Kingswood Golf & Country Club

Kingswood is set overlooking the Chipstead valley on a site that sits loftily at more than 600 feet above sea level. Founded in 1928 and designed by James Braid, Kingswood Golf & Country Club is located a mile to the north east of Walton Heath and is a relatively unfamiliar course, except to those in the know.

Described as “Braid’s finest parkland course in England”, Kingswood’s gently undulating fairways are flanked by a wide variety of stately trees which combine with ideal topography to create an attractive landscape for golf. Host venue to multiple important championships down the years, including three Ladies European Opens, Kingswood has always been a good test. But, following a £500,000 renovation programme conducted by Howard Swan during 2008-2010, the Kingswood challenge is now much tougher.

Kingswood was selected to host British Senior Open Qualifying in 2011 and the extension of the par five 14th hole heralds the start of a supremely challenging three-hole stretch coined “Murder Mile” by the members. The new 14th tee has been built on additional land acquired by the club owner Tom Hilliard. What was once the shortest par five on the course is now a 531-yard challenge that precedes two tough par fours (385 and 470 yards) that play slightly uphill and invariably into the prevailing wind.

Today’s Kingswood measures 6,954 yards from the back tees and a healthy 6,589 yards from the regular tees. Despite relatively generous fairways, accuracy as well as length is a prerequisite to carding a good score here due to numerous well-positioned bunkers, which were all completely overhauled as part of Howard Swan’s renovation work. Incredibly, only three players from a strong international field of professionals managed to better the Kingswood par during Senior Open Qualifying in July 2011. Poignantly, one of the competitors remarked: “Before this weekend I had never heard of Kingswood, but what a golf course… I just can't wait to come back and play it again.”