West Surrey Golf Club Course Review
GF Round: £75-£85wd, £80-£90we
Par 71, 6,477 yards
Slope 128
GM Verdict A very pretty and enjoyable Herbert Fowler design benefiting from a recent and comprehensive bunker re-design
Favourite Hole The very demanding par-4 3rd where both accuracy and length are required
Herbert Fowler is one of our greatest golf course architects and his legacy lives on not far from West Surrey in the excellent 36-holers at The Berkshire and Walton Heath. It was he who designed the lovely course here, following initial input from JH Taylor. The club was formed in 1910 and it is situated just a few miles south of Guildford.
The course opens with a fine par 4 that plays longer than its yardage
Although there is a second starting point on the back nine, that is a short drive away and so the tee at the 1st is the only one from the clubhouse. Although it’s not particularly long, it’s gently uphill and a suitably testing beginner. And while the short 2nd is again no great distance, the tough par 4s that follow at the 3rd, 4th and 7th will very much call for the heavy artillery.
Looking back up to the elevated tee on the greatly-improved down-and-up par-4 eighth
The bunkering throughout has been beautifully revamped, nowhere more so than at the charming par-4 8th where a cross-bunker that grinned at you just short of the green has been replaced by a far more attractive and stylish group of bunkers. The front nine concludes with the second of the three par 5s.
Beautiful late evening sunlight on the par-4 eleventh
The two short holes on the back nine come early at 10 and 12, and they sandwich another very tough par 4 at the 11th.
The par-3 twelfth is 166 yards from the back tee
The final short hole is SI10 and all the better both strategically and visually for its recently improved bunkering.
A very inviting drive from the top of the hill at the closing hole leads down to the characterful clubhouse
There is a handful of two-shotters from the 13th. None of them is particularly long, but this is the narrowest part of the course and the trees are more in play. There is a potentially very pleasing finish in store; a reasonably short par 5 played from an elevated tee meaning there are hopes of a birdie to close.
West Surrey is a lovely club with a very pleasant clubhouse and a course that has recently been lovingly upgraded by leading architect Ken Moodie. It is now one of the best golf courses in Surrey, a county with more than its fair share of golfing treasures. Even in top-grade company, West Surrey easily holds its own and is well worth seeking out.
