Sunningdale Old Course: Willie Park Jr.’s Heathland Landmark
The Old Course at Sunningdale is one of the great inland designs of British golf. Pine, heather and gorse define its sandy corridors, while the natural contours and large, undulating greens create a strategic test that rewards touch as much as distance.
Sunningdale’s Old Course is a landmark of English heathland architecture. It opened on 23 September 1901 and was designed by Willie Park Jr., who was asked to create a course of exemplary character on land belonging to St John’s College, Cambridge. The site was not coastal linksland: it was a sandy, wooded landscape of heather, gorse and pine, which helped prove that excellent turf and strategic golf could flourish well inland.
A sandy heathland setting with natural texture
The Old Course’s visual identity comes from its pine trees, heather and gorse, but the ground itself is equally important. Sandy soil helps the course remain firm, while subtle rises and hollows influence how the ball lands and releases. Park Jr. used the natural topography to create a varied routing, with holes that feel distinct without relying on artificial shaping.
The greens are large and undulating, a hallmark of Park’s design approach. Their slopes can make an approach that reaches the putting surface less successful than one that finishes below the hole with an uphill putt. That attention to the ground is one reason the Old Course became an influential model for inland golf in Britain.
Diagonal bunkers and green contours set the strategic questions
The player must choose a landing area that opens the correct angle into the green. Heather and tree lines can narrow the useful corridor, while diagonal hazards reward a drive placed with thought rather than maximum speed. On firm turf, a running approach can be effective, but the contours and green levels need to be understood before selecting the shot.
The course is a par-70 test from the visitor tees, and it does not need extreme length to challenge a good player. It asks for a reliable tee shot, accurate iron play and a short game capable of controlling distance on sloping greens. Sunningdale’s reputation rests on this blend of restraint and precision.
The Old Course is not the later Colt-designed New Course
Sunningdale’s Old Course should be distinguished from the New Course, which Harry Colt designed and opened in 1923. The Old Course is Park Jr.’s 1901 design, while Colt’s work belongs to the later layout. That distinction matters because the two courses have different architectural characters, even though they share the same club and heathland environment.
The club welcomes visitors Monday to Thursday from May to October, subject to availability. Its published page states that the 2026 season is fully booked and that the 2027 diary opens in November 2026; requests are made directly to the club with the desired course specified. Visitors should select the Old Course when requesting dates.
