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“The Eden Club’s membership was designed to complement an
individual’s membership at the home club where he or she lives and
provides three very distinct dimensions: our home Club in St
Andrews, our Secretariat and our events,” says Tom Lawrence,
Chairman of the Eden Club. “Members don’t need us to take care of
their local golf when they’re at home. We have added two dimensions
to the traditional Club membership scenario to meet the desires of
the market. The last ten years has seen the development of literally
hundreds of outstanding courses. The market has changed and we’ve
had to adapt to that. There are large numbers of people out there
with second homes in different countries and businesses interests in
different global markets. There’s a growing band of people in the
world today who want to travel and enjoy special things,” says
Lawrence. “The Eden Club is designed to suit them.”
“The Eden Club, St Andrews – our home Club – combines a number of
facilities which all combine to deliver the sort of very high-end
service that St Andrews has never had. From the moment you arrive at
the airport, one of the Club’s chauffeur-driven Bentleys or Range
Rovers greets you and is with you for the duration of your stay.
Transport in these parts is a necessity owing to the disparate
nature of the courses. The lovingly restored Clubhouse takes care of
all your daytime needs and provides your own private oasis to
entertain guests. Club and shoe cleaning, fine lunches, whiskies,
antique clubs – they’re all here to enjoy”.
“The courses are, without doubt, some of the most enjoyable and
challenging in the world but it’s the evenings and being away from
the golf where special time is created. For you have your own 17th
century private stately home to enjoy, complete with butler, chef,
piper and housekeeper. It’s a throwback to fine living of a bygone
era combined with the comfort and luxuries of today. Dining in the
Great Room after a round or two in the company of friends is
special. It is a private and intimate place to go, offering an
outstanding level of service.”
But there are many more experiences in the world today, which are
all unique and very special. Today’s travellers are sophisticated
and demanding. People seek to travel and experience new things that
they’ve either heard or read about, but they expect similar
standards. And that’s why the other two dimensions of our membership
are so important.
“The Secretariat assists members as they travel the world and takes
care of all their golfing arrangements, enabling them to invite
guests to experience some of the finest clubs wherever they travel.
It’s not a reciprocal rights programme, as they work below the radar
screen in a very low-key fashion. It takes all of the aggravation
out of organising golf and helps to deliver opportunities members
may not be able to achieve on their own,” says Bertie Lubner, a
member from South Africa.
“For me it’s the third dimension, events, which has developed the
fastest and the one from which members have gained most enjoyment.”
David Eziekel a member from Bermuda continues, “The Club now has 600
members who live all round the world and place great value on their
precious leisure time. They all come from similar backgrounds and
share similar lifestyles. It’s a privilege to be able to share
wonderful times in beautiful surroundings and we are all drawn
together through our interest in golf. It’s amazing to witness the
value people take from meeting and spending time with one another.
This is very much a club – with all the privileges and benefits of
clubdom”.
Members are permitted to invite guests to a range of events that
differ in format. These are divided into three categories:
Member-Guest Days, Matches and International Events.
So what makes them so special? It’s not just the access to the
courses but also the format of the events and the people
participating that make them special,” commented Rick Kayne, of Los
Angeles. “They build on the natural appeal of the clubs and courses
and add their own style of delivery. It’s a huge asset that we are
able to enjoy them. I think most people would tell you that the
international events make the Club so special,” insists Roger
Walters of London, England. “You get to spend time at a wonderful
location with absolutely everything taken care of. The competitions
are fantastic and the Club customise extended packages. My wife and
I get to travel the world together and really enjoy it. And she
doesn’t even play golf”.
Having found out what’s on offer I wanted to know how do you choose
members? “It’s quite easy now as members invite guests to events who
are often prospective members”, says Lawrence. “We have a very
simple rule of thumb for inviting someone to become a member. I ask
myself, would I like to invite them round to my house for dinner and
enjoy their company. If I can’t answer that question positively,
they don’t really fit in”.
So is this mostly a male orientated Club or are women allowed? “A
lot of our members invite their wives and use the Club to travel the
world together. There are men’s and ladies’ competitions at each
event. Approximately 25-35% of the competitors are ladies but this
is growing. They’re just as excited as us guys about testing
themselves against the great courses of the world and thoroughly
enjoy the social side.”
For more information on the Eden Club, please call Tom Lawrence,
Chairman, The Eden Club, on 0207 855 5130, or e-mail him at
tlawrence@finestgolfclubs.com
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