Tandridge Golf Club Key Information
The great Harry Colt designed the course at Tandridge, close to Oxted just south of the M25 in Surrey. It opened for play in 1924 and in recent years the club has embarked on an ambitious scheme to recreate or reinterpret many of the original Colt design features but in the context of the modern golfing world.
The result is a remarkable transformation into a course that now sits among the very best inland layouts in the south-east of England and beyond, with some excellent and attractive bunkering work considerably enhancing both the aesthetics and strategy of many holes.
REASONS TO PLAY TANDRIDGE
- A fine example of a sympathetic Colt restoration and modernisation
- Proof that some of our finest courses can exist within a mile of so of some of our very busiest motorways
- Invariably in impeccable condition, enhancing the overall golfing experience
RANKINGS
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 96
Harry Colt is considered by some as the greatest golf course architect of all time. He has a larger design presence in our Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland than anyone, and his work has an enduring influence and legacy at some of the top courses in the world, including Muirfield, Royal County Down, and the American course often cited as the best of all, Pine Valley.
Beneficiary of a long-term and comprehensive upgrade to restore and enhance its own Harry Colt heritage, Tandridge offers a game of two halves, with the flatter and strategic front nine leading to a rollercoaster and scenic ride home.
He designed the course at Tandridge, which opened for play in 1924, and several years ago the club embarked on an ambitious scheme with Colt expert, Frank Pont, to restore the same principles and approach but in the context of today’s golfing world.
In more recent years, in-demand architect, Tim Lobb, has taken up the reins to further refine the layout, and the feedback from members and visitors alike has been overwhelmingly positive.
I have been fortunate enough to play Tandridge a number of times over the years as it is the closest Top 100 course to my Sussex home, and can vouch first-hand for its marked improvements in recent times. On occasion the conditioning has been as close to impeccable as you could ever wish for.
The 1st hole changed from a long par 4 to a par 5 a number of years ago to make for a slightly gentler start, but it plays into the prevailing wind so par is still no pushover. But its increase in par is good news, for the holes that follow are among the toughest on the course, so a three-shotter to get you up and away is no bad thing.
It is followed by a superb, arcing, long par 4 that sweeps to the right, where the drive must not cut off too much of the corner. Even if you reach the green in regulation, it is double-tiered so par is never guaranteed. The 3rd climbs gently to the right and the green on the short 4th is an oasis in a desert of sand.
The more undulating back nine is a real contrast, beginning with another long par 4, which is one of the hardest holes on the course. Heather makes its presence felt here to give the otherwise parkland layout just a hint of its Surrey heathland neighbours at Walton Heath and elsewhere.
The 11th and 12th rise slowly to the highest point, before the closing six holes offer a thrilling rollercoaster ride home. The 13th is one of the toughest par 3s you will encounter at 223 yards from the tips. Most golfers - myself certainly included - are happy to walk away with a four here, let alone a three as there are few good places to miss, with right most definitely the worst - the voice of experience on that front.
Colt's original signature hole follows, played from a new back tee which towers above the fairway. This is a maximum-distance par 4 with a ditch that crosses the fairway in the valley waiting to swallow up any mishit approach shots.
The short but teasing dogleg 16th can ruin a card, before 17 offers up another exciting drive from a high tee before an approach that tends to play one or two clubs more than its yardage to a green blessed with some severe slopes.
The relocated tee complex in the trees at the top of the hill on the closing hole has improved the finish beyond recognition. It is now a cracking hole with everything visible from the tee. A word of warning, though - don’t go right! Even if many trees have now been removed here, it will still serve up the ultimate in hanging lies for your final approach.
What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…
The green sites at Tandridge are as excellent as they are varied. Greens lie angled to the fairways, perched atop steep inclines, surrounded by bunkers and/or well presented run-offs. As a result, I probably used six different clubs to play chips and pitches around the greens. I preferred the back 9 for its vistas and exhilarating tee shots, such as the excellent par-3 13th and equally brilliant 14th hole. In fact, the run for home from the 12th is very good and offers the odd birdie chance as well as some stringent par 4s. Come for the golf, stay for the lunch and always take dessert. Tandridge should be a whole-day experience.
The numerous bunkers are well placed and frame many of the holes very well. Some of the greens are quite sloping so it is important to put your ball in the correct place if you want to score well. Missing some of the greens will leave very tricky up-and-downs. Overall, good use has been made of the available land to provide a fun and challenging course. Tree removal has really opened up the course in recent time and it has really benefited as a result. There are some wonderful far-reaching views across the Downs and overall there is a real feeling of serenity with little or no urban noise.
Tandridge Golf Club location
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Tandridge Golf Club scorecard
Best Courses Near Tandridge
Best Places To Stay Near Tandridge
Hurst Farm B&B, Crockham Hill - Book now at Booking.com
This superb B&B is located in Crockham Hill, six miles from the golf club. It offers excellent accommodation with the added perk of an outdoor pool, tennis court and shared lounge. Continental and full English/Irish breakfast options are available daily at Hurst Farm.
Kings Arms Hotel, Westerham - Book now at Booking.com
The Kings Arms Hotel lies right in the centre of the old English town of Westerham, five minutes from the M25 and five miles from Tandridge Golf Club. This elegant-looking hotel has rooms featuring modern facilities, including TVs, hair dryers, individual private bathrooms and free Wi-Fi.
Tandridge Gallery
TANDRIDGE HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I
- 2025/26 - 96
- 2023/24 - 97
- 2021/22 - Next 100
- 2019/20 - 99
- 2017/18 - 99
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tandridge a heathland golf course?
No, not really, although it certainly feels as though it could or should be in one or two places, most notably the 10th hole where there are a few pockets of heather dotted about. In places, it doesn't really feel like a parkland course either in perhaps the classic sense of that term, but essentially that is probably how best to classify it.
Is Tandridge golf course famous for its bunkers?
Yes, certainly locally, following considerable work and investment in recent years to restore more of the Harry Colt layout's original feel and flavour. The result is a wealth of eye-catching and highly visible bunkering that adds to both the aesthetics and strategy of the course. Thankfully, though, there are now nowhere near the 300 bunkers that the course was reported to have had when it opened nearly a century ago.
