Royal Melbourne Golf Club

Royal Melbourne Golf Club is widely regarded as Australia's most prestigious, exclusive, oldest and celebrated golf club. It is located just south of the main urbanized area of Melbourne. Its two courses are each ranked amongst the best in the world by many international golf course ranking bodies and publications. Royal Melbourne has hosted numerous national and international events, most famously the 1959 Canada Cup (now Mission Hills World Cup), and the 1970 World Cup. It was selected by the PGA Tour to hold the Presidents Cup, for the first time outside the United States, in December 1998. The match was convincingly won by the World team, captained by Peter Thomson, who had himself earlier served as the Club professional at Royal Melbourne. The course will also host the Presidents Cup in 2011. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/golf/royal-melbourne-named-host-for-2011/2007/09/28/1190486525955.html Royal Melbourne named host for 2011 - Golf - Sport - smh.com.au ] ]

History

Founded in 1891 on the 22nd of May as the Melbourne Golf Club ('Royal' prefix given in 1895), the founding President was Sir James McBain and the founding Captain was John Munro Bruce (father of later Australian Prime Minister Viscount Stanley Melbourne Bruce).

The club had to give up its original site, much nearer the city centre, because of increasing urbanization. It planned a move to its present location in the mid-1920s. Royal Melbourne's two current courses are known as the 'West' and 'East' courses. [ [http://www.royalmelbourne.com.au/home/history/history.aspx Royal Melbourne Golf Club ] ] The West course was designed under the strict standards of famous course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie. He visited the eventual site, located on the renowned Melbourne Sandbelt, south of the city, in 1926. The actual building of the West course was overseen by the famed Australian golfer Alex Russell, as well as the head greenkeeper Mick Morcom; it was completed for play in 1931, and required much clearing of forested land. The East course was designed by Alex Russell, and was completed in 1932. ["The World Atlas of Golf", second, revised edition, by Herbert Warren Wind, Charles Price, and Peter Thomson, London 1988, Mitchell Beazeley publishers.]

Features

A combination of the 18 best holes from each is called the 'Composite' course; it is generally ranked in the top ten courses in the world and widely held as the best course in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2007 "Golf Digest" magazine ranked Royal Melbourne as the sixth best course in the world outside the United States, behind The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. ["Golf Digest" magazine, May 2007.] Both courses are known for their intricate bunkering, tough but fair challenge, variety of shotmaking, and exceptionally fast and true greens. ["The World Atlas of Golf", second, revised edition, by Herbert Warren Wind, Charles Price, and Peter Thomson, London 1988, Mitchell Beazely publishers.]

References

External links

* [http://www.royalmelbourne.com.au/Home/home.aspx Official site]