8 November, 2026 Logan Hart 0 Comments 1 category

Wentworth Golf: A Guide to the Club and Courses

Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, is a private members’ club with three 18-hole courses (West, East and Edinburgh) plus a par-three course. The West Course, a Harry Colt design, is the one you see on television each year at the BMW PGA Championship. Access is mainly for members and their guests, with limited visitor play. If you want to know which course you could actually play, and what to expect, this guide gives you the practical picture.

The Three Courses and the Par-Three Course Compared

Many golfers assume Wentworth means the West Course alone. It does not. The club has four layouts, and they suit very different players.

Course	Holes	Character	Best for
West	18	Tournament course, long, elevated greens, deep bunkers	Low to mid handicappers, tour fans
East	18	Shorter, tree-lined, more forgiving	Mid to high handicappers
Edinburgh	18	Parkland, more relaxed pace	Members’ everyday golf and guests
Par-three	18	Short holes, wedges and short irons	Practice, beginners, a quick round

The East and Edinburgh courses are the better test of your own game if you are not a low handicapper. They reward accuracy over power, and you will finish a round there still enjoying it. The West asks for long irons into greens that hold little.

Inside the West Course

Harry Colt designed the West Course, and Ernie Els redesigned it heavily in 2017. Much of today’s layout is therefore modern, even though the setting and the name carry plenty of history. It hosts the BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event of the DP World Tour, and the list of winners includes Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.

How Hard Is It for an Ordinary Golfer?

Hard, mainly from the back tees. The fairways are wide enough, but almost every green is raised and guarded by deep bunkers. From the middle tees the course measures about 6,700 yards, which means plenty of long clubs into greens that play every yard.

Do not play the tournament tees if you are a high handicapper. You will lose balls and pace. Move forward and you get a fair, enjoyable test. Check the current scorecard for slope and rating on your tee, because the numbers differ by tee and have changed since the redesign.

The Closing Holes

The 17th and 18th are both par 5s, and they decide a lot of tournament finishes. In the third round in September 2026, McIlroy hit a 4-iron from 230 yards to inside two feet at the last and holed the eagle putt. For you, the same pair offers a birdie chance only if your tee shots find the fairway. Miss it, and a par is a good score.

Can You Play Wentworth? Access, Cost and Caveats

You cannot book Wentworth like a public course. Membership is private, and the club has tightened access over the years. Visitor golf is limited, so plan on one of these routes:

Play as the guest of a member.
Join a society or charity day that the club hosts.
Take part in a corporate or invitation event.
Ask the club directly whether it has any visitor days.
Watch the BMW PGA Championship as a spectator instead.

What It Costs

Be careful with old green fee figures. Reviews from 2015, when players with a handicap of 18 or lower could book the West, quoted fees from £195 in winter to £360 in summer, including a compulsory caddy. Those prices are out of date and the open booking they referred to has gone. Today, any fee depends on the event or guest arrangement, so ask the club for the current figure.

Expect a caddy to be part of a West Course round, as it was when visitors could book. Confirm the arrangement when you receive an invitation.

Where It Is and How to Get There

The club sits on Wentworth Drive in Virginia Water, on a 700-hectare estate. It is about 60 minutes from south-west London and 20 minutes from Heathrow. Spectator days at the tournament have brought long park-and-ride queues, so allow extra time if you attend.

A Short History of the Estate

In 1805 the house was a private residence linked to the Duke of Wellington’s family. George Tarrant established it as Wentworth Club in 1922. The club opened the Wentworth Golf Academy in spring 2025 for instruction and practice, though that is aimed at members.

Golf Yet covers other UK courses where visitors are easier to welcome, which is worth knowing if the Wentworth route does not work out for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many golf courses are at Wentworth?

Wentworth has three 18-hole courses, the West, East and Edinburgh, plus an 18-hole par-three course. The West is the famous tournament layout, but the others make up most of everyday member golf.

Can non-members play Wentworth golf course?

Only in limited cases. Most play is for members and their guests, with occasional society or charity days. You cannot simply book a tee time as a visitor.

Which tournaments are played at Wentworth?

The BMW PGA Championship is the main event, held on the West Course each year. It is the DP World Tour’s flagship tournament, and the 2026 edition took place in September.