Wentworth Club

The West Course at Wentworth Club, designed by Harry Colt and opened in 1926, serves as the annual host of the BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event of the DP World Tour. Located in Virginia Water, Surrey, approximately 25 miles southwest of London, the course winds through mature woodland on the Wentworth Estate, a private residential development that gives the club its distinctive parkland character. Colt's original routing takes advantage of natural elevation changes and follows corridors carved through dense stands of pine, oak, and birch. The course underwent significant modifications by Ernie Els and his design team between 2005 and 2010, lengthening it to over 7,300 yards and reshaping many greens and bunkers to challenge modern professional play. The changes proved controversial among members and traditionalists, though the layout remains recognizable as Colt's work in its essential bones. Notable holes include the par-four 17th, which typically plays as one of the most difficult closing holes in European tournament golf, and the reachable par-five 18th, where the championship often reaches its conclusion in front of the clubhouse. Wentworth operates three courses and maintains a membership that has historically included business leaders, entertainers, and professional athletes. The club's prominence in British golf extends beyond the West Course, but the annual May staging of the BMW PGA Championship, with its substantial prize fund and strong international field, anchors its identity in the professional game.