R&A World Golf Museum facts for kids

The R&A World Golf Museum

The R&A World Golf Museum
Former name	British Golf Museum
Established	1989 (opened in 1990)
Location	Bruce Embankment, St Andrews, Scotland
Architect	Richard Murphy Architects (renovated in June 2015)
Owner	The R&A

The R&A World Golf Museum is an exciting place in St Andrews, Scotland. It's right across from the famous Royal and Ancient Golf Club. This museum used to be called the British Golf Museum. A group called The R&A owns and runs this special museum.

The museum first opened its doors in 1990. It tells the amazing history of golf from very old times up to today. You can learn about both men's and women's golf. It covers golf in Britain and around the world, including professional and amateur players. Inside, you'll see old golf equipment, cool souvenirs, and beautiful artwork. There are also documents about the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and explanations of golf rules and words.

History of the Museum

The museum started in 1989 in a building that was already there. It was a single-story building located behind the Clubhouse. Later, the building got a big makeover and was made much larger. The total space became about 580 square meters (or 6,243 square feet). This expansion even added a cafe on the rooftop! The building work began in the summer of 2014. It was all finished by June 2015.

On June 21, 2021, the museum opened again with its new name. It changed from the British Golf Museum to The R&A World Golf Museum.

Women Golfers' History

The museum also shows a part of the collection from the Women Golfers' Museum (WGM). The books and photos from the WGM are kept at the University of St Andrews Library. The WGM first opened in April 1939 in London. Issette Pearson was its president, and Mabel Stringer was the chairman.

In 1961, the Lady Golfers' Club joined with the Golfers Club. But by 1968, the museum needed a new home. It was shown in different clubs in London for a while. From 1977 to 1980, it was displayed at Colgate-Palmolive's offices. Then, from 1982 to 1984, it was at the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh. Finally, it moved to its current home in St Andrews. This collection shares a full history of women's golf. It includes interesting items like Rhona Adair's golf balls and Poppy Wingate's shoes.

Images for kids

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  The British Golf Museum in 2009 before it was renovated

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  The museum during renovation in 2014

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  The British Golf Museum in 2017 after it was renovated

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  The rear of the British Golf Museum in 2019

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  The R&A World Golf Museum in 2022

See Also

• History of golf
• USGA Museum
• Jack Nicklaus Museum