After a long journey that started with a flight from Pittsburgh to Chicago and then onto London Heathrow, it was straight to Sunningdale to kick off a work trip in proper fashion. The friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere were immediately noted. After a quick change and a visit to the golf shop it was right to the first tee of the Old Course, designed by architect Willie Park Jr. and opened in 1901.
The round gets started on a straight forward par-5. It’s reminiscent of how George C. Thomas liked to design his courses with a gettable opener and then ramp the round up on the second hole (which is certainly the case at Sunningdale. The rolling terrain is of a kind and the routing takes full advantage of the natural contours.
After a leisurely walk down the short par-5 opener, the round really starts with the tee shot on the second hole. Three is a short par-4 that encourages a drive up the left side where there’s ample room however hitting it to the right side leaves an easier approach. The fourth is a really nice uphill par-3 that easily plays two clubs longer than the actual distance of 155 yards from the blue tee. The dramatic back to front green makes both a short and long approach very challenging to recover from. The fifth is a unique downhill par-4 with a water hazard that comes into play off of the tee. The layup is no easy task with bunkers right. Holes 6 through 8 are really challenging with a stout sixth with a visually intimidating tee shot to a fairway well protected by the natural heather. The heather is a theme throughout the round. It’s beautiful to the eye but very difficult to play from/find your ball in. The seventh features a blind tee shot to a sloping fairway that ends at about 260 yds. It’s really nice hole that uses the natural lay of the land to perfection (reminds me of the fifth hole at Oakmont). The eighth is another uphill par-3 to a small green with a false front, making distance control very important. If you can the three holes at even or +1 you’ve done very well. The front nine rounds out with a short par-4, a beautiful view of the green from the tee and bunkers left and right. The smart play is to lay up but it’s very tempting to go for the green.
The back nine theme continues with an amazing variety of holes winding through the rolling landscape. The tenth is an iconic hole. Straight away and downhill with natural bunkering. At 470+ yards it’s a long par-4 that requires two really good shots to hit the green. Once you get to the 11th hole, the wow factor of Sunningdale becomes clear. Its a short par-4 but a semi-blind tee shot over the heather covered hillside makes it tough to commit to. As a first timer it’s hard to envision a fairway beyond the top of the hill. The 12th hole is easily one of the hardest. It’s a long hole with a difficult tee shot to a fairway winding right to left. The second shot is uphill to a false front green. Anything short comes back into the fairway. The cross bunkers appear closer to the green on the approach making it visually deceiving. Thirteen is another beautiful par-3, this time downhill and more gettable than the par-3’s on the front nine. Forteen is another reachable par-5 with well placed cross bunkers that come into play off the tee. It’s a great use of the land with the hole gradually going uphill to the small green with bunkers short and left. Fifteen is a long par-3 that almost feels like a short par-4. Fairway short allows for a run-up approach which is recommended, especially with the firm conditions. Sixteen is my favorite hole with one of a kind bunkering in a U-shape short of the green. It’s an amazing visual off of the tee and the narrow fairway is tough to hit. Seventeen is another great hole that puts a premium on position off of the tee. A drive that got too far down the fairway could be blocked by the trees left. The downhill approach offers an amazing view of the clubhouse and surrounding holes — truly one of a kind. The 18th is a challenging finisher, the mark of a championship course. The fairway goes back uphill to the clubhouse, again with unique cross bunkering though the middle of the fairway that makes the approach visually challenging. As a first timer this hole felt really difficult, especially the approach.
Overall it’s no surprise that the Old course is top 30 in the world and likely even better than the ranking shows. No two holes are the same, the landscape features rolling hills, natural heather, and tree lines that separate most holes from one another. The result is a memorable experience that rivals any other top tier golf experience.
George Wolfe