Royal Automobile Club Old Course

Royal Automobile Club Old Course — Fowler’s downland at Woodcote Park

Hidden behind the gates of the Royal Automobile Club’s Woodcote Park estate, the Old Course is one of Surrey’s quiet treasures — a Herbert Fowler downland layout that sweeps through mature trees on the edge of Epsom Downs, glimpsing the famous racecourse in the distance.

The Royal Automobile Club Old Course sits at Woodcote Park, near Epsom in Surrey, part of the club’s private country estate. Designed by the celebrated architect William Herbert Fowler and opened in 1915, it plays to a par of 72 as a classic downland course, sensitively restored in recent years by Mackenzie & Ebert. As one of two golf courses on the estate, it is a members’-and-guests layout rather than a public venue, prized for its heritage, its restored bunkering and its peaceful parkland setting.

Key Details

• Location: Woodcote Park, Wilmerhatch Lane, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 7EW
• Type: private members’ club; downland
• Par: 72 (Old Course)
• Designers: William Herbert Fowler (original, 1915); modern restoration by Mackenzie & Ebert
• Established: 1915 (Old Course opened 20 March 1915)
• Notable: private members’ club with a long tournament history; one of two courses on the Woodcote Park estate

History and significance

Not long after the Royal Automobile Club acquired the Woodcote Park estate, it commissioned William Herbert Fowler — the architect behind Walton Heath and St George’s Hill — to lay out golf across the parkland. Fowler devised twenty-seven holes in three loops, and the first eighteen, today’s Old Course, opened on 20 March 1915.

By 1931 the estate had grown to two full eighteen-hole courses, the Old and the New. The New course was ploughed up for agriculture during the Second World War, and in its place the shorter Coronation Course — designed by F. R. Smith and opened in 1953 to mark the Coronation — was later built. It is the Old Course that carries Fowler’s original design, and a careful restoration by Mackenzie & Ebert has since brought back much of its intended character.

The course and how it plays

This is downland golf on the chalk of the Epsom Downs — tree-lined, gently rolling and quietly strategic. The ground moves throughout, and the restoration work has reinstated deep, well-shaped Fowler bunkering and opened up views that had been lost to encroaching trees, restoring the airy downland feel the architect intended.

It is a course that rewards placement and thought over sheer power, with the challenge lying in angles into greens that sit naturally in the folds of the land. Being high on the downs, it is also open to the wind, adding another layer to the test on a breezy day.

Signature holes

As a private club, the Royal Automobile Club does not publish hole-by-hole yardages or descriptions, so rather than single out individual holes it is fairer to describe what defines the round. The Old Course is remembered as a consistent, classical downland test rather than a collection of showpiece holes.

Its character comes from Fowler’s routing across the rolling chalk, the restored bunkering that now frames the driving lines and greens, and the tree-lined corridors that give each hole its own sense of seclusion before the closing stretch turns back toward the clubhouse. It is the coherence of the whole, not one famous hole, that stays with players.

Why play the Royal Automobile Club Old Course

You play it for the pedigree and the privacy. A genuine Herbert Fowler design, thoughtfully restored, set within one of the country’s grandest private estates, it offers a calm, classical round a world away from the bustle of nearby London.

For members and their guests, it is a rare combination of golfing quality and country-club surroundings — heritage golf played in peaceful, beautifully kept parkland.

Clubhouse and facilities

Woodcote Park is a full country club, and the golf sits alongside extensive facilities. The clubhouse offers a range of dining, and the wider estate includes tennis, squash, a gym, a swimming pool and on-site accommodation for members and their guests. There is a professional’s shop and practice facilities to support play on the two courses.

Green fees and booking

The Royal Automobile Club is a private members’ club, and golf on the Old Course is reserved for members and their guests rather than pay-and-play visitors. There are no public green fees, and access is generally through membership or as the guest of a member, along with any reciprocal arrangements the club holds with other clubs.

Because it is a private venue, fees and access are not published publicly. For membership and guest enquiries, and for any visitor arrangements, check the official website.

Getting there and parking

Woodcote Park lies on the edge of Epsom, around twenty miles south of central London.

• By car: approach via the A24 toward Epsom, with the estate entrance off Wilmerhatch Lane; note that this is a private estate with controlled access.
• By public transport: the nearest railway station is Epsom, served by South Western Railway and Southern from London Waterloo and London Victoria, with onward taxi to the estate.
• Address & parking: Royal Automobile Club, Woodcote Park, Wilmerhatch Lane, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 7EW. On-site parking is available for members and guests.

Where to stay

The estate has its own accommodation, but this is reserved for members and their guests. For other visitors, the nearest base is Epsom town, a short drive away.

Epsom offers a good range of dependable hotels, such as the Premier Inn and Travelodge in and around the town centre, with the wider choice of Surrey and south-west London within easy reach for a longer trip. All make comfortable, well-connected stays close to the estate.

What to pack

This is downland golf high on the chalk, so pack for changeable, breezy conditions with warm and waterproof layers. Bring well-gripped golf shoes for the rolling turf and a few spare balls for the tree-lined holes. As a private club with a traditional atmosphere, smart golf attire is expected on the course and in the clubhouse.

Nearby attractions

The estate sits in classic Surrey countryside on the edge of the North Downs, with plenty nearby.

Conclusion

Discreet, historic and beautifully restored, the Royal Automobile Club Old Course is Herbert Fowler’s downland golf at its most understated — a private members’ course where heritage, quality and peace matter more than fanfare. For those who get to play it, it is a quietly memorable round in the heart of the Surrey Downs.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Can visitors play the Royal Automobile Club Old Course?

The Royal Automobile Club is a private members’ club, so the Old Course is not open for pay-and-play visitor golf. Play is generally reserved for members and their guests, along with any reciprocal arrangements the club holds with other clubs, and the Woodcote Park estate has controlled access. This means there are no public green fees to book in the way there are at a typical visitor-friendly club. If you are interested in playing, the usual route is as the guest of a member or through membership itself. For membership and guest enquiries, check the official website, which is the best source of current information.

Who designed the Royal Automobile Club Old Course?

The Old Course was designed by William Herbert Fowler, the acclaimed architect also responsible for Walton Heath and St George’s Hill. Shortly after the Royal Automobile Club acquired the Woodcote Park estate, Fowler laid out twenty-seven holes in three loops, and the first eighteen — today’s Old Course — opened on 20 March 1915. In more recent years the course has been carefully restored by Mackenzie & Ebert. It is worth noting that the estate’s separate, shorter Coronation Course is not a Fowler design; it was created by F. R. Smith and opened in 1953, on ground once occupied by the club’s former New course.

What kind of course is it?

It is a classic downland course, laid out on the chalk of the Epsom Downs and threading through mature, tree-lined parkland within the private Woodcote Park estate. The recent restoration reinstated Fowler’s deep, well-shaped bunkering and opened up views lost to overgrown trees, returning the open, airy downland character the architect intended. Playing to a par of 72, it rewards accurate placement and clever angles into greens set naturally in the folds of the land rather than sheer power, and its elevated position means the wind can add a real edge to the challenge on breezier days.

How do I get to Woodcote Park?

The estate is on the edge of Epsom in Surrey, around twenty miles south of central London. By car, the approach is via the A24 toward Epsom, with the estate entrance off Wilmerhatch Lane; the postcode for sat-navs is KT18 7EW, and there is parking on site for members and their guests. Bear in mind that Woodcote Park is a private estate with controlled access. By train, the nearest station is Epsom, served by South Western Railway and Southern from London Waterloo and London Victoria, with a short taxi ride to complete the journey.