Judge on the Tee: Dennis Watson Named R&A Captain for 2025/26
Barrister, benchman and Birkdale golfer—Watson to drive in at the Old Course as Royal & Ancient honours lifelong devotee
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has named His Honour Judge Dennis Watson KC as its Captain for the 2025/26 term, marking the latest chapter in a distinguished legal and golfing life. Watson, 61, will assume the ceremonial role following the traditional Driving-in on the first tee of the Old Course on 19 September.
A Crown Court judge and former Chair of the R&A’s Equipment Standards Committee, Watson’s path to the captaincy was paved by decades of service to both the game and the law. A member of The R&A since 2003, he has played active roles across its development and rules governance, including as a Rules Panel referee.
Born in Crosby and educated at Uppingham School and Leeds Polytechnic, Watson was called to the Bar in 1985. His courtroom career spans from Recorder to King’s Counsel to Circuit Judge, and he now sits with authority in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). Yet it is on fairways, not just in chambers, where his passion lies.
He joined Royal Birkdale as a boy in 1975, captained the club in 2008, and served as trustee until 2023. A fixture in Britain’s elite golfing societies, his handicap index of 4.4 is testament to enduring skill.
Watson lives in Birkdale with wife Nicki, a retired solicitor. Their children, Samuel and Hannah, are both barristers—and both golfers. The game, it seems, runs in the family.
When he takes the symbolic tee shot this autumn, Watson will not only uphold tradition, but also reaffirm the R&A’s enduring link between golf’s heritage and its future.