does your club have an artisan section?

[Norrin Radd]

I was a member of Piltdown triangle golf club from the age of 15 to 30 ,it was the artisan section as the club had a parent club .
we used to play matches against other clubs who also had an artisan section.
As the years went by more and more clubs amalgamated both the artisan and parent club to become just the one . clubs like Crowborough beacon ,west kent ,Ifield,Copthorne ,Royal ashdown ,were some of the clubs we played against.
I know that Piltdown still has an artisan sectoin but not sure on some of the others ,I know Ifield and Crowborough have amalgamated .
Has your club got an artisan section and are you a member of it . Is it a dyeing form of membership ? have you even ever heard of it ?

 

[Hosel Fade]

Think theres quite a few in the surrey/berks area. Off the top of my mind there is Forest AGC (think they are at The Berkshire), Sunningdale (once had really basic chat with a member about joining that as a junior)

 

[Senseicads]

Can someone explain like I'm five, what an artisan section is? never heard of it before

 

[DCB]

Used to be common, but not aware of any around here nowadays nor in the past few years, other than one in Perth if it's still on the go. Golf was generally far more available to everyone up here, so the need for an artisans section or club wasn't a great I'd have thought.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Can someone explain like I'm five, what an artisan section is? never heard of it before

It's a throwback to the old days when golf was an expensive elite sport. The common man couldn't afford to join a club in those days so artisan sections were formed whereby the members had reduced fees and reduced access to the course but in return they committed to spending a set number of hours/days a year helping out with work on the course. This would typically be things like filling in divots or basic grass cutting etc.

 

[drewster]

I seem to remember that Lindrick had an artisans section when i played there a couple of years ago. They had a separate building adjacent to the car park if i remember correctly .

 

[Senseicads]

It's a throwback to the old days when golf was an expensive elite sport. The common man couldn't afford to join a club in those days so artisan sections were formed whereby the members had reduced fees and reduced access to the course but in return they committed to spending a set number of hours/days a year helping out with work on the course. This would typically be things like filling in divots or basic grass cutting etc.

Thanks for the explaination. Is there much call for this nowadays then? I guess that is why they aren't as common nowadays?

 

[Liverbirdie]

I read a book that said it was very prevalent on Merseyside, and have heard from Badger that surrey/Kent also had a lot of clubs with artisan sections.

I'd say that at least 8-10 clubs in the Merseyside area still have them, if not more.

Free golf (but restricted tee times) for 2-3 hours work done on the course a week (seeding divots, edging bunkers, raking paths and bunkers etc).

 

[mwm118]

Did anyone else open this to expect people to be talking their clubs opening fancy coffee shops in their clubhouse or something similar?

 

[sam85]

As far as I'm aware as recent as 10 years ago my club had an artisan section but not anymore. There are numerous clubs locally that do still have artisan membership Woking, West Hill, Worplesdon and New Zealand to name a few.

I did actually consider taking up an artisan membership but restrictions on tee times and a couple of other things made me decide to stay put.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Did anyone else open this to expect people to be talking their clubs opening fancy coffee shops in their clubhouse or something similar?

Yup. I have heard of artisan bakers and whilst I didn't expect that in a club house I did think we may be talking elaborate coffee. You learn something all the time

 

[IanM]

Growing up in Surrey they were a few about... I think Bramley is still going. Bit of a leftover of a bygone age, probably contravene some law these days

 

[Leftie]

Google is your friend

http://www.agagolf.co.uk/clubs.htm

 

[BoadieBroadus]

i had heard that Hadley Wood and Old Fold were the two clubs in my area that had artisan sections. Both are listed on Leftie's link so assume both are still operating artisan sections.

discussing this once with a non golfer, she was appalled that they could still operate on such an "us and them" basis defined by those who have £ and those who do not.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

discussing this once with a non golfer, she was appalled that they could still operate on such an "us and them" basis defined by those who have £ and those who do not.

It's probably not really as simple as that though. I know artisan members at different clubs and the arrangement just suits them better. Probably not bothered about playing on a Saturday morning or having voting rights about what happens to the club/course, quite happy to play somewhere nice for a lot less than a full member pays. I know an artisan at Liphook and he is loaded!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Nearest club to us is Ashridge

They have their own clubhouse - the design had to be oked by the members who I understand told them to make sure it was understated

 

[chrisd]

Nearest club to us is Ashridge

They have their own clubhouse - the design had to be oked by the members who I understand told them to make sure it was understated

One of my first club matches as a newbie was against the artisans at Rye Golf Club

 

[Imurg]

Swinley Forest has one as does Harewood Downs near Amesham - or at least it did...

 

[ForeRighty]

Played club matches against two Artisan clubs this year (Hartsbourne & Verulam) both had fantastic culture and very friendly members.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Piltdown was the course i played and our artisan section was called the Triangle .we had our own clubhouse with a bar and changing rooms with lockers .
we never had to do any work on the course and had no restrictions on when and when we couldnt play.
obviously we couldnt play when the parent club had a competition or match ,but their weekly comp was saturday mornings and they had generally cleared the first tee by 8 o`clock so not really a problem to us artisans at all.
i think now that the artisan members have to do some divoting now as part of the deal .
the parent club have on numerous occasions tried to get rid of the artisan club ,but always get stopped by the fact that it is in the clubs original constitution which states that an artisan section must be allowed .