Woodcote Park, Wilmerhatch Lane,
Epsom, Surrey KT18 7EW
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+44 (0)1372 276 311Pro shop
+44 (0)1372 229 244Fax
+44 (0)1372 276 117Website
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Jason Neve (Director of Golf)The Course:
18 holes. Tree-lined & open parkland. Undulating terrain - several slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Woodland.
Designer:
Old Course originally designed by W. Herbert Fowler (1913). Coronation course designed by F.R. Smith (1953).
Above distances are for the Old course. Also at the Royal Automobile Club is the 18-hole Coronation course (par-70, 6177 yds from back tees, rating 70.5).
51.315866
-0.275434
2 mi S of Epsom / 19 mi SW of central London.
The Royal Automobile Club is home to two private golf courses located in the "Woodcote Park" country estate, by which name the courses are commonly known. The estate, with its stately mansion clubhouse, sits alongside the Epsom Racecourse on Epsom Downs. The par-73 championship Old course, a parkland layout designed by Herbert Fowler, is kept company by the shorter par-71 Coronation course. Both radiate up and away from the mansion house.
The two nine-hole loops of the Old course take you on a journey from clubhouse to racecourse. You'll gently climb away from the stately mansion and head towards the open spaces of Epsom Downs, home to The Derby, one of the UK's most famous racing events. Along the way the Old course serves-up a wonderful menu of quintessential English parkland golf.
The more open front-nine and slightly more wooded back-nine, are laced with well-crafted holes that will test your game. Stylishly bunkered throughout, there's many pleasant elevation changes and plenty of space between the good-width holes.
You'll get a quick glimpse of the racecourse at the par-4 7th green, alongside which sits a welcoming and well-stocked halfway house. Mature woodland and the shorter Coronation layout sit alongside the Old course, rather than distant views of the London skyline.
Pick of the holes: the Old course's signature hole is unquestionably the par-5 18th. This gently-doglegging downhill closing hole is set against a backdrop of the magnificent Woodcote Park stately mansion house.
Limited access: the private Royal Automobile Club golf courses at Woodcote Park are generally playable only by members and their invited guests. An unrelated 18-hole public-access course, called Woodcote Park Golf Club, is located 8 miles to the east of the RAC.
Private club - guests can only play if hosted by a member.
Players generally walk this course.
Excellent
The Automobile Club of Great Britain was founded in 1897 and granted its Royal prefix by King Edward VII in 1907. Royal patronage of the Automobile Club, rather than the Golf Club (which opened in 1913), is why the RAC gained its "Royal" status. The Club is no longer related to the "RAC", a UK automotive services company, which it formerly owned.
The Royal Automobile Club, one of the world's foremost private members' clubs, is based in a large, opulent mansion house at 89 Pall Mall in central London. Back in the early 1910s, with a view to expanding its range of activities, the Club acquired the Woodcote Park estate in Surrey in 1913. Work started at the country retreat almost immediately, not least the creation of a 27-hole Herbert Fowler-designed golf course. Fowler was also responsible for laying out 27-holes at nearby Walton Heath in 1907, and adding nine more in 1913.
The present mansion house at Woodcote Park (and clubhouse for the golf courses) was built in 1679 by Richard Evelyn, brother of John Evelyn the renowned writer, gardener and diarist. The Evelyns left Woodcote Park to Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore and colonial governor of the colony of Maryland. Today Woodcote Park is home to two 18-hole golf courses, squash and floodlit tennis courts, a modern gym, indoor swimming pool, treatment rooms, restaurants, bars and accommodation.
Women’s (British) Open: the last women’s major championship of the season is hosted by Royal Porthcawl GC. It’s the first time this fabulous seaside links course has hosted the event (July 31-Aug 3).
Walker Cup: the 50th playing of this prestigious men’s amateur event sees the GB&I go head-to-head against the defending USA team at Cypress Point Club, California (Sept 6-7).
After that, all eyes turn to Bethpage State Park on Long Island, NY, where the American and defending European professional teams engage in the 45th Ryder Cup (Sept 27-29).
Lottie Woad: 21-year-old Woad burst onto the professional scene in July, with wins in the Women’s Irish Open (as an amateur) and three weeks later in the Women’s Scottish Open (as a professional). She nearly picked-up a major championship, placing third in The Evian in the same month.
Pádraig Harrington: the ever-likeable Irishman added the (British) Senior Open Championship title to his stellar array of tournament successes. His win came on Sunningdale’s spectacular Old Course. Harrington had already bagged the U.S. Senior Open title in June this year.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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