Golf Business News – The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews unveils portrait of Sir Michael and Lady Angela Bonallack

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has unveiled a new portrait of Sir Michael Bonallack and Angela, Lady Bonallack in the Big Room of the clubhouse, honouring their lifelong dedication to golf and their distinguished service to the club and the sport.

Painted by renowned portrait artist Paul Brason, the work is the first double portrait to be displayed in the Big Room and replaces an earlier individual portrait of Sir Michael. Depicting the couple at the height of their amateur golfing careers, the painting recognises their lasting legacy as two of the most respected and admired figures in amateur golf.

Sir Michael Bonallack OBE remains one of the most accomplished amateur golfers of the modern era. A five-time winner of The Amateur Championship, he played for Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup on nine occasions and was a four-time English Amateur Champion.

Off the course, he served with distinction as Secretary and then Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, and chaired the Official World Golf Ranking. Knighted in 1998 for services to golf and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, he played a vital role in shaping the modern game and was admired for his leadership, warmth and integrity.

Angela Bonallack was a formidable competitor and a pioneer for women’s golf. An international player for England and winner of the English Ladies’ Amateur Championship, she also represented GB&I in the Curtis Cup and Vagliano Trophy matches. Off the course, she worked tirelessly to promote women’s and girls’ golf, serving as Chair of the English Ladies’ Golf Association and as President of the Ladies’ Golf Union.

The commission was overseen by a working group comprising Royal and Ancient Golf Club Members, with key involvement from the Bonallack family.

Paul Brason, born in London and trained at Camberwell College of Art, is a leading British portraitist with works in the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle and the National Galleries of Scotland. His previous sitters include HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Sir Michael Tippett and the Dukes of Westminster and Richmond. He was awarded the Ondaatje Prize for Portraiture in 1998 and is a former President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

The unveiling by Ian Pattinson, the Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, took place on May 2 in the Big Room of the clubhouse with members of the Bonallack family in attendance.

Pattinson said: “Sir Michael and Angela, Lady Bonallack made exceptional contributions to the game of golf and to the life of this Club over many decades. Their dedication, integrity and leadership continue to be held in the highest regard by Members and the wider golf community. It is both fitting and appropriate that they are now commemorated together in the Big Room, where their legacy will be recognised for generations to come.”

Their son, Robert Bonallack, said, “It is deeply moving for our family to see our parents honoured in this way. The portrait captures not only their youth and love of the game, but also the strength of their partnership — in golf and in life. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews held a special place in both their hearts and we are grateful to the Club for this lasting tribute.”

Paul Brason added: “It was a great privilege to be entrusted with this commission. Working from photographs and archival material, I wanted to reflect the vitality and spirit that Sir Michael and Angela embodied during their playing days. Their contributions to golf, both on and off the course, have left an enduring legacy and I hope the painting honours that with sensitivity and respect.”

Angela, Lady Bonallack died in July 2022 aged 85 and Sir Michael passed away in September 2023 aged 88.