Golf clubs granted ‘Royal’ status by the British Monarchy
With it being a Coronation weekend a ‘Royal’ news article seemed appropriate to produce in relation to Royal golf clubs.
There a total of 64 golf clubs granted Royal status by the British Monarchy in the United Kingdom and around the world.
To receive such an honour, a golf club is required to invite a member of the Royal family to be a patron or an honorary member, or they can formally apply for the title which is then granted by the current reigning monarch.
Let’s start with the Royal golf clubs in the UK…
Golf clubs granted Royal status by King William IV
Royal Perth (1833)
The Royal & Ancient St Andrews (1834)
Golf clubs granted Royal status by Queen Victoria
Royal Montrose Mercantile (1845)
Royal Blackheath (1845)
Royal North Devon (1867)
Royal Liverpool (1871)
Royal Musselburgh (1876)
Royal Wimbledon (1882)
Royal Isle of Wight (1883)
Royal Belfast (1885)
Royal Ascot (1887)
Royal Eastbourne (1887)
Royal Cromer (1888)
Royal Epping Forest (1888)
Royal Guernsey (1891)
Royal Cornwall (1891)
Royal West Norfolk (1892)
Royal Portrush (1892)
Royal Ashdown Forest (1893)
Royal Norwich (1893)
Royal Worlington and Newmarket (1895)
Golf clubs granted Royal status by King Edward VII
Royal Household (1901)
Royal St George’s (1902)
Royal Aberdeen (1903)
Royal Dornoch (1906)
Royal County Down (1908)
Royal St David’s (1908)
Royal Porthcawl (1909)
Royal Craggan (1909)
Royal Cinque Ports (1910)
Royal Curragh (1910)
Golf clubs granted Royal status by King George V
Royal Winchester (1913)
Duff House Royal (1925)
Royal Lytham and St Annes (1926)
Royal Mid-Surrey (1926)
Royal Tarlair (1926)
Royal Burgess (1929)
Golf clubs granted Royal status by George VI
Royal Birkdale (1951)
Golf clubs granted Royal status by Elizabeth II
Royal Troon (1978)
Golf clubs outside of the UK granted Royal status
Royal Jersey (Jersy, 1879, Queen Victoria)
Royal Montreal (Canada, 1884, Queen Victoria)
Royal Malta (Malta, 1888, Queen Victoria)
Royal Dublin (Republic of Ireland, 1891, Queen Victoria)
Royal Melbourne (Australia, 1895, Queen Victoria)
Royal Sydney (Australia, 1897, Queen Victoria)
Royal Hong Kong (Hong Kong, 1897, Queen Victoria)
Royal Curragh (Republic of Ireland, 1910, George V)
Royal Cape (South Africa, 1910, King George V)
Royal Calcutta (India, 1910, King George V)
Royal Ottawa (Canada, 1912, King George V)
Royal Queensland (Australia, 1921, King George V)
Royal Adelaide (Australia, 1923, King George V)
Royal Port Alfred (South Africa, 1924, King George V)
Royal Hobart (Australia, 1926, King George V)
Royal Colombo (Sri Lanka, 1928, King George V)
Royal Harare (Zimbabwe, 1929, King George V)
Royal Colwood (Canada, 1931, King George V)
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington (South Africa, 1931, King George V)
Royal Durban (South Africa, 1932, King George V)
Royal Canberra (Australia, 1933, King George V)
Royal Quebec (Canada, 1934, King George V)
Royal Nairobi (Kenya, 1935, King George V)
Royal Perth (Australia, 1937, King George VI)
Royal Singapore (Singapore, 1938, King George VI)
Royal Selangor (Malaysia, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II)
Royal Regina (Canada, 1999, Queen Elizabeth II)
Royal Marianske (Czech Republic, 2003, Queen Elizabeth II)
Royal Wellington (New Zealand, 2004, Queen Elizabeth II)
Royal Mayfair (Canada, 2005, Queen Elizabeth II)
Royal Auckland (New Zealand, 2010, Queen Elizabeth II)
Royal Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea, 2012, Queen Elizabeth II)
Royal Homburger (Germany, 2013, Queen Elizabeth II)
Royal Bombay Gymkhana (India, dates and associated royal unknown)
Royal Western India (India, dates and associated royal unknown)
If your golf society has ever had a day out at any of these please do get in contact and let us know what the experience was like.
Similarly, if you have played any of the above also feel free to get in contact – I wonder who has played the most Royal Golf Clubs?
And though there are no Royal Golf Clubs listed yet with the NCG Society Guide we do have Prince’s as a member!
Please email p.miller@nationalclubgolfer.com with any comments or feedback