West Hill Golf Club Key Information
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 2025/26 - 71
West Hill Golf Club has one of the very best golf courses in Surrey, a county with more Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland 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.
One of my favourite courses, West Hill is also 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 are continuing 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. I always love returning to see the latest changes.
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.
In my view, 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.
What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said...
West Hill is a joy to play and gives the golfer a sporting chance to play to their handicap. However, it will punish errant shots so you need to focus to score well.
Satisfying and grand, West Hill is a treasure, and you’ll be forever happy to have visited.
An immaculately presented and extremely fair test of golf of which the friendly membership are rightly extremely proud.
Majestic trees, heather, a brook that winds its way through the course, angled bunkering and varied greens, the course is consistently strong from start to finish. Don’t be deceived by the yardage. It may only be 6,000 yards from the yellows but with five par 3s and heather eating into the course, it plays every inch of its length and more.
West Hill Golf Club Location
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
Historical Top 100 Rankings UK&I
- 2025/26 - 71
- 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 Ws?
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.
