Royal Adelaide Golf Club

Overview: Royal Adelaide’s Seaton links occupies open sandy ground in Adelaide’s western suburbs, less than two kilometres from the coast. The course retains the feel of a natural links, with dunes, native rough, firm playing surfaces, and multiple lines of play on many holes. Seasonal conditions change its personality: summer can bring firm, fast running, while spring introduces different winds and more demanding native grasses. The result is a course that rewards imagination and careful positioning as much as clean ball striking.

History: The present club was formed in 1892, and its earlier course began at Glenelg before expanding to 18 holes in 1898. The club purchased land near Grange in 1904, and the Seaton links officially opened on 30 June 1906. The first layout skirted the dunes, which were later brought more fully into play after Alister MacKenzie’s 1926 visit. Dan Soutar, MacKenzie, and later Brian Slawnik and Tom Doak are among the architects associated with alterations that helped shape the modern course.

Did You Know? Royal Adelaide is locally known as “Seaton,” after the suburb where the course has stood for more than a century. The club’s own history notes that the land initially included poorly drained swamps and was regarded as poor farming country, yet its underlying sand dunes were recognised from the beginning as splendid golf ground. The links has hosted nine Australian Opens and sixteen Australian Amateur Championships.