List of golf clubs granted royal status

This is a list of golf clubs that have been granted permission to bear the title "Royal", having been bestowed by a reigning monarch, such as the British, Spanish, Belgian, Nepalese, Dutch, or Swedish 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,^[1] which is granted by the reigning monarch. In Britain, the title "Royal" was restricted to "institutions of eminence, long standing and secure financial position, and devoted to national, charitable and scientific objects" by the British monarchy.^[2]

Not all golf clubs that have "Royal" in their title have royal status, for instance, the Royal Tara Golf Club in Ireland gave itself the title because the golf club is near the Hill of Tara where the ancient kings of Ireland once resided.^[3] 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, hence it is said to be "royal".^[4] The now-defunct Royal Links Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, had no royal connections at all; it was built to acknowledge the traditions of the game. It featured holes inspired by 11 different Open Championship courses, including the Old Course at St Andrews, Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, Royal Lytham & St Annes and Royal Birkdale.^[5] The Royal Automobile Club is a royal club but not a royal golf club because the club just happens to have a golf course.^[6] King Edward VII granted the royal status to the Automobile Club.^[6]

In Denmark, the Royal Copenhagen Golf Club's (Danish: 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.^[7] The course is also located in Kongens Lyngby, 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 world's earliest 'royal' club – play on the North Inch Golf Course, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews play on St Andrews Links, 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.^[8]