Overview:

There are few more glorious natural settings for golf than this stretch of heathland surrounded by woodland of pine, oak and birch; the vibrant rhododendrons adding a splash of color. The heavily wooded landscape has aesthetic and strategic benefits in the sense that it is both easy on the eye and ideal for creating well-defined hole routings.

The great architect Harry Colt took full advantage of these many attributes when he created the West Course. Fairways turn both ways and there is a wonderful flow and variety to the course, with pleasing elevation changes and different length par-3s, par-4s and par-5s. It is a design that had for decades proudly stood the test of time. However, due to the massive advances in equipment technology it was felt in recent years that in certain key areas the West course no longer played quite as Colt had intended and so a process of modernisation and restoration was undertaken by long-time Wentworth resident and seven-time World Matchplay champion Ernie Els.

Very few courses can boast a tournament history on a par with Wentworth’s West Course. It hosted the 1953 Ryder Cup and then in 1956 the Canada Cup, the forerunner to today’s World Cup of Golf. And through its distinction of hosting two of golf’s most prestigious championships – the World Matchplay between 1964 and 2007, and the BMW PGA Championship since 1984 – both televised to a wide audience, the West Course has a place in the hearts and minds of golfers all over the world. As World Matchplay founder Mark McCormack observed: “I fell in love with Wentworth almost at first sight and still remember the enjoyment today of wandering around the course watching all the matches in the first World Matchplay. Wentworth is a truly outstanding and complete venue.”

The West Course is about aspiration and inspiration. Golfers tread in the footsteps of the game’s great players from the last 85 years – legends such as Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els and Tiger Woods. That means something; you can’t help but feel it, every step of the way.

Overview courtesy of Wentworth Club