Looking to the future
Although golf was played on the heath even earlier, the formal institution of this famous club is reckoned to be 1608. Sadly, the documentation relating to this no longer exists, but there seems little doubt that Royal Blackheath is by some distance the oldest golf club in England. It is also one that is definitely not resting on its illustrious laurels, with significant changes on and off the course designed to pave the way for a bright and healthy future.
A living history
After the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, James VI of Scotland headed south with his court to London. He took up residence in the Royal Palace at Greenwich, where he became James I of England as well as the self-styled King of Great Britain. Golf was already well established north