​Did you know there exists an exclusive golf club with its own clubhouse that grants free access to play a top-20 course every day? Yes—that’s right. The story begins in 1931, when 32 working-class tradesmen struck a deal with Royal Birkdale Golf Club. In exchange for the right to use the course, these men would donate their labor to help maintain it. Thus, the Royal Birkdale Artisans Golf Club was created.
An artisan is defined as a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects largely by hand. Today’s club captain is a window fitter, and other members work as gas engineers, electricians, barbers, floor fitters, bricklayers, builders, and bus drivers. There are around 60 artisan clubs at courses across England, with similar agreements in place at Royal Liverpool, Sunningdale, Walton Heath, West Lancashire, and Formby.
Membership is granted through an application process, explains Aiden Coulton, the Royal Birkdale Artisans Club secretary, and includes an interview to assess suitability for the Artisan golf lifestyle. “The Artisan way of life is built on friendship, duty, and our shared love of golf. We work together as a team to look after a valuable part of Royal Birkdale’s history.”
To apply, you must live within ten miles of Royal Birkdale and commit to volunteering two hours each week to help maintain the course. Each member receives a purple vest—the uniform for working on the course—bearing the inscription “Royal Birkdale Golf Club Artisan” on the back. Time and tasks are meticulously tracked, with clear penalties for non-compliance: if you fall short, your playing privileges can be withdrawn.
Under the supervision of Royal Birkdale’s course manager, Sean McClean, the Artisans perform divot repair, bunker raking, sprinkler-head trimming, range ball collection, and various other duties required to care for one of the world’s premier links courses. The membership is capped at 32, mirroring the number of original members.
Work often begins at the fifth hole, just steps from the clubhouse, where “divoting” remains a favorite task for many. Coulton, for his part, values the quiet early-morning fairways and the tangible value of their labor, particularly as major tournaments approach. He notes that the club’s impact is most evident when the Open comes to town.
Coulton’s own career path isn’t that of a traditional artisan trademan—he works in banking. Historically, there was a strong expectation that artisans would practice skilled trades, a sentiment reflected in the club’s enduring ethos and structure, even as modern roles diversify.