There has always been an air of mystique about The Wisley.

When it opened in 1991, it became – and to this day remains – one of a very small number of private clubs in the UK where guest play is only possible if accompanied by a member.

So while illustrious Surrey neighbours like Sunningdale and Swinley Forest provide opportunities for visitor play, and Wentworth is open for spectators during the BMW PGA Championship, relatively few cross the bridge over the River Wey to step foot on the grounds of The Wisley.

An enclave for its 700 members, each of whom owns an equal share of the club, there are no tennis courts or swimming pool, ballrooms or banqueting suites. The focus is firmly on golf: there are three nines that each begin at, and return to, a central clubhouse, and an excellent complement of practice facilities, including a new, large chipping and putting green designed by James Edwards.

The 27-hole layout was created by Robert Trent Jones Jr, and is his sole design in England. The entire Jones family has just three more – his father laid out nearby Stockley Park, as well as Moor Allerton in Leeds, while brother Rees created The Oxfordshire just a couple of years after The Wisley opened.

Both sons’ English courses bear hallmarks of their father’s approach to design. At the time of opening, they would have been described by locals as ‘American-style’, with fairways that wrap around the lakes, large contoured greens that often sit tight to the water’s edge, and imposing bunkering that squeezes landing areas.

The par-three third is, along with the first, one of two holes on the Garden nine to have a reshaped green (Photo: Kevin Murray)

The Wisley might be considered a best-in-class example of that style and the club has retained a full membership and healthy waiting list in its near-35 years since opening. The membership’s commitment to continual improvement has ensured that funds have always been made available for a wide range of course projects, from small enhancements to major developments.

In recent years, however, there has been a change in approach. Course updates had very much been member-led, with a small number of typically low-handicap golfers having a large say in how the layout should evolve. Such work was done under the watchful eye of Bruce Charlton from the Robert Trent Jones II firm, with a focus on fulfilling the client’s requirements. Now, the club has decided that the course design should be further entrusted to the experts, so this latest renovation is much more a reflection of Charlton’s own philosophies.

A highly experienced team was assembled to lead the project: director of golf course maintenance John Lockyer, who has been at The Wisley for 11 years and was previously an STRI agronomist; construction firm MJ Abbott, which this year celebrated 60 years in business; shaper Bob Harrington, whose history with RTJ II stretches back to the 1980s; and drainage consultant Jonathan Smith of Geo Turf Consulting. The club’s chief executive David Shepherd, previously at the helm of The Scandinavian, provides calm and pragmatic oversight, having picked up the reins from John Glendenning, who left the club in 2023 for a new role in Canada.

Now complete, the Garden nine renovation demonstrates that less can be more for both visual appeal and course strategy. Notably, the number of hazards has been reduced; they are now more striking and space has been freed for more playing options.

This is evident from the outset, with the bunker count on the par-five first reduced from nine to five. A single, large hazard provides a line from the tee and encourages a soft draw around the dogleg, while a cluster of three hazards tighten the landing area for those opting to lay-up their second. The green (reshaped during the renovation, as was the third) is now flanked by a single bunker, leaving space for an extended bailout area, over the stream that cuts across the fairway, but short-left of the putting surface. Before, decision-making was black or white: either execute the necessary shot or fail. Now, there are shades of grey.

On the second, a par-four of modest length, three hazards have been shifted from the side to the centre of the fairway, providing at least four ways to play the tee shot and demanding that the golfer maps out their strategy for the hole before selecting a club.

As play continues with holes alongside the Wey – over which lies one of the UK’s five Royal Horticultural Society gardens, from which the nine took its name – the classic Jones styling shines through. It is most apparent on three holes: the third, a short iron over water where green and surrounds blend and golfers that choose a safer route could be left with a very demanding chip or putt to a green that slopes significantly; the par-four sixth, with a lake up the entire left side and bunkers set into mounding on the right; and the ninth. As with the other two closing holes at The Wisley, this is a grand finale to a green on the water’s edge.

Much of the renovation work took place under the ground, with MJ Abbott completing a considerable infrastructure upgrade, including the replacement of a drainage system that no longer coped with the demands of the climate and landscape.

Looking back on the par-four sixth hole (Photo: Kevin Murray)

The heavy soils have always been challenging and it is testament to the expertise of Lockyer and his team that the course has few equals in terms of presentation. MJ Abbott’s work allows the Garden nine to better withstand wet conditions, draining more efficiently through a system with increased water-handling capacity.

Those previously driving decision-making at The Wisley had wanted to give the course an inland links feel, a somewhat futile endeavour on a site that serves as a flood-plain for the town of Weybridge. The club is now embracing its parkland character and design choices have been made with the understanding that there are natural limits to when, and how much, a running game is possible.

With the Garden nine back in play, it now sits in rather marked contrast to the club’s Mill and Church nines. It would be unfair to say they look tired in comparison, but it is clear to see how application of the principles employed in this renovation could yield extremely positive results on the rest of the course. It is quite exciting to consider the potential for improvement on, for example, the Church nine’s par-five fourth and driveable par-four eighth, particularly around their greens, and the Mill’s short par-four fourth and fifth, a flick with a wedge to a putting surface that is currently almost entirely surrounded by sand.

It seems likely that The Wisley will proceed with renovation work on its remaining 18 holes. With similar results, the entire course would be a compelling example of the best of Jones, refreshed for the focus on enjoyment and playability that is prevalent in modern design.

This article first appeared in the October 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture. For a printed subscription or free digital edition, please visit our subscriptions page.