Wentworth golf guide: the West Course & the BMW PGA
The Harry Colt heathland masterpiece in Surrey, home of the DP World Tour and its flagship BMW PGA Championship. How visitors play the Ernie Els–revamped West Course, when to go, and the Surrey heathland cluster around it.
Wentworth is English golf's establishment address: a Harry Colt heathland design from 1926 in Virginia Water, Surrey, on the leafy south-western fringe of London, and the home of the DP World Tour. Its West Course hosts the Tour's flagship BMW PGA Championship each year, and it's one of the most recognisable finishing tests in European golf — a rolling, tree-and-heather layout that ends with a reachable par-5 18th made for grandstand drama.
It's a prestigious private members' club, but visitor access is possible in limited windows, usually as part of a package. This guide covers how the West Course plays after Ernie Els's major redesign, how visitors get on, when to go, and how Wentworth sits within Surrey's remarkable belt of heathland golf.
Where
Virginia Water, Surrey — south-west of London, near Windsor
Courses
The West (par 72, ~7,247 yds), plus the East and Edinburgh courses
Nearest airport
London Heathrow (LHR), roughly 20–30 min by car
Best time
May–September for the driest heathland conditions; the BMW PGA is in September
Access
Private members' club — limited visitor tee times, usually via a package; book ahead
The event
BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour's flagship
The courses
The West Course
Harry Colt, redesigned by Ernie Els · 1926 (Els redesign completed 2017) · 18 holes · Heathland · par 72 · ~7,247 yds
Home of the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour's flagship event
The West — 'the Burma Road', as it was nicknamed for its length and difficulty — is a classic Colt heathland routing that climbs and falls through pine, birch and heather. Ernie Els, the club's champion-in-residence, led a long-term redesign completed in 2017 that rebuilt all the greens and bunkers, removed clutter to restore Colt's original lines, and installed the first SubAir green system in Europe to keep the putting surfaces firm and fast year-round. The result is a course that presents beautifully and plays firm even in a wet British autumn.
The signature is the closing stretch: the par-5 18th, doglegging uphill to a green ringed by grandstands, has settled countless BMW PGA titles and is one of the great made-for-television finishes in European golf. Off the members' tees it's a fair, strategic test; from the back, it's a genuine championship examination.
The East & Edinburgh Courses
Harry Colt (East) · John Jacobs, Gary Player & Bernard Gallacher (Edinburgh) · East 1924; Edinburgh 1990 · 18 each holes · Heathland / parkland
Wentworth's two other 18s round out the estate. The shorter East Course is another early Harry Colt design with real charm, and the Edinburgh Course adds a more modern parkland test. Both are strong rounds in their own right and part of what makes Wentworth a 54-hole destination.
How visitors play Wentworth
Wentworth is a prestigious private members' club, and access for non-members is limited — visitor rounds are typically arranged in specific windows or through corporate and golf-break packages rather than casual bookings, and green fees on the West are among the highest in England. If you want to play, plan ahead and go through the club or an established golf-travel operator, and be aware that tee-time availability tightens sharply around the BMW PGA Championship.
This is upscale, well-heeled golf — the estate is as famous for its mansions and the members' clubhouse as for the courses — so expect a traditional dress code and a polished experience. Confirm current visitor arrangements, rules and fees directly with the club.
When to go
May to September offers the driest, firmest heathland conditions, when Surrey golf is at its best — sandy heathland drains well, so it plays firm and true through the summer. The BMW PGA Championship is staged in September, which is a wonderful week to attend but a difficult one to play. Autumn heathland golf, with the heather and birch turning, is a particular pleasure if the weather holds.
Getting there
Wentworth is exceptionally easy to reach: London Heathrow (LHR) is only 20–30 minutes away, and central London is under an hour by car or train (Virginia Water station is close by). It's near Windsor and the M25/M3, making it a simple add-on to a London trip or the anchor of a Surrey golf break.
How to play it
Wentworth sits at the heart of the Surrey–Berkshire heathland belt, arguably the finest concentration of inland golf in Britain. A short drive away is Sunningdale and its two revered courses, and the wider area holds a cluster of Colt and Fowler heathland classics. A few days here strings together some of the best inland golf in the world — a completely different experience from the coastal links up north, played on fast, sandy heathland framed by pine and heather.
What to pack
The kit this trip demands
Wentworth is upscale heathland golf that can be soft and cool in the shoulder seasons — smart, comfortable kit that copes with a British sky is the brief:
Access is limited. Wentworth is a prestigious private members' club, and non-member rounds on the West Course are usually arranged in specific windows or through corporate and golf-break packages rather than casual bookings. Plan well ahead and expect premium green fees.
What is the West Course at Wentworth known for?
It's the home of the DP World Tour's flagship BMW PGA Championship — a Harry Colt heathland design, nicknamed 'the Burma Road', redesigned by Ernie Els and completed in 2017. Its uphill par-5 18th, ringed by grandstands, is one of European golf's great made-for-TV finishes.
When is the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth?
It's played on the West Course in September as the DP World Tour's flagship event. It's a superb week to attend, but tee times for visitors are hardest to come by around it.
When is the best time to play Wentworth?
May to September, when the sandy heathland is at its driest and firmest. Autumn can be beautiful if the weather holds, with the heather and birch turning — just be ready for cooler, potentially wet British conditions.
What other courses are near Wentworth?
Wentworth is in the Surrey–Berkshire heathland belt, the finest concentration of inland golf in Britain. Sunningdale's two courses are a short drive away, alongside a cluster of other Colt and Fowler heathland classics.
