RAC - Royal Automobile Club (Old) - Surrey - England

31st Surrey - Best in Area
Royal Automobile Club,
Woodcote Park,
Wilmerhatch Lane,
Epsom,
Surrey,
KT18 7EW,
England

  • +44 (0) 1372 276311

It’s classically British at Woodcote Park at the exclusive Royal Automobile Club. Herbert Fowler originally designed the RAC's Old golf course and it offers a lovely parkland challenge in the heart of Surrey.

The RAC club should complete a five-year master plan in 2021, spearheaded by Mackenzie & Ebert, aimed at restoring the Old course and the shorter Coronation course to their original Herbert Fowler heritage.

The restoration of the Old course, which dates back to 1913, has now completed and this Golden Age classic should rise higher in our future Surrey Best In County rankings.

Mackenzie & Ebert commented as follows:

"The Old Course has been the focus of all the work so far with the Club stating a clear aim - to commit to a bunker refurbishment programme that will form part of a larger restoration project. A historic review of the course showed many features which were from the original Herbert Fowler layout. Almost every green and two thirds of the bunkers remained in the same position. A promotional pamphlet from 1915, when the course was opened, made it clear that it was designed on a grand scale with large golfing features and big vistas.

With many bunkers remaining in the same position, it was apparent that many were not relevant to the best players and were only succeeding in making the game harder for the shorter hitters. In October 2015 work began on the reshuffling of the bunker pack as well as the removal of a number of trees to help the course return to its Downland character.

The final change to be made to the course was the rebuilding of the par 3 13th, a short hole that had become much smaller over time. This took place in the winter of 2016/17."
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Reviews for RAC - Royal Automobile Club (Old)

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Description: It’s classically British at Woodcote Park at the exclusive Royal Automobile Club. Herbert Fowler originally designed the RAC's Old golf course and it offers a lovely parkland challenge in the heart of Surrey. Rating: 5.2 out of 10 Reviews: 10
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Peter Handcock

Like Stoke Park, RAC gets a lot of attention for its clubhouse. Without the clubhouse, the course wouldn't be looked at so highly.

The course is nice, with interesting hole and elevation change. However, it's the same as 90% of parkland courses in England, and nothing special.

April 21, 2020
5 / 10
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RM61

I have always enjoyed my days out at The RAC Club. The facilities are excellent with a mix of formality in the grand main building or the more relaxed environment of the 19th hole. The course itself has had a major revamp over the past few years with the renovation of all the bunkers which now frame both fairways and greens….this was an area which let the course down prior to the works. The light grey sand really stands out and despite comments about the bunkers playability I did not experience any issues. The positioning of the bunkering is also well thought out and unlike before the player needs to think first before taking their tee shot. The green complexes are excellent…some of them are huge with some significant undulations. A number of the greens are raised which the player needs to take into account before choosing their club which I feel adds to the enjoyment and the challenge of the course. The RAC Club suffers from the fact that Surrey posses the strongest set of courses in GB&I but if you receive an invite to play it is worth the effort.

November 18, 2019
5 / 10
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Philip Valvona

A pleasant course with some very good holes but let down by some awful bunkers (little or no sand) and greens of average quality. Fairways aren't watered apparently so expect plenty of run in the summer. I can't see this edging higher in the rankings as the main review alludes to, having played some higher ranked courses.

September 05, 2016
4 / 10
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2 people found this review helpful
matt allin
I played this course in January and it was in immaculate condition for a course at this time of year. The greens are fast and exceptionally well maintained. I had a very good day and will consider becoming a member of this Surry club.
February 19, 2013
10 / 10
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Andrew
September 14, 2015
At 6,709 yards it is not the longest course in the country but I think this is an excellent English woodland course. The fairways are wide and generally fairly forgiving but that is made up for by difficult green locations and the whole experience is complimented by a fantastic location on the Epsom Downs (in the lee of the Grandstand at the racecourse) and by the backdrop of the imposing country club. There are a couple of very good holes (the par four 470-yard 4th to a raised green and the downhill par 5 520-yard 18th to a fantastic green just by the clubhouse). The course is kept in superb condition and playing here is an all-round good golfing experience.
Malcolm Searle
Played here as a member's guest today - the clubhouse is a fabulous setting and the Old Course is adequate, but not one of the greatest in the locale. There were no real stand-out holes for me, but the greens were in very good condition. But I can see how one could happily be a member here, with 36 holes to chose from and great service all round. Nice to play, but not one of Surrey's finest courses.
September 19, 2011
4 / 10
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tim g
The splendour of the club house is as good as it gets for the RAC i'm afraid. The impossing building and great locker rooms are not matched by the course itself.The short opening par 4 is unfortunately a sign of things to come. There are few good holes and no great holes to speak of. Their are a few small elevation changes which help, but most holes are dull.The fairways and greens are excellently kept, but the green staff can only compensate so much for the design.I enjoyed my round here, but as others have said, with so many great courses in the area i would not rush back.
February 16, 2010
4 / 10
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Carl Statham
I thought I was going to play the old. However we ended up playing the coronation course. The coronation course is a well tended course with some good holes and a lot of mediocre holes. No one is going to go a long way out of their way to play here but as a members club it is very good. The RAC is a special place and it does depend on what you think of these old establishment places, but good food, great service, very nice sports facilities and two golf courses make this some club. It is actually not that posh, just reasonably exclusive, assuredly expensive and definitely middle class (whether new or old money). It’s up to you whether you like that sort of thing.
July 12, 2007
4 / 10
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Bowlesie
For a corporate jolly this is an excellent place as the food and hospitality are second to none. However it is a little stuffy and the course is not testing enough to make it really enjoyable. DB
August 22, 2006
4 / 10
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Billy
I concur with the previous review, the Old course at the RAC doesn’t rival the great heathland courses in this area mainly because this is a parkland course and the ground is heavier. But that said, the RAC is fine test of golf in truly delightful surroundings. I also like the shorter Coronation course which is fine warm up for what will surely be a wonderful day’s golf. I’m not sure how easy it is to get a game here as I’ve played here three or four times on corporate invites.
June 26, 2006
6 / 10
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Andy Newmarch
I have been fortunate to play the RAC about a dozen times and I like it a lot. The old course certainly does not rival other Surrey and Berks courses as one of the best but the experience of being here for a day is special. A beautiful stately home/mansion stands guard over the course and looks down with a rather proud and regal stance. Some tough holes are helped with generous fairways and the hole variety is really good. There is no reason not to score well at the RAC as there are no secrets, what you see is what you get. Favourite holes for me are 1st, 4th, 16th and 18th – Quality venue, with an above average set of holes – loads of ‘old money’ here if you know what I mean.
June 21, 2006
6 / 10
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