The MEMBERSHIP
OUR STORY - Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
Our
Story
In the 1920's, when the country was establishing Jim Crow, white organizations routinely excluded blacks from participation in various professional sports, including those in which blacks had been prominent. To counter this, African Americans established alternative institutions, and in golf, it was the UGA, the United Golfers Association, in 1926. Blacks in Washington, DC, were allowed to play at a nine-hole layout in the area between the Lincoln Memorial and the Old Naval Hospital at 24th and Constitution Avenue Northwest. The greens were about twenty feet in diameter and covered in sand. Even the average player could drive all but three of the holes with irons. This course was built by the original group, the Capitol City Golf Club.
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After a committee was established in 1933 to draft a constitution, the Royal Golf Club was formed, with bylaws, an emblem, and a seal designed to distinguish it as a golf organization. The official colors of the Royal Golf Club are Purple and Gold. In the beginning, the membership was very small and included many professionals — doctors, lawyers, and notable members of the Washington, DC area. Later, however, this makeup changed significantly when they became better organized, and the group began promoting various golfing events. From this point on, the membership grew larger and more diverse until it became the club representing golfers from every walk of life.
In 1952, the Royal Golf Club purchased the property owned and occupied by Charles R. Watts for use as a clubhouse. He was an African-American surgeon and activist for the poor. Watts was the first surgeon of African-American ancestry in North Carolina. Earning his medical degree in 1943 from Howard University College, he was the first African-American board-certified surgeon to serve in North Carolina. After surgical training at Freedman's Hospital in Washington, D.C., in 1949, he moved to Durham, North Carolina, and in 1950 established a clinic to provide medical services to the poor. Breaking social customs and racial barriers, he advocated for the certification of African American medical students.
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The Royal Golf Club purchased the property at 539 23rd Place, Northeast, Washington, DC, to be used as a clubhouse. The property was once the residence of Mr. Charles R. Watts, and the mortgage on the clubhouse property was terminated in 1965. The Royal Clubhouse urgently needs repairs and renovations to maintain its royal standing. Over the years, the Royal Golf Club clubhouse has hosted numerous meetings, special events, and frequent celebrations, but the members are currently holding their monthly meetings at a member's home. In 2022, the club sought to increase membership and solicit financial support to help maintain its legacy and preserve its 70-year-old club home. The members are requesting your support. Please take a moment to make a donation.
The Royal Golf Club Membership
The Royal Golf Club is now recognized throughout the United States by its membership and community involvement. The Club has sponsored an annual Amateur Tournament and created golf activities that initially started at the Lincoln Memorial Golf Course, but inadequacies led to a continuous effort to acquire the present Langston Golf Course.
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The Royal Golf Club has become a staple of golf, not only locally but also regionally and nationally. Along with joining the United Golfers Association UGA in the thirties and maintaining that relationship, over the years, some of the members have travelled to Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York to play tournaments. A natural Intra-city rivalry developed, and as a result, the Eastern Golf Club Association was formed. The Royal Golf Club is the oldest club in the UGA and is well-respected and recognized nationally as a group of golfers, gentlemen, and sportsmen.
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The Royal Golf Club's membership is currently at thirty-four (membership directory) for the 2026-2027 year.
ROYAL GOLF CHAMPION of the Year 2021 - 2023
Carl Pete
ROYAL of the YEAR 2021
WILLIAM "BILLY" SCRUGGS Jr.
