History
The Royal Golf Club of Belgium, Royal since its inception in 1906, was founded by King Leopold II and, together with the Ostend links, formed one single golf club until the end of World War II when they were split into two separate entities. The Ravenstein Manor Farm, where the Club House and the golf courses lay, owes its name to its first owner, Philippe de Clèves, Lord of Ravenstein, the grandson of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy.
King Leopold II was a passionate dendrologist and used the golf course at Ravenstein to implant the same species he was breeding in his massive arboretum in nearby Tervuren. The variety of trees on the courses is therefore the main specificity at the Royal Golf Club of Belgium.
The Ravenstein Manor Farm, the current Club House, has its own historical background that started in 1460 with Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. The building of the current Club House started in 1748 under the supervision of then owner Sir Charles-Henry Francolet de Terweynt. After several changes of ownership, the last being the Prince of Orange in 1826, the property was bought from the Belgian State in 1880 by King Leopold II who presented it to the "Royal Donation" in 1903, so that it could become the Club House for the future golf club.
In one of his books, famous golf professional Seymour Dunn claims to be the architect of the original 18 holes course. Seymour Dunn was a great personality in golf design and teaching, with a career that span over decades in Europe, the UK and in the USA. Although the official plans for the lay out of the course have disappeared, we also know that Tom Simpson visited the premises in the early 1920’s and some features on the golf course do indeed bear the mark of the great designer. In 1951, Philip Mackenzie Ross, known for his brilliant work at Turnberry, designed the Park Course, a short 9 hole lay out designed to accommodate all recreational golfers.
In 1990, the Arboretum Course underwent a 10 years modernising programme, led by another brilliant architect, Martin Hawtree.
In 2013, King Philippe I accepted the title of President of Honour of the Royal Golf Club of Belgium.
In 2023, the Club started a 2 years programme to rebuild all of its bunkers under supervision of architect Russell Talley.
Course records:
- Amateurs (ladies): Miss Victoria Monod (Swi): 66
- Amateurs (men): Mr August Thor Høst (Den): 63
- The professional course record which was held by Flory Van Donck since 1935 with 65 (PAR 74), was broken by Eduardo de la Riva from Spain who shot 64 during a Challenge Tour event in 2012.
