We know that James Braid charged a fee of ten guineas with ten shillings and six pence expenses for his 1922 design work at Tyrrells Wood (a total of only £11.02p in today's money!).

Braid identified and marked out tees and greens (starting and finishing points) together with the sequence of play, then Alan Gow was entrusted with the actual laying out of the course.

Around 1880, to provide accommodation for an increasing family, Roger Cunliffe , then living at nearby Headley Court, commissioned construction of a large house on his land at Tyrrells Wood, selecting a location, no doubt, to take advantage of the magnificent views over the surrounding countryside. Today, the course remains essentially as Braid and Colt designed it and the Club retains the services of a leading course designer to ensure it continues to provide a never ending challenge and enjoyment to both members and visitors alike.

James Braid, 1870-1950, one of the Great Triumvirate (Harry Vardon and J.H. Taylor being the others) who dominated golf at the turn of the century. Open Champion on five occasions between 1901 and 1910, winner of the Match-play Championship five times (and finalist at the age of 57!), he was Club Professional at Walton Heath for forty-five years and became a prolific designer of golf courses.

Major Henry Keswick M.P. 1890-1928

M.P. for the Epsom Division of Surrey from 1912-18, Major Keswick was a Director of Jardine Matheson as was his father before him and his descendants still are today. In 1911, as their taipan in Hong Kong, he returned to the U.K. to represent the colony at the Coronation of King George V. He remained in London to take over management of Jardines, was elected to parliament in 1912and mobilised with the 3rd Bn. The Kings Own Scottish Borderers in 1914. He was a JP and served on the Dumfries local authority and as a member of the Hong Kong legislature.  In 1912 he purchased the Tyrrells Wood Estate from the Cunliffe family and, after an unsuccessful attempt to sell the estate in 1920, set about laying out a golf course in 1923.

The Course

When Tyrrells Wood Golf Club was formed in 1924,  the original course had been designed by five times Open Champion James Braid, one of the most respected and prolific course designers of his day. Improvements were also designed by Harry Colt.

Although the course has undergone continuous improvement over the years, care has been taken to preserve Braid's unique approach to green and bunker design. More detailed information is given in our history pages.

Tyrrells Wood is located on the edge of the North Downs and in common with much of the area has a chalk subsoil, which provides extremely good drainage. The typical downland nature of the area was transformed by the substantial tree planting programme implemented in the late 19th century, to provide a unique downland/parkland character. 

The club is continually re-investing to ensure we maintain the excellent conditions of the course and the superb standards of the club house. Most recently we replaced the irrigation system, whereby we now have a state of the art system covering tees, greens and approaches.

There are few finer places in Surrey to play golf among the specimen trees which frame magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.

The course, which benefits from two starts, is a tough challenge of golf but rewards those golfers who are able to plot their way around a course that is renowned for quick & undulating greens.