Royal St George's Golf Club

Overview: The entry for Royal St George's Golf Club is listed at 7204 yards. The course runs through wild duneland where blind shots, deep fairway contours, pot bunkers and changing wind create a demanding but highly individual test. No two holes appear to belong to exactly the same corridor: the ground rises and falls, the vegetation frames the lines and the best approach often depends on understanding what lies beyond the visible ridge. Its strategic character is inseparable from the natural irregularity of the site.

History: The club was founded in 1887 by Dr William Laidlaw Purves, who wanted to create a leading English links and designed the original course at Sandwich. Royal St George’s became the first venue outside Scotland to host The Open in 1894, establishing a long relationship with championship golf. The course has been adjusted through the years, but the dunes and the distinctive routing remain central to its identity. Its history is therefore both architectural and competitive: Purves’s original ambition is visible in the land, while the major events have tested the course at the highest level.

Did You Know? Royal St George’s hosted the first Open Championship played outside Scotland, in 1894. The decision marked a major step in the expansion of the championship and confirmed the Kent links as a national stage for the game.