ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – I still can’t decide what was the coolest piece of memorabilia on display at the R&A Clubhouse.
Was it the original oil paintings hanging on the walls? The prized silver Claret Jug that will be awarded to the Champion Golfer of the Year? Or the original Alister MacKenzie sketch of The Old Course surveyed and depicted in 1924? All spectacular and part of the rich history of the game, but then you see the original Challenge Belt that was awarded to the winner of the Open Championship from 1860-1870 until Young Tom Morris won the belt outright by winning the event three times in succession — that’s next level.
Welcome to The Royal & Ancient Clubhouse, situated behind the first tee of the famed Old Course, and an iconic building whose exterior is known instantly to golfers around the world. Arnold Palmer once described it as “being admitted to the Hall of the Gods,” and thanks to Golfweek rater and club member Derek Dobbs, I received a grand tour of the facility, which was originally built in 1854 in the Georgian style of the day.
