Thanks for all the feedback guys . Interesting how many stand alones are out there . Seems that the early status of head pro as less than a first class citizen contributed to the trend in 1900 -1930's.
It's a pity that the role of the golf professional has been diminished in this new age of fairness and equality . Overdevelopment and lack of training have certainly contributed to this loss to the industry.
This being said I can see how a stand alone shop could actually enhance the role of the golf staff and their status. Just the opposite of the the original intent! Think of what many of us learned about the game and its traditions from the PGA pro , the caddy master or the starter. My experience , with the aforementioned as my supervisors , gave me a wealth of knowledge about golf that I doubt could have been learned without their tutelage. Here's a salute to all the mentors we had and perhaps a hope we see some return to honoring their abilities to facilitate the game we love .