How many golf clubs have been granted royal status, and how do you go about getting the title? Here’s everything you need to know…
A number of golf clubs have been granted royal status by monarchies around the globe – notably the British, but also Spanish and Belgian royal families, too.
How does a golf club become ‘royal’?
In his book, Golf’s Royal Clubs, course architect Scott Macpherson says it all started in 1833 when the captain of the Perth Golfing Society, Lord Kinnaird, went to London to meet with the King – and new golf enthusiast – William IV.
Kinnaird asked the King if he would like to become a patron and if, in turn, the club could call itself the ‘Royal Perth Golfing Society’. His Majesty agreed, and a new tradition was born.
A year later, Macpherson writes, the Society of St Andrews Golfers renamed itself the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
The R&A could get away with it – after all, it had royalty among its membership – but not everyone was allowed the same freedom. Royal Aberdeen was officially granted royal status in 1903, but had been using it for several years prior to that, much to the monarchy’s distaste.
It wasn’t long until a formal application process was introduced, with the status being restricted to “institutions of eminence, long standing and secure financial position, and devoted to national, charitable and scientific objects”.
Part of the process will involve the club inviting a member of the royal family to be a patron or honorary member, but it must be granted by the reigning monarch.
Right, let’s get into it…
Royal golf clubs in Great Britain
The golf clubs of Great Britain granted royal status by the British monarchy are…
GOLF CLUBCOUNTRYFOUNDEDROYAL STATUSMONARCHThe Royal Perth Golfing Society & County and City ClubScotland18241833King William IVRoyal and Ancient Golf Club of St AndrewsScotland17451834King William IVRoyal Montrose Mercantile Golf ClubScotland18101845Queen VictoriaRoyal Blackheath Golf ClubEngland16081845Queen VictoriaRoyal North Devon Golf ClubEngland18641867Queen VictoriaRoyal Liverpool Golf ClubEngland18691871Queen VictoriaRoyal Musselburgh Golf ClubScotland17741876Queen VictoriaRoyal Wimbledon Golf ClubEngland18651882Queen VictoriaRoyal Isle of Wight Golf ClubEngland18821883Queen VictoriaRoyal Belfast Golf ClubNorthern Ireland18811885Queen VictoriaRoyal Ascot Golf ClubEngland18871887Queen VictoriaRoyal Eastbourne Golf ClubEngland18871887Queen VictoriaRoyal Cromer Golf ClubEngland18881888Queen VictoriaRoyal Epping Forest Golf ClubEngland18881888Queen VictoriaRoyal Cornwall Golf ClubEngland18891891Queen VictoriaRoyal West Norfolk Golf ClubEngland18921892Queen VictoriaRoyal Portrush Golf ClubNorthern Ireland18881892Queen VictoriaRoyal Ashdown Forest Golf ClubEngland18881893Queen VictoriaRoyal Norwich Golf ClubEngland18931893Queen VictoriaRoyal Eastbourne Ladies’ Golf ClubEngland18931893Queen VictoriaRoyal Worlington & Newmarket Golf ClubEngland18931895Queen VictoriaRoyal Household Golf ClubEngland19011901King Edward VIIRoyal St George’s Golf ClubEngland18871902King Edward VIIRoyal Aberdeen Golf ClubScotland17801903King Edward VIIRoyal Dornoch Golf ClubScotland18771906King Edward VIIRoyal County Down Golf ClubNorthern Ireland18891908King Edward VIIRoyal St David’s Golf ClubWales18941908King Edward VIIRoyal Porthcawl Golf ClubWales18911909King Edward VIIRoyal Craggan Golf ClubScotland19091909King Edward VIIRoyal Cinque Ports Golf ClubEngland18921910King Edward VIIRoyal Winchester Golf ClubEngland18881913King George VDuff House Royal Golf ClubScotland19091925King George VRoyal Lytham & St Annes Golf ClubEngland18861926King George VRoyal Mid-Surrey Golf ClubEngland18921926King George VRoyal Tarlair Golf ClubScotland19251926King George VRoyal Burgess Golfing Society of EdinburghScotland17731929King George VRoyal Ashdown Forest Ladies Golf ClubEngland18891932King George VRoyal Birkdale Golf ClubEngland18891951King George VIRoyal Troon Golf ClubScotland18781978Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Balmoral Golf ClubScotland19732025King Charles III
In total, 40 golf clubs in Great Britain have been granted royal status down the years. However, five of them no longer exist.
According to Golf’s Missing Links, World War II resulted in the demise of Royal Craggan in 1939, Royal Cornwall in the 1950s, and Royal Isle of Wight in 1961.
Elsewhere, Royal Eastbourne Ladies and Royal Ashdown Forest Ladies, merged with the men’s golf clubs in 1937 and 1946 respectively.
And we can’t finish this section without a nod to Duff House Royal – the only golf club in this list where the royal title is used as a suffix instead of a prefix. While the reason is unknown, it is widely accepted it was a tribute to Louise, who was married to the 1st Duke of Fife, Alexander Duff, and known as the Princess Royal, rather than the Royal Princess.
Golf clubs outside GB&I granted royal status by the British monarchy
The golf clubs outside of Great Britain but granted royal status by the British monarchy are…
GOLF CLUBCOUNTRYFOUNDEDROYAL STATUSMONARCHRoyal Jersey Golf ClubJersey18781879Queen VictoriaRoyal Montreal Golf ClubCanada18731884Queen VictoriaRoyal Malta Golf ClubMalta18881888Queen VictoriaRoyal Dublin Golf ClubIreland18851891Queen VictoriaRoyal Guernsey Golf ClubGuernsey18901891Queen VictoriaRoyal Melbourne Golf ClubAustralia18911895Queen VictoriaThe Royal Sydney Golf ClubAustralia18931897Queen VictoriaRoyal Hong Kong Golf ClubHong Kong18891897Queen VictoriaRoyal Curragh Golf ClubIreland18581910King Edward VIIRoyal Cape Golf ClubSouth Africa18851910King George VRoyal Calcutta Golf ClubIndia18291910King George VThe Royal Ottawa Golf ClubCanada18911912King George VRoyal Queensland Golf ClubAustralia19201921King George VRoyal Adelaide Golf ClubAustralia18921923King George VRoyal Port Alfred Golf ClubSouth Africa19241924King George VRoyal Hobart Golf ClubAustralia19011926King George VRoyal Colombo Golf ClubSri Lanka18971928King George VRoyal Harare Golf ClubZimbabwe18981929King George VRoyal Fremantle Golf ClubAustralia19051930King George VRoyal Colwood Golf ClubCanada19131931King George VRoyal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf ClubSouth Africa18901931King George VRoyal Durban Golf ClubSouth Africa18921932King George VRoyal Canberra Golf ClubAustralia19261933King George VRoyal Quebec Golf ClubCanada18741934King George VRoyal Nairobi Golf ClubKenya19061935King George VRoyal Perth Golf ClubAustralia18951937King George VIRoyal Singapore Golf ClubSingapore18911938King George VIRoyal Island ClubSingapore19521952Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Selangor Golf ClubMalaysia18931953Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Regina Golf ClubCanada18991999Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Golf Club Marianske LazneCzech Republic19052003Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Wellington Golf ClubNew Zealand18952004Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Mayfair Golf ClubCanada19212005Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Auckland Golf ClubNew Zealand18942010Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Port Moresby Golf ClubPapua New Guinea19302012Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Homburger Golf ClubGermany18992013Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Bombay Gymkhana Golf ClubIndia1842UnknownUnknownRoyal Western India Golf ClubIndia1889UnknownUnknown
In total, 38 golf clubs outside Great Britain have been granted royal status. However, there are some notes.
Interestingly, Royal Curragh Golf Club – which is widely recognized as the oldest golf course in Ireland – dropped its ‘royal’ title in 1922 and reverted to its original name of Curragh Golf Club. However, in 1981, the UK Government informed the club that the status had never been withdrawn. And, after a state visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 – the first since her grandfather, George V, 100 years prior – proved so popular, the club decided to restore its royal prefix in 2013.
You’ll know Hong Kong Golf Club as the longtime host of the European Tour’s Hong Kong Open and, more recently, LIV Golf Hong Kong. But it was known as Royal Hong Kong from 1889 to 1996, when the club decided to drop the title shortly before the region’s transfer of sovereignty from the UK to the People’s Republic of China.
Elsewhere, Royal Singapore Golf Club and the Royal Island Club, both in Singapore, merged in 1962 and rebranded as Singapore Island Country Club.
Meanwhile, the Bombay Gymkhana Club and Western India Golf Club were both believed to have been granted royal status, though details of dates and monarchs involved are unknown.
Golf clubs granted royal status by other monarchies
There are also 48 golf clubs that have been granted royal status by monarchies other than the British…
GOLF CLUBCOUNTRYFOUNDEDROYAL STATUSMONARCHRoyal Ostend Golf ClubBelgium19031903Leopold IIRoyal Golf Club of BelgiumBelgium19061906Leopold IIRoyal Bangkok Sports ClubThailand19061906Rama VReal Sociedad Hipica Espanola Club de CampoSpain19011909Alfonso XIIIReal Club de la Puerta de HierroSpain18951912Alfonso XIIIRoyal Dusit Golf ClubThailand19161916Rama VIRoyal Zoute Golf ClubBelgium18981925AlbertReal Golf De PedreñaSpain19281928Alfonso XIIIGrand-Ducal Golf-ClubLuxembourg19361936CharlotteRoyal Antwerp Golf ClubBelgium18881938Leopold IIIRoyal Golf Club du Chateau Royal d’ArdenneBelgium18951945Leopold IIIRoyal Latem Golf ClubBelgium19091959BaudouinRoyal Drottningholm Golf ClubSweden19591959Gustaf VI AdolfRoyal Nepal Golf ClubNepal19171965MahendraRoyal Swazi Spa Country ClubSwaziland19661966Sobhuza IIRoyal Waterloo Golf ClubBelgium19231973BaudouinRoyal Golf Club des FagnesBelgium19301980BaudouinRoyal Golf Club du HainautBelgium19331983BaudouinReal Club de Golf de Las PalmasSpain18911986Juan CarlosReal Club de Golf de TenerifeSpain18961989Juan CarlosRoyal Golf Club du Sart TilmanBelgium19391989BaudouinRoyal Hague Golf & Country ClubNetherlands18931993BeatrixReal Club de Golf SotograndeSpain19641994Juan CarlosReal Club de Golf Las BrisasSpain19681995Juan CarlosReal Club de Golf de SevillaSpain19912002Juan CarlosReal Club de Golf de La CorunaSpain19622007Juan CarlosReal Club de Golf GuadalminaSpain19592008Juan CarlosReal Club ValderramaSpain19742014Juan CarlosReal Novo Sancti Petri Golf ClubSpain19902016Felipe VIRoyal Limburg Golf ClubBelgium19662016PhilippeReal Golf La Manga ClubSpain19722017Felipe VIReal Guadalhorce Club de GolfSpain19872017Felipe VIRoyal Bercuit Golf ClubBelgium19672017PhilippeRoyal Bled Golf ClubSlovenia19372017Princess ElizabethReal Club La MoralejaSpain19732018Felipe VIRoyal Keerbergen Golf ClubBelgium19682018PhilippeRoyal Golf Club OudenaardeBelgium19712021PhilippeReal Sociedad de Golf de NeguriSpain1911UnknownUnknownReal Golf Club de ZarauzSpain1916UnknownAlfonso XIIIRoyal Baghdad Golf ClubIraq1920UnknownUnknownReal Club de Campo de MálagaSpain1926UnknownUnknownReal Club de Golf CerdanaSpain1929UnknownAlfonso XIIIReal Automovil Club de EspanaSpain1929UnknownAlfonso XIIIReal Club Pineda de SevillaSpain1939UnknownJuan CarlosReal Club de Golf El PratSpain1954UnknownAlfonso XIIIReal Club de Golf Madrid La HerreriaSpain1966UnknownUnknownReal Golf de BendinatSpain1986UnknownUnknownReal Nuevo Club Golf De San Sebastian BasozabalSpain1994UnknownUnknown
You will certainly recognize a few, notably Ryder Cup, European Tour, WGC and LIV Golf venue Valderrama.
Anything else?
There are, of course, a number of anomalies.
The Royal Tara Golf Club in Ireland uses the prefix due to its proximity to the Hill of Tara, where Irish kings once resided.
The Royal Spring Golf Course in India uses it because it is believed to be on royal land once used by Mughal emperors. Similarly, Royal Copenhagen Golf Club in Denmark was built on parkland originally owned by King Christian V in the 17th century.
And while it had no royal connections at all, the now-defunct Royal Links Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, paid homage with holes inspired by a number of Open venues, including the Old Course, Royal Liverpool, Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Annes.
