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Building or ruin · Medieval · Fife

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews

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The club that codified the rules of golf does not own a single hole of the course it stands beside. That is the first thing to understand about the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews: its clubhouse sits immediately behind the first tee of the Old Course, and the Old Course belongs to the local authority, held through the St Andrews Links Trust, a charity running eight courses that are open to anyone. Tee times are shared between members of other local clubs, residents and visitors.

It was founded in 1754 as the Society of St Andrews Golfers, a local club playing over the links, and it grew in importance quickly. In 1834 William IV recognised St Andrews as Royal and Ancient, and the society, not troubled by modesty, proclaimed itself the Home of Golf. The longer name followed.

The authority came later and by increments. The society codified the rules of golf in 1897, and over the next thirty years was gradually invited to take charge of tournaments at other courses — an authority conceded to it rather than claimed. By 2004 it had organised twenty-one championships and international matches, among them the Open Championship, the Amateur Championship, the Walker Cup and the Curtis Cup.

Then the two roles were separated. In 2004 a new organisation, The R&A, was spun off to take over the governing and tournament-running functions, leaving the club as a private members’ club — though one of its stated objectives remains to contribute, through its members, to the work the new body now does. Membership is by invitation and stands at around 2,400 people from all over the world.

Its membership policy was the last thing to change. The club, though not The R&A, once admitted men only. In 2012 the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on it to adopt a non-discriminatory policy, as did Louise Richardson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews. On 18 September 2014 the club voted to admit women. The first female honorary members were announced in February 2015 — Anne, Princess Royal, Laura Davies, Renee Powell, Belle Robertson, Lally Segard, Annika Sorenstam and Louise Suggs — with other women admitted at the same time, and later that year Lady Bonallack became the first woman to play in the club’s annual match against the Links Trust. Claire Dowling was appointed the club’s first female captain, for 2026 to 2027.

What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.

History

The organisation was founded in 1754 as the Society of St Andrews Golfers, a local club playing at St Andrews Links, and it grew quickly in importance. It is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. In 1834 King William IV recognised St Andrews as Royal and Ancient, and the society proclaimed itself the Home of Golf. The name The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews followed from that recognition.

The society codified the rules of golf in 1897, and over the following thirty years was gradually invited to take control of running tournaments at other courses. Until 2004 it had organised twenty-one championships and international matches, among them the Open Championship, the Amateur Championship, the Walker Cup and the Curtis Cup.

In 2004 a separate organisation, The R&A, was spun off to take over the club's functions as one of the governing authorities of the game and as organiser of tournaments. The club remains a private members' club, though one of its stated objectives is to contribute through its members to the governance, championship organisation and development roles the new body now carries out.

The club does not own the courses it is identified with. The St Andrews Links courses, including the Old Course, belong to the local authority through the St Andrews Links Trust, a charitable organisation running eight courses, and are open to the general public. Tee times are shared between members of other local clubs, residents and visitors, and the clubhouse simply stands behind the first tee of the Old Course.

Membership is by invitation and numbers around 2,400 from all over the world. The club, though not The R&A, once admitted men only; in 2012 the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on it to abandon that policy, as did Louise Richardson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews.

On 18 September 2014 the club voted to admit women. Its first female honorary members were announced in February 2015 — Anne, Princess Royal, Laura Davies, Renee Powell, Belle Robertson, Lally Segard, Annika Sorenstam and Louise Suggs — with other women admitted as members at the same time. Also in 2015 Lady Bonallack became the first woman to play in the club's annual match against the Links Trust. Claire Dowling was appointed the club's first female captain, for 2026 to 2027.

What to look for

  • The clubhouse behind the first tee

    It stands immediately behind the first tee of the Old Course, which the club does not own — the Links belong to the local authority through the St Andrews Links Trust and are open to the public.

  • The links themselves

    Eight courses run by the Links Trust, with tee times shared between members of local clubs, residents and visitors alike.

  • What the name records

    William IV recognised St Andrews as Royal and Ancient in 1834; the society had been founded eighty years earlier, in 1754, as the Society of St Andrews Golfers.

Plan your visit

Location
56.3436°N · 2.8028°W

Nearby places

Questions people ask

When was the club founded?
In 1754, as the Society of St Andrews Golfers, a local club playing at St Andrews Links. It is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world.
Where does the name come from?
From King William IV, who in 1834 recognised St Andrews as Royal and Ancient. The society then proclaimed itself the Home of Golf, and the fuller name followed.
Does the club own the Old Course?
No. The St Andrews Links courses, including the Old Course, are owned by the local authority through the St Andrews Links Trust and are open to the general public. The clubhouse stands behind the first tee, but the club owns none of the ground.
What is the difference between the club and The R&A?
The R&A was spun off as a separate organisation in 2004, taking over the club's role as one of the governing authorities of the game and as organiser of tournaments such as the Open Championship. The club itself is now a private members' club of around 2,400 members, admitted by invitation.
When did the club admit women?
It voted to do so on 18 September 2014. The first female honorary members were announced in February 2015, and Claire Dowling was appointed the club's first female captain, for 2026 to 2027.

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