Historically, heathland golf was not intended to be superior
parkland golf. It was meant to be an imitation of links golf, or rather an
attempt to emulate links conditions. In particular, those conditions consisted
of a playing surface comprised of compacted, sand-based turf, which heath
invariably provides,and the unfettered influence of the wind.
Walton Heath occupies high ground, approximately 650 feet
above sea level on the edge of the North
Downs. It is very exposed; what trees there are provide little
protection from the elements. While there are no rhododendrons to beautify the
surroundings, there is a sprinkling of elegant pines, and during autumn the
scattered silver birches turn bonfire orange. Then, of course, there is the
profusion of rust-cum-purple colored heather, and no heathland course has a
greater or thicker coating of heather than Walton Heath.
It was between 1902 and 1904 that this landscape was
transformed into a golf course Herbert Fowler. It is said that he spent week
upon week riding horseback through the heather searching for ideal green
settings. He positioned many greenside bunkers several yards short of the
putting surfaces—not to deceive golfers and confuse their perception of distance
(though it achieved this), but because he wanted players to be able to bounce
and run the ball onto greens, just as they would do on a links course.
Fairway cross bunkering, seldom seen nowadays even in
Great
Britain, is another prominent theme at Walton
Heath. The majority of Fowler’s bunkers, both fairway and greenside, were built
deep and framed—sometimes enveloped—by heather, and they remain so today. In
fact, almost a century after its opening, and despite some minor revisions
necessitated when a motorway was constructed adjacent to the property, Walton
Heath appears very much as it did in Fowler’s time.
More to the point, it plays very much as it did in Fowler’s
time: Walton Heath is maintained firm and fast, so encouraging the diversity of
approach shots he intended; the wind is a constant factor; and the swathes of
dense, tangling heather that patrol the fairways and the network of obstacle
course-like traps are punitive. Yet, the fairways are generous in width, the
placement of bunkers often rewards strategic play and the greens are generally
large, surprisingly quick and extremely true. The examination the Old Course
sets is tough but fair.
In terms of routing, if not general character, Walton Heath
is a tale of two halves. After a stuttering start—the club cannot decide whether
its opening hole plays better as a short, potentially drivable par 4 or stern
par 3—the front nine marches away from the clubhouse in an out-and-back
links-type fashion.
The back nine is the more memorable and occupies more
exciting terrain. In contrast to the front nine, every hole runs in a different
direction from its predecessor. From the 14th in, the course rises to yet
another level. No less a judge than Tom Weiskopf has described the finishing
sequence at Walton Heath as one of the best he has ever played.
Many distinguished figures have been associated with Walton
Heath over the years. The club’s first professional was James Braid, winner of
five British Opens, who served the club from 1904 until his death in 1950.
Before the war, both Winston Churchill and the Prince of Wales were Walton Heath
members. Numerous important amateur and professional events have been staged on
the Old course, including five European Open Championships and the 1981 Ryder
Cup.
