This is a list of golf clubs that have been granted permission to bear the appellation of "Royal", having been bestowed by a reigning

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

, such as from

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

, Nepalese,

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

, or

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

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 from the reigning monarch. In Britain, according to Scott Macpherson in his book ''Golf's Royal Clubs Honoured by the British Royal Family 1833–2013'', the title of "Royal" officially 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 Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

gave itself the title because the golf club is near the

Hill of Tara The Hill of Tara ( ga, Teamhair or ) is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland; it also appears in Iri ...

where the ancient

Kings of Ireland Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

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 The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

, hence it is said to be "Royal". The Royal Links Golf in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, USA, has no royal connects at all, it was built to acknowledge the traditions of the game. It features holes inspired by 11 different

Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

courses, including the

Old Course at St Andrews The Old Course at St Andrews, also known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady, is considered the oldest golf course. It is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by the St Andrews Links Trust under ...

, Royal Liverpool, Hoylake,

Royal Lytham & St Annes Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, is one of the courses in the The Open Championship, Open Championship rotation. The Women's British Open has also been played on the course five times: once prior to being ...

and

Royal Birkdale Royal Birkdale Golf Club is a golf course in the United Kingdom in North West England, located in Southport, Merseyside. It is one of the clubs in the rotation for both the Open Championship and Women's British Open and has hosted the Open Champ ...

. The

Royal Automobile Club The Royal Automobile Club is a British private social and athletic club. It has two clubhouses: one in London at 89 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, near Epsom in Surrey. Both provide accommodation and a range o ...

is a Royal club but not a Royal Golf Club, because the Royal Club just happens to have a golf course.

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

granted the Royal status to the Automobile Club. In

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

, the Royal Golf Club in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, also appears to have given itself the title of Royal when there is no evidence of any royal connections. Likewise the similarly named Royal Copenhagen Golf Club's ( da, Københavns Golf Klub) 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 Kongens Lyngby (, Danish for "the King's Heather Town"; short form Lyngby) is the seat and commercial centre of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lyngby Hovedgade is a busy shopping street and the site o ...

, 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 Royal Perth Golfing Society, or its full name of The Royal Perth Golfing Society & County and City Club, is a golfing and private members club in Perth, Scotland, with premises overlooking the North Inch. History The Perth Golfing Socie ...

-the world's earliest 'royal' club - play on the North Inch Golf Course,

the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. It is a private members-only club based in St Andrews in Scotland. It was previously known colloquially as "The R&A", but in 2004, a new organisation kn ...

play on

St Andrews Links St Andrews Links in the town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, is regarded as the "Home of Golf.” It has one of the oldest courses in the world, where the game has been played since the 15th century. Today there are seven public golf courses; the ...

, 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

: : , align=center File:Royal Colwood Golf clubhouse. READ INFO IN PANORAMIO-COMMENTS - panoramio.jpg, Royal Colwood Golf Club clubhouse, Canada File:Royal Birkdale Clubhouse and 18th Green. - geograph.org.uk - 888476 (cropped).jpg, Royal Birkdale Golf Club clubhouse, England File:Rcpclubhouse (cropped).JPG, Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club clubhouse, England File:Clubhouse of the Royal Cromer Golf Club 3909964 4e2f2f87.jpg, Royal Cromer Golf Club clubhouse, England File:Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake (2).jpg, Royal Liverpool Golf Club clubhouse, England File:2009 Women's British Open - Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Course (150).jpg, Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club clubhouse, England File:Royal West Norfolk Golf Clubhouse - geograph-3774908-by-Richard-Humphrey.jpg, Royal West Norfolk Golf Club clubhouse, England File:Bad Homburg – Restaurant „Golfhaus“ im Kurpark mit 6-Loch-Golfanlage "Old Course" - panoramio (cropped).jpg, Royal Homburger Golf Club clubhouse, Germany File:Royal Dublin Golf Club clubhouse Geograph-2424110-by-Andrew-F-Shinie.jpg, The Royal Dublin Golf Club clubhouse, Republic of Ireland File:Royal Selangor Golf Club Kuala Lumpur Dec. 2006 006 (cropped).jpg, Royal Selangor Golf Club clubhouse, Malaysia File:Prestongrange House - Royal Musselburgh GC (geograph 1817805).jpg, Royal Musselburgh Golf Club clubhouse, Scotland File:Royal Burgess Golfing Society Club House-3249816 a80674c2.jpg, The Royal Perth Golfing Society & County and City Club clubhouse, Scotland File:Royal Troon Old Course Clubhouse - geograph.org.uk - 1112739.jpg, Royal Troon Golf Club clubhouse, Scotland File:Royal Colombo Golf Club 006 (cropped).jpg, Royal Colombo Golf Club clubhouse, Sri Lanka

Golf clubs granted Royal status by the Spanish Monarchy

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. : }) , De Haan , 1903 , 1903 , , - , style="background:#fccbcb", Royal Golf Club of Belgium
( nl, Koninklijke Golf Club van België
french: Royal Golf Club de Belgique) ,

Tervuren Tervuren () is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Duisburg, Tervuren, Vossem and Moorsel. On January 1, 2006, Tervuren had a total population of 20,636. The total a ...

, 1906 , 1906 , , - , colspan=6, , - , bgcolor="#FF0000", , style="background:#fccbcb", Royal Zoute Golf Club ,

Knokke-Heist Knokke-Heist (; french: Knocke-Heist) is a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Heist-aan-Zee, Knokke, Duinbergen, Ramskapelle and Westkapelle. On January 1, 2006 Knokke-Heist had a total ...

, 1898 , 1925 , , - , colspan=6, , - , rowspan=2 bgcolor="#bf4bec", , style="background:#fccbcb", Royal Antwerp Golf Club , Kapellen , 1888 , 1938 , , - , Royal Golf Club du Château Royal d'Ardenne
''( en, Royal Golf Club at the Royal Castle of Ardenne)'' , Ardennes , 1895 , 1945 , , - , colspan=6, , - , rowspan=5 bgcolor="#D2691E", , style="background:#fccbcb", Royal Latem Golf Club ,

Sint-Martens-Latem Sint-Martens-Latem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders, in Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Deurle and Sint-Martens-Latem proper. In 2021, Sint-Martens-Latem had a total population of 8,285. The t ...

, 1909 , 1959 , , - , style="background:#fccbcb", Royal Waterloo Golf Club ,

Lasne Lasne (; wa, Lane) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium, south east of Brussels. In 2008, Lasne had a population of 14,043. The total area is 47.22 km² which gives a population density of 297 i ...

, 1923 , 1973 , , - , style="background:#fccbcb", Royal Golf Club des Fagnes ,

Spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...

, 1930 , 1980 , , - , Royal Golf Club du Hainaut ,

Jurbise Jurbise (; nl, Jurbeke; pcd, Djurbize) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 9,571 inhabitants. The total area is 57.86 km², giving a population density of 165 in ...

, 1933 , 1983 , , - , Royal Golf Club du Sart Tilman ,

Angleur Angleur (; wa, Angleûr) is a district of the city of Liège, Wallonia, located in the province of Liège, Belgium. It was a municipality until 1977. It is located at the foot and on the slope of a hill in the southern part of Liège, locate ...

, 1939 , 1989 , , - , colspan=6, , - , rowspan = 4 bgcolor="#009E60", , Royal Limburg Golf Club
( nl, Koninklijke Limburg Golfclub) ,

Houthalen-Helchteren Houthalen-Helchteren (; li, Hôtele-Helichtre) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. Houthalen-Helchteren consists of Houthalen-centrum, Houthalen-Oost, Helchteren, Sonnis, Laak, Meulenberg and Lillo. On 1 January 2020 Hout ...

, 1966 , 2016 , , - , style="background:#fccbcb",

Royal Bercuit Golf Club Royal Bercuit Golf Club is located in Grez-Doiceau, Wallonia, 30 km southeast of Brussels. The only course in Belgium designed by Robert Trent Jones, it has hosted events on both the European Tour and the Ladies European Tour. History In 1965, b ...

Grez-Doiceau Grez-Doiceau (; wa, Gré; nl, Graven, ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006, Grez-Doiceau had a total population of 12,403. The total area is 55.44 km² which gives a populati ...

, 1967 , 2017 , , - , Royal Keerbergen Golf Club ,

Keerbergen Keerbergen () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises only the town of Keerbergen proper. On January 1, 2006, Keerbergen had a total population of 12,444. The total area is 18.39 km² w ...

, 1968 , 2018 , , - , - , Royal Golf Club Oudenaarde ,

Wortegem-Petegem Wortegem-Petegem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. In 2021, Wortegem-Petegem had a total population of 6,445. The total area is 41.96 km2. Villages , Moregem, , Petegem-aan-de-Schelde and Wortegem Worte ...

, 1971 , 2021 , File:Ravestein clubhuis.JPG, Royal Golf Club of Belgium clubhouse File:Waterloo Golf Clubhouse.JPG, Royal Waterloo Golf Club clubhouse File:Royal Zoute, clubhuis.jpg, Royal Zoute Golf Club clubhouse File:Golf Oudenaarde (cropped).jpg, Royal Golf Club Oudenaarde clubhouse

Golf clubs granted Royal status by other monarchies

: : : : }) ,

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

, , 1920s , , , - , colspan=7, , - , bgcolor="#fddaa3", , style="background:", Royal Bangkok Sports Club (golf section)
( th, ราชกรีฑาสโมสร) , rowspan=2 ,

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

, rowspan=2 , , 1906 , 1906 , , - , bgcolor="#aaaaff", , style="background:",

Royal Dusit Golf Club The Royal Turf Club of Thailand under Royal Patronage ( th, ราชตฤณมัยสมาคมแห่งประเทศไทย ในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์) is a sports club in Thailand, formerly located at ...

( th, สนามกอล์ฟรอยัลดุสิต)
, 1916 , 1916 , , - , colspan=7, , - , bgcolor="#e2a4fa", , style="background:#edcdfa", Royal Bled Golf Club
( sl, Kraljevski Bled Golf Klub) ,

Lesce Lesce () is a town in the Municipality of Radovljica in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. It is an industrial and tourist centre. It is one of the earliest-mentioned settlements in the region, first noted in a document from 1004 together ...

, , 1937 , 2017 , , - , colspan=7, , - , bgcolor="#ffff69", , style="background:#ffffaf",

Royal Drottningholm Golf Club Royal Drottningholm Golf Club is a golf club located in Drottningholm, Stockholm County in Sweden. It has hosted tournaments both on the European Tour and the Ladies European Tour. History The club was established in 1959 and received a royal c ...

( sv, Kungliga Drottningholms Golfklubb) ,

Drottningholm Drottningholm, literally "Queen's Islet", is a locality situated in Ekerö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden, with 398 inhabitants in 2010. It is on the island Lovön in lake Mälaren on the outskirts of Stockholm. Drottningholm Palace, the ...

, , 1959 , 1959 , , - , colspan=7, , - , bgcolor="#daac7e", , style="background:#fddcc6", Royal Hague Golf & Country Club
( nl, Koninklijke Haagsche Golf & Country Club) ,

Wassenaar Wassenaar (; population: in ) is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and Dorp (town), town located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, on the western coast of the Netherlands. An affluent suburb of The ...

, , 1893 , 1993 , , - , colspan=7, , - , bgcolor="#fdaada", , Royal Nepal Golf Club
( ne, रोयल नेपाल गोल्फ क्लब) ,

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

, , 1917 , 1965 , , - , colspan=7, , - , bgcolor="#4efad2", , style="background:#baffef",

Royal Swazi Spa Country Club The Royal Swazi Spa is a major entertainment complex in the Ezulwini Valley of Eswatini. Founded in 1965, the complex is located 4 hours from Johannesburg by road. It is home to a casino, a par-72 golf course, and a spa. The hotel features 149 room ...

, Mbabane , , 1966 , 1966 , , - , colspan=7, , - , rowspan="2" bgcolor="#55c7fd" , , Grand-Ducal Golf-Club ,

Senningerberg Senningerberg () is a town in the commune of Niederanven, in central Luxembourg. It is adjacent to the Grunewald forest and is characterised by an abundance of green natural spaces. , the town has a population of 1,663. Senningerberg was serve ...

, , 1936 , 1936 , , - File:Koninklijke Haagsche Golf & Country Club.jpg, The Royal Hague Golf & Country Club clubhouse, Netherlands File:Clubhouse of Royal Bled Golf.png, Royal Bled Golf Club clubhouse, Slovenia

Notes

References

External links

'Royal' Golf Clubs (golftoday.co.uk)

Location of 'Royal' golf clubs in the UK
{{Golf Royal status