The course’s stark, open-plain setting is the definition of a heathland, and as a test of character and shotmaking, Walton Heath has few peers. A strategic delight, it is stern but fair, with heather, gorse, rough and penal, high-walled bunkers that must be avoided. The acidic soil is free-draining, allowing for firm fairways that yield plenty of links-like run, and its open expanse means that wind is likely a consideration. Walton Heath was the venue of the 1981 Ryder Cup, when arguably the strongest American side of all time demolished the Europeans, 18.5 to 9.5. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images)
