Best Golf Courses In Surrey

Surrey is the home of heathland golf in the UK, featuring some of the country's greatest inland courses like St George's Hill, Walton Heath, Wentworth, Hankley Common, the three W's and many, many more.

In fact, it has more entries in the Golf Monthly UK and Ireland Top 100 courses rankings than any other county and may well be the best English county when it comes to golf. The entire of south-west London and the spill-out areas boast some of the country's best courses so neighbouring counties like Berkshire and Hampshire also have some stunning heathland and parkland golf.

Surrey's heathland courses (as well as those in Berkshire) are world famous and therefore popular with golf tourists from around the UK and world, meaning prices can be high. However, there are plenty of brilliant courses away from the famous ones including gems like Camberley Heath, West Surrey, West Byfleet and Farnham in the west to the likes of Cuddington, the Addington, Reigate Heath and Banstead Downs to the east.

Here we take a look at the best golf courses in Surrey, featuring historic heathland courses, beautiful parkland layouts and even one of the UK's most exclusive golf clubs. Note that green fee rates included below are the highest (so peak season, weekends) and many of these courses can be played for cheaper rates during the week or in afternoons...

St George's Hill

• Location: Weybridge
• Opened: 1913
• Designed by: Harry Colt
• Holes: 27
• Green fee: £225-£295
• GM Top 100 ranking: 24th

St George's Hill can be classed at the top or very, very near the top when it comes to the best golf courses in Surrey and is easily one of the best golf courses in England. The Weybridge beauty features 27 holes designed by legendary architect Harry Colt, with the Red and Blue nines making up the premier 18. The Green is the third nine.

The course has some stunning and strategic holes with elevation changes and risk-reward elements. It also has some brilliant par-3s including the 8th on the Red - an exquisite one-shotter across a valley over heather and sand which became the template for many a later design. St George's Hill is Surrey heathland golf at its finest, and the Red and Blue loop is Golf Monthly's highest-ranked Surrey course.

Wentworth

• Location: Virginia Water
• Opened: 1922
• Designed by: Harry Colt (West and East), Gary Player/John Jacobs/Bernard Gallacher (Edinburgh)
• Holes: 63 including 9 hole par-3 course
• Green fee: n/a

Wentworth is one of the UK's most famous clubs and has hosted numerous professional events down the years including the Ryder Cup, World Match Play and the BMW PGA Championship.

The club, famous for its castle clubhouse, truly is heavenly with three world class courses, a par 3 course, a tennis club, spa and more, with the estate lined by stunning mansions. The West Course, referred to as the Burma Road, is the most famous of the three, featuring heather, a huge variety of trees and rhododendrons. It opened for play in 1926 and was designed by Harry Colt. It has undergone huge changes in recent years, overseen by longtime resident Ernie Els in 2010 and then Ernie Els and the European Golf Design in 2016. All 18 greens have been changed and a sub-air system installed.

Wentworth is also home to the East Course, which was also designed by Colt and actually opened two years earlier than the West. The third of the three championship courses is the Edinburgh, which opened in 1990 and was designed by John Jacobs, Bernard Gallacher and Gary Player. Whist it's relatively new, it appears like it has been there forever as it carves its way through the pine trees, contrasting with the two other more heather-lined courses. Wentworth is now extremely exclusive so visitors must know a member to get a game.

WALTON HEATH - OLD AND NEW

• Location: Walton-on-the-Hill
• Opened: 1904
• Designed by: Herbert Fowler (both courses)
• Holes: 36
• Green fee: Contact club 01737 812060
• GM Top 100 ranking: 29 (Old), 54 (New)

Walton Heath, host of US Open qualifying and the 2018 British Masters, features two of the best golf courses in Surrey that both feature in the Golf Monthly Top 100 courses rankings. The club is home to the Old and the New courses, both of which are excellent tests of golf set upon stunning open heathland.

It's one of the country's most historic clubs and was home to former player and legendary course designer James Braid who was the club's first professional. The Old measures just under 6,800 yards off the medal tees and just over 7,400 when stretched fully. It was designed by Herbert Fowler.

The New is just under 6,700 from the regular medal tees and 7,200 off the backs. It might be called the 'New' but it is in fact very old...it opened for play in as a full 18 holer in 1913. Walton Heath was also the venue for the 1981 Ryder Cup where the USA won 18.5 to 9.5.

Hankley Common

• Location: Farnham
• Opened: 1897
• Designed by: James Braid
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £130
• GM Top 100 ranking: 32

Hankley, further south towards the Hampshire borders, is one of the best inland courses in the country. As the name suggests, Hankley is set on a common and the views are tremendous throughout.

There is easily room for 54 holes on the property with some holes weaving through trees and some more open on the common land. The James Braid layout is an excellent test that rewards accurate ball striking whilst the greens are tricky and fast.

It measures just over 6,900 off the backs with a par of 71 for men. The par-3 7th playing up to a raised and open green is a standout whilst the testing 18th features a punchbowl short of the green that must be carried. Hankley originally opened as a nine holder in 1897 before James Braid designed a second nine in 1922 to take the course to a full 18-holer.

New Zealand

• Location: Addlestone
• Opened: 1895
• Designed by: Samuel Mure Fergusson
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: Contact club 01932 345049

The heathland layout at New Zealand can be classed as another of Surrey's supreme courses. It was laid out on the estate of Hugh F. Locke King, the man behind Brooklands race track, and features plenty of heather as it winds its way through pine trees throughout.

The club was founded in 1985 and the course was designed by Samuel Fergusson, a former elite player who went on to Captain the R&A. He also designed the nine hole course at Windsor Castle. Not long in length, the par 68 course at New Zealand is a charming one that tests accuracy rather than distance.

Woking

• Location: Woking
• Opened: 1893
• Designed by: Tom Dunn
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £130
• GM Top 100 ranking: 83

The first of the three Ws to appear on our list, Woking is one of the very best golf courses in Surrey. Formed in 1893, it is the county's oldest heathland club and was designed by Tom Dunn.

It's primarily a two-ball club and gets off to a gentle start with a 280 yard par-4 opener...although it gets tougher from there. While the course as a whole is not especially long, at just over 6,500 yards, it is blessed with greens whose contours will keep you on your toes throughout.

Worplesdon

• Location: Brookwood, Woking
• Opened: 1893
• Designed by:  J F Abercromby
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £160
• GM Top 100 ranking: 63

Worplesdon is the second of the 3 Ws on this list and is actually the highest-ranked of the three in our rankings. JF Abercrombie laid out the course in 1908 with the greens and bunkers constructed by Willie Park Jr, the former Open Champion responsible for the Old Course at Sunningdale.

It contrasts well with the other Ws and is a welcoming club with some great history. It features many fine holes that make for a strong strategic test where careful shot placement is required, a stand-out is the picturesque par-3 10th over water.

West Hill

• Location: Brookwood, Woking
• Opened: 1907
• Designed by: Cuthbert Butchart
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £140
• GM Top 100 ranking: 71

The third of the 3 Ws, West Hill is an utterly charming place to play golf. Designed by the club’s first professional, Cuthbert Butchart, the layout has remained largely unaltered over the last 100 years after opening in 1907.

Lined by soaring Scots pines, the springy fairways demand precise hitting from the tees. Combine that with the threat of heather, clever bunkering and the brook of Brookwood on six of the holes, and the strategic challenge presented by West Hill becomes clear.

Queenwood

• Location: Ottershaw
• Opened: 2001
• Designed by: David McLay Kidd
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: n/a

The ultra-private Queenwood, one of the UK's most exclusive golf clubs, may well have the best greens in the country and is always kept in pristine condition. The course was designed by world renowned David McLay Kidd who also designed Bandon Dunes in the USA and the Castle Course at St Andrews. A number of Tour Pros are members and/or practice there as well as celebrities and leaders in the business and financial sectors. 

The club opened in 2001 and the course has matured nicely. It features plenty of gorse, water and undulations and is a supreme test of golf. It measures 6,800 yards with a par of 72, the club also has some excellent practice facilities.

Camberley Heath

• Location: Camberley
• Opened: 1913
• Designed by: Harry Colt
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £98

The Harry Colt heathland at Camberley Heath is another of Surrey's brilliant courses. It goes slightly under the radar due to its neighbours but Camberley resembles local favourites with its towering pines and heather.

It's a great test and measures 6,400 yards with a par of 71. Camberley opened in 1913 and is a regular feature in England top 100 course ranking lists.

Coombe Hill

• Location: Kingston upon Thames
• Opened: 1911
• Designed by: JF Abercromby
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £140

Coombe Hill, between Kingston and Wimbledon, is one of Surrey's premier private member clubs. The delightful course opened in 1911 and was designed by JF Abercrombie, who appears again in this list with Worplesdon.

Sir Winston Churchill was a member whilst he was Home Secretary and he would play with Herbert Henry Asquith, prime minister at the time. Coombe Hill was also where the late Ronnie Corbett played. The course features mature trees and rhododendrons, and is a 6,400 yard par 71.

The Addington

• Location: Croydon
• Opened: 1913
• Designed by: JF Abercromby
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £125

Yet another Surrey heathland test comes at The Addington, further towards the east side of the county on the edge of the London Borough of Bromley. The club previously had two courses, the Old and the New, but the New is no longer there.

The Old is another of JF Abercrombie's designs, who had it open in 1913, five years after his Worplesdon creation and two years after Coombe Hill. There are currently works going on to clear trees and restore the course to its former glories.

The Addington has great views of London on a clear day and is famous for it's wooden bridges that cross the natural undulations in the land. It features a plethora of heather, pines and birch. Henry Longhurst, a former member and golf writer said of the par-3 13^th: “with the exception of the 5^th at Pine Valley, near Philadelphia, the greatest one-shot hole in inland golf”.

HINDHEAD

• Location: Hindhead
• Opened: 1904
• Designed by: JH Taylor
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: Contact club 01428 604 458

Further south in the county of Surrey lies Hindhead, a beautiful, special place to play golf. Hindhead is set in amidst of the 'Devil's Punchbowl' and features deep valleys and heather-lined fairways. The front nine has some spectacular holes with elevation changes including the par-5 2nd which plays downhill into a valley from the tee. Peter Alliss, an honorary life member at the club, said Hindhead is “One of my favourite courses of all time with greens that are kept in magnificent shape.”

The course was laid out by JH Taylor and opened for play in 1904. It now measures 6,400 yards with a par of 70.

Tandridge

• Location: Oxted
• Opened: 1924
• Designed by: Harry Colt
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £125

The course opened for play in 1924, designed by the legendary Harry Colt, and features two distinct nines - a flatter opening half and more undulating back nine. It is set in glorious East Surrey countryside and has some of the best greens you'll find. 

Tandridge is very bunker-heavy and they have been altered in recent years to beautiful effect by Harry Colt expert Frank Pont, who has done similar work at Broadstone in Dorset. The course measures 6,500 yards and is a par 71.

Burhill - Old and New

• Location: Walton-on-Thames
• Opened: 1907 (Old), 2001 (New)
• Designed by: Willie Park Junior (Old), Simon Gidman (New)
• Holes: 36
• Green fee: £90

Burhill is just around the corner from St George's Hill in Weybridge and its Old Course is without doubt one of Surrey's best. The club has two courses now, with the Old occupying the north and west side of the stunning Georgian Mansion.

The Old Course opened in 1907 and was designed by Willie Park Jr, the man behind Sunningdale's Old Course. Its gorgeous par-3 6th is a standout as is the par-4 17th which features a tough second shot playing downhill. Burhill was where Paul Casey spent much of his youth and is now home to the Open Regional Qualifying each year on the longer New Course. The club also has excellent practice facilities.

ROYAL WIMBLEDON

• Location: Wimbledon
• Opened: 1924
• Designed by: Harry Colt
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £82.50

Royal Wimbledon is the third oldest club in England and its heathland course is an excellent Harry Colt design. The historic club at Wimbledon was founded in 1865 and granted Royal status 17 years later. By then, club professional Tom Dunn had extended its original course to 18 holes. Harry Colt, a member here, designed the course we play today, and it opened for play in 1924.

From the charming and characterful clubhouse, you head to the first tee past the enormous practice green and the chipping green. The par is 70, and the course is nearing the end of an extensive, long-term upgrade by Tom Mackenzie.

WEST SURREY

• Location: Godalming
• Opened: 1910
• Designed by: Herbert Fowler
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £90

Yet another excellent Surrey course is the treelined West Surrey in Godalming. The 6482 yard Par 71 course works its way through the Surrey Hills and was originally designed by Herbert Fowler in 1910. The course is only getting better too, thanks to bunkering and re-design work from Ken Moodie's Creative Golf Design.

It's undulating and a stern test of golf, and the view from the 18th tee towards the clubhouse with the Hogs Back beyond is one of the best views in the county. West Surrey was also a venue on the Clutch Pro Tour in 2020.

West Byfleet

• Location: West Byfleet
• Opened: 1906
• Designed by: Cuthbert Butchart
• Holes: 18
• Green fee: £85

The excellent tree-lined course at West Byfleet is both a strong test and great fun. The course opened for play in 1906 and sits on a narrow parcel of land next to the railway. It was designed by Cuthbert Butchart, the first professional at nearby West Hill.

It's a lively and friendly club with a strong membership and many low-handicappers. Ongoing course work from Mackenzie and Ebert is taking the course up a level with tree clearing, bunker work, new tees and lengthening. If you manage to keep the ball straight at West Byfleet - somewhat easier said than done - then there is every chance of a decent score.

Of course with Surrey being one of, if not the, best English golf county there are too many courses to mention - other notable favourites include The Wisley and Beaverbrook (read more in our 10 most exclusive golf clubs article), Foxhills, Effingham, Farnham, Cuddington, Puttenham, Banstead Downs, Betchworth Park and more.