10 of the Most Unique Golf Golf equipment within the World — and Tips on how to Get in

The esteemed membership, based and co-designed by legendary golfer and Grand Slam winner Bobby Jones, opened for play in 1932, although ladies weren’t allowed to affix till August 2012.

One of many highlights of the course is its in depth flora. Per Golf Month-to-month, Augusta has an estimated 80,000 crops from over 350 varieties, and every gap is called for a corresponding plant. This weekend, execs like Dustin Johnson and Fred {Couples} will take a look at their expertise on holes like Magnolia, Juniper, Azalea, and Holly in pursuit of match victory.

And in case you’re all in favour of taking part in this famed course sometime, you will need to get in line. Most memberships are inherited from one of many membership’s current 300 or so members, however you can attend as one in every of their visitors. You would additionally play as a visitor of a Masters champion.

If these choices sound somewhat too unrealistic, there may be one different solution to achieve entry: volunteering on the Masters. As to be anticipated, there is a waitlist, however in case you volunteer for the complete week, you will be invited to an “Appreciation Day” in Might to play a spherical of golf, per Golf.com. Preserve that in thoughts for subsequent 12 months.

Based in 1754, The Outdated Course at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland, is likely one of the oldest golf programs on the planet and residential to The Open Championship, the oldest and probably the most prestigious tournaments of the season.

Whilst you can take a strolling tour of the course between March and November, the clubhouse is normally solely accessible to its 2,500 members. Nevertheless, annually on November 30, which is also called St. Andrews Day, a part of it’s opened to the general public for excursions, Golf Digest reported.

St. Andrews is notoriously unique, permitting its first feminine members in 2015. Golf.com reported that the multi-step membership course of contains an invite from a present member, an software, and letters of advice — and this does not even assure admission, as it may possibly take years to get by the waitlist, and functions may be outright denied.

Barnabas Carrega, CEO of the Gr8 Expertise, a luxurious journey agency specializing in unique experiences, instructed BI that visiting Skibo is “probably the most unimaginable experiences” he is ever seen from a rustic membership when it comes to stage of service, privateness, and exclusivity, describing it as “an immense membership.”

Per the Carnegie Membership’s web site, the golf course Carnegie Hyperlinks, “is right for each freshmen discovering their ft on the greens and extra completed gamers trying to good their swing. Classes may be booked with our resident PGA professionals.”

Enterprise Insider reported in 2021 that Michael Jordan’s unique golf course in Hobe Sound, Florida, has fewer than 80 members. Some well-known names allowed in embody former president Barack Obama, former tennis participant John McEnroe, and present execs Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson.

As you may in all probability guess, you’d both must know Jordan — or he’d need to get to know you — so that you can get an invitation to this ultra-exclusive membership.

“Michael Jordan is a large fan of golf, and even when he was taking part in for the Chicago Bulls, apparently, in between video games, he would go and play golf,” stated Carrega. “So he is at all times been very into the game.”

Jordan even hosts an unique match, gifting winner Keegan Bradley a $4,000 bottle of his tequila, Cincoro Additional Añejo, in 2023.

One other membership with excessive ranges of exclusivity is Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York. The membership will host each the US Open and the US Ladies’s Open in 2036, per Golf.com.

As one of many 5 founding golf equipment of the US Golf Affiliation, its historical past dates again to 1891, which could assist clarify a few of its strict guidelines.

For instance, Shinnecock would not enable any cell telephones or communication units for use or displayed within the clubhouse or on membership grounds (besides within the phone room or automobiles within the parking zone), everybody’s shirts have to be worn tucked in, and no gratuity could also be paid to staff, per the membership’s Visitor Info web page.

To play right here, you will want a signature from an accompanying member — no exceptions, sorry.

In 2019, Cypress Level was named one in every of Golf.com’s most unique golf golf equipment on the planet. To cite entertainer and comic Bob Hope, “One 12 months, that they had a giant membership drive at Cypress. They drove out 40 members.”

Enterprise Insider reported that Cypress has solely about 250 members, with Golf Addict noting that the clientele is primarily “distinguished politicians, businessmen, and film stars,” who break up the course’s charges equally, irrespective of how a lot they really golf.

The place does one start with Shell Bay? Maybe you will begin your day on the yacht membership, observe your forehand on the Grand Slam-quality tennis courts, after which play a couple of holes on the Greg Norman-designed golf course. Or possibly you will simply spend the day on the spa.

The chances are grand on the Shell Bay Membership — in case you’ve bought $1.35 million mendacity round for enjoyable.

“Mainly, all of the members are millionaires or billionaires,” Carrega stated, including that members embody “the captains of business and an important of the individuals in Florida.”

Along with the personal membership, Shell Bay additionally has residences with facilities that embody a sundown cocktail terrace, an orchid backyard, and a non-public wine-tasting room with safe wine drawers.

Additionally featured on Golf.com’s most unique golf golf equipment on the planet in 2019, Hirono Golf Membership in Kobe, Japan, has a repute for being particularly personal; the final skilled match performed there was the seventieth Japan Open Golf Championship in 2005.

Whereas most golf programs are recognized for having costume codes, a few of Hirono’s guidelines are extremely particular.

Per the membership’s web site, tips for taking part in apparel embody no clothes with “showy colours or patterns” like pink or camouflage, no mock-neck shirts, no shirts with out collars and sleeves, no ankle socks, and no clothes or hats “designed with conspicuous promoting intentions.”

Solely members and their visitors are allowed entry to Hirono, and each events are held to the identical excessive requirements, with the membership noting that members are “absolutely answerable for the conduct of the customer,” who ought to be absolutely knowledgeable on the foundations and course etiquette earlier than arrival.

Based in 1913, Pine Valley Golf Membership in New Jersey has been ranked the No. 1 golf course within the state yearly since 1985 and the No. 1 golf course within the nation yearly since 2017, per Golf Digest.

The membership is famously invite-only and, till 2021, solely allowed ladies to play as visitors on Sunday afternoons.

“The way forward for golf should transfer towards inclusion, and I’m happy to report that the Trustees and members of the Pine Valley Golf Membership have voted unanimously and with enthusiasm to take away all gender-specific language from our bylaws,” membership president Jim Davis wrote in an electronic mail to members obtained by Golf Digest in 2021.

Pine Valley has solely held one elite skilled occasion in its historical past, additional emphasizing its curiosity in privateness. Nevertheless, the membership will break custom in 2034 to host the Curtis Cup, a biennial match the place the highest feminine American amateurs compete towards one of the best from Nice Britain and Eire.