The Golf Heritage Society started out as The Golf Collectors Society, an international organization dedicated to preserving the treasures and traditions of the game of golf. Founded in 1970 by Robert Kuntz and Joseph S.F. Murdoch, the organization has attracted more than 1,000 members from 15 different countries. The philosophy of the Society has always been to offer a not-for-profit fraternal organization that encourages members to visit, share information, and to establish friendships based on a common interest, the love of golf.
Joe Murdoch and Robert “Bob” Kuntz were two enthusiastic collectors who loved to “talk shop,” and share their love of golf collectibles, books, clubs and other memorabilia. In 1970 they, along with 25 founding members, created the Golf Collectors Society.
Seventeen members and their spouses attended the first annual meeting in 1972, in Louisville, Ky. At that meeting they began the still-active tradition of a hickory golf event that is today called the Golf Heritage Society National Championship. The meetings now attract hundreds of participants and its annual trade show, held in conjunction with the meeting, is the largest of its kind in the world.
The organization’s newsletter, The Bulletin, began as a single type-written page prepared by Joe Murdoch and mailed to the membership. Under his diligence and thoughtful guidance, the magazine continued to grow. Through a succession of editors and 215 editions later, it has grown to a 28- to 40-page quarterly that regularly features stories and articles on golf history, notable golf collections, Society news, and much more. In late 2018, the magazine changed its title to The Golf, an old way of referring to the ancient game and now employed as an homage to this singular and fascinating human pastime.
In October 2018, the Society formally changed its name to the Golf Heritage Society, a move that reflects its changing role in an ever-changing environment. While remaining true to its roots, the GHS is hopeful of establishing a Society that will stand as a robust resource for golf historians, collectors, hickory golfers, researchers and writers. To that end it offers a Speakers Bureau with experts in many fields for engagements from community forums to college presentations, the opportunity to engage with golf collectors across a wide spectrum of memorabilia, a website with links to past Bulletins, and links to dozens of sites dedicated to golf history and much more.
Members also have access to the quarterly magazine, The Golf, both online and in print. Modern initiatives find GHS members seeking greater partnerships with fraternal societies, an outreach to junior golfers, such as The First Tee program, that they might be introduced to the great history of the game, a greater presence through social media, and a revitalized overall approach to its mission of serving the history of the game.
ghs annual convention sites
1972 – Louisville, Ky.
1973 – Morris Plains, N.J.
1974 – Dayton, Ohio
1975 – Raleigh, N.C.
1976 – Akron, Ohio
1977 – Irvine, Calif.
1978 – Kenilworth, N.J.
1979 – Akron, Ohio
1980 – Alexandria, Va.
1981 – St. Louis, Mo.
1982 – Industry Hills, Calif.
1983 – Chicago, Ill.
1984 – Myrtle Beach, S.C.
1985 – Dallas, Texas
1986 – Indianapolis, Ind.
1987 – Clinton, N.J.
1988 – St. Louis, Mo.
1989 – Miami, Fla.
1990 – Birmingham, Ala.
1991 – Dallas, Texas
1992 – Atlanta, Ga.
1993 – Palm Springs, Calif.
1994 – Ypsilanti, Mich.
1995 – Louisville, Ky.
1996 – Kansas City, Mo.
1997 – Nashville, Tenn.
1998 – Lexington, Ky.
1999 – St. Augustine, Fla.
2000 – Virginia Beach, Va.
2001 – Dallas, Texas
2002 – Columbus, Ohio
2003 – St. Augustine, Fla.
2004 – Chicago, Ill.
2005 – St. Augustine, Fla.
2006 – Las Vegas, Nev.
2007 – Southern Pines, N.C.
2008 – Lexington, Ky.
2009 – Somerset, N.J.
2010 – Southern Pines, N.C.
2011 – Ypsilanti, Mich.
2012 – Williamsburg, Va.
2013 – Southern Pines, N.C.
2014 – Las Vegas, Nev.
2015 – Chicago, Ill.
2016 – Poconos, Pa.
2017 – Southern Pines, N.C.
2018 – St. Augustine, Fla.
2019 – Cleveland, Ohio
2020 – Not Held
2021 – Pittsburgh, Pa.
2022 – Indianpolis, Ind.
2023 – Lexington, Ky.