Royal Perth Golf Club

Founded in 1895, the golf club gained its royal status from King George VI in 1937. Perth’s original 9-hole course was situated at Burswood Island before a more suitable site was found at Wattle Grove Farm, Belmont in 1900.

Unfortunately, this proved to be another short-term location for members because the club moved again to its third (and final) location soon after and Sir Frederick Bedford, Governor of Western Australia, officially opened the new layout in 1908.

The course was constructed on an extraordinarily neat parcel of land – extending to a mere 74 acres – with most of the narrow, tree-lined fairways routed in a north-south direction alongside the Swan River estuary.

Today’s course of the Royal Perth Golf Club measures a touch over 6,670 yards and accuracy off the tee is absolutely essential if a decent score is to be made here.

It’s also important to post a good total for the front nine with two of the three par fives – at holes 3 and 9 – on the outward half presenting birdie opportunities (the other par five, the 540-yard 7th, is fiendishly protected by four cross bunkers short of the green so a par score is the aim at that hole).

On the inward half, the handful of par fours between the 13th and 17th can determine the outcome of many a round at Royal Perth with tight, well-bunkered landing areas, over hanging trees and small, sand-protected greens all proving formidable obstacles on the way home.