Who owns Wentworth Golf Club?
That year, Fleming was captain of Wentworth, an old, prestigious golf club in north-west Surrey. The club had recently been bought by a Chinese firm, Reignwood Consulting Ltd, and an annual general meeting was scheduled for the 20th.
Is there a Wentworth Club in Virginia Water?
Wentworth Club is a privately owned golf club and health resort in Virginia Water, Surrey, on the south western fringes of London, not far from Windsor Castle. The club was founded in 1922. Beijing-based Reignwood Group bought the club in September 2014 and implemented a new debenture membership structure.
What makes the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth so special?
The BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club not only features a stellar line-up, but the Pro-Am, with its many stars from the worlds of sport and entertainment, the live concerts at the weekend, and the passionate crowd make "The BMW" a festival of golf.
Is the Wentworth Edinburgh a good golf course?
The Wentworth Edinburgh is a course I have played a lot and I am truly baffled to why it is ranked 93rd in the country as I haven't played either of the other courses but I've played with plenty of Wentworth members and they have all said that the Edinburgh is as good as if not better than the West course.
How much does it cost to play at Wentworth Golf Club UK?
One of the UK's most exclusive golf clubs is to start charging £125,000 to new joiners. Wentworth, which was bought by the Beijing-based Reignwood Group in September 2014, has told existing members they must stump up £100,000. Annual fees on top of that are to rise from £8,000 to £16,000.
How much does it cost to play golf at Wentworth?
Now, Wentworth is about to get even more exclusive. New members of the historic club, which was founded in 1926 and is commonly regarded as the birthplace of the Ryder Cup, will now have to pay £125,000 for the privilege of playing on its hallowed courses under a shake-up ordered by its Chinese owners.
Can anyone play at Wentworth golf course?
About Wentworth Golf Club This is a club for all the family, where all benefit from the excellent quality of the sports facilities, hospitality and social. It's only possible to play at Wentworth if you are a Member or if you are invited by a Member.
Which golfers live at Wentworth?
Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead and Nick Faldo have played here. Ernie Els, once the world's top-ranked golfer, told me he still remembers “the sound of the shots echoing in among the trees” from his first game at the club; he loved Wentworth so much he eventually bought a house nearby.
What is the most exclusive golf club in UK?
When it comes to golf clubs, Queenwood is the most exclusive in the UK and possibly the most exclusive in Europe, too. Little is known about the super-private Surrey club, which has a phenomenal David McLay Kidd course to rival some of the best golf courses in England.
Can the public Play at Wentworth?
Wentworth Golf Club is not accessible to visitors, only allows members & their guests. So, unfortunately, we cannot arrange a golf booking for this course. Members or their guests need to get in touch with Wentworth directly.
How much is a round of golf at Sunningdale?
BOOKING THE COURSE Sunningdale is well set up for visitors. You can play the courses year round from Monday to Thursday. The summer green fee is £220 for the New, with a £350 day ticket for the Old and the New together. In the off-season you will pay £135 a round.
How many members does Wentworth golf have?
4,000Wentworth's membership across all categories currently stands at around 4,000, but only 888 full memberships are being offered by the clubs new owners. Although described as 'debentures', the memberships come with no shareholdings in the club.
How many courses are in Wentworth?
threeIt has three eighteen-hole courses: the famous Harry Colt-designed West Course from 1926, the earlier yet lesser-played East Course which was also designed by Colt in 1924, the recent Edinburgh Course designed by John Jacobs, and a nine-hole par-3 executive course.
What is the dress code for Wentworth Golf Club?
Proper golf attire is required. No jeans, cutoffs, tee shirts or tank tops.
Who owns Wentworth golf?
Reignwood GroupWentworth Club / Parent organizationReignwood Group is a Chinese investment company owning brands and companies in China, the rest of Asia, the UK and the US. It was founded in 1984 by Chanchai Ruayrungruang, a Thai-Chinese businessman. Wikipedia
Is Wentworth a gated community?
Wentworth is slightly unusual in that, unlike St George's Hill and many other famous estates, it remains very open – there are no estate gates, but each home tends to have its own, coupled with all the latest in security.
How many members does Wentworth Golf have?
4,000Wentworth's membership across all categories currently stands at around 4,000, but only 888 full memberships are being offered by the clubs new owners. Although described as 'debentures', the memberships come with no shareholdings in the club.
How do you become a member of Wentworth?
If you would like to know more about how to join Wentworth, we recommend booking an appointment with our sales team. They will talk through the process of applying for membership and answer any questions you may have. Please contact our sales team on [email protected] or telephone +44(0)1344 842201.
What is the Wentworth Club?
Wentworth Club has been known as the home of golfing champions since the precursor to the Ryder Cup was played here in 1926. Many more famous Championships have been held at the Club since, with the greatest professionals of the modern golfing era winning on Wentworth's hallowed courses. Members and their guests are free to play all three ...
Who are the golfers who played at Wentworth?
Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Rory McIlroy are just a few golfing icons that have enjoyed success at Wentworth over the years.
Who designed the East and West golf course?
Our East and West courses were originally designed by the legendary golf course architect Harry Colt in the early 1920s. Gary Player, John Jacobs and Bernard Gallacher designed the later Edinburgh course, which was opened by his Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh in 1990. Since the first shot was played at the historic match in 1926 recognised as ...
How many yards is the rough in golf?
The hole has a fantastic motion to it pushing you right with your tee shot and then back to the left to the pin/green. Rough enters the fairway around 230-240 yards allowing most golfers to play it safe and hit a 3 or 5 wood off the tee leaving a longer iron shot to the flag (which works given the ample back-to-front length of the green and the effective 'backstop' behind the back of the green). Better players can play it aggressively and leave a short iron to the flag but if your tee shot isn't accurate it becomes hard to make a 4. In my view its a perfect balance between risk and reward and the shape of the hole, cut of the fairway and placement of the bunkers actually create a few different risk/reward tradeoffs depending on your risk tolerance off the tee.
What is the West Course?
It’s a sort of up-market 1920s golf and country club complex. Bernard Darwin refers to the West Course as the Tiger Course in his book, Golf Between Two Wars. He writes: “The course is intended to test that rampacious animal to the full. It is a little hard to assign the Wentworth country as a whole to any precise class.
What is the strongest hole in front 9?
In my opinion, the strongest holes on the front 9 were the 3rd and the stretch 7-9. All of them solid par 4’s that reward quality golf shots and reject average ones. The 3rd in particular is a brute, playing just under 460 yards and slightly uphill, it’s a 4.5 par at least for most mere mortals. The approach shot is pure theatre, with the attractive property watching over the green and reminding you of your affluent surroundings.
Is the putting green a grand place?
You can feel the weight of history lingering around you and there are no shortage of eyes surveying your potential impending embarrassment if your tee shot were to go awry. We had 3 England rugby players and TV crew waiting to tee off afterwards and a corporate hospitality group on the putting green; no pressure then!
Is BMW PGA Championship an outstanding event?
The BMW PGA Championship is an outstanding competition and I have been lucky to have attended all 6 days previously, from the star-studded Pro-Am to the magnificent show that is the Sunday.
Is Wentworth Country a park course?
It is a little hard to assign the Wentworth country as a whole to any precise class. There is heather and there are trees and yet it is not quite of the same nature as its near neighbour, Sunningdale. It is set in park-like surroundings, and yet it is certainly not what is usually called a park course.
Where is the Wentworth Club?
Wentworth Club is an exclusive, privately owned golf club and health resort located in Surry, near London, not far from Windsor Castle.
What is the Wentworth Club known for?
Today Wentworth Club is best known for its association with professional golf.
Who bought Wentworth Golf Club?
In 1988, Elliott Bernerd 's property investment company Chelsfield bought Wentworth Golf Club for £17.7 million (also reported as £20 million). Bernerd sold 40% of the club to Japanese investors, raising £32 million, in 1989. In 2004, Chelsfield sold the remaining 60% share, as fashion industry entrepreneur Richard Caring bought the club for £130 million. In 2014 Caring sold the club for £135m to Beijing-based Reignwood Investments (a holding company associated with billionaire Yan Bin ), which has made the club more exclusive by cutting the number of members and raising the fees.
When was the Wentworth Tennis and Health Club built?
The extensive facility was completed in 1999 for £9 million by architects Broadway Malyan.
How many holes are there in the West Course?
It has three eighteen-hole courses: the famous Harry Colt -designed West Course from 1926, the earlier yet lesser-played East Course which was also designed by Colt in 1924, the recent Edinburgh Course designed by John Jacobs, and a nine-hole par-3 executive course.
Who bought the Wentworths?
It was purchased in 1850 by exiled Spanish Carlist general the Duke of Maestrazgo and his heiress wife. Clubhouse at Wentworth. After his death, his wife, née Catherine Anne Vaughn-Richards, ...
Who bought the club in Beijing?
Beijing-based Reignwood Group bought the club in September 2014 and implemented a new debenture membership structure.
Who designed the Edinburgh course at Wentworth?
I like the John Jacobs designed Edinburgh course at Wentworth (with assists from Gary Player and Bernard Gallacher).
Why is the golf course called Edinburgh?
The course was later renamed the Edinburgh in honour of the Duke who conducted the opening ceremony. "For the most part the course winds its way through 'The Great Wood' which does call for straight hitting. However, the fairways are not so narrow as to inhibit the use of the driver, rather to encourage it.".
How many yards is the 17th hole in the golf course?
On the plus side, the four par threes were an absolute delight, sensibly set up to play between 124 and 153 yards from the regular tees. The 140-yard, water-fronted 17th is obviously the pick of these short holes (it features on the cover of the scorecard) but, for me, I liked the 5th more because it’s so hard to make an uphill par three as attractive as this little beauty.
What is the course in Edinburgh?
The Edinburgh course is thought to be the favourite of many of Wentworth's members, and it is easy to see why. The course isn't heathland, which you'd expect to find in the area, but is instead more like Woburn, with tall pines lining each fairway.
Is the West course a golf course?
The West is a world famous golf course, needs no introduction and naturally receives the most plaudits and the East is often singled out for high praise too. But despite its billing as the third course at Wentworth the Edinburgh still ranks as one of the finest layouts in the county and I’m told is preferred by many of the members. An opportunity to play any of the three should not be refused.
Is the back nine of the golf course weaker?
The course unfortunately gets weaker on the back nine. It still has some really good holes (12, 13 and 15), but for the most part the holes are more average and boring than on the front nine.
Do you drive the ball in Edinburgh?
As you would expect of a tight tree-lined golf course it is imperative that you drive the ball imperiously to have any chance of scoring well on the Edinburgh layout. You must be able to hit arrow straight at times whilst at others shaping the ball is required for maximum benefit and to gain the ideal position at a number of the dog-leg holes.
BOOKING THE COURSE
When I played there early in 2015 anyone with a handicap of 18 or lower could play the West Course. Green fees started at £195 in the winter and rose to a barely conceivable £360 in the Summer months. That included your compulsory caddy fee but it was still quite a breathtaking amount of money for what you get.
TOUR TIPS
Alas, I do not have a huge amount to say on this point as I just came in and out from London to play the course. The train from Waterloo to Ascot is about an hour’s journey and we stayed at the nearby McDonald hotel which was perfectly adequate, if a little staid.
How many hectares are there in Wentworth Estate?
Since its founding in 1922, the golf club has been the nucleus of Wentworth Estate, a private community of villas, which occupies 700 hectares. About 500 of its houses sit on public roads.
Who is the CEO of Wentworth?
Stephen Gibson, Wentworth’s new CEO, laid out the coming transformation. Wentworth ought to be “the Augusta of Europe”, Gibson said – as coveted and rarefied as the club that hosts the US Masters, and presumably as moneyed.
What did Wentworth write to Fleming and his colleagues?
Brace for change, Wentworth wrote to Fleming and his colleagues, outlining its planned announcements at the AGM: a wild increase in membership fees and the number of members drained from about 4,000 to just a few hundred. A “barmy” decision, Michael Parkinson, the chatshow host and a longtime member, had told the Mail on Sunday, which had scooped the details two days earlier. Peter Alliss, the BBC golf commentator, complained that Reignwood was “bringing an Asian philosophy to Britain”. Fleming, whose manner is so mild it’s hard to ever imagine him yelling “Fore”, was shocked. He began rewriting his speech.
What was the reputation of golf in the 80s?
And by the 80s, golf clubs had long gained their reputation as being sanctuaries for the corporate wealthy – as places where these executives not only spent their money but colluded to make more of it. Still, Fleming insists that Wentworth in those days wasn’t just for rich people. “No one asked what you did for a living. I couldn’t even say how many of the people I played with had been to university.” Back then, he paid close to £1,000 a year in fees – in today’s money, less than £3,000. No one cared how good the food was, or even ate dinner there. It was golf and little else.
How long did it take to renovate the West Course?
He hired Ernie Els to lead a £6.5m renovation of the West Course – to design new bunkers, to tonsure the putting greens and plant them with a different kind of grass. The project took 13 years. “It needed to be done,” Els told me. “I mean, the course had barely been touched in 80-something years.”
Who sold Wentworth in 2005?
When Chelsfield sold Wentworth in 2005, the clothing tycoon Richard Caring paid £130m for it. Caring had outbid, among others, the Savoy Hotels group, and although he loved golf, he itched with mild buyer’s remorse. He wasn’t very good at auctions, he told the Financial Times.
When did a Chinese billionaire buy one of Britain’s most prestigious golf clubs?
When a Chinese billionaire bought one of Britain’s most prestigious golf clubs in 2015, dentists and estate agents were confronted with the unsentimental force of globalised capital.
