Surbiton Golf Club

Overview: Surbiton Golf Club is a private members' parkland course at Chessington, on the south-western edge of Greater London. It measures about 6,075 yards from the white tees to a par of 70, split evenly at 35 each way. Mature trees and a classic parkland feel make it a quiet escape from the suburbs around it. The course has been at Chessington since its early years, and its routing has adapted to suburban growth. The Kingston bypass is the most visible intervention: it forced changes in 1924, after which further adjustments fitted the fairways around the road corridor.

History: The club began in 1895 with nine holes under Tom Dunn; it expanded to a full eighteen in 1897. In 1924 the Kingston bypass cut through the course and forced changes to the routing. James Braid later advised on parts of the layout, including the sixth after the Second World War.

Did You Know? The Kingston bypass, one of Britain's first purpose-built arterial roads, was driven past the course in the 1920s, and Surbiton had to redesign holes to make room for it.