Walton Heath (Old) – Golf Course Review

Location: Tadworth, Surrey
Played: January 2026
Course Type: Heathland
Key Words: Tradition | Heath | History

Golfer’s Tips

If you have any inclination towards golfing history then do take the time to tour the wonderful old clubhouse, featuring a huge amount of James Braid memorabilia plus nods to former members Churchill, Lloyd-George and Edward VIII!
There is a driving range, but it is a long way away from the clubhouse. If you are planning on having a hit before your round, build plenty of time in for the walk there and back.

Signature Holes

9th – an excellent heathland par four, with a fairway threaded through mature heather that l trees marking the apex of the gentle left turn in.
17th – a standout one-shot hole. Played from a raised tee back up to green perched on a mound, with cavernous front bunkers left and right.

Review:

Walton Heath is arguably the truest example of classical heathland golf in England, rich in history and purist style, and the Old is undoubtedly the star at this mini golfing Mecca.

In reviewing what is a fantastic, classical heathland course, we could almost ignore possibly the worst, most jarring opening hole on any top-rated course. A par three to start is already somewhat challenging, but the fact that this is long, boring and the other side of a busy road, makes this truly underwhelming. Surely this is to be corrected in the (hopefully) not too distant future.

Having crossed the aforementioned road, your round (proper) starts in the corner of a large, rich heathland plot which echoes the pure, traditional style that is emitted from the clubhouse and club in general. The second is a strong par 4, turning left to right with mature trees left and heather and scrub right, and this is then contrasted by the wonderful third, the classical heathland short par 4 – drivable for some, but the penalty for lack of accuracy brings that choice into question.

After a string of fine par fours lining the perimeter of the the heath, but perhaps at a point where you might start to feel that a bit more variety is required, the Old then course then rewards you with a sharp turn left for the excellent short seventh, prior to switching back for the classic heathland par five 8th.

The section reaching the far corner of the course, next to a rather noisy M25, is arguably the finest. There is more variance and intrigue, and the ninth in particular is a stunning heathland hole, banked by heather and a copse of trees on the left, around which the fairway turns into a well-protected green.

Working your way back down the tenth and short par 3 eleventh, the twelfth is another memorable hole – a sweeping dogleg right, possibly drivable for long hitters in the summer, and possessing of arguably the trickiest green, with the pin guarded by a large deep bunker short left, yet the bail out right also bringing danger with two smaller kidney-shaped bunkers just off the putting surface.

Walton Heath feels scoreable, a very fair test but with its dangers, and this is emphasised by the stretch of three sub-500 yard par fives in four holes on the back nine. Starting at the thirteenth, which is shorter and doglegs right, and finishes with the sixteenth which boasts a beautifully framed tee shot with heathered mounds right and denser trees left, the whole shaping a gradual right to left with a pinch point where one bunker cuts into the shorter grass.

The finish is also excellent – hole 17 is the finest of the par threes, Colt-like with deep bunkers short left and right, and then the finishing hole is another classical heathland par four, slightly narrower than some of the others with a dangerous wide bunker stretching across the incline up to the diagonal green.

Walton Heath is a special place, and the Old is the standout. There are several excellent heathland courses across the Surrey / Berkshire sand belt, and one could argue that there are better, more diverse courses that sit below this in the rankings (Woking, Worplesdon and Berkshire Red all spring to mind), but nobody can debate the quality and wonderful traditional feeling that this quiet patch of heathland evokes.