Royal Montreal Golf Club: 2024 Presidents Cup Venue

The venue for the 2024 Presidents Cup is one of the most prestigious in North America with a long history of hosting some of the game's biggest tournaments

The clubhouse at Royal Montreal Golf Club
Royal Montreal Golf Club was formed in 1873
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The 2024 edition of the Presidents Cup comes from a venue not only with previous experience of hosting the match, but one with a rich history in general.

The club is the oldest in North America, having been established in 1873, 11 years before Queen Victoria granted permission for it to use the prefix “Royal” in its name, one of the few clubs globally to receive the honor. It is also one of the five founding clubs of the Royal Canadian Golf Association.

The club began as a nine-hole course in the city’s Mount Royal Park, but since then it has moved twice. The first move came in 1896 to Dixie in the parish of Dorval in the city, before urban growth dictated another change of location, this time in 1959 to the exclusive island of L'Île-Bizard to the west of the city, where it remains.

The 17th green at Royal Montreal Golf Club

Royal Montreal Golf Club has been at its current location since 1959

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There, Dick Wilson designed 45 holes at the venue which are nowadays separated into three courses – the Blue Course, the Red Course and the nine-hole Dixie Course. However, it is the Blue Course which enjoys the biggest reputation, and is considered one of the best not just in Canada, but the world.

Rees Jones renovated the Blue Course in 2004 and 2005, while it was updated again in the build-up to the 2024 Presidents Cup, this time by a team from PGA Tour Design Services.

The 16th hole at Royal Montreal Golf Club

Royal Montreal Golf Club's 16th is its signature hole

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The course features a classic parkland layout, with tight tree-lined fairways, large bunkers and small greens, while the back nine sees water appear prominently, including on each of the last five holes. The signature hole is the par-4 16th, which plays directly into the prevailing wind.

The Blue Course originally hosted the match in 2007, where Gary Player’s International Team was defeated by the US by 14.5-19.5. However, despite the defeat, there will be fond memories for current International Team captain Mike Weir, who beat Tiger Woods 1-up in their Sunday singles match.

As well as being the course for that and the 2024 edition of the Presidents Cup, it is also where South African Tim Clark beat current US captain Jim Furyk in the 2014 RBC Canadian Open. That was one of five occasions the current venue has hosted the event, with its previous home staging the tournament the same number of times between 1904 and 1950.

Given its hugely prestigious reputation, it’s not a surprise that Royal Montreal Golf Club is private, with initiation fees estimated to be between $50,000 and $100,000.

Royal Montreal Golf Club Location

How Many Members Does Royal Montreal Golf Club Have?

Royal Montreal Golf Club is one of the most exclusive in North America. It is estimated that it currently has around 1,000 members, while initiation fees are reportedly between $50,000 and $100,000.

When Was Royal Montreal Golf Club Established?

The club was established in 1873 at the city's Mount Royal Park, but it has moved twice since then, first in 1896 to Dixie in the parish of Dorval in the city and again in 1959, to the island of L'Île-Bizard to the west of the city.

Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.