Welcome to this special edition of the Secret of St. Andrews podcast, "The Union Club."
The clubhouse sitting behind the Old Course's first tee in St. Andrews wasn't originally built by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. Instead, it belonged to the Union Club, a social club founded in 1835.
The Union Club was envisioned by Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair, a prominent member of the R&A, and was initially conceived as a gathering place for the town's archery club. Since many members of the R&A were also avid archers, golfers were encouraged to join as well.
Originally, the Union Club consisted of a parlour room located on what is now the site of the Hamilton Grand on Pillmore Place, directly behind the Old Course's 18th green. There, golfers and archers could dine and drink, play billiards, and even store their clubs, bows, and arrows.
Though the Union Club and the R&A shared many members, they remained separate entities—at least until 1877.
By 1853, the Union Club was thriving and had become a popular hangout for the golfing legends of the day, including Allan Robertson and Old Tom Morris. The Union Club had the resources to purchase land and erect the building we now recognize as the Royal and Ancient Clubhouse.
The two clubs agreed that members of one club would enjoy the privileges of the other. However, when the clubhouse opened in 1854, it was still referred to as the Union Club. It wasn’t until the spring of 1877 that the two clubs formally merged and adopted the name the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.