Sunningdale (Old Course)

England's heathland belt, running through Surrey and Berkshire, contains some of the finest inland golf in the world, and Sunningdale Old Course sits at the very top of that tradition. The club was founded in 1900 on heathland that had long been considered wasteland, yet the sandy soil and natural vegetation proved ideal for golf. Willie Park Jr's routing makes the most of the rolling terrain, and the mature woodland that now surrounds every hole gives the course an intimacy and drama that belies its relatively modest length.

The old Sunningdale clubhouse is the shared home of both the Old and New courses, and the atmosphere within reflects a club deeply conscious of its own history. Locker rooms, dining and the famous halfway hut are all shared between members of both layouts. The heather and bracken that line the fairways can swallow wayward shots entirely, demanding accuracy off the tee that makes the course play considerably more difficult than the scorecard might suggest to a first-time visitor.

Bobby Jones's 66 in 1926 remains the defining story of the Old Course, but Sunningdale has its own rich competitive history beyond that single round. European Tour events have brought the world's best players here, and each time the course holds its own against modern equipment and modern athletes. For those fortunate enough to secure a game, a round on the Old Course is one of English golf's great privileges.