Tandridge Golf Club: Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info
The Harry Colt layout at Tandridge serves up two contrasting nines, far-reaching views and some of the best greens you'll ever putt on
Tandridge Golf Club Key Information
Header Cell - Column 0 | Header Cell - Column 1 |
---|---|
Address | Godstone Road, Oxted, Surrey, RH8 9NQ |
Phone Number | +44 (0)1883 713701 |
Website | tandridgegolfclub.com |
om@tandridgegolfclub.com | |
Green Fees | £100pp high-season fourball, £120pp twoball/threeball |
Visitor Times | Monday/Wednesday most weeks; Tuesday/Thursday occasionally |
Par | Men: 71 white, yellow, 68 red; Ladies: 74 yellow, 72 red |
Slope Rating | Men: 134 white, 129 yellow, 125 red; Ladies: 136 yellow,128 red |
Opened | 1924 |
Designed by | Harry Colt |
Golf Monthly Verdict
The great Harry Colt designed the course at Tandridge, close to Oxted just south of the M25 in Surrey. It opened for play in 1924 and in recent years the club has embarked on an ambitious scheme to recreate or reinterpret many of the original Colt design features but in the context of the modern golfing world.
The result is a remarkable transformation into a course that now sits among the very best inland layouts in the south-east of England and beyond, with some excellent and attractive bunkering work considerably enhancing both the aesthetics and strategy of many holes.
REASONS TO PLAY TANDRIDGE
- A fine example of a sympathetic Colt restoration and modernisation
- Proof that some of our finest courses can exist within a mile of so of some of our very busiest motorways
- Invariably in impeccable condition, enhancing the overall golfing experience
RANKINGS
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2023/24 - 97
Beneficiary of a long-term and comprehensive upgrade to restore and enhance its Harry Colt heritage, the course at Tandridge offers a game of two halves, with the flatter and strategic front nine leading to a rollercoaster and scenic ride home.
Harry Colt is considered by some as the greatest golf course architect of all time. He has a larger presence in the Golf Monthly UK & Ireland Top 100 than anyone, and his work has an enduring influence and legacy at some of the top courses in the world, including Muirfield, Royal County Down, and the American course often cited as the best of all, Pine Valley.
He designed the course at Tandridge, which opened for play in 1924, and several years ago the club embarked on an ambitious scheme with Colt expert, Frank Pont, to restore the same principles and approach but in the context of today’s golfing world.
In more recent years, in-demand architect, Tim Lobb, has taken up the reins to further refine the layout, and the feedback from members and visitors alike has been overwhelmingly positive.
The 1st hole changed from a long par 4 to a par 5 a number of years ago to make for a slightly gentler start, but it plays into the prevailing wind so par is still no pushover. But its increase in par is good news, for the holes that follow are among the toughest on the course, so a three-shotter to get you up and away is no bad thing.
It is followed by a superb, arcing, long par 4 that sweeps to the right, where the drive must not cut off too much of the corner. Even if you reach the green in regulation, it is double-tiered so par is never guaranteed. The 3rd climbs gently to the right and the green on the short 4th is an oasis in a desert of sand.
The more undulating back nine is a real contrast, beginning with another long par 4, which is one of the hardest holes on the course. Heather makes its presence felt here to give the otherwise parkland layout just a hint of its Surrey heathland neighbours at Walton Heath and elsewhere.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
The 11th and 12th rise slowly to the highest point, before the closing six holes offer a thrilling rollercoaster ride home. The 13th is one of the toughest par 3s you will encounter at 223 yards from the tips. Most golfers are happy to walk away with a four here, let alone a three.
Colt's original signature hole follows, played from a new back tee which towers above the fairway. This is a maximum-distance par 4 with a ditch that crosses the fairway in the valley waiting to swallow up any mishit approach shots.
The short but teasing dogleg 16th can ruin a card, before 17 offers up another exciting drive from a high tee before an approach that tends to play one or two clubs more than its yardage to a green blessed with some severe slopes.
The relocated tee complex in the trees at the top of the hill on the closing hole has improved the finish beyond recognition. It is now a cracking hole with everything visible from the tee. A word of warning, though - don’t go right!
What The Top 100 Panel Said
Tandridge is an absolute gem. This was the first time that I’ve played it and I have to say that it exceeded my expectations in leaps and bounds. I played a lot of parkland courses around Surrey, Sussex and Kent growing up, but never at Tandridge. The front nine feels quite like other decent parkland courses in those counties but the course really comes to life on the back nine, which has a very different feel because of the undulations and the wow factor with the views and tee shots.
I found this to be a typical Harry Colt course with plateau greens protected by many steep-faced bunkers. The front nine is gentle and undulating but the back nine is quite different, with more dramatic changes in elevation. Quite recently, with the removal of many trees, wonderful views have been opened up that had been lost because of excessive woodland growth. The spectacular 12th green has views of the South Downs that must be incomparable in the south of England. I can't wait to go back next summer and play again, especially that back nine.
Tandridge Golf Club location
Tandridge Golf Club Green Fees
April to September - 2023 | £100pp | For fourballs |
April to September - 2023 | £120pp | For twoballs or threeballs |
Winter 2023/2024 | TBC | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
No visitor bookings Friday to Sunday | Row 3 - Cell 1 | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
Contact Tandridge Golf Club to book
Tandridge Golf Club scorecard
Best Courses Near Tandridge
WALTON HEATH (OLD)
One of the great English heathland courses, the Old was opened in 1904 with a match between the great triumvirate of Taylor, Vardon and Braid. Braid was already the club’s professional and continued to hold that position up to his death in 1950. Designed by Herbert Fowler, it’s a sandy and firm track protected by heather, an eclectic selection of trees and the notorious, swirling winds.
THE ADDINGTON
The Addington, another heathland layout, offers great views of London on a clear day and is famous for its wooden bridges that cross the natural undulations in the land. Golf writer Henry Longhurst once said of the par-3 13th: “With the exception of the 5th at Pine Valley, it's the greatest one-shot hole in inland golf." The course is currently undergoing a major restoration and renovation.
Best Places To Stay Near Tandridge
Hurst Farm B&B, Crockham Hill - Book now at Booking.com
This superb B&B is located in Crockham Hill, six miles from the golf club. It offers excellent accommodation with the added perk of an outdoor pool, tennis court and shared lounge. Continental and full English/Irish breakfast options are available daily at Hurst Farm.
Kings Arms Hotel, Westerham - Book now at Booking.com
The Kings Arms Hotel lies right in the centre of the old English town of Westerham, five minutes from the M25 and five miles from Tandridge Golf Club. This elegant-looking hotel has rooms featuring modern facilities, including TVs, hair dryers, individual private bathrooms and free Wi-Fi.
Tandridge Gallery
TANDRIDGE HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I
- 2023/24 - 97
- 2021/22 - Next 100
- 2019/20 - 99
- 2017/18 - 99
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tandridge a heathland golf course?
No, not really, although it certainly feels as though it could or should be in one or two places, most notably the 10th hole where there are a few pockets of heather dotted about. In places, it doesn't really feel like a parkland course either in perhaps the classic sense of that term, but essentially that is probably how best to classify it.
Is Tandridge golf course famous for its bunkers?
Yes, certainly locally, following considerable work and investment in recent years to restore more of the Harry Colt layout's original feel and flavour. The result is a wealth of eye-catching and highly visible bunkering that adds to both the aesthetics and strategy of the course. Thankfully, though, there are now nowehere near the 300 bunkers that the course was reported to have had when it opened nearly a century ago.
Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.
Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is currently playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft
3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft
Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft
Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Putter: Kramski HPP 325
Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)
-
Treat The Golfer In Your Life This Christmas And Save Big With $700 Savings On Stewart Golf Electric Trolleys
Golf Monthly experts rate these remote control golf trolleys as some of the best available, on offer right now in these brilliant Christmas golf deals
By Paul Brett Published
-
'In Europe, People Go Naked To Beaches All The Time, So I Don’t Really See The Difference’ – Grace Charis On Pushing Golf’s Dress Code Boundaries
Social media sensation Grace Charis takes golf's dress code debate to a new level
By Alison Root Published
-
Golfer Emulates Father By Completing Golf Monthly Top 100... For The Second Time!
Following in his father’s footsteps, reader Michael Howlett set himself the enviable task of playing every course in the Golf Monthly Top 100
By Rob Smith Last updated
-
Which Golf Courses Do We Rank 101st-200th In The UK And Ireland?
The Golf Monthly Next 100 for 2023/24 showcases the courses ranked 101st-200th in the UK and Ireland
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland 2023/24
Golf Monthly's new ranking of the UK and Ireland's Top 100 courses
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Dumbarnie Links Golf Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info
A modern masterpiece, Dumbarnie Links boasts a wonderful, elevated setting above the Firth of Forth and a great mix of holes to both challenge and tempt you
By Jeremy Ellwood Published
-
St Enodoc Golf Club: Church Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info
The Church Course at St Enodoc Golf Club is one of the most distinctive and individual courses in the Top 100, packed with variety and views
By Rob Smith Published
-
Hollinwell Golf Course: Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info
The very fine routing at Hollinwell Golf Course has some delightful changes in elevation and many exceptional holes over a vast and very attractive heathland
By Rob Smith Published
-
Nairn Golf Club Championship Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info
Gorse-lined, criss-crossed by burns and pockmarked by perilous pot bunkers, Nairn delivers superb Scottish links golf
By Fergus Bisset Published
-
Gleneagles Golf Resort King's Course: Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info
Nowhere gives you the chance to pit yourself against James Braid’s design mind in quite as gloriously serene a setting as Gleneagles King’s course
By Jeremy Ellwood Published