Inside Wentworth

This month the great and the good of the golfing world will descend on Wentworth, the exclusive members-only golf club in Virginia Water, for the BMW PGA Championships. Rebecca Younger went behind the scenes as it prepares for the prestigious tournament.

With membership fees rumoured to be in the six-figure region and an incredible heritage with nearly a century of social and sporting history, it’s little wonder Wentworth Club in Virginia Water is considered one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world.

This month (September 19 to September 22) the members-only club will play host to the BMW PGA Championship. Usually held in May, the prestigious tournament’s new position in the calendar avoids a scheduling conflict with the American PGA Championship, enabling more of the world’s top golfers to take part.

The annual four-day tournament, which has taken place at Wentworth every year since 1984, gives golf fans a rare opportunity to view the three world-class, 18-hole courses, (the East Course, the West Course and the Edinburgh Course). But while the West Course will be the focus of the event, it’s the goings on inside the iconic 1920’s clubhouse that often seem to garner attention.

Despite appearing to have a little of the ‘cloak and dagger’ feel about it, Wentworth Club is far from the pretentious burrow you might expect. It’s something new general manager, Neil Coulson, is keen to convey. “We want people who live in the area, members or not, to feel proud to have Wentworth on their doorstep,” he says.