{{Short description|Golf club in Devon, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2013}} {{Infobox golf facility | golf_facility_name = Royal North Devon Golf Club | image = 100px<br><br>250px | caption = View across RND in 2009, located on the Northam Burrows SSSI | pushpin_map = Devon | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_mapsize = 200 | pushpin_map_alt = Devon, England | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates = {{Coord|51|2|45.6|N|4|13|33.6|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=it}} | location = Golf Links Road, Westward Ho!, Devon, EX39 1HD | establishment = {{Start date and age|1864|04|04|df=y}} | type = Private links course | owner = | operator = | holes = 18 | greens = ''Agrostis'' | fairways = ''Festuca'' | tournaments = The Amateur Championship (1912, 1925, 1931) | website = {{URL|https://www.royalnorthdevongolfclub.co.uk}} | course1 = Championship Course | designer1 = Old Tom Morris | par1 = 72 | length1 = {{convert|7085|yd}} | rating1 = 74.2 | slope1 = 135 | record1 = 64; {{flagicon|ENG}} Jon White (2007) | course2 = Northam Burrows | module = {{Infobox SSSI|embed=yes | aos = Devon | interest = Geological | gridref = {{gbmappingsmall|SS441309}} | displaymap = Devon | area = {{cvt|421.9|ha|mi2|abbr=on}} | notifydate = {{Start date and age|1988|06|29|df=y}} | enref = 1002214 }} }}
The '''Royal North Devon Golf Club''' ('''RND''') is a private golf club in Westward Ho!, Devon, England. Founded in 1864 as the '''North Devon and West of England Golf Club''', RND operates the oldest golf course in England. It was granted royal status by King Edward VII—then Prince of Wales—in 1867.
Located on the Northam Burrows SSSI, the links course was designed by Scottish golfer Old Tom Morris. It has been noted for its natural beauty, diverse wildlife, and related conservation schemes. The 18-hole ''Championship Course'' provides a challenging experience for golfers, who face trade winds from the Atlantic and a high slope rating.
RND hosted the Amateur Championship in 1912, 1925, and 1931. Notable former members include five-time Open champion John Henry Taylor and two-time British Amateur champion Horace Hutchinson. It placed ninety-fourth in ''Golf Monthly''{{'s}} rankings of British and Irish courses in 2025.
== History == === Background (1603–1863) === {{See also|History of golf|Timeline of golf history (1353–1850)|Timeline of golf history (1851–1945)}} {{multiple image | direction = horizontal | align = left | image1 = Portrait of James I of England wearing the jewel called the Three Brothers in his hat.jpg | width1 = 69 | alt1 = Portrait of James I of England in 1605 | image2 = Flying Scotsman express, 2547, Doncaster (CJ Allen, Steel Highway, 1928).jpg | width2 = 181 | alt2 = The Flying Scotsman train in 1928 | footer = James VI of Scotland has been credited with the expansion of golf following his accession to the English throne. }}
Following the accession of King James VI of Scotland to the English throne in 1603, the sport of golf spread across the British Isles. His son—Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales—and his courtiers played golf at Blackheath, London, where Royal Blackheath was formally established in 1608.<ref>[http://www.royalblackheath.com/history ''Our History''], Royal Blackheath Golf Club</ref> It was not until the mid-19th century that golf gained prominence outside of Scotland. Queen Victoria built Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands in 1852, when the railways expanded to St Andrews.<ref>[http://www.balmoralcastle.com/history.htm ''The History of Balmoral''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011183618/http://www.balmoralcastle.com/history.htm |date=2010-10-11 }}, Balmoral Castle official website</ref><ref>[http://www.railbrit.co.uk/St_Andrews_Railway/frame.htm ''St Andrews Railway''], Railbrit.co.uk</ref> The royal enthusiasm for Scotland, improved transport links, and writings of Walter Scott caused an increase in tourism in Scotland, as well as international interest in its culture.<ref>[http://www.nls.uk/scotlandspages/timeline/1865.html ''1865 - Queen Victoria and the Highlands''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820074514/http://nls.uk/scotlandspages/timeline/1865.html |date=2010-08-20 }}, National Library of Scotland website</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/land_and_votes/queen_victoria_takes_the_throne/ ''Queen Victoria takes to the throne''], Scotland's History, BBC</ref><ref>[http://www.heraldscotland.com/call-to-make-2011-the-year-of-walter-scott-1.912888 ''The year of Sir Walter Scott''], The Herald Newspaper online</ref>
=== Establishment and royal status (1864–1867) === The North Devon and West of England Golf Club was founded in 1864,<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/holiday-cottages/8201917/Golfing-holidays-in-the-West-Country.html Telegraph – Golfing holidays in the West Country] ''The Telegraph'', 15 December 2010, retrieved 30 January 2012.</ref> making it the oldest existing golf course in England.<ref>Dowell, Phil, ''The English Golf Coast'', Melrose Books, 2006, {{ISBN|1-905226-43-8}}.</ref> The links course was designed by Scottish golfer Old Tom Morris.<ref>[http://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/Article/Old-Tom-Morris/1423/Default.aspx Old Tom Morris] ''Golf Course Architecture'', 1 July 2006, retrieved 30 January 2012.</ref> It was granted royal status by Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1867, affixing the "Royal" prefix to the club name.
=== First century, J.H. Taylor, and the Amateur (1868–1963) === Three leading British golfers of the late 19th and early 20th were known as the Great Triumvirate. One of them, J.H. Taylor, learned his golf at RND<ref>MacWood, Thomas, [http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/tom-macwood-a-round-of-golf-courses-bernard-darwin-outward-nine/tom-macwood-a-round-of-golf-courses-bernard-darwin-inward-nine/ A Round of Golf Courses: Bernard Darwin – Inward Nine], ''Golf Club Atlas'', August, 2007, retrieved 30 January 2012.</ref> and was invested Honorary President of the Club in 1957.<ref>[http://www.royalnorthdevongolfclub.co.uk/History/the-oldest-links-in-england.html The oldest Links in England – RND History], ''Royal North Devon Golf Club'', retrieved 30 January 2012.</ref> RND was also the home course for the noted amateur golfer Horace Hutchinson,<ref name=Stevens>{{cite web|last1=Stevens|first1=Mike|title=The Father of Golf Instruction|url=https://usgtf.com/articles/father.html|website=usgtf.com|accessdate=16 April 2015}}</ref> who won the British Amateur in 1886 and 1887. The course has hosted The Amateur Championship on three occasions, in 1912, 1925, and 1931.<ref>[http://www.randa.org/en/Championship-Golf/Amateur-Championships/Amateur-Championship/History.aspx Amateur Championship History] ''The R&A'', retrieved 30 January 2012.</ref>
=== Modern developments (1964–present) === thumb|left|The entrance of RND in 2014, the 150th anniversary of the club's founding.|alt=Entrance of RND in 2014, white fences with navy signs at a road junction The club provides facilities for one of the largest junior sections in England.
== Geography == === Flora and fauna === [[File:Royal North Devon Golf Club, Northam (geograph 4043995).jpg|thumb|left|RND is situated on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, featuring diverse flora and fauna along the Atlantic coastline.|alt=Image of RND facing towards the clubhouse and Westward Ho!]] RND is located on Northam Burrows between Northam and Westward Ho! Northam Burrows is common land and was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1988. Golfers share the environment with sheep, ponies and walkers.<ref>[http://www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk/pdf/landscape_assessment.pdf The Draft North Devon AONB Landscape Assessment], ''The Countryside Agency'', May 1999, retrieved 30 January 2012.</ref>
=== Climate === In January 2018 part of the seventh green was washed away during Storm Eleanor and there is disagreement between the golf club and Natural England on the management of the coast. There are no plans by Natural England to build coast defences here and point out that the golf club can build two new greens elsewhere and relinquish two existing greens.<ref>{{cite web|title=Royal North Devon Golf Club course at risk from erosion|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-42786519|publisher=BBC|accessdate=23 January 2018|date=23 January 2018}}</ref>
=== Conservation === The club was the first to ban plastic tees over fears that they were being eaten by wildlife.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/27/englands-oldest-golf-course-first-ban-plastic-tees-fears-eaten/|date=28 November 2019|title=England's oldest golf course first to ban plastic tees over fears they are being eaten by wildlife|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|page=15}}</ref>
== See also == * List of golf clubs granted royal status * List of golf courses designed by Old Tom Morris * List of golf courses in the United Kingdom * List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.royalnorthdevongolfclub.co.uk/ Official website] {{commons-inline}}
Category:1864 establishments in England Category:Golf clubs and courses in Devon Category:Organisations based in the United Kingdom with royal patronage Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1864 Category:Royal golf clubs Category:Golf clubs and courses designed by Old Tom Morris