a course that demands precision and clear strategy. There are a number of tees from which the temptation is to hit the driver, but the prudent play is to favour positioning over length. It’s a track where you’ll likely use every club in the bag over the 18 holes.

Walking up the final hole towards the striking clubhouse and the iconic old oak tree, one gets a sense of the golfing gravitas exuded by the place. Sunningdale Golf Club occupies an important place within the sport.

Sunningdale enjoys a rich competitive history and the club has played host to numerous significant events over the years. As early as 1903, Sunningdale welcomed the world’s best players for the News of the World Match Play, an event won by James Braid. In 1926, Bobby Jones qualified for The Open Championship over the Old Course at Sunningdale with two incredible rounds of 66 and 68.

The club has hosted professional tournaments on the European Tour plus, the Walker Cup of 1987, the Women’s British Open on four occasions, the Senior Open three times.

Sunningdale Golf Club is home to two of the best golf courses in England, with the New Course just as excellent, and a day at this stunning venue is about as good as it gets as a golfer.

What The Top 100 Panel Said

James Holland UK&I Top 100 panel
James Holland

Heathland golf perfected! You get a chance to hit plenty of wedges on the front nine but if you find yourself out of position, it isn’t easy to recover.  An incredibly fair test of golf. I’d expected it to be good but not that good.  Absolutely fantastic.

Mike Chapman UK&I Top 100 panel
Mike Chapman

There are not too many “bucket list” courses for experienced golfers but the Old Course at Sunningdale is one of them. From entering the automatic gates until you leave, the experience is very special. A great test of golf in beautiful surroundings that makes you smile all the way round.

Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course Location

Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course Green Fees

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11th Apr - 27th Jul£325
29th Aug - 26th Oct£325
36 holes (one round Old, one round New)£550

Visit the Sunningdale Golf Club website for more information on booking

Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course

Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course scorecard

(Image credit: Sunningdale Golf Club)

Best Courses near to Sunnindale Golf Club Old Course

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<a href="https://www.golfmonthly.com/courses/top-100-courses/sunningdale-golf-club-new-course-review-60460" data-link-merchant="golfmonthly.com"">SUNNINGDALE NEW COURSE

Sunningdale Golf Club is blessed to have two exceptional courses and the New is evenly matched in quality to its older brother. An exceptional heathland design by Colt and Morrison. 

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<a href="https://www.golfmonthly.com/courses/top-100-courses/swinley-forest-golf-club-course-review-86835" data-link-merchant="golfmonthly.com"">SWINLEY FOREST

If you were asked to close your eyes and imagine in your mind a perfect, beautiful, traditional, heathland golf course as it would have been a century ago, this would be exactly it. This is one of Harry Colt’s greatest legacies.

For more great courses near Sunningdale, check out our guide to the best golf courses in Berkshire.

Best Places to Stay Near Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course

Macdonald Berystede Hotel & Spa - Book now at Booking.com
Styled like a French chateau, this historical manor is 1.5 miles from Ascot Racecourse and just over a mile from Sunningdale GC. It has a relaxing spa with swimming pool and gym, and boasts an AA Rosette-rated restaurant.

Royal Berkshire - Book now at Booking.com
An elegant country house hotel in the Berkshire countryside, just over a mile from Sunningdale GC. The buidling dates from the early 18th century and offers a traditional vibe. They do a famously good breakfast.

SUNNINGDALE Golf Club OLD COURSE GALLERY

Tournaments hosted at Sunningdale

  • News of the World Matchplay
  • The Walker Cup
  • The European Open
  • The Open Championship Qualifying
  • The Women's British Open
  • The Senior Open

SUNNINGDALE Golf club OLD COURSE TOP 100 RANKING UK&I

  • 2023/24 - 9
  • 2021/22 - 9
  • 2019/20 – 11
  • 2017/18 - 12
  • 2015/16 - 13
  • 2013/14 - 14
  • 2011/12 - 20
  • 2009/10 - 21

Frequently Asked Questions

CAN I PLAY SUNNINGDALE GOLF CLUB?

Sunningdale is a private members club but both the Old and New courses are available to play for visitors between Monday to Thursday. Getting a tee time can prove difficult so make sure to book well in advance - email the club for more. You can also book on the Sunningdale website.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY SUNNINGDALE?

Sunningdale has two of the best courses in the UK and the green fees put it up there with the most expensive green fees in the UK, too. A round on either the Old or New courses costs £325 from April to October in 2023, whilst you can play both courses in one day for £550.

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?