Royal Perth Golf Club

Royal Perth Golf Club

Royal Perth Golf Club is located just a few minutes from the Perth CBD and situated on the banks of the Swan River. The Club has a strong history dating back to 1895 when it commenced on Burswood Island before moving to Wattle Grove Farm, Belmont in 1900 and then to its current site in 1908. The prestigious Club is the oldest in WA and was awarded Royal Charter in 1937.

Built on less than 30 hectares (74 acres) the founders have left a great legacy for generations of golfers over the past 100 plus years. The golf course is built on a flat terrain with narrow fairways requiring accurate placement from the tee. Being an “old style” course, the greens in general are small in size making them elusive targets, especially when the sea breeze sweeps in off the adjacent Swan River.

The outward nine has three par 5’s making it a par of 37 and, apart from holes 6 and 9, borders the golf course bringing out of bounds into play for errant shots moving from right to left. The inward nine is played inside the course boundaries and has a par of 35 with the 18th being the only par 5. Generally the back nine is a little more difficult with three tough par 4’s (holes 10, 13 and 16) to negotiate.

By modern standards Royal Perth is not long measuring just over 6000 metres. Despite this the golf course challenges the very best players with narrow fairways and renowned firm fast greens. Whilst there is little rough on the course there are near on 80 bunkers increasing the degree of difficulty.

Royal Perth Golf Club has made a fine contribution to golf in WA and Australia, hosting numerous championships, for both amateurs and professionals. Having hosted three Australian Senior Opens and the WA Open in recent years, the championship Par 72 golf course is a challenging and tough test of golf for all golfing abilities.

The Club also offers some great dining opportunities with excellent service, sumptuous food and an outstanding wine list, to entertain guests. The wine cellar is one of Perth’s best kept secrets with a variety to suit everybody’s palate.

The real story of Royal Perth Golf Club is, like all vintage golf clubs, about people. There are players and there are characters and there are stories, which become legend. Royal Perth has had its share of them.

It has had champions too, and is very proud of the calibre of young players who are today making a name for themselves at national and international level. But it is the many members, past and present, with handicaps long and short, whose love of playing the game at Royal Perth has left the Club with an indelible spirit of good friendship and sportsmanship.

Some golfers have practically made Royal Perth their home, playing there most days of the week and there are those whose enduring relationship went to the grave with them, their ashes buried beneath the trees.

Members of Royal Perth can look back on the Club’s past with pride and gratitude, knowing that the facilities they have today did not come easily but are, nevertheless, the legacy of those many people who once enjoyed the game as much as they do themselves.