Fun Fact – Surrey has more golf courses in the UKs top 100 than any other county
While Sunningdale, Wentworth and St George’s Hill quite rightly gather most of the plaudits, there are a lot of courses in and around Guildford that provide glorious opportunities for golfers of all ages, and abilities, including some ‘hidden gems’.
Just a short drive from Mandolay, West Surrey Golf Club is as welcoming a place as you could ever wish to visit. Ranked in the top 100 courses in England, and enjoying a location that can be easily described as tranquil, don’t let the warmth of the welcome, and the stunning views fool you…this course has teeth. A genuine test for golfers, the fairways are generous and the USGA standard greens are a pleasure to putt on.
Hindhead Golf Club was founded by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but it is no great mystery why this astonishingly beautiful course is regularly voted as one of the great heathland challenges. None other than the late, great, and sadly missed Peter Alliss was a member here, and there’s a bar in the clubhouse displaying just a few of his many trophies, and golfing memorabilia gathered over a career as ‘the voice of golf’.
The Drift Golf Club in nearby East Horsley is a relatively new course by Surrey standards, created by Sir Henry Cotton in 1975. Recently refurbished, the club offers a superb driving range, complete with ball-tracking technology, and a course that’s challenging without too many perils for the inexperienced player.
(It also does great food!)
Of course, we have to mention our very own Guildford Golf Club, just a mile or so away from Mandolay. This Downland course, set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers great views, great golf and a warm welcome. It’s an attractive challenge that plays well all year round thanks to the well-drained greens and fairways, and at 6,160 yards long, it’s not too long.
Also nearby is Bramley Golf Club, just two miles out of Guildford on the A281, this course has been delighting players since 1913, and it’s easy to see why. The place is glorious, with panoramic views over the Surrey Hills and beyond, a first class practice area, and a course that is challenging, but never spiteful.
And we will complete our little roundup with a tip of the hat to the New Zealand Golf Club in nearby Addlestone.
To say that this course has more than its fair share of history is a wild understatement, theirs is a story of Kings, Baron’s, Parliamentarians, and Governor’s, we would urge you to read all about it here.
The course itself is open to visitors Monday to Friday, and by all accounts it plays well and the locals are extremely friendly.
Wherever you choose to play, we hope that you have a wonderful time in beautiful Surrey.