The St Andrews Thistle Golf Club was originally formed in 1817 as the Thistle Golf Society, possibly to distinguish itself from the Thistle Golf Club formed in 1815 in Leith.
Originally a gentlemen's club, it was run on strict lines, but with a subscription of 10/- a year it struggled against the established presence of the existing gentlemen's club, the Royal & Ancient.
The Thistle Golf Society was dissolved in 1839. It reformed in 1865 as an artisan club called the Thistle Golf Club and soon had about 50 members. By then the Leith Thistle was in abeyance, so there could be no confusion with any other club.
With thanks to scottishgolfhistory.org.
Its oldest medal dates to 1819 and was won by John Buddo, who under the rules of the day was barred from competing for four years to give other members a chance to win it – a far-sighted psychological strategy that could usefully be brought back for some golfing prizes today.
Old Tom Morris returned from Prestwick in 1864 and was made an Honorary Member of the Thistle and a member of its Council, though he had been a founding member of The St Andrews Golf Club in 1843 before he went to Prestwick.
Old Tom worked tirelessly to promote golf and to help others doing so wherever he could. Another member of the Thistle was Old Tom's first biographer, William Tulloch.
Between them, Old Tom and his son Young Tom Morris won the Open eight times. Young Tom won the Belt three times in a row, 1868–1870, which entitled him to keep it – leaving a gap in the Open's history and leading to the creation of the Claret Jug, the prize from 1872 onward.
Young Tom won again in 1872, becoming the only person (so far) to win four in a row. He died at 24. Old Tom died 33 years later, in 1908, and the two are buried beside each other in the grounds of St Andrews Cathedral.
Young Tom was a demon driver and putter; Old Tom was let down by his putting. Young Tom once said that his father "would be a good putter, if the hole would only meet him half-way."
The constitution was last updated in March 2025. Any queries about it should go to the Secretary at thistle.secretary@gmail.com.
Two longer accounts of the club's history, written by members.