Opinion

What Is the 1893 Club?

7 min read - 78 views

Article

Full article

7 min read - 78 views - Published 12 Aug 2026 - Updated 28 Aug 2026

What Is the 1893 Club?

The 1893 Club is a reciprocal golf network for clubs founded in 1893.

It gives eligible members of participating clubs the chance to play other 1893 Club courses, usually as a courtesy round, once per calendar year. In simple terms, if your golf club is part of the 1893 Club, you may be able to visit another club in the group without paying a normal visitor green fee.

That makes it one of the more interesting membership perks in UK club golf.

The 1893 Club links together golf clubs that share the same founding year and gives their members access to reciprocal golf across the UK and beyond.

Why Is It Called the 1893 Club?

The name comes from the year the participating golf clubs were founded.

A large number of golf clubs were formed in the late Victorian golf boom, and 1893 was a particularly busy year for new clubs. The 1893 Club takes that shared history and turns it into a practical reciprocal arrangement for modern members.

It is not a governing body, a golf union or a ranking list. It is a group of clubs with a common foundation year and a courtesy golf agreement.

For golfers, the appeal is obvious. Membership of one club can potentially open the door to a long list of other historic golf clubs.

How Does the 1893 Club Work?

The usual benefit is one courtesy round per calendar year at another participating 1893 Club venue.

The exact process can vary by club, but the basic idea is:

You must normally be a full member of a participating 1893 Club
The round has to be arranged in advance
Bookings are usually made through your home club, club manager, secretary or professional
The host club may restrict days, times and group sizes
Guests are not normally covered by the courtesy arrangement
A handicap certificate or letter of introduction may be required
The host club’s dress code and club rules still apply

This is not the same as turning up as a visitor and asking for a free round. The booking has to be arranged properly.

Is the 1893 Club Free?

The word “free” gets used a lot around the 1893 Club, but it is better to think of it as a courtesy arrangement.

Members of participating clubs can usually play one courtesy round per year at other clubs in the network. That does not always mean there are no conditions. Some clubs may have restrictions on availability, booking process, membership category or group size.

You should always check the current terms before making plans.

The main value is that a golf club membership can become more useful if your club is part of the 1893 Club. You are not just joining one course. You may also gain access to a wider network of historic clubs.

Who Can Use the 1893 Club?

The 1893 Club is usually for members of participating clubs.

Most published rules make it clear that guests of members do not normally receive the courtesy. Some clubs also specify that only full members qualify.

That matters because not every membership category is treated the same. Flexible, social, academy, country or limited playing memberships may not qualify, depending on the club.

Before relying on it, ask your own club:

Am I eligible for 1893 Club courtesy rounds?
Does my membership category qualify?
Who has to make the booking?
Do I need a letter of introduction?
Do I need proof of handicap?
Are there any limits on how often I can use it?

This saves embarrassment when contacting another club.

Why the 1893 Club Is Useful for Golfers

The 1893 Club is useful because it makes away golf more accessible.

Green fees can add up quickly, especially if you like playing different courses through the year. A reciprocal arrangement gives members another reason to explore clubs they may not have visited otherwise.

It also creates a good excuse to play older, more traditional golf courses. Many 1893 Club venues are not modern resort layouts. They are long-standing members’ clubs with their own history, routing, clubhouse culture and local character.

That is the interesting bit. You are not just collecting cheap rounds. You are playing clubs connected by a very specific piece of golf history.

North East and Northern Clubs in the 1893 Club

For FootWedge readers, the North East angle matters.

South Shields Golf Club is part of the 1893 Club and describes the benefit as a reciprocal arrangement with fellow clubs founded in 1893. South Shields also highlights nearby examples such as Brough, Accrington and Skipton.

Bellingham Golf Club is another northern club in the network, giving Northumberland golfers a clear local link to the scheme. Skipton in North Yorkshire is also listed by several 1893 Club sources.

That makes the 1893 Club especially relevant for golfers in the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancashire and Scotland. There are enough clubs within sensible travelling distance to make the reciprocal benefit worth knowing about.

All 1893 Club Golf Clubs

Published 1893 Club lists vary slightly, so check with your home club before booking. The clubs below are the main clubs currently found across published 1893 Club lists.

Why Do Some 1893 Club Lists Differ?

This is worth saying clearly: not every published 1893 Club list matches.

Some club pages describe the 1893 Club as having 40 clubs worldwide. Others refer to 41. Some lists include Royal Norwich, while other lists include Silkstone and Wellingborough but do not show Royal Norwich in the same place.

That does not make the scheme useless. It just means the list should be treated as a live club-by-club arrangement rather than a perfectly fixed directory.

Before booking, use the published list as a starting point, then confirm with your own club and the host club.

How to Book a Round Through the 1893 Club

The safest booking process is simple.

Start with your own club. Ask the secretary, general manager, professional or office team whether they handle 1893 Club bookings.

Then confirm:

The club you want to play
Your preferred date
Your membership eligibility
Whether a letter of introduction is needed
Whether a handicap certificate is needed
Whether there are day or time restrictions
How many golfers can play together
Whether the host club has any visitor rules you need to know

Do not leave it until the night before. Reciprocal golf works best when clubs have time to arrange it properly.

Best 1893 Club Courses to Know

The value of the 1893 Club is partly in the variety.

There are inland parkland clubs, coastal courses, Scottish layouts, London clubs and even international options in Switzerland, South Africa and Australia.

For UK golfers, some especially interesting names include:

South Shields Golf Club — a North East club with historic design interest
Seascale Golf Club — a Cumbrian coastal course with a different feel from inland golf
Skipton Golf Club — a North Yorkshire option for travelling golfers
Brough Golf Club — a strong East Yorkshire members’ club
Muswell Hill Golf Club — a London option with clear 1893 Club information
Wellingborough Golf Club — closely linked with the creation of the modern 1893 Club initiative
East London Golf Club — one of the international names that makes the list more distinctive
Townsville Golf Club — the Australian connection in Queensland
Engadine Golf Club — the Swiss entry in the network

You do not need to play the most famous course on the list for the scheme to be worthwhile. The value is in having a reason to visit clubs you might otherwise overlook.

Is Joining an 1893 Club Worth It?

You should not join a golf club only because it is part of the 1893 Club.

Your home course, membership cost, competitions, practice facilities, location and club culture matter more.

But if you are comparing two similar clubs and one has 1893 Club membership, it is a useful extra. For golfers who like away days, history and traditional members’ clubs, it can add real value.

It is especially useful if:

You like playing new courses
You travel around the UK
You have friends at other clubs
You enjoy older golf clubs with history
You want more value from your membership
You are happy to organise rounds properly through club channels

How FootWedge Can Help

FootWedge is built around helping golfers understand courses before they play them.

If you are using the 1893 Club to plan away golf, use FootWedge course pages to check the course style, setting and playing character before you book.

Start with South Shields Golf Club if you want a North East 1893 Club example.

A reciprocal round is still a proper round of golf. Check the course, understand the likely challenge and plan your game before turning up.

The Bottom Line

The 1893 Club is one of the better hidden membership benefits in golf.

It connects clubs founded in 1893 and gives eligible members access to reciprocal courtesy rounds across a wide network of courses. The exact list and booking rules can vary, so it is worth checking details before arranging a visit.

For golfers who enjoy traditional clubs, away days and a bit of golf history, the 1893 Club is well worth knowing about.