Wentworth Club is one of the most revered and exclusive golf venues in the UK, boasting a rich heritage that includes hosting some of the game’s most famous events through the years.
For example, for over four decades, it’s been the permanent home of the DP World Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, but that only scratches the surface of Wentworth’s towering legacy in the game.
It has also been the scene of controversy, while the rich and famous have taken up residence there. Its clubhouse is instantly recognizable, too, and has plenty of stories of its own, all adding to Wentworth’s reputation as one of the most historically important venues in golf.
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Here are some facts about Wentworth that you may not be familiar with.
Headquarters Of The DP World Tour and OWGR
The European Tour was established in 1972 and for the first nine years of its existence, its headquarters were at the Oval in Surrey. It has remained in the county ever since, but since April 16th 1981, its home has been Wentworth Club.
It’s not just the DP World Tour that operates from Wentworth. Since 2004, it has also been the headquarters of the Official World Golf Ranking, where its office is in the European Tour Building on Wentworth Drive.
There Are Several Courses
The West Course opened in 1924
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There are three 18-hole courses at Wentworth: the East Course, the West Course (also known as Burma Road) and the Edinburgh Course. It’s also the home of a nine-hole layout, the Executive Course.
The Harry Colt-designed East Course was the first to open, in 1924. Colt was also at the helm for the West Course, which opened two years later and became its most famous layout. At the time, Colt, appropriately, named it Championship No. 2 Course.
That was it until 1990, when the Edinburgh Course (which was originally called the South Course and was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh) opened. It was designed by John Jacobs with Bernard Gallacher and Gary Player.
There is also a nine-hole par-3 layout called the Executive Course.
It Has Hosted Some Of The Game’s Biggest Events
Wentworth hosted the 1953 Ryder Cup
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Nowadays, Wentworth is in the spotlight annually as the host venue of the BMW PGA Championship, but that’s far from the only big tournament it has hosted through the years.
The idea for the Ryder Cup was even conceived at Wentworth. In 1926, an informal match between British and American pros was held on the East Course before that year’s Open.
Businessman Samuel Ryder was also present, and he proposed sponsoring a formal version of the match, hence the name. Two years later, the first edition of the Ryder Cup was held in the US.
The Ryder Cup doesn’t just have its origins at Wentworth, the West Course also hosted the match once, in 1953.
Three years later, the same course hosted the World Cup, while it was also the permanent home of the HSBC World Match Play Championship between 1964 and 2007.
While Wentworth has been the home of the BMW PGA Championship since 1984, it was also the venue for the tournament between 1972 and 1974.
The West Course also hosted 17 editions of the Daks Tournament, which preceded the European Tour. The 1952 edition was the first televised golf event.
That’s not all. The East Course also hosted the inaugural edition of the Curtis Cup in 1932, while it has been the venue for tournaments in the Rose Ladies Series.
Between 1997 and 2007, the Edinburgh Course hosted the Wentworth Senior Masters, won by legends including its designer Gary Player, Sam Torrance and twice by Eduardo Romero, in 2005 and 2006.
Controversial Renovations
Ernie Els has carried out two renovations of the West Course
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Four-time Major winner Ernie Els has undertaken two renovations of the West Course. The first came in 2010 and cost £6m ($8m), when he lengthened the layout, recontoured putting surfaces, and added bunkers while deepening others.
Afterwards, he said: “Everyone knows how special Wentworth is to me so of course it was an honor to be given the responsibility of renovating this classic course and bringing it into the 21st century.”
However, the changes weren’t well-received, with the eighth and 18th green complexes coming in for most criticism.
Despite that controversy, six years later, Els was at the helm again, with work focusing on five of the greens and the removal of some bunkers.
A Famous And Historic Clubhouse
Winning players are encouraged to donate a club to be put on display in the clubhouse
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The gothic-style clubhouse was built in 1805 and was originally known as “Wentworths.” It began life as the 19th-century residence of the Duke of Wellington’s brother-in-law.
In 2018, a refurbished clubhouse was unveiled following a $13m (£18m) investment, which included two new private dining rooms – the East and West.
It has no fewer than five drinking and dining areas – the Dining Room, the Club Lounge, the Club Bar, the Burma Bar and the Conservatory.
Every winner of the tournament is also encouraged to contribute a golf club to be displayed in its own glass case at the clubhouse.
Famous Members And Residents
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York lived in a house called Kingsbourne on Wentworth Estate
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Wentworth is part of a 700-hectare estate, and it has had many famous residents and members through the years.
Ernie Els has lived there, while another famous golfer who has a home there is Justin Rose. More recently, Rory McIlroy has had a house built at Wentworth Estate.
It’s also the home of stars from the wider sports world, including former soccer players John Terry and Andriy Shevchenko, while former cricketer Kevin Pietersen also lives there.
Other famous former residents include presenters Sir Michael Parkinson and Sir Bruce Forsyth, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, who lived in a nine-bedroom house called Kingsbourne.
Controversial Buyout
Until 2014, Wentworth was open to the public, but a buyout for £135m ($183m) by Beijing investment company Reignwood Group saw a debenture membership structure proposed, along with the membership numbers being greatly reduced.
That led to a bitter dispute between the new owners and golfers, with existing club members and residents threatening legal action against the group.
Nowadays, the membership fee is reportedly around £175,000 ($237,000), with annual dues standing at £16,000 ($22,000) as long ago as 2015.
It’s In A Golf Hotbed
Wentworth is located close to several other world-renowned golf clubs, including Sunningdale
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While the group that owns Wentworth made it one of the most exclusive clubs in the world, it’s far from the only renowned golf course in the area.
Surrey is also home to Sunningdale, located just three miles from Wentworth, and which has hosted many high-profile events, including the 2025 Senior Open.
Another Harry Colt-designed course, Swinley Forest, is also just six miles away, while Queenwood, which has counted actors Michael Douglas, Hugh Grant, and Catherine Zeta-Jones among its membership, is four miles to the south of Wentworth.
There are also a number of other UK and Ireland Top 100 courses nearby, including Woking, West Hill and Worplesdon – known as the ‘Three Ws’ – as well as The Berkshire and Hankley Common
