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Golf clubs, in the context of establishments, refer to venues that encompass golf courses and often additional facilities such as clubhouses, dining areas, pro shops, and golf practice ranges. These clubs can range from public access courses, where anyone can play for a fee, to private clubs with restricted membership and exclusive access.
The concept of golf clubs dates back to the 15th century in Scotland, with the establishment of the Old Course at St. Andrews in 1552 being one of the earliest known instances. [1] The formal organization of golf clubs began in the 18th century, with The Royal Burgess Golfing Society which holds claim to being the oldest golf society in the world. [2] [3] Additionally, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, founded in 1744, [4] [5] is also often cited as the oldest golf club. Initially, these clubs were exclusive gatherings of the elite, but over time, they evolved to cater to a broader segment of society.
Golf clubs play a crucial role in the social [6] and professional development of the sport by providing venues for competition, fostering talent through access to high-quality coaching [7] and junior programs, [8] and contributing to the game's governance through adherence to rules and handicapping systems.
Golf clubs are primarily categorized into private, semi-private, and public clubs. [9]
Membership models vary widely among golf clubs, from equity memberships where members own a share of the club, to non-equity models where members pay fees for access without owning a stake. [10] [11] Some clubs offer lifetime memberships, while others operate on an annual renewal basis. Additional categories, such as junior, senior, and corporate memberships, cater to specific demographics.[ citation needed ]
Beyond the golf course, clubs may offer a range of facilities and services, including:
Many golf clubs host tournaments and other golfing events. These can range from casual social events to highly competitive tournaments. Some clubs have resident professionals who provide instruction and organize club tournaments.
Some of the world's most renowned golf clubs include Augusta National Golf Club, St. Andrews Links, Pebble Beach Golf Links, TPC Sawgrass and Royal Melbourne Golf Club. These clubs are celebrated for their rich histories, championship courses, and exclusive memberships.[ citation needed ]
A club is an association of people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities. There are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.
The following is a partial timeline of the history of golf:
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. It is a private members-only club based in St Andrews in Scotland. It was previously known colloquially as "The R&A", but in 2004, a new organisation known as The R&A was spun off, assuming the club's functions as one of the governing authorities of the game and organiser of tournaments such as The Open Championship. Despite this legal separation, one of the club's objectives remains to contribute, through its members, to the governance, championship organisation, and golf development roles now carried out by The R&A.
A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offerings are golf, tennis, and swimming. Where golf is the principal or sole sporting activity, and especially outside of the United States and Canada, it is common for a country club to be referred to simply as a golf club.
A gentlemen's club is a private social club of a type originally set up by men from Britain's upper classes in the 18th and succeeding centuries.
Wentworth Club is a privately owned golf club and country club in Virginia Water, Surrey, on the south western fringes of London, not far from Windsor Castle. The club was founded in 1922. Beijing-based Reignwood Group bought the club in September 2014 and implemented a new debenture membership structure, starting at £100,000. The debenture is now estimated at £200,000.
In the leisure industry, a destination club is a form of timeshare system where members pay a membership deposit and annual dues to access the club's properties.
The Caledonian Club is a private club founded in 1891. It is located at 9 Halkin Street SW1, near Belgrave Square, Belgravia, London.
The Royal Dublin Golf Club, founded in 1885, is Ireland's third oldest golf club. It is a private members' club, with an 18-hole links course on Bull Island, Dublin, Ireland. The championship routing that we recognise today was by designed by Harry Colt in the 1920s. Over a three-year period from 2004 the links was extended under the guidance of golf architect Martin Hawtree.
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh is a Scottish golf club, which holds claim to be the oldest golfing society in the world, with references to it being instituted in 1735 dating from 1834. The club enjoys a parkland course located in Barnton, Edinburgh that was designed initially by Tom Morris and Willie Park Jnr, with subsequent revisions by James Braid. Notable members have included Jack Nicklaus and Bernard Gallacher alongside a host of royals, aristocrats and socialites.
Dallas Country Club is a country club located in the town of Highland Park in Dallas County, Texas. Located on the northern end of Exall Lake across from Highland Park Village, its borders are Preston Road on the west, Beverly Drive on the south, Golf Drive on the east, and McFarlin Boulevard on the north.
Kodaikanal Golf Club is a private membership club with an 18-hole, par 71 Golf course. It is located about 6 kilometres (4 mi) southwest from the center of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu, South India at an elevation of 2,220 metres (7,280 ft). The club is on Golf links Road near the popular view point 'Suicide Point' and 3 kilometres (2 mi) before the 'Pillar Rocks' viewpoint and flower garden.
Golf in Scotland was first recorded in the Scottish late Middle Ages, and the modern game of golf was first developed and established in the country. The game plays a key role in the national sporting consciousness.
Deerwood was the first gated community in Florida, US. After it was established in the mid-1960s, it was the most exclusive residential area on Jacksonville's Southside. The golf course hosted the Greater Jacksonville Open in the late 1960s and early 1970s, forerunner of The Players Championship, and was once the site of talks between President Gerald Ford and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in November 1975.
Roehampton Club is a private members’ sports club in southwest London, England. It is set in 100 acres (400,000 m2) of parkland, close to Richmond Park. Originally established in 1901 as an officers’ polo club, Roehampton Club has sporting and leisure facilities including an 18-hole golf course, 28 tennis courts, two padel tennis courts, six squash courts, four croquet lawns, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a gym, a fitness studio, a health and beauty clinic and a bridge room.
St Andrews Golf Club, originally known as St Andrews Mechanics Golf Club, is a private members’ golf club located in St Andrews, Scotland. The club is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, having been established in 1843.
The Victoria Park Golf Clubhouse is a heritage-listed former club house at 309 Herston Road, Herston, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Reyburn Jameson and built in 1931 and extended in 1939 and 1948. It is also known as the Pink Palace, after a nightclub which operated out of the building in the late 1970s and 1980s. The building now serves as offices for the Mental Illness Fellowship of Queensland. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 17 December 1999.
The Royal Bangkok Sports Club is an exclusive sports club in Bangkok, Thailand, best known to the public for its horse racing venue. Founded in 1901, it was the first racecourse in the country and one of the oldest golf courses. Originally serving Western expatriates and Thai aristocrats, the club was at the centre of development in the introduction of modern sport to the country during the early 20th century. The club has since maintained its exclusivity, and has a reputation as a domain of high society.
New Haven Country Club is a private country club located in Hamden, Connecticut. Founded in 1898 NHCC is one of the oldest golf courses in America. The club was founded as the New Haven Golf Club in downtown New Haven and then moved to newly purchased farmland along Lake Whitney in Hamden later. Notable early members include President William Taft, Walter Camp, Eli Whitney III, Henry Sargent, Frank Bigelow, Winthrop Bushnell, Charles C Claire, and Henry Hotchkiss. The club's PGA Head Golf Professional is William Wallis.
The New Golf Club is an exclusive golf club in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It is one of the three senior men's clubs in St Andrews, along with The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the St Andrews Golf Club. The club was founded in 1902. The club does not own a golf course of its own, and consequently members play on the seven public links courses at the St Andrews Links including the Old Course.