J.H. Taylor at Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club

The J.H. Taylor Course at Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club occupies a distinctive setting on the Old Deer Park in Richmond, positioned between the Thames and Kew Gardens. J.H. Taylor, the five-time Open Championship winner and one of golf's Great Triumvirate, designed this layout in the 1920s to complement the club's existing Pirie Course. The flat parkland terrain, characteristic of the Thames floodplain, requires strategic thinking rather than relying on dramatic elevation changes.

Taylor's design emphasizes precision and course management over length, with mature trees defining corridors and framing greens throughout the routing. The relatively compact yardage by modern standards places a premium on accuracy from the tee and approach play into well-protected greens. Several holes play along tree-lined avenues that demand careful navigation, while others open to reveal the park's broader landscape. The course's urban parkland character reflects its location within Greater London, where public footpaths cross the property and the surrounding environment remains visible throughout the round.

Royal Mid Surrey maintains a traditional members' club atmosphere, with both courses sharing the clubhouse facilities near Richmond's town center. The club has hosted various amateur competitions over the decades, benefiting from its accessible location and the quality of Taylor's design work. The course represents an example of how accomplished players from golf's earlier era translated their competitive experience into architectural principles, favoring strategic variety within the constraints of relatively level ground.