| Golf Facility Name: | Royal Golf Club Mariánské Lázně |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | yes |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Czech Republic |
| Location: | Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic |
| Establishment: | 1905, |
| Type: | Public |
| Holes: | 18 |
| Tournaments: | Czechoslovak Open Czech Open |
| Website: | golfml.cz |
| Course1: | Old Course |
| Designer1: | Robert Doig |
| Par1: | 72 |
| Length1: | 6135m (20,128feet) |
Royal Golf Club Mariánské Lázně, also known as Royal Marienbad Golf Club, is a golf club in the spa town of Mariánské Lázně (German: Marienbad) in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic.
The club, one of the oldest in Central Europe, was at the time of its founding located in the empire of Austria-Hungary. Marienbad, as it was then known, enjoyed a golden era as one of the Great Spa Towns of Europe, where many celebrities and European rulers came to enjoy the curative carbon dioxide springs. The original 9-hole golf course and clubhouse were opened in 1905, in response to numerous requests from western spa guests. The course was built according to plans by Robert Doig of Musselburgh, Scotland, and sits at an elevation of 787 meters above sea level.
King Edward VII, who financially supported the club, together with the British ambassador to Vienna, became two of club's first members. The first game at the newly opened 9-hole course was played on 1 June 1905, while the clubhouse opening ceremony took place on 21 August 1905, in the presence of Edward VII. A tournament was also organised, with prizes donated by the king.[1]
The course was presented at the Imperial Austrian Exhibition world's fair held at Earl's Court in London in 1906.,[2] where the special Marienbad section featured a relief model of the course. The club became popular particularly among the English and American guests, and some noteworthy visitors to the club in the summer months included British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, his friend Lord Reading, and Rudyard Kipling.
The course was extended to 18 holes in 1923.[3] Queen Elisabeth II bestowed Royal status on the club in February 2003, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex visited the course to mark its centennial in 2005.[4]
Members include Alex Čejka, who has won two majors on the PGA Tour Champions, and tennis legend turned golfer Ivan Lendl.[5] [6]
The club has hosted both amateur and professional international championships, including the Czechoslovak Open in the 1930s and the Czech Open on the European Tour in the 1990s.
| Year | Tour | Tournament | Winner | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Mark Seymour | [7] | |||
| 1936 | Mark Seymour | [8] | |||
| 1937 | Henry Cotton | [9] | |||
| 1992 |  Lucien Tinkler | [10] | |||
| 1993 | Ian Spencer | [11] | |||
| 1994 |  Per-Ulrik Johansson | ||||
| 1995 |  Peter Teravainen | ||||
| 1996 | Jonathan Lomas | ||||
| 1997 | Bernhard Langer |