Queenwood Golf Club is a

golf club A golf club is a club used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a club head. Wood (golf), Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; iron (golf), irons, the most versatile class ...

near

Ottershaw Ottershaw is a village in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately southwest of central London. The village developed in the mid-19th century from a number of separate hamlets and became a parish in its own right in 1871. The ...

in Surrey, England. The club is only open to members and their guests. The club was developed by the American entrepreneur Frederick D. Green. The American businessman

Walter Forbes Walter Forbes (born 1942/43) is an American corporate executive and former Federal prisoner. He was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey and convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and ...

was also involved in the creation of the club. Green had previously developed the Eagle Springs and Nantucket golf clubs in the United States. It was designed by David McLay Kidd and opened in 2001. On his website McLay Kidd stated that he aimed for Queenwood to be a departure from that "modern style" that had led to recent expensive club closures and a "return to the heathland traditions" of the courses at the famed nearby clubs of

Sunningdale Golf Club Sunningdale Golf Club is a golf club in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England, located approximately west-southwest of London. Sunningdale Golf Club was founded in 1900 and has two eighteen hole golf courses: the Old Course, designed by Willie Park ...

Walton Heath Golf Club Walton Heath Golf Club is a golf club in England, near Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey, southwest of London. Founded in 1903, the club comprises two 18-hole golf courses, both of which are well known for having heather covering many of the areas o ...

, Woking Golf Club, and

Swinley Forest Golf Club Swinley Forest Golf Club is a golf club located in Swinley Forest off Coronation Road, three miles southwest of Ascot, Berkshire, England. It was established in 1909. The course measures a little over and was designed by Harry Colt Henry Sh ...

. McLay Kidd employed the extensive use of heather as a design element "both for its strategic and aesthetic values, most notably on the bunker faces. It took a good five years to grow in to the fullest, and now that it has, everyone seems to understand why I insisted on using the heather so extensively". A 2017 article in ''

GQ Magazine ''GQ'' (formerly ''Gentlemen's Quarterly'' and ''Apparel Arts'') is an American international monthly men's magazine based in New York City and founded in 1931. The publication focuses on fashion, style, and culture for men, though articles on ...

'' stated that the joining fee for Queenwood was believed to be £150,000 upon its 2005 opening, but is now estimated to be in excess of £200,000 and confirmed by member Mr James Wynne. ''

Golf Monthly ''Golf Monthly'' is a monthly golfing magazine published by Future plc and based in Paddington in London. It publishes 13 issues a year and has a popular websitgolfmonthly.com The magazine's editor is Michael Harris. It is known for being the world ...

'' magazine listed the club as one of the '10 Most Exclusive Golf Clubs In the UK', writing that "When it comes to exclusive golf clubs, Queenwood is one of the world's leaders. Little is known about the super-private Surrey club which has a phenomenal golf course always kept in pristine condition".

Membership

A 2005 article in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' stated that the membership of Queenwood was limited to 350 and included the actors

Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...

, and

Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed C ...

among its members as well as professional golfers

Darren Clarke Darren Christopher Clarke, (born 14 August 1968) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions and has previously played on the European Tour and PGA Tour. He has won 21 tournaments worldwide on a ...

and

Ernie Els Theodore Ernest Els (; born 17 October 1969) is a South African professional golfer. A former , he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature (he stands ) along with his fluid golf swing. Among his more than 70 career victor ...

. Els wrote of the Queenwood course that "The practice facilities are so good they wouldn't be out of place at a professional tour event and generally there are not many people around so I can concentrate fully on my game." The American diplomat

James Rubin James Phillip Rubin (born March 28, 1960) is an American former diplomat and journalist who served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs in the Clinton Administration from 1997–2000. He wrote a regular column on foreign aff ...

and the British strategist and diarist

Alastair Campbell Alastair John Campbell (born 25 May 1957) is a British journalist, author, strategist, broadcaster and activist known for his roles during Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party. Campbell worked as Blair's spokesman and campaign director ...

played several times at the club in 2006 and 2007. Campbell described the club in his diaries as "Height of luxury ... Caddies, club cleaners, shoe polishers really OTT and luxurious, lots of banker wanker types". The Queenwood's no-mobile-phone policy was waived as Campbell took calls on the golf course from Prime Minister

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

. Campbell also played at Queenwood with the footballer

Jamie Redknapp Jamie Frank Redknapp (born 25 June 1973) is an English former professional footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is a pundit at Sky Sports and an editorial sports columnist at the ''Daily Mail''. A technically skillful and crea ...

and the solicitor David Mills and met

Gary Lineker Gary Winston Lineker (; born 30 November 1960) is an English former professional footballer and current sports broadcaster. He is regarded as having been one of the greatest English strikers. His media career began with the BBC, where he has p ...

there.

References

External links

*{{Official, https://www.queenwood.co.uk
Top 100 Golf Courses - Queenwood
2001 establishments in England Golf clubs and courses in Surrey Borough of Runnymede