No country takes royalty as seriously as the United Kingdom does.
Although the British crown is no longer the seat of government, it still holds
plenty of historic, symbolic and popular interest. Members of the royal family
are celebrities, and titles bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II are coveted rewards
of status and accomplishment.
It’s an honor to be recognized by the monarchy, and it’s no
different for golf clubs. The circle of golf clubs in the British Commonwealth
with Royal status is an exclusive one, with just 61 members. In the past
century, only two Scottish clubs, Royal Troon and Royal Burgess, have received
Royal status.
The relationship between golf and the monarchy started in 1833
when King William IV bestowed the appellation upon Scotland’s Royal Perth
Golfing Society. The king was also a patron of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club
of St. Andrews, which he crowned one year later. Since then clubs in 12
countries have been honored.
Officially, only the British sovereign can bestow Royal titles,
but it does so upon the advice of the Ministry of Justice, to which interested
clubs submit applications. As part of the vetting prcoess, clubs must provide:
reason(s) why the title is being sought; history of the organization; future
plans; the present administration and activities; details of leading members and
membership numbers; reports and accounts for the last three years; details of
any royal/government associations; details of publications, providing examples
where possible; and any other information considered appropriate.
In the past 50 years, the Secretary only has approved five clubs.
While the exclusivity would give the appearance that the honor comes with
numerous perks, the tangible rewards are few: Prestige and reciprocal playing
privileges at similar clubs around the world are the main benefits that come
with the title. Nor is there much pomp and circumstance with a successful bid:
Clubs are quietly notified via letter.
Although reasons for acceptance or rejection remain veiled, there
are certain factors that help a club’s cause. One of the most important is a
connection to the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the title to Royal
Marianske Lanze in the Czech Republic to celebrate King Edward VII’s role as one
of the club’s founding members in 1905. The Prince of Wales played at Royal
Johannesburg Golf Club while in South Africa in 1930 and liked it so much that
King George V granted Royal approval the following year.
Anniversaries, centenaries and location are other factors. The
most recent club to earn the title—Canada’s Royal Mayfair Golf & Country
Club in 2005—received its status during Alberta’s 100th anniversary. Royal
Troon, celebrating a centenary in 1978, noted in a successful bid both its
position in the Open rota for 55 years and that no club in the west of Scotland
had yet to receive Royal status at that time.
Timing also matters. A club lucky enough to submit a request
during the reign of King George V had a very good chance of approval—between
1910 and 1935, he granted Royal status to 21 clubs in nine countries. But in
recent decades, approvals have trickled.
Chalk that up perhaps to fewer royal golfers and a stricter
application process.
Buckingham Palace by no means holds a monopoly on granting royal
status to golf clubs. Outside the British Commonwealth, Belgium (Royal Waterloo
Golf Club), Morocco (Marrakech Royal Golf Club) and Malaysia (Royal Selangor
Golf Club) have royal courses. There was once even a Royal Baghdad Golf Club,
built in the 1920s by British residents and anointed by then King Faisal.
But when it comes to royalty and golf, no country can match the
combination of the storied, celebrated British monarchy and some of the best
courses in the world.
