Sunningdale GC (Old)
Sunningdale Golf Club’s Old course is widely considered the best Heathland course in the world. It is hard to describe the feeling but when you arrive and the gates open at Sunningdale, an overwhelming sensation of joy and peace seems to overcome you, and you know you are on the verge of something special. Designed by Willie Parker and Harry Colt it is a flawless golf experience that opened in 1901 and is amongst the first successful golf courses built away from the seaside. The Old course is routed through a dense mature English Forest over undulating heathland terrain in the famous Surrey/Berkshire sand belt. The course feels grand yet elegant at the same time. While most fairways are tree lined the fairways are wide with little to no rough and the only true danger of this course as with most Heathland courses is the heather and gorse and at Sunningdale the plentiful bunkers. The course is flawless from hole one to eighteen and a definite contender for any serious golfer's bucket list.
Sunningdale GC (New)
Sunningdale New may be considered the second-best course on the property, but it is not a second-tier course. The new course, designed by Harry Colt, feels and plays differently than the Old course.
The New course is more rugged, boasts fewer bunkers, and has a wider fair. While the new course offers more generous openings for the driver, it has more heathland and dangerous carries to navigate. The New course was my second favorite course from my trip and is considered the second-best inland course behind the Old course. If a golfer is presented with an opportunity to play the New course and cannot play the Old course, take the opportunity to experience the new course. You will be more than happy with the New course.