RAC Club (Old)

The RAC Club – or Royal Automobile Club, Woodcote Park Country Club to give the venue its full title – is blessed to have two stunning golf courses.

The Old Course was the first to be designed and constructed at the RAC Club, and the work of Herbert Fowler, opening in 1915.

The layout has plenty of Fowler’s typical tests, including undulating greens and large fairway bunkers. Add in plenty of trees and lengthy par 4s, and you have a proper test of golf in front of you.

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Originally known as the Automobile Club of Great Britain, the club dates back to the late 19th Century.

It was in 1915 that golf first came to the Woodcote Park site of the RAC Club, with Herbert Fowler being the man behind the design of both the Old Course.

The New Course was then added in 1931, but it would not last long. During the Second World War, the layout was ploughed up, with the Coronation Course then being opened in 1953 to restore the RAC Club to its 36-hole standard.

The Royal Automobile Club has two great golf offerings, with the Old Course having been around for more than a century now. The course is set out over the Epsom Downs, with views of Epsom Racecourse. Tree-lined fairways and plenty of bunkers make for a difficult, but enjoyable day out. The road splits the course in two, with the front nine on the northern side of the road, while the back nine sits to the south. The front nine has the length on this 6,700-yard par 72 layout.

Both of the opening two par 4s measure 390 yards from the back tees, with the opener being a slight dog-leg right. Avoid the three fairway bunkers down the left side, while keeping your tee shot on the left of the fairway for the best line in. Down the left is also the line off the tee on 2, avoiding the two fairway bunkers that sit to the right of the short grass. There are two more traps by the green, one on either side of a large putting surface – but make sure to find the right part of this two-tiered green. The 3rd is the first of the short holes on the Old Course, and the longest of those at 190 yards. The green is extremely long, so this can play as far as 210 yards with a back flag. Work out the distance before choosing your club.

After the first par 3 comes the first par 5. The 5th is 520 yards, and the key off the tee is avoiding the three fairway bunkers that jut out into the left side of the fairway. The fairway then ends around 100 yards from the green, so that is your marker for those laying up. The green is large, with a sole bunker to its front right. The longer hitters will fancy their chances on the 5th, the first of five par 4s to end the front nine. It is only 300 yards, and plays as a dog-leg right. Most will aim their tee shot out to the right to give the best angle of finding this green in two. The 6th is the Stroke Index 1 on the RAC Club’s Old Course – measuring almost 440 yards. It plays even longer than that with an uphill approach. No fewer than seven bunkers line the hole, with a massive, three-tiered green adding to the challenge. If you are putting downhill on this green, then good luck getting down in two!

7 provides some respite at just 355 yards. It has a generous fairway despite the trees lining both sides, while the green is large once again. At 475 and 462 yards respectively, the 8th and 9th provide a stern test to keep a good score going through the middle section of the layout. The former is the longest par 4 on the course and begins with a semi-blind tee shot. Three bunkers guard a long green that has a rise in the centre. If the flag is on that section, make sure to find it otherwise you leave yourself with a tricky uphill putt. The front nine’s last test is another lengthy par 4, and one where three fairway bunkers down the left side are in view, and in play. Thanks to a downhill approach to this green, it plays slightly shorter. In the summer, shots landing some 50 yards short still have a chance of making it on to the surface.

Although it is carded at 470 yards, thanks to its uphill nature, the par 5 10th plays much tougher than you might think. Five fairway bunkers – two right, and three left – are in play off the tee, while there are five more bunkers protecting the large putting surface. 11 is a downhill par 4 and the first of two consecutive birdie opportunities. Avoid the four fairway bunkers with your tee shot, and you will be left with an open view of the green. There are two bunkers, but only one of those should be in play, sitting front right of the green. The 12th is only 335 yards, and the ideal tee shot is played over the corner of the dog-leg right, over the two bunkers sat on the inside. The green is peanut-shaped, and angled diagonally from the fairway to make it that bit more difficult, but a good drive should only leave a wedge in. 13 is the first of two short holes on the back side on the Old Course, and the shortest hole of the lot at 150 yards. Two massive bunkers guard the front of the putting surface, one that is on three levels, so distance control is crucial.

14 is another short par 4, as this run of scoring chances continues. At 335 yards and arrow straight, this is a good chance, and perhaps your last. A solitary bunker sits in front of the putting surface, so make sure your approach reaches the green. 15 is the hardest hole on the back nine, playing as a dog-leg left. Two fairway bunkers on the far side of the corner are the aiming point, but make sure your ball does not run into them. The green is long and narrow, with the front portion being the best place to leave your ball.

The closing stretch on the Old Course continues with the tricky 16th. It is not the longest hole, at 370 yards, but you cannot see the green from the tee, and you will be aiming at a row of trees on this dog-leg right. If you can find the fairway, then the green comes into view, but watch out for the hidden bunker to the left of the surface. 17 is a strong par 3 despite only being 165 yards in length. Two large bunkers, left and right, protect one of the smallest putting surfaces on the course. The closing hole is the longest par 5, and the signature hole on the Old Course. This 535-yard par 5 has a sole bunker on the left side off the tee, as the hole moves round to the right. Longer hitters will fancy their chances of knocking it on to the shallow green with their second, but most should lay up before attacking the flag position with a wedge. A cracking end to a beautiful course.

Where is the RAC Club located?

The Royal Automobile Club, Woodcote Park Country Club is situated to the southwest of London, halfway between Epsom and Leatherhead. The centre of England’s capital city is just 20 miles to the northeast of the RAC Club, with the M25 and A3 both running close by the golfing venue. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is just south of the M25, and in view from the RAC Club.

Ashtead is the closest train station to the RAC Club, just a couple of miles from the golf club. London Waterloo, London Victoria, Dorking and Guildford are among the destinations on route from Ashtead. Both London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport – the two busiest airports in the United Kingdom – are within 20 miles of the RAC Club. Heathrow is to the north, while Gatwick is south of the venue.

Are there any NCG Top 100s: England venues nearby?

Walton Heath, with both its Old and New Courses, is the closest venue to the RAC Club, just five miles to the southeast. St George’s Hill, New Zealand, Royal Wimbledon and The Addington are all within 15 miles from the RAC Club as well, in a hotbed for golf south of London.

What golf facilities does the RAC Club offer?

As well as the Old Course and the Coronation Course, the RAC Club also has a full-length driving range which has both matted and grass tees. There is also a short game area behind the teeing area of the driving range, with a putting green in the same spot as well.

What are the green fees at the RAC Club?

The price of a green fee at the RAC Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at the RAC Club, visit their website here.