History

As Queen Elizabeth II looked over the golf course, there was actually no golf being played. It didn't bear thinking of, should a golf ball appear out of the blue and...   In the middle of Dortmund, the Queen gazed over the rich green fairways, majestic trees and beautiful ponds reflecting the light of the blue sky. Her Majesty was more than impressed, as she said, by "A wonderful golf course" and continued to sip her cup of tea. A Garden Party had been specially organized on the golf course at the the end of her visit to Dortmund on May 23, 1984. The Queen was visiting one of the Royal Artillery regiments stationed there in her function as the Captain General. The spot where the Garden Party was held is now the site of the halfway house, between the 9th green and 10th tee.
 
What was originally the site of the first Dortmund airfield, was converted to barracks in the late 1940s to host an artillery regiment as part of the British Army on the Rhine. The greater part of the airfield, comprising of grasslands and meadows and bordering woods, remained unused. The Royal Artillery and Dortmund Garrison Golf Club was founded in 1969 to improve the soldiers' recreational facilities. According to the membership records in 1984, the course had a total length of 4544 m and was rated par 69. Maj. Ron Coleman RA was nominated Club Captain and was the driving force in the Garrison Golf Club for many years. During the 1990s more and more Germans were able to join the golf club, initially being reffered to as "European Members". During the course of time their influence steadily increased - not just numerically. With the withdrawal of the British Garrison from Dortmund the baton was finally passed on. On July 11th 1995 the German Saint Barbara's Royal Dortmund Golf Club was launched. Ulf Pückoff became the first President of the new club with solid British roots. In 1998 he was replaced by Werner Kaessmann, who initiated a dynamic development prgramme, including a new management team. Within twelve years the club was restructured and tripled its membership to approximately 1000 members. Subsequently, four million Euros were invested both in course design and and improvements to the clubhouse. In March 2010, Horst Ernst took over the presidency at Royal St. Barbara's Dortmund GC, and continued to pursue a course of improvement and consolidation, much to the club's benefit. In 2017 Stefan Buderus became Club President and since June 2022 Dirk Renkhold is now the President and continues to lead the club´s development to one of the most successful Golf Clubs in the area. The original barracks next to the golf course have similarly long since been demolished, making room for a new housing estate, whilst Borussia Dortmund have created an extensive training centre on the expanse of land between the two.

Anyone who plays Royal St. Barabara's today, will discover all the advantages of a parkland course. Spread over approximately 70 hectares, and 6,110 meters in length, the 18 holes meander through old oak forest, along an avenue of pine trees, and pass by numerous birches. A hint of links golf might even be felt on the par 5 14th hole, which is more than 500 meters in length, and can be a challenge to even the best of golfers. Water comes into play on a total of nine holes. As challenging as some of the holes are, the course is still fair, with most of the hazards actually visible from the tees and in general, fairly large greens. Absolute highlights are the island green on the 9th and a double green on holes 12 and 16. The latter is 70 m long and 1280 square meters in total, which is the equivalent of five and a half tennis courts. A furious finale awaits at the par 3 18th, which requires a solid shot over water, with at least 130 m carry, just to reach the green.
 
At Royal Dortmund GC, tradition also means firing the fire and not just woefully admiring the ashes. With Duncan Hannak as youth head coach and the teaching team are developing the young players, nearly 100 children and teenagers regularly take part in youth training and events. The training is geared to both age and performance brackets. The youngest, from five years up, are playfully introduced to the sport of golf. Youth members train several times a week, depending on their performance levels. Since 2009, teams have regularly represented RSB in the regional Youth League as well as the German youth team championships. The joy they have playing, as well as their constant improvement in terms of handicap, both confirm that the club is on the right track.
 
As a guest, you are always welcome at Royal St. Barbara's Golf Club. There is no requirement to reserve fixed tee times. Like Her Majesty back in 1984, you might pause at the halfway house [- with or without a cup of tea -] allow your eyes to wander over the lush greenery and the bright blue sky, and remark - "A wonderful Golf Course"!