The prestigious Walton Heath Golf Club is host to this year’s AIG Women’s Open. A venue peppered with a rich history and steeped in tradition especially when it comes to women’s golf. With esteemed club President Jill Thornhill, winner of the 1983 Women’s Amateur Championships and the 1985 AIG Women’s Open Smyth Salver, the club has plenty to shout about. Walton Heath hosted the Ryder Cup back in 1981 and has played a part in many grand tournaments. This year will see one of the biggest and most groundbreaking yet.
The layout at the AIG Women’s Open will be a mixture of some of the best holes from both the Old and New courses. Players will compete on the Old Course until the 12th, then they will sample the New Course for 2 holes (12 & 13) before returning to the Old.
Come August the fescue grass will have grown, adding yet more framing and extra bite to what is already a challenge course. Add into the mix hardening ground conditions and potential for a stiff breeze and we are in for one heck of a treat.
With wind up and heather everywhere I got a real taste of what the best players in the world will experience, so let’s take a look at the nitty gritty and get a feel for what awaits the players as they come up the final stretch.
16th Hole – Par 5, 510 yards
The beginning of the end of the beautiful Old Course at Walton Heath… it really can be the end of a good card for some. The 16th is a challenging risk or reward par-5 which resembles a corridor of heather with substantial bunkers down the right. For some this will be the last real birdie opportunity, as a carefully positioned drive means a chance of hitting the green in two.
For many of the best female players, the bunkers down the right-hand side are in range, but those who bomb their drives 290yds will find a safe place past these. The second half of the hole dog legs considerably left up to a raised green. Those going for broke run the risk of ending up in what has to be the deepest bunker in Surrey.
A challenge for even the most talented sand players in the field. The vast green slopes from back left to front right. This hole requires some steady course management and could be the end of a good scorecard.
17th Hole – Par 3, 160 Yards
A raised tee gazes over to a stunning green on 17 - but don’t be fooled. If the wind is up you need your wits about you here. Getting the clubbing right will be essential, this is not an easy penultimate hole and may require an extra club and a committed finish. The steep greenside bunkers are somewhat menacing and players need to set their sights on a target in the distance so as not to allow these traps to creep into their conscious. If you miss this green in the sand, it’s not a given up and down. This putting surface feels like an upturned pudding bowl that severely narrows at the back, so it’s wise to get the ball in the centre of the green off the tee just to be safe. A par here will be a sought-after score come August.
18th Hole – Par 4, 404 Yards
Teeing off over a valley of heather, this final hole demands focus and some sensible play. The tee shot is a challenge as landing in the bunker up the left-hand side of the fairway will make hitting this green in two a tall ask. A bunker 30 yards short of the green will distract many an approach shot, especially if that shot is being played from thick heather.
From the middle of the fairway, you have a relatively short iron in. Another fabulous piece of golf course design, as the bunker short of the green has plenty of dead ground behind it, meaning that an up and down isn’t out of the question.
The green itself is narrow and defended on each side with steep lipped bunkers just ready to catch players out. This final hole should see an exciting finish if the tournament comes down to the wire.
This finishing set of holes will challenge the best players on the planet and I can’t wait to see what the 2023 AIG Women's Open brings.
