Royal Blackheath Golf Club

Few institutions in golf carry the historical weight of Royal Blackheath. Founded in 1608 — making it the oldest golf club in the world outside Scotland — it predates the Royal & Ancient itself by nearly a century and a half. The club's origins trace to Scottish courtiers who followed James I south after the union of the crowns, bringing their game to the heath lands southeast of London. The "Royal" designation reflects centuries of royal patronage, and the clubhouse, Eltham Lodge, is a Grade I listed building completed in 1664 and one of the finest Restoration-era country houses in England.

The course itself occupies the grounds of Eltham Palace in the London Borough of Greenwich, with tree-lined parkland holes that reward precision over power. At par 71, the layout asks for careful shot selection rather than brute length, and the mature woodland setting means errant drives are punished severely.

For anyone serious about golf's history, playing Royal Blackheath isn't simply a round — it's a direct line back to the game's earliest days on English soil.