{{Short description|Golf club in Surrey, England}} {{Use British English|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox golf facility |golf_facility_name = |image = WaltonHeathGC-logo.JPG |imagesize = 180 |caption = |location = Surrey, England |coordinates = {{Coord|51.278|-0.244|display=inline, title}} |establishment = {{Start date and age|1903}} |type = Private |owner = <!-- name of organization/company --> |operator = <!-- name of organization/company --> |holes = 36 |tournaments = U.S. Open Qualifying,<br>Ryder Cup (1981),<br>European Open (1978&ndash;91),<br/>Senior Open Championship (2011),<br/>AIG Women's Open (2023) |website = [http://www.waltonheath.com/ www.waltonheath.com] |course1 = Old Course |designer1 = Herbert Fowler |par1 = 72 |length1 = {{convert|7406|yd|abbr=on}} |rating1 = |record1 = |course2 = New Course |designer2 = Herbert Fowler |par2 = 72 |length2 = {{convert|7199|yd|abbr=on}} |rating2 = |record2 = |course3 = |image2 = |imagesize2= |caption2 = }}

'''Walton Heath Golf Club''' is a golf club in England, near Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey, southwest of London. Founded in 1903, the club comprises two 18-hole golf courses, both of which are well known for having heather covering many of the areas of rough.<ref name=indep1>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/golf/walton-heath-s-history-reveals-treasure-trove-of-characters-82863.html |title=Walton Heath's history reveals treasure trove of characters |newspaper=The Independent |date=17 December 2003 |access-date=19 May 2024 | location=London | first=Andy | last=Farrell}}</ref>

The ''Old Course'' opened in 1904, and (as of 2009) has a championship length of {{convert|7406|yd}}. The ''New Course'' opened as a 9-hole course in 1907 and was extended to 18 holes in 1913; its championship length in 2009 was {{convert|7199|yd}}. Both were designed by Herbert Fowler, who later designed numerous courses in the United Kingdom and United States.

Walton Heath has had a long association with royalty and politics, with Edward, Prince of Wales having been the club's first captain in 1935, and former United Kingdom Prime Ministers David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, Bonar Law and Arthur Balfour all having been members. The club has also only ever had four club professionals, including five time British Open champion James Braid who held the post from 1904 until 1950.<ref name=indep1/>

Both courses at Walton Heath have been consistently rated in the UK's top 100 courses, with the Old Course also being rated as one of the top 100 in the world.<ref name="BBCSport1">{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4611409.stm |title=Europeans fight for US Open spots |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 June 2005 |access-date=7 April 2009}}</ref>

==Tournaments== Walton Heath has been the venue of a number of national amateur tournaments and championships. It has also hosted several high profile professional events including the 1981 Ryder Cup, when it stepped in as a replacement venue after construction at The Belfry had not been completed in time.<ref name="BBCSport2">{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/5346624.stm |title=Ryder Cup history: 1981 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 September 2006 |access-date=7 April 2009}}</ref> The club also hosted five editions of the European Open, a European Tour event, between 1978 and 1991.<ref name=europen>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europeantour.com/default.sps?pagegid={AEFB93B0-EFF5-4C05-AB0F-FD08D947D944}&eventid=2009040&infosid=19 |title=European Open &ndash; Past Winners |publisher=PGA European Tour |access-date=7 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/20091006220931/http://www.europeantour.com/default.sps?pagegid={5A258B31-8294-4C0E-B8B9-A796F6009E52} |archive-date=6 October 2009 }}</ref>

Since 2005, Walton Heath has been the venue for the U.S. Open European qualifying tournament.<ref name="BBCSport3">{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4264073.stm |title=England to hold US Open qualifier |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 February 2005 |access-date=7 April 2009}}</ref> In the first year, New Zealander Michael Campbell qualified at Walton Heath, and went on to win the Open at Pinehurst.<ref name="BBCSport4">{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4109808.stm |title=Hard graft pays off for Campbell |publisher=BBC Sport |date=20 June 2005 |access-date=7 April 2009}}</ref>

Walton Heath hosted The Senior Open Championship, one of the five majors recognised by the Champions Tour, the world's dominant tour for golfers 50 and older, from 21–24 July 2011.<ref>On this championship, 16 holes of the Old Course (except for 1st & 3rd hole); as the 1st - 11th, 14th - 18th, and 2 holes of the New Course (12th & 13th hole) were used. The 3 Par-5 holes (13th (the New Course's 13th hole), 14th, and 16th hole) were changed to long Par 4 hole.</ref> The event was eventually won by Russ Cochran. Walton Heath hosted the British Masters on the European Tour in October 2018, won by Eddie Pepperell and the Women's British Open in 2023, won by Lilia Vu.

==Noted Incident == Barry Took's 2004 biography of Richard Murdoch, (published by Oxford University Press) relates how the actor and comedian died there, in 1990.

==Scorecard== *'''Old Course''' {{Golf18}} {{Tee18|Purple|bcolor=purple|tcolor=white|M:75.7 / 135|235|461|289|519|485|440|190|588|400|3,607|442|222|396|529|564|426|535|206|479|3,799|7,406}} {{White18|M:72.7 / 131|235|451|289|441|391|427|174|494|400|3,302|399|189|371|512|510|408|510|181|404|3,484|6,786}} {{Green18|M:70.6 / 126|195|438|279|430|381|390|158|476|367|3,114|386|168|343|497|485|371|448|155|397|3,250|6,364}} {{Red18|M:68.8 / 119<br/>W:74.4 / 135|217|425|274|425|333|390|141|418|355|2,978|327|132|291|457|469|331|433|141|378|2,959|5,937}} {{Blue18|M:67.5 / 112<br/>W:72.8 / 129|193|420|220|425|329|329|139|414|344|2,813|325|128|289|455|414|328|428|113|324|2,804|5,617}} {{Par18|3|4/5|4|4/5|4|4|3|5|4|35/37|4|3|4|5|5|4|5|3|4|37|72/74}} {{End}} The 2nd & 4th hole are par 5 for ladies.

*'''New Course''' {{Golf18}} {{tee18|Purple|bcolor=purple|tcolor=white|M:74.8 / 131|286|147|425|343|468|183|389|510|484|3,235|202|440|490|570|412|413|607|396|434|3,964|7,199}} {{White18|M:72.3 / 125|286|138|419|288|461|171|389|493|455|3,100|189|394|421|497|412|403|511|353|368|3,548|6,648}} {{Green18|M:70.4 / 119|280|120|410|250|422|163|374|483|441|2,943|150|374|411|469|400|375|491|310|355|3,335|6,278}} {{Red18|M:68.6 / 117<br/>W:74.2 / 132|277|107|393|223|459|133|309|458|423|2,782|138|337|389|443|366|335|477|290|350|3,125|5,907}} {{Par18|4|3|4|4|4/5|3|4|5|4/5|35|3|4|4|5|4|4|5|4|4|37|72/74}} {{Blue18|M:66.2 / 106<br/>W:71.2 / 120|253|108|376|176|408|126|302|444|385|2,578|133|328|347|402|359|322|478|247|286|2,902|5,480}} {{Par18|name=Blue&nbsp;Tee's&nbsp; Par|4|3|4|3|4|3|4|5|4|34|3|4|4|4|4|4|5|4|4|36|70}} {{End}} The 5th & 9th hole are par 5 for ladies (except for Blue tee) .

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{official website|http://www.waltonheath.com/}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}

{{Ryder Cup venues |state=collapsed}}

Category:Golf clubs and courses in Surrey Category:Ryder Cup venues Category:1903 establishments in England Category:Sports venues completed in 1903