The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is a private members-only golf club based in St Andrews, Scotland, and one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. It began in 1754 as the Society of St Andrews Golfers and later took its present name, with its clubhouse standing behind the first tee of the Old Course, although the courses themselves are run by the St Andrews Links Trust. Until 2004 the club also governed the game and organised championships such as The Open Championship and the Walker Cup; those functions passed to a separate body called The R&A. Membership is by invitation, and the club voted to admit women in 2014.