Museum

The Museum at Royal Blackheath houses one of the finest collections of golfing trophies, medals, artefacts and memorabilia in the world.

Visitors can trace the development of the game from its earliest origins through to the modern era. Among the collection are early hickory clubs and ‘featherie’ balls, the Spring Medal first played for in 1792 - which gave rise to the term “medal golf” - and the silver claret jug presented in 1857 to the Blackheath golfers who won the first inter-club tournament at St Andrews Links, retaining it ten years later.

The Museum also holds one of the four original Calcutta Cups, cast in 1875 from melted silver rupees, together with a remarkable array of further historic pieces that reflect the Club’s influence on the game’s expansion.

The collection spans from the earliest surviving document - the original lease of the Clubhouse signed by Queen Henrietta Maria in 1662 - through to the first open handicap trophy, contested in 2021 by men and women over the same course.

For those with an interest in the history of golf, the Royal Blackheath Museum offers an experience of genuine significance.