The Royal Montreal Golf Club (French: Le Club de Golf Royal Montréal) is a private golf course located on Île Bizard that has existed since 1873. It is the second-oldest golf club in North America, (the oldest being The Savannah Golf Club, in Savannah, Georgia, USA; established in 1794) and the oldest in continuous existence. The club has occupied its current location since 1959, and features 45 holes across three courses. Founded in Montreal in 1873 by eight men led by Alexander Dennistoun. In 1884, Permission was granted by Queen Victoria to use the royal prefix. The club celebrated its 150-year anniversary in 2023.
History
Royal Montreal was founded in Montreal in 1873 by a group of eight men led by Mr. Alexander Dennistoun, a Scottish-born man who was also named as the club's first Captain.
In Montreal, golf was first played on the pasturelands of Mount Royal Park in 1871, which the red-coated golfers shared with the publicthumb|The 1922 clubhouse designed by J. Melville Miller and Charles J. Saxe at 100 boulevard Bouchard in Dorval. It burned down in April 2020.The Dixie era remained an honoured landmark in the Montreal community for decades before it was repurposed as Queen’s Angels Academy, and later Collège Saint-Anne. Unfortunately, this 124-year-old structure was reportedly set ablaze and burned down on September 15, 2020. divided among three different courses: the Blue course (18 holes), the Red course (18 holes), and the Dixie course (9 holes).
Shortly after the opening of the club, the Blue course quickly gained recognition and international acclaim due to its strategically challenging layout and pristine condition. The course became host to numerous professional tournaments, helping organize the Presidents Cup and the Canadian Open. It became one of Canada's leading venues for professional golf. In 2004, to modernize play, architect Rees Jones pursued large renovation plans to lengthen and toughen the Blue course in preparation for professional play.
Royal Montreal was one of the five founding Clubs of the Royal Canadian Golf Association, established in 1895 as the governing body of golf in Canada.
Royal Montreal has hosted numerous major tournaments, including the Presidents Cup in 2007 and in 2024, and five Canadian Opens at the Île Bizard location (1975, 1980, 1997, 2001 and 2014).