The Royal Perth Golfing Society

The Royal Perth Golfing Society is a short golf blog post that looks at the world’s oldest ‘Royal’ golf club. That’s right, you read that correctly, it is the world’s oldest Royal Golf Club. A Short History of the Club It was formed by a small group of Perth gentlemen on April 5, 1824. The meeting took part in Scotland’s oldest hotel, the Salutation Hotel, Perth. The Salutation Hotel (Established in 1699) was where Bonnie Prince Charlie held his Jacobite Rebellion meetings in 1745. The club itself has moved three times over the years. The last time was in 1876 when it moved to where it now stands which is a Georgian house on Atholl Cresent, Perth. Opposite the club is the North Inch Park, the site of the Battle of the Clans in 1396. It is also the home of North Inch Golf Club where the RPGS play their golf. Most people are led to believe that the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is the oldest. They may be the oldest but they are not the oldest Royal Golf Club. If you investigate, it won’t take long before you find out that the Royal Perth Golfing Society was the first to obtain the title of ‘Royal’. It was through the good connections of the 6th Captain, Lord Kinnaird, that King William IV later presented the Club with the ‘Royal’ Patronage in 1833. More than 70 golf clubs, worldwide, have since been given the Royal Patronage. Many of these are Reciprocal Links to the Royal Perth Golfing Society. Its name changed in 1878 to The Royal Perth Golfing Society & County and City Club. History of Golf at the Club in Perth. The Royal Perth Golfing Society previously played their golf on both the South Inch & North Inch courses. Sadly, golf on the South Inch no longer exists. Some say that golf has been played on North Inch for around 500 years but one of the first-named golfers in Perth was James Gall in 1638. The first Amateur Championship was played in 1859 and it was won by George Cundie of Perth. A portrait of George Cundie is hung up in the restaurant. George Cundie was also famous for his gold watch bet at North Inch. Cundie bet his valet, he couldn’t hit a golf ball off the watch face without breaking it. His valet won the bet after hitting the ball off the watch to 10 feet of the hole. The Trophies & Medals Many of the trophies and medals seen in the trophy cabinets are still played for today. A silver putter, much like the one in the image above, dating back to 1824 is on loan for display at the British Golf Museum in St Andrews. It has 47 silver balls attached to it, each representing a past Captain and all engraved with their names. The silver putters are on display in presentation boxes scattered around the club which look fantastic. They recently sold one to a collector in the US for a record-breaking 200,000.00 There are several trophy cabinets at the club which are full of trophies and medals. These include the Pullar Jug, Tullibardine Cup, Macduff Jug, Rev.T.D. Miller Trophy, Bell Jug, Jamson Jug & the Biarritz Cup, to name a few. The stunning Medals collection includes the Society Gold Medal, Pitfpour Silver Medal, Buccleuch Golf Medal, Bombay Silver Medal, St Martins Cross, Atholl Cross and the Centenary Medal. The Royal Perth Golfing Society Today Many changes have been made to the inside of the Club. It has recently undergone a substantial refurbishment, which has helped to freshen it up. The refurbishment has been done very tastefully and in keeping with the building and its history and all paid for by the sale of the Silver Putter. The Captain of the Club, Robin Duncan is keen to make his mark on the club and create a long-lasting legacy. He recently got hold of Graeme Baxter, the famous golfing artist, to paint the Par 3, 16th hole on North Inch Golf Course. The original painting hangs on the Club wall, at the entrance but Robin has a limited number of ‘North Inch Bicentenary Prints’ of this painting to sell. These prints cost… 50 GBP each or mounted versions cost 70 GBP each. The fully framed versions cost only 110 GBP each which is a bargain price. If you would like to buy one then contact Robin at the following email address: rjhduncan@outlook.com Other than golf, the club enjoys many other activities, which include Walking, Fishing, Clay Target Shooting, Curling and Snooker. They also have a great social section because of all of the events that it organises. These include Lunches, Dinners, Talks, Bridge, Quiz Nights, and Wine & Whisky Tastings to name but a few. Accommodation at the Club The Royal Perth Golfing Society & County and City Club seem to be going from strength to strength due to the plans they have for the future. They have recently created some accommodation within the club which is of an excellent standard. There are several rooms on the top floor including a Twin Room, a Double Room and a Single Room. Two wonderful Junior Suites can be found in the basement of the club, both of which include a small kitchenette and seating area. Check out their website by clicking on this link, The Royal Perth Golfing Society & County and City Club. What are your thoughts on The Royal Perth Golfing Society? Please leave a comment by filling out a Contact Form. To read more of my golf blog posts, click here.