Walton Heath is one of the world’s most highly regarded golf clubs, famous for its rich golfing and political history and the quality of its two exceptionally challenging heathland layouts, described by Jack Nicklaus as “wonderfully pure.”

Both courses feature in the UK and Ireland’s Top 50 rankings. The Old has earned its place in the World’s Top 100 every year since the inception of the rankings in 1938.

The Club was founded in 1903. Walton’s first Captain happened also to be King Edward VIII. The first Professional, James Braid, won five Opens and stayed for some forty-five years. Winston Churchill played regularly at Walton Heath. The Club hosted the European Open in the seventies and eighties, the Ryder Cup in 1981, the British Ladies Amateur in 2000, the Senior Open in 2011 and The British Masters in 2018.

The Old Course has many demands, but its greater length means that more “Scottish shots” are likely to be needed in this Surrey haven. When you do reach the greens, they are large, hard, fast, and true.

The fairways offer a texture that only geography, maturity and professional care can deliver deep, firm, springy, and hallowed from the giant footsteps that went before.

Tom Weiskopf reckons the closing sequence is as good as any. It starts at the 13th with a strong 548-yard Par-5F curving to the right, cleverly bunkered on the way to a green that demands close and respectful attention.

If you love golf with its endless frustrations and rewards, you will love the Old Course at Walton Heath, for it is the epitome of golf on barely tamed heathland, and requiring finesse and strength in equal measure.