A Right Royal Fourball

As the Queen embarks on a program of Diamond Jubilee festivities this weekend that would exhaust most twenty-somethings – the Epsom Derby, Jubilee Lunch, Thames Pageant and BBC Concert – I wonder how many of her extended family will have some ‘down time’ to step out of the public gaze and enjoy a round of golf.  Not many, I’m willing to guess, but if they were to do so, surely there’s never been a more fitting time to head to one of the 61 ‘Royal’ golf clubs, a few of which are featured above.

Bit of history for you.  The oldest golf club to bear the Royal name is The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, founded in 1745 and granted Royal status by King William IV in 1834.  It was not, however, the first club to receive the title; an honour which belongs to Royal Perth Golf Club, founded in 1824 and granted royal patronage by King William IV in 1833. The latest club to receive the honour was the Mayfair Golf & Country Club in Edmonton, Canada, which was granted Royal status by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in October 2005.  The only two outside the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth are Royal Dublin and Marianske Lazne Golf Club in the Czech Republic, which was honoured in 2003 having been a favourite holiday destination for King Edward VII who opened the club on August 21, 1905.

But back to the Royal Family.  The only recognised golfer in their current ranks is Prince Andrew, former Captain of the R&A and proud owner of a four handicap, but that’s not to say that other members of the Royal Family aren’t handy with the hickory or fatal with the flat stick. If horse racing is the Sport of Kings, then golf is at least the Sport of Princes, as evidenced by the list of other members of the Royal Family that have captained The Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

So, let’s contemplate this weekend’s Royal fourball, with Prince Andrew teeing off first.  Who makes up the group?

Prince Charles strikes me as the high handicap golfer; prone to an occasional dabble but purely to humour his brother. Prince Harry seems to have a keen interest in most sports and an eye for a ball, so perhaps he’d be a mid-teen handicap, depending on the previous evening’s social activities.

As for Prince William, well it’s not a particularly well known fact that he bears the scar of a previous golfing encounter from his childhood. A huge story at the time, William was felled by his own friend and ended up in the emergency department of Royal Berkshire Hospital. “We were on a putting green and the next thing you know there was a seven-iron and it came out of nowhere and it hit me in the head.” Well, call me a cynic, but seven irons don’t come out of nowhere, especially on a putting green.  Sounds like a cover up to me! News of the perpetrator has since been brushed under the carpet, though one would assume that somebody out there has an incredible golfing story that gets exaggerated on each telling. Either that or they ended up in the Tower! Still, that incident probably serves to demonstrate that the future King has played a bit of golf in his time, so might well be en route to a single digit handicap if he can find the time.

I’m sure there are numerous other candidates for consideration, too. Perhaps Camilla and Kate are a lethal foursomes partnership. The Queen herself might enjoy nothing more than nipping out with the Corgi’s for a quick nine when nobody is looking. And I’m certain the Duke of Edinburgh would be a complete liability in the Royal Buggy.

But all joking aside, we’re unlikely to ever know the pedigree of golfing talent coursing through the veins of the Royal Family.  Will you ever bump into Charles, William or Harry down at the club for a Sunday morning game?  Well, probably not but this isn’t because of security concerns, it’s more likely because they have a Royal Golf Club set aside for them to use at their leisure – a nine hole golf course set, very privately, in the grounds of the Windsor Estate. Named ‘The Royal Household Golf Club’ it is for the exclusive use of the Royal Family, employees of the Royal Household, and by those of very fortunate invitation.

Rumours abound that the Royals are fond of a knock around this private course, though I doubt there is much evidence for it. We don’t know that much about the course itself – I gather it’s just over 4,500 yards when played as an 18 hole loop, but one would assume that the length of the golf course is more than compensated by the hospitality in the clubhouse.

Either way, I like to think that at some point between the final furlongs of the Epsom Derby and Jessie J strutting her stuff at the BBC Concert, there might be a Royal fourball indulging in a ‘bragging rights’ match across the fairways of The Royal Household Golf Club. If so, perhaps the measure of a successful Diamond Jubilee celebration for one Royal at least will come down to a 6 foot putt on the last for a win.