Meet The Artisans: Birkdale's Work-For-Play Members

What a fascinating story by Today's Golfer writer Kevin Brown on the members of Royal Birkdale who are the last of a rare breed that helps maintain the course in exchange for membership rights.

They're butchers, bakers, candlestick makers and members of the club.

It's been that way since the formation of the Birkdale Artisans – a golf club within a golf club – in 1931. The chief role of the artisans – a dying breed of work-to-play member at some of the UK's most established courses – is to back-up the greenkeeping team, helping ensure the course looks immaculate, with regular raking of the 123 bunkers and repairing considerably more divots high on the list of duties.