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Royal St. Georges
Royal St George's, host of the memorable 2003 Open Championship, was founded in 1887. In 1894 the Club hosted its first British Open Championship - the first time the Open was played south of the Scottish border! The field included names now embedded in the mythology of golf - Harry Vardon, James Braid, J H Taylor, Willie Park jnr - and was won by Taylor .
Taylor's autobiography captured the essence of the challenge of the Course in his description "The possibility of disaster was only too apparent from almost every shot one was called upon to play"
The Course:
Probably the truest links you will find in England, the Royal & Ancient, in its wisdom, chose Royal St George's for major championships in the knowledge that it would provide a truly demanding test of golf. Close to the sea overlooking Pegwell Bay, this tough 6565 yard par 70 course, when exposed to the wind, becomes even more daunting.
For well over a century, anyone familiar with the course has remarked on the great solitude at St George's . The setting is superb. The course occupies a huge tract of land and enjoys the great sense of spaciousness that is all but lost on so many modern courses. As you progress around the course, you are blissfully unaware and secluded from other games around you.
St Georges is notorious for its heavy bunkering, and includes the tallest and deepest bunker in the UK . The other main futures are the large sand dunes, narrow fairways with unpredictable bounces and the many blind shots. The bounces and blind shots may seem at times a touch unfair, but the excitement of scrambling over a dune to see where the ball has finished only enhances the experience!
In addition to the Open, the Club is proud to have hosted many other major tournaments, for both Amateur and Professional golfers. These include The Walker Cup, The Curtis Cup, The British and English Amateurs, The PGA Championship and the European Under-21 Championship.
Many of golf's most famous names have won tournaments here, including the great Arnold Palmer. On his way to victory in the PGA in 1975 he reached the 14th with two prodigious blows with his driver on a stormy day when no other competitor got closer than 40 yards from the green in two!
Information:
Green fees - £90 per round and £125 per day weekdays only
Visitor policy - No visitors at weekends or public holidays. Weekdays, vistors must have pre-booked, have a handicap certificate (under 18) and be a member of a club affiliated to the E.G.U. Caddies to be booked in advance and trolleys available.
Address
Royal St. George's Golf Club
Sandwich
Kent
England
CT13 9PB
Tel: - 01304 613090
Pro: 01304 615236