About the course
Royal St George’s was the first English course to host the Open Championship and is the fourth most used course (having hosted 15 Open tournaments) after St Andrews, Prestwick and Muirfield.
In 1885, Dr William Laidlaw Purves of the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club saw a magnificent stretch of undulating land with extensive sand dunes from the vantage point of St Clement’s Church. As a Scotsman and a keen golfer, he decided that there was only one thing to do with the land: create a golf course. In 1887 the course was opened for play and was named “St George’s” after the English patron saint.
“For a course still comparatively young,” wrote Bernard Darwin in his 1910 book The Golf Courses of the British Isles, “Sandwich has had more than its ups and downs. It was announced with great trumpeting, and without having passed through any trial period, it has come into full prominence.”
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| World ranking | 19 |
| Architect | William Laidlaw Purves |
| Year of foundation | 1887 |
| Par Course | 72 |
| Number of holes | 18 |
