Wentworth Club has opened a practical facility for membership through the opening of the new Golf Academy.
The state-of-the-art facility is located next to the 3-pin park course at Surrey Club and is open to Wentworth members in April after a year-long construction.
The new facility consists of a dedicated team of PGA professionals and features touring-level technology and well-designed areas of practice to provide an unparalleled learning and gaming environment.
The main college building features four indoor swing studios that display a 300-yard grass collection with five target greens. The studio is equipped with the latest technology including Trackman 4, TPS, Swing Catalyst dual sports boards and Gears 3D Studio, making it suitable for elite-level coaches, club accessories and practice.
Taylormade, Callaway, Srixon and Titleist all work with the club to provide tour-level accessories facilities for their latest equipment range, while touring staff frequently visit the studio for testing and accessories.
There is also a separate putter studio that includes the Quintic Putt Analysis kit, Zen Green stage adjustable platform, overhead putter tracking and precision start monitor. This technology allows golfers to simulate any imaginable putt, from simple straight rolls to double challenges. Members can also benefit from the opportunity to acquire a premium putter brand, ensuring the device is exactly matched with the stroke.
The 300-yard Academy series offers both grass and artificial teeing areas and track and field range, allowing golfers to access instant swing and pilot data through supported smartphone apps.
A short game area with six target greens, two pitched vegetables, three bunkers and five artificial turf stations is designed to replicate conditions on the road to help players master every photo around the green. Bunker Design allows players to test and perfect the rotation controls, while multiple green complexes mimic real-world situations.
USGA-spec two-layer curved grass exercises, place green at the same speed as Wentworth’s championship course, providing a realistic platform for honing putters of all lengths.
The academy is designed as both a learning tool and a test ground, and also features a PAR-3 course that combines breathtaking natural environments with all the ability layouts that are challenging and approachable. It’s perfect for practice rounds, coaching sessions or sharpening short-term strategies, and it provides stepping stones between the practice area and Wentworth’s championship game.
As part of Wentworth Golf Academy, the club will open a junior high school in the coming months, the first of its kind in the UK. The junior college developed within a professional sports framework that reflects the path of elite athletes around the world will be an important step in developing Wentworth’s next generation of Golf talents.
Sustainability plays a central role in the design and construction of the Academy, and the buildings and surrounding areas are not only considered as performance centers, but also as examples of ecological responsibility.
The main college building also features a café that offers light snacks and refreshments, including renewable solar panels and landscaped roofs to reduce its carbon footprint. Landscaping has reached a net biodiversity gain of 34%, exceeding the local authorities’ target 10%, while 87 new local trees and 300 woodland whips were planted, replacing many trees that had to be demolished in order to make room for practice range and short-distance race areas.
Other enhancements in the area (located in sites of conservation interests) include restoring too long ponds to encourage natural wildlife and expanding woodland habitats to support biodiversity.
“Wentworth Golf Academy is more than just a facility, it’s a commitment to the future of the game,” said Wentworth Club Manager Stuart Boyle. “We wanted to create a world-class destination that complements our history courses while providing members with the world’s most advanced training technology and coaching expertise.”
Boyle added: “From the beginning, our goal was to ensure that the academy reflects Wentworth’s commitment to excellence and its responsibility to the environment, and we are proud to create a space that not only enhances the golf experience but also positively contributes to our local ecosystem.”
