Crooked Stick Golf Club began with a set of principles devised by a small core of early members, each offering vision and guidance as to how this club would operate and thrive. These members: Eugene Pulliam, Robert Sweeny, Jr., William Wick, J.I. Cummings, and Paul "Pete" Dye; prepared and shared these concepts at a dinner at the Indianapolis Athletic Club for prospective members in December of 1964. From this point, the 60 people in this dinner meeting, set forth a project that would lead to what we now know worldwide as the Crooked Stick Golf Club.

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These principles were described to be "followed as closely as possible in the design and construction of the golf course":

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES

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Crooked Stick should continue its rich tradition of a limited membership golf club, where the members share the same core values of a world-class golf club with a first-class but modest facility; that our golf course and our playing conditions are our highest priority and that promoting fellowship among our members, contributing to the game of Golf and being responsible members of the community represent the character of the Club

 

The Golf Course

 

Playing Conditions

The Club will strive to provide firm and fast, “near tournament playing conditions” on a day-to-day basis. Respectful of the Club’s heritage, inspired in part by golfing experiences of course creators Pete and Alice Dye and their travels in Scotland, the Club favors a “firm and fast” turf maintenance philosophy rather than “lush and wet.” Members expect that areas in play will be well-groomed while out-of-play areas will be maintained in a manner to enhance the players’ overall enjoyment and aesthetic experience. It is acceptable for such grooming to be dictated by current styles and preferences.

 

Boundary Policy

The Club will continue to screen the golf course from adjacent properties; The boundaries will have a natural rather than a manicured look and remain a combination of deciduous trees, evergreens, shrubbery, heather, and long grass. To the extent allowed for a permissible use, access paths from adjacent properties should be cut on an angle slanted toward the green to ensure maximum screening is retained. Exceptions: There are areas where elevations and border depth limit our ability to screen., where turf health issues limit our ability to screen, and where lack of screening improves the course’s shot values and is consistent with the architectural integrity

of the course.

 

Course Design

The Club will strive to maintain the original feel, flow and routing as conceived and built by Pete and Alice Dye. The Club acknowledges that a number of aesthetic and strategic improvements (bunkers, patron viewing areas, water hazards, additional tees, etc.) have been made over the years to enhance the course from a play and spectating perspective and further realizes that other similar improvements will need to be made from time to time in the future. It is expected that any such future course alterations will be done in a style consistent with the golf course design philosophies of Pete Dye.

 

Recognition

It is the desire of the Club to be considered one of the nation’s finest private golf clubs and to achieve and consistently maintain a high rating from respected national golf publications.

 

The Golf Experience

 

No starting times

The Club will be run as a golf-only, limited-membership golf club. As such, the course will, in the course of normal operations, be open and available for Member play without the need for tee time reservations. The Club shall be operated in a manner that gives the highest priority to golf course access for Members, their families, and their guests.

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Ability to find a game

Crooked Stick is a golf course, but more importantly, it is a club, a community of Members brought together from many backgrounds and experiences to share their common passion for the game of Golf. Members are expected to welcome the opportunity to play and compete with fellow members and their guests and to strive to welcome and include fellow members seeking a game.

 

Pace of Play

“Waiting between shots shall be unheard of…” These words, written in 1962 by British golf author and journalist Pat Ward-Thomas, rang true to founding member Eugene Pulliam who, in turn, shared it with Members in the club‘s early days. Over time, this came to be adopted as the Club’s unofficial motto. Consistent with our foundational heritage, Members will be expected to complete rounds in four (4) hours or less and will be responsible for ensuring the same pace of play by their family members and guests.

 

Respect for the game

First and foremost, Crooked Stick is a golf club. As such, all Members, their family members, and guests are expected to understand, observe, and honor the game’s rules, customs, courtesies, and traditions. This includes knowing and observing the Rules of Golf, the Club’s Conduct and Dress Policies and acting like ladies and gentlemen at all times.

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SeRVICE, STAFFING & FACILITIES

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Staffing

The Club will strive to attract and retain exceptional personnel who recognize, embrace and contribute to its goal of delivering an exceptional, unique, and memorable experience to Members, their families, and guests. Long-term retention of high-performing employees is understood to be an important contributor to this end. As such, the Club will strive to be an employer of choice, one that enables its exceptional employees to serve a full career in the Club’s employ. 

 

Level of Service

Members, their families, and guests are to be treated in a personalized, welcoming, and understated manner. In return, the Staff is to be treated with the respect they deserve for their important role in the success of the Club.

 

Caddies

The Golf Staff is expected to establish and manage a proper golf caddie program so that Members, their families, and guests will be able to utilize the services of a trained and qualified caddie upon request. Members are expected to support the Club’s caddie program so that a sustainable program can be maintained.

 

Clubhouse and Member Activities

The Club shall present a modest, well-maintained clubhouse reflective of its history as a true golf club. It shall be dedicated solely to Golf and shall not have facilities such as a pool or tennis courts.

 

The BUSINESS (FINANCE & OPERATIONS)

 

Financial Management.

The Club will be managed in a fiscally responsible manner, maintaining its facilities, operations, and brand at a world-class level while keeping dues and charges commensurate with the experience delivered. Management of the Club’s fiscal affairs shall be approached from the perspective of the long-term sustainability of its mission. Financial resources shall be directed first and foremost toward the golf course. It shall be the Club’s objective to fund operating expenses with dues and to fund capital expenditures with initiation fees and capital assessments. Taking on of debt shall be approached prudently and infrequently, and in such cases, only for the purpose of financing capital improvements.

 

Leadership & Governance

As reaffirmed by the 2013 Governance Committee, the Club should be governed by the Board of Directors which must be vested with the responsibility and authority to make all decisions necessary for the proper and efficient operation of the Club, subject only to those by-law limitations requiring membership approval for assessments, borrowing and hosting national tournaments. The Board has the responsibility to keep the membership properly and timely informed of matters relating to Club activities and finances, particularly any matters that affect or alter its long-term guiding principles and values.

 

Fee Structure

In keeping with the goal of delivering the ideal golfing experience, centered around a world-class golf course and first-class service, the Club will establish dues and fees at levels that will allow for such delivery while being attentive to membership market conditions. 

 

PROMOTING THE GAMe​

 

The Club recognizes that its long-term sustainability and success is directly tied to the health and growth of Golf in general. As such, the Club has a role in promoting and contributing to the game and will extend its facilities, name and reputation to causes and activities that it believes will contribute to this end. Actions consistent with this aim may include support for USGA national and state qualifying events, select national amateur and professional events, high school and/or collegiate events, the Junior Development and Tour Hopeful Programs, the Crooked Stick and Chick Evans Scholarship Programs, and other events and causes that contribute to the health and growth of Golf.

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Into the future, Crooked Stick Golf Club will endeavor to preserve and live through these principles. What was prescribed here is living through every Pete Dye golf course design, but these principles took hold with and through Crooked Stick first.

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