List of golf clubs granted royal status

This is a list of golf clubs that have been granted permission to bear the title "Royal", having been bestowed by a reigning monarch, such as the British, Spanish, Belgian, Nepalese, Dutch, or Swedish monarchs. To receive the honour of "Royal", the golf club would normally invite a member of the royal family to be a patron or an honorary member, or they apply for the title, which is granted by the reigning monarch. In Britain, the title "Royal" was restricted to "institutions of eminence, long standing and secure financial position, and devoted to national, charitable and scientific objects" by the British monarchy.

Not all golf clubs that have "Royal" in their title have royal status, for instance, the Royal Tara Golf Club in Ireland gave itself the title because the golf club is near the Hill of Tara where the ancient kings of Ireland once resided. The Royal Spring Golf Course in India is called Royal Springs because there are four natural water springs that were used back by Mughal emperors, hence it is said to be "royal". The now-defunct Royal Links Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, had no royal connections at all; it was built to acknowledge the traditions of the game. It featured holes inspired by 11 different Open Championship courses, including the Old Course at St Andrews, Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, Royal Lytham & St Annes and Royal Birkdale. The Royal Automobile Club is a royal club but not a royal golf club because the club just happens to have a golf course. King Edward VII granted the royal status to the Automobile Club.

In Denmark, the Royal Copenhagen Golf Club's () only connection with royalty is that the national park, which today includes the golf club, was established by the Danish King Christian V in the late 17th century, and King Frederik III's castle sits near the 16th hole. The course is also located in Kongens Lyngby, Danish for "the King's Heather Town". There is no evidence to show that the golf course has been granted a charter or similar document.

Not all royal golf clubs own their own golf course, the Royal Perth Golfing Society – the world's earliest 'royal' club – play on the North Inch Golf Course, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews play on St Andrews Links, the Royal Montrose Mercantile Golf Club play on Montrose Links, and the Royal Epping Forest Golf Club play on Chingford Golf Course, which are all public golf courses.

Golf clubs granted royal status by the British monarchy

Monarch Golf club Location Country Year established Year royalstatus grantedRefsThe Royal Perth Golfing Society & County and City ClubPerth18241833Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews(formerly The Royal Society of St. Andrews Golfers).St Andrews17451834Royal Montrose Mercantile Golf Club(formerly Montrose Royal Albert Golf Club)Montrose18101845 Royal Blackheath Golf ClubEltham16081845Royal North Devon Golf ClubWestward Ho!18641867Royal Liverpool Golf ClubHoylake18691871Royal Musselburgh Golf ClubPrestonpans17741876Royal Jersey Golf ClubGrouville 18781879Royal Wimbledon Golf ClubWimbledon18651882Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club (1882–1961)Isle of Wight18821883Royal Montreal Golf ClubÎle Bizard1873 1884Royal Belfast Golf ClubCraigavad, now18811885Royal Ascot Golf ClubAscot18871887Royal Eastbourne Golf ClubEastbourne18871887Royal Malta Golf ClubMarsa18881888Royal Cromer Golf ClubCromer18881888Royal Epping Forest Golf ClubChingford18881888Royal Guernsey Golf ClubL'Ancresse Guernsey18901891The Royal Dublin Golf ClubDollymount18851891Royal Cornwall Golf Club (1889–1950s)Bodmin18891891Royal West Norfolk Golf ClubBrancaster18921892Royal Portrush Golf ClubPortrush, now18881892Royal Ashdown Forest Golf ClubForest Row18881893Royal Norwich Golf ClubNorwich18931893Royal Eastbourne Ladies’ Golf Club (1893–1937)merged with Royal Eastbourne Golf Club in 1937Eastbourne18931893Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club Bury St Edmunds18931895Royal Melbourne Golf ClubBlack Rock18911895Royal Sydney Golf ClubRose Bay18931897Royal Hong Kong Golf Club (1889–1996), nowHong Kong Golf Club (1996-date) Sheung Shui, now18891897Royal Household Golf Club Windsor Castle19011901Royal St George's Golf ClubSandwich18871902Royal Aberdeen Golf ClubBridge of Don17801903Royal Dornoch Golf ClubDornoch18771906Royal County Down Golf Club Newcastle, now18891908Royal St David's Golf ClubHarlech18941908Royal Porthcawl Golf ClubRest Bay18911909Royal Craggan Golf Club (1909–1939)Mar Lodge19091909Royal Cinque Ports Golf ClubDeal18921910Royal Curragh Golf Club(1910–1922 and 2013-date) Curragh18581910Royal Cape Golf ClubWynberg18851910Royal Calcutta Golf ClubTollygunge, now18291910The Royal Ottawa Golf ClubGatineau18911912Royal Winchester Golf ClubWinchester18881913Royal Queensland Golf ClubEagle Farm19201921Royal Adelaide Golf ClubSeaton18921923Royal Port Alfred Golf ClubPort Alfred19241924Duff House Royal Golf ClubBanff19091925Royal Hobart Golf ClubHobart19011926Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf ClubLytham St Annes18861926Royal Mid-Surrey Golf ClubRichmond18921926Royal Tarlair Golf ClubMacduff19251926Royal Colombo Golf ClubColombo, now18971928Royal Burgess Golfing Society of EdinburghBarnton17731929Royal Harare Golf Club(formerly Royal Salisbury Golf Club)Salisbury, now Harare, now18981929Royal Fremantle Golf ClubFremantle19051930Royal Colwood Golf ClubVictoria19131931Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf ClubJohannesburg18901931Royal Durban Golf ClubGreyville18921932Royal Ashdown Forest Ladies Golf Clubmerged with Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club after WW2 Forest Row 18891932 Royal Canberra Golf ClubYarralumla19261933Royal Quebec Golf ClubBoischatel18741934Royal Nairobi Golf ClubNairobi19061935Royal Perth Golf ClubSouth Perth18951937Royal Singapore Golf Club (1891–1962)merged with the Royal Island Club in 1962now the Singapore Island Country Club (1962-date) Singapore, now 18911938Royal Birkdale Golf ClubSouthport 18891951Royal Island Club (1952–1962)merged with the Royal Singapore Golf Club in 1962now the Singapore Island Country Club (1962-date)Singapore 1952 1952Royal Selangor Golf ClubKuala Lumpur18931953Royal Troon Golf ClubTroon18781978Royal Regina Golf ClubRegina18991999Royal Golf Club Mariánské LázněMariánské Lázně19052003Royal Wellington Golf ClubHeretaunga18952004Royal Mayfair Golf ClubEdmonton19212005Royal Auckland Golf ClubPapatoetoe18942010Royal Port Moresby Golf ClubPort Moresby19302012Royal Homburger Golf Club Bad Homburg vor der Höhe 18992013Royal Balmoral Golf ClubBalmoral Estate, AberdeenshireScotland19732025rowspan=2Royal Bombay Gymkhana Golf Club (1842–1947) Bombay, now Mumbai , now1842 rowspan=2Royal Western India Golf Club (1889–unknown)Nashik, now 1889

Golf clubs granted royal status by the Spanish monarchy

MonarchGolf clubLocationYearestablishedYear royalstatus granted Real Sociedad Hípica Española Club de Campo San Sebastián de los Reyes19011909Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro Madrid18951912Real Golf De PedreñaPedreña19281928Real Club de Golf Cerdaña Puigcerdà 1929! rowspan="4" Real Golf Club de ZarauzZarautz1916Club Jarama R.A.C.E. (Real Automóvil Club de España)Madrid1929 Real Club de Golf El Prat (formerly Golf Club de Pedrables)Terrassa1954 Real Club de Golf de Las PalmasLas Palmas18911986Real Club de Golf de TenerifeTacoronte18961989 Real Club de Golf SotograndeSotogrande19641994 Real Club de Golf Las BrisasMarbella19681995 Real Club de Golf de SevillaAlcalá de Guadaíra19912002 Real Club de Golf de La CoruñaLa Coruña19622007 Real Club de Golf GuadalminaSan Pedro de Alcántara19592008 Real Club ValderramaSotogrande19742014 Real Club Pineda de SevillaSeville1939Real Novo Sancti Petri Golf ClubCádiz19902016Real Golf La Manga ClubCartagena19722017 Real Guadalhorce Club de GolfMálaga19872017Real Club La MoralejaAlcobendas19732018 rowspan="5" Real Sociedad de Golf de NeguriGetxo1911! rowspan="5" Real Club de Campo de MálagaMálaga1926Real Club de Golf Madrid La HerreríaSan Lorenzo de El Escorial1966Real Golf de Bendinat Bendinat1986Real Nuevo Club Golf De San Sebastián Basozabal Gipuzkoa1994

Golf clubs granted royal status by the Belgian monarchy

With some exceptions, Belgian golf clubs automatically adopt the title of Royal after they have been in operation for 50 years.

Monarch Golf clubLocation Yearestablished Year royalstatus granted Royal Ostend Golf Club()De Haan1903 1903Royal Golf Club of Belgium() Tervuren1906 1906 Royal Zoute Golf ClubKnokke-Heist18981925 Royal Antwerp Golf ClubKapellen18881938Royal Golf Club du Château Royal d'Ardenne(English: Royal Golf Club at the Royal Castle of Ardenne) Ardennes18951945Royal Latem Golf ClubSint-Martens-Latem1909 1959 Royal Waterloo Golf ClubLasne19231973 Royal Golf Club des FagnesSpa19301980 Royal Golf Club du HainautJurbise19331983Royal Golf Club du Sart Tilman Angleur19391989 Royal Limburg Golf Club()Houthalen-Helchteren1966 2016 Royal Bercuit Golf ClubGrez-Doiceau19672017Royal Keerbergen Golf ClubKeerbergen19682018 Royal Golf Club OudenaardeWortegem-Petegem19712021

Golf clubs granted royal status by other monarchies

MonarchGolf clubLocationCountry Yearestablished Year royalstatus grantedRoyal Baghdad Golf Club (1920s–1958)() Baghdad1920sRoyal Bangkok Sports Club (golf section)()Bangkok19061906Royal Dusit Golf Club()19161916 Royal Bled Golf Club()Lesce19372017Royal Drottningholm Golf Club()Drottningholm19591959Royal Hague Golf & Country Club() Wassenaar18931993Royal Nepal Golf Club()Kathmandu19171965 Royal Swazi Spa Country ClubMbabane19661966Grand-Ducal Golf-ClubSenningerberg19361936

See also The R&A

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

'Royal' Golf Clubs (golftoday.co.uk) Location of 'Royal' golf clubs in the UK