Royal St. George's Golf Club

The Dunes That Test Champions

The golf course at Royal St. George's Golf Club opened in 1887 after Dr William Laidlaw Purves identified undulating linksland east of Sandwich. He wanted a southern course guided by the ethos and traditions of St Andrews. The routing developed as two broadly circular nines, forming a loose figure of eight rather than a simple out-and-back course.

Large dunes dominate the opening half, and the ground rarely gives a level stance. Drives can settle on an upslope or downslope, leaving long approaches from awkward lies. The fifth narrows between dunes, while the par-five 14th introduces the Suez Canal and out-of-bounds along the right, asking players to judge how close they are willing to play to trouble.

Alister MacKenzie and Frank Pennink later made changes that reduced some blindness without removing the course's irregular character. Plateau greens sit above deep sand, and exposed wind can alter the required line. Royal St. George's remains difficult because each bounce is shaped by natural ground, leaving golfers to read the land before committing to a shot.