The Adelaide Golf Club (in 1923 it became The Royal Adelaide Golf Club) was founded in 1892. In its early years it played in the north Parklands of Adelaide and later in North Glenelg. It purchased its present links at Seaton in 1904, and the current layout was officially opened on 30th June 1906.
Cargie Rymill was the driving force in preparing the links for the first Open Australian Championship at Seaton in 1910. Nine Australian Opens have been decided at Royal Adelaide, the latest in 1998. In 1926 Dr Alister Mackenzie visited Royal Adelaide to advise on its design and his initial reaction to the links was:-
"One finds a most delightful combination of sand dunes and fir trees, a most unusual combination even at the best seaside courses. No seaside courses that I have seen possess such magnificent sand craters as those at Royal Adelaide."
A combination of testing short holes with ball catching bunkering along with a number of testing longer holes ensures that all shots must be carefully thought out to register a good score for the 18 holes. From the back markers it now measures 6,619 metres and the "open spaces" have been gently contoured and bunkered to provide an intellectual and physical challenge to all players whether from the more friendly Members' tees or the more demanding Championship markers.