Course Guide
Originally consisting of seven holes around the windmill, the course was redesigned and extended by the club professional Tom Dunn in 1871, becoming one of the first ever 18-hole links. Holes such as Long Butt, Big Ravine and Blockade were built along rifle ranges.
Although a short course by modern standards, it is very tight. There are only two adjoining fairways on the course, the rest are self-contained and tree-lined, oak and birch dominate, you will also find gorse and heather.
Our course map and course planner will help you plan and prepare for your round.
“There is an old-fashioned air about golf at Wimbledon. It has at least one supreme virtue: that of naturalness. Those clumps of gorse and the deep ravines where the birches grow were put there by the hand of nature herself, who is infinitely more artistic than any golfing architect”
1 | Elcho
Men: Par 3, 219 yards, SI: 8
Women: Par 4, 219 yards, SI: 17
Named after the founder Lord Elcho, Earl of Wemyss. A very testing par three opening hole requiring a long drive to reach the green some 231 yards away. The green slopes away into trouble. A par here is a great start.
2 | Big Ravine
Men: Par 4, 259 yards, SI: 16
Women: Par 4, 240 yards, SI: 11
The ravine dominates the tee shot for 140 yards. Once cleared, though, you have a short shot to the green, reachable in one for the long hitters. The ravine was made more scenic by a new pond created in 1998 to commemorate the Millennium.
3 | Long Butt
Men: Par 4, 311 yards, SI: 15
Women: Par 4, 281 yards, SI: 14
Named because it lies along the route of the 1,000 yard firing range (or 'butt') in the old National Rifle Association enclosure on Wimbledon Common. A short par 4, a slight dog leg with an oak tree to the middle left. A good tee shot over the tree will leave a short iron to the green, with danger for a hook.
4 | Running Deer
Men: Par 4, 380 yards. SI: 4
Women: Par 4, 364 yards, SI: 4
Played towards an old National Rifle Association target called 'Running Deer', designed by Edward Landseer, sculptor of the lions at Trafalgar Square. A testing par 4 with the added attraction of an oak tree in the middle of the fairway 200 yards from the tee. The sensible route is a long iron to the left of the oak.
5 | Queens Mere
Men: Par 3, 239 yards, SI: 6
Women: Par 4, 230 yards, SI: 16
Named after one of the many old gravel excavations on the common. A short par 4, needing an elevated tee shot to overcome a barrier of birch trees in front of the fairway. A short pitch remains to a testing green, sloping left to right.
6 | Sand Pit
Men: Par 4, 282 yards, SI: 13
Women: Par 4, 249 yards, SI: 12
Named after one of the many old gravel excavations on the common. A short par 4, needing an elevated tee shot to overcome a barrier of birch trees in front of the fairway. This achieved, only a short pitch remains to a testing green, sloping left to right.
7 | Paradise
Men: Par 4, 385 yards, SI: 2
Women: Par 4, 384 yards, SI: 1
As the name suggests, this is a delight to play. It requires a reasonably long drive, ideally to the left hand side of the fairway, followed by a testing medium to long iron approach through a tunnel of scots pines.
8 | Birches
Men: Par 4, 285 yards, SI: 12
Women: Par 4, 278 yards, SI: 13
A short par 4 downhill all the way, but guarded by woods on both sides. Reachable in one by the longer hitters willing to take the gamble. The undulating green can be screened by a single birch if your drive is right and short.
9 | Caesars Well
Men: Par 3, 126 yards, SI: 17
Women: Par 3, 116 yards, SI: 18
This hole takes its name from an ancient spring nearby. It is the shortest of the par threes, set in a hollow surrounded by silver birch. Today it is more open than it was before the storm of 1987, but it's still a tricky shot to a bowl shaped green.
10 | Caesars Camp
Men: Par 4, 327 yards, SI: 9
Women: Par 4, 304 yards, SI: 7
Named after the ancient hill fort nearby dating from the early iron age (about the 5th century BC; in ancient times called 'Bensbury Camp'). For all but the longest of drives, the second shot is played uphill to a green slightly hidden by the swell of the ground.
11 | Long Hole
Men: Par 5, 475 yards, SI: 3
Women: Par 5, 463 yards, SI: 2
The only par five on the course. Club selection from the tee is important to avoid the cross ditches and cinder road. Most people lay up, but the big hitters may take on the ditches and road. The green, less receptive than any other.
12 | Plateau
Men: Par 3, 223 yards, SI: 7
Women: Par 3, 192 yards, SI: 6
A challenging hole, requiring a long accurate shot to find the green, with trees and a steep bank to the right and out of bounds to the left.
13 | Hope Grant
Men: Par 4, 437 yards, SI: 1
Women: Par 5, 433 yards, SI: 3
So called after Lt. General Sir James Hope Grant, who together with Lord Elcho donated the earliest competition medal. A difficult par four, calling for two good long straight shots to a very tricky green, protected by a narrow landing area sloping from the front. Fully justifes its stroke index of 1.
14 | Nest
Men: Par 4, 282 yards, SI: 14
Women: Par 4, 250 yards, SI: 9
Short par 4, a medium length drive will leave a short pitch to the green guarded by a copse of birch trees. It is easy to block yourself out for the second shot, so favour the right hand side of the fairway.
15 | Spinney
Men: Par 3, 167 yards, SI: 11
Women: Par 3, 136 yards, SI: 10
A classic length short hole, played to a pin which is barely visible, as the green lies in a hollow behind a bank hidden by trees. The tee shot needs to carry over these to find an undulating green with some very tricky pin positions.
16 | Blockade
Men: Par 4, 277 yards, SI: 18
Women: Par 4, 266 yards, SI: 15
Got the name as it was played directly across converging lines of fire from the 600 and 1000 yard rifle ranges. Short par four with a horse ride in front of the green, making club selection off the tee important.
17 | Heather
Men: Par 4, 392 yards, SI: 5
Women: Par 4, 386 yards, SI: 5
A good length par four, driving off from an elevated tee to a generous fairway lined by heather and gorse, with out of bounds awaiting the wild slice. Beware: don't over club your second shot for disaster awaits through the green.
18 | Windmill
Men: Par 4, 325 yards, SI: 10
Women: Par 4, 303 yards, SI: 8
A good finishing par four. A sharp dog-leg left hole, with a ravine to cross. A bold hooked shot will be rewarded by a short pitch to the tiny green with a fine view of the windmill beyond. The ravine has been the graveyard of many a good card.
