History of Royal Golf Club Mariánské Lázně
History roots of Golf in Mariánské Lázně
1904
- Founding of the golf club and approval of the golf club statutes.
1905
- 21 August 1905 – the inauguration of the 9-hole golf course in the presence of His Majesty King Edward VII of England.
- In the interwar period, the golf course prospered thanks mainly to foreign clientele from wealthy families from all over the world.
Development of the course and the first major tournaments
1929
- Extension of the course to 18 holes.
Reconstruction and extension of the clubhouse.
1935
- Ceremony unveiling a commemorative stone on hole No. 1 with a plaque of Edward VII on the 30th anniversary of the golf club.
- Czechoslovak Open – the first open championship of Czechoslovakia.
- Famous players: Henry Cotton, Arthur Lees.
- Winner: Mark Seymour.
1936
- Czechoslovak Open – second Czechoslovak championship.
- Famous players: Arthur Lees.
- Winner: Mark Seymour.
1937
- Czechoslovak Open – third Czechoslovak championship.
- Winner: Henry Cotton.
World War II and the post-war recovery
The Second World War practically stopped golf life in Mariánské Lázně.
1945–1946
- Liberation of Marianske Lazne by the American army under General George S. Patton.
- Golf course renovation.
- U.S. Army Championship.
1947
- Founding of the Golf Club Mariánské Lázně.
- The first post-war national championship.
The Communist Era (1949-1969)
Golf was pushed to the margins at this time, but the golf course remained in operation.
Gradual renewal and important tournaments
1977–1978
- Golf course renovation – addition of two new holes (current No. 2 and 3), cancellation of 2 holes with par 3 No. 2 and 15.
- Volunteer works had a significant share in the work.
1979
- European Junior Team Championships – the first international tournament of this level in the Eastern Bloc. Competition results | European Golf Association
- Winner: Ireland, 2. place: Denmark.
Have a look at the official programme of the European Junior Championship 1979
View the historical document that maps one of the most important golf championships in Mariánské Lázně.
New era after the revolution
1991
- The golf club obtained the golf course under a long-term contract with the town of Mariánské Lázně.
- President of the golf club JUDr. Milan Veselý and the club’s manager Ing. Oldřich Tobrman together with the representatives of the town Ing. Zbyněk Martínek and Zdeněk Šedivý signed a contract on the establishment of the association. After more than 40 years, the possibility of functioning independently was opened to the club.
1992
- Clubhouse reconstruction and club restaurant.
- Playboy Charity Challenge – the first professional tournament of the Challenge Tour series.
- Winner: Lucien Tinkler (play-off with Paulem McGinleyem).
1993
- European Amateur Men’s Team Championships. Competition results | European Golf Association
- Winner: Wales, 2. place: England.
- Czech Charity Tour – winner Ian Spencer.
- Exhibition of professional golfers: Ian Woosnam, Marc McNulty, Roger Davis, Robert Allenby.
- Partial reconstruction of the golf course according to I. Raise and Ch. Stadlera (course extension, new tees, bunkers, water hazards).
1994
- Chemapol Trophy Czech Open 1994 – the first European Volvo Tour tournament in Eastern Europe. Leaderboard – Chemapol Trophy Czech Open 1994 – DP World Tour
- Famous players: Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle.
- Winner: Per-Ulrik Johansson.
1995
- Chemapol Trophy Czech Open 1995. Results – Chemapol Trophy Czech Open 1995 – DP World Tour
- Famous players: Sam Torrance, Peter Teravainen.
- Winner: Peter Teravainen.
- Nearly half a billion viewers watched the stream.
1996
- Chemapol Trophy Czech Open 1996. Results – Chemapol Trophy Czech Open 1996 – DP World Tour
- Famous players: Ivan Lendl, Jonathan Lomas, Daniel Chopra, Domingo Hospital.
- Winner: Jonathan Lomas.
The modern era and a prestigious award
2001
- XX. European Senior Team Championships.
- Winner: Wales.
- Czech team in 7th place.
2003
- Her Excellency Queen Elizabeth II granted the golf club permission to use the title “Royal”, due to the historical relationship of King Edward VII of England to the Mariánské Lázně course and following the personal intervention of Lady Louise Abrahams.
- The club became part of a family of 64 Royal Golf Clubs around the world, the first outside the Commonwealth.
2005
- Reconstruction of the clubhouse and its facilities.
- Celebration of the 100th anniversary, visit of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Lady Louisa Abrahams.
2006
- St. Andrews Trophy a Jacques Léglise Trophy – golf competition between the best amateurs in Europe and Britain.
- Personality of the Tournament: Rory McIlroy.
- Winner of St. Andrews Trophy: Great Britain and Ireland.
- Winner of Jacques Léglise Trophy: Continental Europe.
2020
- 115th Anniversary Celebration.
- Founding the Anniversary Tournament tradition.
- Invited representatives of Royal Golf Clubs from all over the world.
2023
- European Senior Men’s Team Championship (5 – 9 September 2023). Competition results | European Golf Association
- Winner: England, 2. place: France.
2025
- Planned celebration of the 120th anniversary of the club.
Presidents of the RGCML throughout our history
- 1905 – 1907: Trauttmansdorff
- ? – 1931: Max Porges
- 1947 – 1948: Karel Adam
- The era of communism: 1949 – 1969
- 1970 – 1987: Karel Horáček
- 1988 – 1989: Jiří Kunšta
- 1990 – 1994: Milan Veselý
- 1995 – 1996: Ivan Rais
- 1997 – 2011: Oldřich Tobrman
- 2012 – 2015: Milan Veselý
- 2016 – 2024: Jiří Pos
- od roku 2024: Jan Katina
RGCML Honorary Members
Lady Luisa Abrahams (1910 – 2006)
Legend of European golf, winner of the Czech Open (1938). She played in the RGCML in the 1930s under coach Arthur Lees. She always supported our club very significantly until her death. She was responsible for taking the Royal title in a decisive way.
Sir Michael Francis Bonallack (1934 – 2023)
A famous English golfer, winner of five The Amateur Championship and the English Amateur. He served as secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews for many years. Member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sir Michael was a great supporter of the RGCML and an admirer of the course at Mariánské Lázně. He was significantly responsible for the award of the Royal title to our club.
Hanuš Goldscheider (1921 – 2001)
Founder of the Czechoslovak Golf Association, PGA of the Czech Republic and the first president of the Czech Golf Federation. A prominent figure in European golf and a long-time supporter of the RGCML.
Jiří Dvořák (1944 – 2024)
The greatest Czechoslovak golf personality of all time, 24 times national champion. He is a member of the Czech Golf Hall of Fame for his outstanding sporting achievements between 1960 and 1979. Long-time RGCML greenkeeper in the key years after 1990.
Ing. Zbyněk Martinek (1951)
The first post-revolutionary mayor of Marianske Lazne, an admirer of our golf course. He significantly contributed to the conclusion of contracts between the town of Marianske Lazne and the golf club, on the basis of which the RGCML operates the golf course and clubhouse in Mariánské Lázně.
JUDr. Milan Veselý (1950)
Member of the Czech Golf Hall of Fame. From 1988 he worked in the Committee of the Czechoslovak Golf Federation, then in the Czech Golf Federation, which he managed as president for 10 years. He worked for many years in the European Golf Association in Lausanne and in The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. He is a past President of the Czech Golf Federation and the RGCML. He was responsible for getting the Royal title and organising prestigious tournaments.
Ing. Oldřich Tobrman (1953)
Member of the RGCML since 1968, long-time club manager and president. He served as President for fifteen years from 1997 to 2011. He was significantly responsible for getting the Royal title, organized for and completed the renovation and extension of the clubhouse.