Many passionate golfers have been affiliated with Royal St George ’ s throughout its history , with an impressive line-up of prominent names and faces having teed off at the 1st hole over the years . Wander into the clubhouse , and above a grand fireplace you ’ ll find a board brandishing the names of all the club ’ s past captains . Titles including Colonel , General , Earl and Major are not out of place here , and there ’ s even a future monarch to be found . The Prince of Wales served from 1927 to 1928 , before later becoming King Edward VIII .
One particularly noteworthy player from the club ’ s history books is James Bond author , Ian Fleming . An avid golfer , residing nearby at St . Margaret ’ s Bay , Fleming was a member of Royal St George ’ s for years . The author was captain-elect of St . George ’ s at the time of his death , and even lunched at the club the day before he died of a heart attack aged 56 in 1964 .
With eyes eagerly focused forward on the forthcoming Championship , it ’ s worth casting a memory back over the fourteen events that lie before it , each one with a deserving place in The Open Championship ’ s illustrious biography . Over the years , the historic links at Sandwich have seen some of golf ’ s greatest players lift the Claret Jug including – but not limited to - Harry Vardon , Walter Hagen , Henry Cotton , Bobby Locke , Sandy Lyle , and Greg Norman .
It was last played at Royal St George ’ s in 2011 , when Darren Clarke showed his mastery of links golf in challenging weather conditions to become Champion Golfer of the Year .
Alongside 14 past Open Championships , St George ’ s has also hosted many more top events throughout the years , including the Walker Cup , Curtis Cup , the Amateur Championship , the PGA Championship , Home Internationals , and the Brabazon Trophy .
Back to today though , where this summer , golfers look to Kent once again as The 149th Open Championship adds another chapter to this golf course ’ s epic story .
With The Open last held at Royal St George ’ s a decade ago , demand to be in Sandwich for golf ’ s oldest and most prestigious event scaled unprecedented heights before the global pandemic struck , with last year ’ s postponed event being recorded as the fastest selling to date . In fact , excitement for the return of the Claret Jug to the South East was such that the record for the highest selling day of advanced tickets in Open history was smashed in under seven hours . Now , 12 months after the Championship was originally scheduled to take place , thousands of spectators will flock to Royal St George ’ s for one of golf ’ s greatest spectacles .
Much has been made of the efforts in the years leading up to 2019 to get Portrush — the club and the community — updated to hold a modern
5th Hole Royal St George ’ s
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