The New Golf Club

The New Golf Club is a 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.[5] 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.

The New Golf Club
MottoSemper Nova
(English: Always New)
Formation1902
Headquarters3-5 Gibson Place,
Location
Coordinates56.34273°N 2.80552°W / 56.34273; -2.80552
Membership (2019)
2,200[1]
Club Secretary & General Manager
Graham Clelland[2]
Revenue (2020)
£416,001[3]
Expenses (2020)£359,291[3]
Websitenewgolfclubstandrews.co.uk
Listed Building – Category C(S)
Official name1-10 Gibson Place[4]
Designated8 June 1978 (1978-06-08)[4]
Reference no.LB40809[4]

History

In 1821 the Cheape family had bought the St Andrews Links including the Old Course.[6] In 1892 the St Andrews Town Council proposed that they and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club share ownership with a condition was that the course remain open to the public.[6] However, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club negotiated a price with Cheape, and in 1893, they purchased it.[6] The Town Council were not happy with the purchase and pursued a new law in Parliament, which became the St Andrews Links Act 1894, in order to obtain the links for the people of the town.[6]

The same men, who fought for the new law were the same men who founded The New Golf Club.[7] During this time, the people of the town had no clubhouse, even though there were at least nine golf clubs in St Andrews. Eight local businessmen established the Club in 1902,[7] with Old Tom Morris being a supporter, having visited the Club regularly.[7] It was in the New Golf clubhouse that he had the accident which would lead to his eventual death.[7]

Membership
Blue plaque on The New Golf Clubhouse for Old Tom Morris

The New Golf Club does not own a golf course of its own, and as a consequence members also need to pay a subscription fee to the St Andrews Links Trust to play on the seven public links courses (the Old, Balgove, Castle, Eden, Jubilee, New, and Strathtyrum golf courses).[8] Members of The New Golf Club can also apply for membership of the St Andrews Thistle Golf Club,[5] along with members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and St Andrews Golf Club. In 2019 the total membership of the club was 2,200, this included 1,850 ordinary voting members.[1] The maximum numbers of ordinrary voting members is 2,000.[1]

The New Golf Club tartan

The St Andrews New Golf Club tartan was produced for the centenary (1902-2002) of the New Club at St Andrews and is restricted to Members of the club. It comes in purple, earth and green.[9]

Honorary Membership

The New Golf Club has only ever had five Honorary Members in over a century, and never more than one at any one time:

References
  1. "The New Golf Club, St Andrews-General Manager". Golf Club Managers' Association. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  2. "Newsletter - 8 May 2020". The New Golf Club. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  3. "AGM 2020" (PDF). The New Golf Club. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  4. "1-10 Gibson Place". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  5. "Welcome to St Andrews Thistle Golf Club". St Andrews Thistle Golf Club. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  6. "The Old Course, St Andrews". ruleshistory.com/. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  7. "Nostalgia isn't what it used to be". Scotland On Line. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  8. "UK & Overseas". The New Golf Club. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  9. "St Andrews New Golf Club". Scottish Register of Tartans. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  10. "Honorary Members". The New Golf Club. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
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