There are few places in golf that blend history, beauty, and architectural brilliance quite like Sunningdale’s Old Course. Designed by Willie Park Jr. in 1901, this is a course that has aged like a fine wine, remaining as relevant and captivating today as it was over a century ago.

From the moment you step onto the property, there’s an undeniable sense of occasion. The elegant clubhouse, pristine conditions, the soft hues of heather lining the fairways—it all combines to create an atmosphere that is quintessentially English. And yet, despite its grandeur, there is an inviting warmth here that makes every golfer feel part of something special.

The Old Course is often described as a heathland masterpiece, but what sets it apart is its sheer variety. The holes ebb and flow across the gently rolling terrain, offering a mix of precision, strategy, and shot-making variety. It’s not long by modern standards, but don’t be fooled. The challenge lies in positional play, with tight driving corridors, well-placed bunkers, and some of the best green inland complexes in England.

Sunningdale (Old) throws every architectural trick in the book at you. Holes that shape both ways, driveable Par 4s, par 3s of varying lengths, and the rest. It makes for a thought-provoking round that intrigues right to the very end.

Picking the standout holes is akin to choosing your favourite child and it’s a testament to the course that most people I speak to will have differing answers. I have always loved the 7th. A blind drive requiring a gentle fade, before a shot into one of the most picturesque green sights and a fabulously contoured green. The 10th is one of England’s best Par 4s. An elevated tee into a well-guarded fairway and a long approaching into a green marshalled by the best halfway hut in the game. There are many, but one thing is for sure, there are no weak holes.

As you’d expect from a course of this stature, conditioning is first-class. The greens are fast and pure, the fairways immaculately presented, and the rough, while playable, punishes wayward shots just enough. But what truly sets Sunningdale apart is its sense of timelessness. This is golf in its purest for. No tricks, no gimmicks, just a beautifully crafted course that rewards intelligence, patience, and precision.

Sunningdale (Old) is the kind of course that stays with you long after the final putt drops. It doesn’t overpower you with length or difficulty but instead wins you over with its subtlety, beauty, and strategic brilliance. Every round here is a privilege, a step back in time to an era when golf was played as it should be.