The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews (Scotland) has reopened its historic clubhouse, globally known as ‘The Home of Golf’, following the completion of renovation works to expand the building and implement new and improved facilities.
Saint Andrews, news
The clubhouse refurbishment marks the largest in the last 100 years, with the last significant expansion of this world-renowned building taking place in 1924.
Enhancements include new and expanded changing rooms to provide female facilities, a new heritage lounge showcasing historical architectural plans of the clubhouse, a Members’ Shop, a renovated Trophy Room displaying the club’s trophies and medals, and a new golf concierge desk offering services to members.
Martin Slumbers, Secretary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, stated: “All members can now enjoy new and improved facilities that will enhance their experience of visiting and playing golf at Saint Andrews. Importantly, we can now accommodate the growing number of members attending the spring and autumn meetings we hold each year, as well as meet the requirements for hosting our professional and amateur championships here. We want to thank the residents of Saint Andrews for their patience and understanding during the time it took to carry out and complete the renovation works.”
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, with the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield being the oldest. Established in St Andrews, Fife County, Scotland, it is widely recognized as the “home of golf.” Previously, the club also served as one of the governing bodies regulating the sport, but since 2004, this role has been transferred to a newly formed group of organizations collectively known as “The R&A.”
History: The club was founded in 1754 as the Society of Golfers at St Andrews, a local club playing at the St Andrews Links, and it quickly gained fame.
The R&A: The R&A is the governing body of golf worldwide, except in the United States and Mexico, where this responsibility lies with the United States Golf Association (USGA).
The R&A organizes eleven tournaments and international events, including:
The Open Championship, one of the four major championships in men’s golf. The Amateur Championship, which was one of the four major tournaments before professional golf became dominant. Currently, it remains one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments in the world.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has now reverted to the status of a simple golf club. It has 2,400 members worldwide. Although the clubhouse is located directly behind the first tee of the Old Course, the R&A does not own any of the St Andrews courses, contrary to popular belief. In fact, the club must share its tee times (and therefore course usage) with members of other local clubs, residents, and visitors. The responsibility for managing the courses is entrusted to the St Andrews Links Trust, a charitable organization that owns and operates all the St Andrews Links courses in St Andrews.
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