West Hill Golf Club: Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info

The opening hole is played over a stream and up to a beautifully-sited green

(Image credit: Kevin Murray)

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By Rob Smith

published 29 March 2023

West Hill Golf Club Key Information

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Header Cell - Column 0	Header Cell - Column 1
Address	Address Bagshot Rd, Brookwood, Woking, GU24 0BH
Phone	Phone 01483 474365
Website	westhillgc.co.uk
Email	manager@westhill-golfclub.co.uk
GFs	£150 Mon-Thu, £170 Fri, £200 Weekends after 14:00
Visitor Times	As above
Par	Men 69, Women 74
Slope	White/M 137, Red/W 134
Opened	1909
Architect	Cuthbert Butchart

Golf Monthly Verdict

Surrey has more Top 100 courses than any other county and this intensity as well as the fame of some means that others are less well-known. In many other counties, West Hill’s brilliant journey through the pines would position it at the very top. Very playable all year round, if you visit when the heather is in bloom, it’s a real treat for the eyes.

Reasons To Play West Hill

– This is a very fine, totally fair and consistent test of heathland golf

– One of the best-conditioned courses that continues to improve

– Decide which of the three Ws you prefer

Rankings

UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2023/24 - 69

West Hill Golf Club has one of the very best golf courses in Surrey, a county with more Top 100 courses than any other. Along with Worplesdon and Woking it is also one of the three Ws, a trio of first-class courses that near enough border one another.

West Hill is one of the best golf courses in England and quite simply the epitome of sublime, old-fashioned, heathland golf. The youngest of the three Ws, it was nonetheless designed well over a century ago by its professional, Cuthbert Butchart. He was from Carnoustie and had formerly worked as a club-maker and professional in North Berwick. Far more recently, great and continued efforts have been made towards subtle and in-keeping improvements.

Much has been focussed on the conditioning, especially the bunkers, and there has also been extensive tree removal to create more light and air movement.

Little has been changed to the original design, and while on paper it is not particularly long, there are five lovely and varied par 3s that mean it plays every inch of its total length. Happily, despite its name, the walking is also easy, and the Brookwood stream comes into play on a few holes, particularly at the start. Majestic trees line most of the holes, but never too tightly, and these are all the more visible and impressive from the renovated tees. Heather is another dominant feature.

The course opens with a pair of very attractive par 4s before the demanding 3rd which runs parallel to the railway and requires two very solid strikes to get home in regulation. The 4th is the first of the short holes, and it would seem fair to say that to score well at West Hill, the par 3s are key. The 5th is the first of just two par 5s, though if the wind is in its usual direction, there is a chance to get up in two.

The back nine has even more variety with two lovely short holes at the 13th and 15th, the former tiny, the latter more of a brute. There is also a strong finish with two tough par 4s sandwiching the sweeping par-5 17th.

One of the country’s leading amateur tournaments is held here each Spring, the very popular Father and Son Foursomes which attracts golfers from far and wide. This is one of the best heathland golf courses in the UK, as well as a very friendly club.

West Hill - Hole 4 — The fourth is the first of a strong handful of par 3s

What The Top 100 Panel Said

James Holland

If you changed the 14th - they plan to - and the 2 par 5s, then I’d really struggle to find fault. The rest of the holes were so good and the condition just stunning!

Christian Morris

It always looks so beautiful from the train - and close up, it is! It might not quite reach the levels set by Swinley Forest and St George’s Hill, but it is in the same company. One of the best heathland courses in England and my favourite of the 3 Ws.

John Winter

Perhaps not as challenging as Worplesdon nor with the architectural heritage of Woking, this Cuthbert Butchart design is still a real classic. This is a top-quality, well-designed course full of character, cleverly-sited bunkers and challenging greens - all maintained to a very high level.

West Hill Golf Club Location

West Hill Green Fees

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18 holes	£150	Mon to Thu, Apr to Oct
18 holes	£170	Fri
18 holes	£200	Weekend after 14:00
18 holes	£90	Nov to Mar

West Hill Scorecard

Best Courses Near To West Hill

Best Places To Stay Near West Hill Golf Club

Worplesdon Place Hotel - Book now via Booking.com

Perfectly located for the 3 Ws, this friendly pub with rooms is a spacious and at times lively place to stay. The restaurant serves freshly cooked char-grilled food.

Harbour Hotel Guildford - Book now via Booking.com

Set in a contemporary glass-fronted building, this 4-star hotel has a gymnasium, indoor swimming pool, stone oven sauna, aromatic crystal steam room and relaxation room. The restaurant serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

West Hill Golf Club Gallery

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West Hill - Hole 3 — The third is a long par 4 parallel to the railway(Image credit: Rob Smith)

Historical Top 100 Rankings UK&I

2023/24 - 69
2021/22 - 71
2019/20 - 73
2017/18 - 79
2015/16 - 85
2013/14 - 88
2011/12 - 86
2009/10 - 80

Frequently Asked Questions

Who designed West Hill?

Cuthbert Butchart is not so well known as many other golf course architects, but it was he who gave life to some Willie Park Junior design ideas. He also designed another very good local course, West Byfleet.

Is West Hill the best of the three W’s?

This is an evergreen and in many ways unanswerable question. The Golf Monthly rankings have West Hill as the middle-ranked of the three, but there are plenty of knowledgeable golfers who will argue the case for any one of the three. All are delightful, and there is an argument that West Hill is the fairest and most consistent from 1 to 18 of the three.

What is the Father and Son tournament at West Hill?

This prestigious foursomes event dates back to 1929 and became an open event two years later. It is held close to Easter and the matchplay begins with a full field of 128 pairs.

Rob Smith has been playing golf for over 45 years and been a contributing editor for Golf Monthly since 2012. He specialises in course reviews and travel, and has played well over 1,200 courses in almost 50 countries. In 2021, he played all 21 courses in East Lothian in 13 days. Last year, his tally was 81, 32 of them for the first time. One of Rob's primary roles is helping to prepare the Top 100 Courses of the UK&I, of which he has played all, as well as the Next 100 where his count is now on 96. He has been a member of Tandridge for 30 years where his handicap hovers around 15. You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com.