Artisan Clubs

[Mark Chaplin]

Mention was made of Artisan Clubs in a recent post. At Deal we have a thriving Artisan section with I believe 60 members, they play before 8.00am and after 4.00pm in the summer. They have their own clubhouse, pay a much reduced fee and spent a number of hours working on the course each year. The Artisan's must live within the local town or villages, a few miles of the club. From our perspective they are an important and valued part of the club, who have the ear of the local town's folk, keep an eye on the course at times when youngsters might be inclined to cause nuisance or damage.

Historically Artisan's clubs used to draw their membership from the local business community in the days when golf club membership was for the "rich officer class". Interestingly the club president at Deal the delightful and highly respected Mr Aisher used to be a member of the Downs Club at Deal.

I know in Melbourne the Metropolitan Club gives certain playing rights to their neighbours who in turn keep an eye on the club and course. Does this model exist elsewhere in the world and if not can you see it's benefits?

[paul westland]

Mark.  Montrose, Angus, was the first links course I played in Scotland on a trip in 2003.  I'd arranged a two-ball time for 10 am, and we were off the first tee with a third, @ 10:10.  30 March: 18 Pounds each.  The fellow who joined us was a member of Montrose Mercantile Golf Club, which, with two other clubs, Montrose Caledonia, and Royal Montrose, have their own clubhouses adjacent to the course. We enjoyed a meal and appropriate beverage in the Mercantile Club with our new friend, and I remain, today, somewhat spellbound by the welcome in the club house.  
The Montrose Links is in kinship with St Andrews in it's pedigree, as well as being managed by a land trust.
The Artisan club template is egalitarian and rational to blue collar punks such as myself. It bears further scrutiny and study, especially here in US.
Cheers! pw

[Chris Kane]

Mark, Royal Melbourne have neighbourhood members, havn't heard of Metropolitan having them.  I think there is one at Barwon Heads too.

Prestwick St Nicholas GC was the artisan section of Prestwick, who built their own course nearby in 1877.  

[Garland Bayley]

Seems this would be a great idea for private clubs in the US having trouble keeping their memberships full.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Seems this would be a great idea for private clubs in the US having trouble keeping their memberships full.

Garland, while not expilcit;y an artisans club some clubs off er five day memberships at a very reduced fee.  I don't know how much ut helps, but it can't hurt.

[David_Tepper]

Travel & Leisure Golf magazine had an excellent article on the Artisan Club at Walton Heath about 2 years ago.

I do not know of any clubs in the U.S. that have anything resembling an Artisan's Club.  

Here is a direct link to the article:

www.travelandleisure.com/tlgolf/articles/a-tale-of-two-clubhouses/

[Rich Goodale]

Swinley Forest has an active artisans club which fills in divots in exchange for playing privileges.  I saw them out in force there a few years ago.

[Mark Chaplin]

A typically spot on the mark T&L article. As they said at WH the artisans are their local eyes and ears which cannot be a bad thing. At Deal we have the usual rumblings from certain members regarding the privilages the artisans get. For sure all the time I am a Director of the club I will work to keep the status quo.

I'm suprised there doesn't appear to be anything smilar at the traditional old US clubs.

[Rich Goodale]

Mark

Noblesse oblige is a foreign concept to most Americans, particularly when it comes to protecting their private privileges.

Rich

[Buck Wolter]

Rich -
Maybe the fact that we've never had nobility is the reason for that.

Don't Muni's serve the same purpose in the US?

Buck

[Rich Goodale]

How right you are, Buck.  We just have some golf club memberships who feel they are noblility....

PS--there are munis in the UK too, so you have the best of both worlds!