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Latest R&A News: history of golf exhibited in China

Posted by under Latest Golf News, Mens Amateur Golf

The R&A has brought some of its finest golfing treasures to China for an exhibition at the Pine Valley Golf Resort in Beijing. The opening of the exhibition on Friday 9 May was timed to coincide with the Pine Valley Beijing Open, which was played at the venue last week.

The exhibition, entitled “The R&A and the Heart of the Game”, marks the first time that The R&A has set up an overseas exhibition to show its unrivalled collection of golfing artefacts, most of which are normally found in the British Golf Museum in St Andrews. Among the items on display will be: a captain’s jacket, the bright red three-quarter-length coat traditionally worn by captains of the club; a replica of the Claret Jug; and a replica of the famous silver club, the trophy which was first played for during the club’s inaugural competition in May 1754, and which is now passed on between club captains.

Other displays tell the story of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, from its inception in the eighteenth century right through to the evolution of its roles in areas as diverse as the administration of the rules, the running of The Open Championship and the development of golf throughout the world.

The displays about the club’s history are sure to draw plenty of attention, with several panels dedicated to the unique and colourful history of what is one of the world’s great sporting institutions. One section of the exhibition, for example, concentrates on The Royal and Ancient club’s royal connections, beginning with King William IV becoming the club’s patron in 1834 and continuing up to HRH Prince Andrew serving as club captain in 2003-4. Another looks at the R&A’s role in the development and management of the golf courses in St Andrews, including its role in the shaping of the world-famous Old Course and the building of the famous old clubhouse beside the first tee.

“I am very pleased that we have been able to bring this exhibition to China,” said Peter Lewis, R&A Director of Museum and Heritage. “To bring it to a country where golf is growing so rapidly is particularly gratifying.”

Lewis was on-hand at the exhibition’s opening to give VIP guided tours to visiting dignitaries, who included a government minister and several local officials from Beijing. At the prize-giving ceremony, he was preseted with an award “In Recognition for Outstanding Effort in Promotion of Cultural Exchange”.

The 6,500 sq ft (600 sq m) exhibition opened on Friday 9 May in the Pine Valley Golf Resort’s new clubhouse, and runs until the end of the month.