Looking to the future

Royal Blackheath is more than 400 years old and justifiably proud of its rich history and heritage. Rob Smith returns to the club to find it embracing the modern world and moving with the times

- Rob Smith

Although golf was played on the heath even earlier, the formal institution of this famous club is reckoned to be 1608. Sadly, the documentation relating to this no longer exists, but there seems little doubt that Royal Blackheath is by some distance the oldest golf club in England. It is also one that is definitely not resting on its illustrious laurels, with significant changes on and off the course designed to pave the way for a bright and healthy future.

A living history

After the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, James VI of Scotland headed south with his court to London. He took up residence in the Royal Palace at Greenwich, where he became James I of England as well as the self-styled King of Great Britain. Golf was already well established north of the border and a number of the Scottish incomers were keen to pursue their hobby, which therefore meant that a course was needed. At that time, the English would not have been familiar with golf.

The original course on the heath consisted of just five holes, played three times. This was extended to seven in 1843, therefore leading to a 21-hole round. The main London Road ran through the heath, and as traffic and golf both became more popular, a move was needed. This took place in 1923 when the club amalgamated with Eltham Golf Club and relocated to its current home at Eltham Lodge in Kent, a 20-minute train ride from London Bridge.

Not long after, James Braid was brought in to review the bunkering. The hugely impressive Grade I listed clubhouse dates back to the mid-17th century, and it was ‘Georgianised’ a century later with the installation of sash windows, new interiors and the creation of a deer park, now the golf course, which replaced the formal gardens and farmland.