How Can I Play Wentworth?

Close to Windsor Castle at Virginia Water is Wentworth, not only one of the best golf courses in Surrey, but one of the most exclusive in the UK.

The club was established in 1922, with the first of its four courses, the Harry Colt-designed East Course, opening two years later, and he was again at the helm for the design of the West Course, which opened in 1926.

That's how things stayed until 1990, when the third 18-hole layout opened, the Edinburgh Course, designed by John Jacobs with assistance from Bernard Gallagher and Gary Player. Nowadays, the club is also home to a nine-hole par-3 named the Executive Course.

While all three 18-hole courses are top-quality, it is the West Course (otherwise known as Burma Road) that has garnered worldwide acclaim.

With its lush parkland setting, the course has heather, rhododendrons and a huge variety of trees, including pine, birch and oak that line its famous fairways.

The course has changed significantly in recent years, with two big renovations undertaken by Ernie Els, one of several high-profile residents of the 700-hectare estate.

The first change came in 2010, when Els lengthened the layout, recontoured putting surfaces, and added bunkers while deepening others.

At the time, Els said: “Everyone knows how special Wentworth is to me so of course it was an honor to be given the responsibility of renovating this classic course and bringing it into the 21st century.”

However, it wasn't without controversy, with particular criticism leveled at the green complexes on the eighth and 18th holes.

Despite that, the four-time Major winner was again at the helm in 2016 for another extensive redesign.

On that occasion, the work focused on five of the greens and the removal of some bunkers to offer a challenge worthy of the prestigious BMW PGA Championship, which the course has hosted annually since 1984.

While the DP World Tour’s flagship event is prestigious enough, the West Course has also hosted other more high-profile contests, notably the 1953 Ryder Cup, as well as the HSBC World Match Play Championship between 1964 and 2007, which was won seven times by Els.

With its world-class reputation and long history, it’s perhaps unsurprising that playing a round at the club is not straightforward, but that’s only been true in the last decade.

Until 2014, the club had been open to the public. However, a buyout by Beijing investment company Reignwood Group saw a debenture membership structure implemented.

As a result, the debenture now excludes all except those with pockets deep enough to find an estimated £175,000 ($237,000). Meanwhile, annual fees reportedly stood at £16,000 ($22,000) as long ago as 2015.

There are other options available, with one being an invite to play as a guest of a member.

Wentworth is also the headquarters of the DP World Tour and the Official World Golf Ranking, so if you’re an employee of those organizations, that’s another potential route to playing there.

Being an employee at the club, or being fortunate enough to play as part of one of the regular corporate days held at Wentworth, are two other potential opportunities.

Those who do get to experience Wentworth will be able to enjoy not just its world-class courses, but also its tennis club, spa, swimming pool and castle clubhouse.

Wentworth Golf Club Location