Royal St George’s (also known affectionately as Sandwich) is one of the great links courses of British golf. It has played host to many famous Opens through the years and has produced a number of memorable winners, including Greg Norman and Sandy Lyle. But the Sandwich course produced one of the biggest shocks in the history of golf when it hosted the Open in 2003 where a complete unknown by the name of Ben Curtis – he, too, ironically from Kent – came, conqured and then went home with the Claret Jug.
The test may have been fierce – the fairways can be extremely fast when it’s sunny – but there is something incredibly enduring about Royal St George’s. No matter how hard, it has an appeal like no other.
The club was founded by the surgeon Laidlaw Purves in 1887 in a setting of wild duneland. Many holes feature blind or partially blind shots, although the unfairness element has been reduced somewhat, after several 20th century modifications. The course also possesses the deepest bunker in championship golf, located on its fourth hole.
It has hosted 13 Open championships since 1894, when it became the first club outside Scotland to host the championship. Past champions include Darren Clarke, Ben Curtis, Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle, Bill Rogers, Bobby Locke, Reg Whitcombe, Henry Cotton, Walter Hagen (on two occasions), Harry Vardon (on two occasions), Jack White and John Henry Taylor. It has also hosted The Amateur Championship on 13 occasions.
