Anthony
In answer to your question
The Championship Belt was donated to The R&A by my grandmother with her two sisters and brother. This was just after the death of Old Tom and was based upon his wishes that the Belt be displayed along with other Young Tom memorabilia for all to see what Young Tom had achieved in his short life.
The Belt in kept in The R&A Club House within a special glass vault. This in itself actually breaches the original idea of presenting the Belt to The R&A, as it is not on public display and can only be seen by the privileged few, which to my understanding is not in keeping with the original idea of the gift.
The female members of the Morris family are not allowed access to see The Belt, which many of us believe, is totally unacceptable, considering how much Old Tom did for Ladies golf when he was alive. Nor for that matter is the general public allowed to see the original Belt, although a replica I believe is in The R&A British Golfing Museum.
The R&A have also bought Old Toms house, have been true to their own incompetence, and destroyed the rear of the ground floor of the property with what appears to be air conditioning coolers ductwork and removing all the windows and doors as well. Many Members were against these modifications but it still went through. With friends like the R&A who needs enemies. This is the property in which Young Tom died on Christmas Day and it is/was being used as occasional office space real imagination, wonders why I some times despair for the future of golf when this type of stupidity run riot at the R&A.
Melvyn