We love all things golf:
Playing, Collecting, Preserving history
We are a family and you are invited.
For over 50 years our members have relished the thrill of the hunt, be it discovering and documenting an obscure bit of golf lore, tracking down an ancient artifact, obtaining a favorite player’s signature, or displaying our admission ticket to the Masters. There is joy and pride in “Holding History in Our Hands.”
Our members include collectors, authors, course architects and superintendents, and anyone interested in the game and its history. Seasoned collectors and writers network with other members, share their knowledge and frequently surface as recognized experts in their field. With the help of mentors and Society resources, finding your personal niche amongst untold options can be part of a wonderful journey. Fellow travelers within the GHS will appreciate your discoveries and encourage your pursuits.
Members Attend Regional Events
The GHS is divided into 10 Geographic regions (including International) each led by a director who serves on the board. Those frequent events are opportunities for local get-togethers in addition to the Nationals.
Recent visits to world renowned sites not otherwise accessible to the public include:
• Luncheon and a full tour of the Merion GC Clubhouse and Archives (left)- Next Visit 3-23-24
*18 holes of golf and reception at Arnold Palmer’s own Latrobe Country Club (right)
• Other recurring venues include Oakmont CC, Columbia CC, and Belleview CC
NEWS ALERTS
- The 2024 GHS National Convention Packet has been mailed to all GHS members. We’ve attached a PDF of the packet here for your convenience. There’s a lot planned for the 2024 GHS Convention in Pinehurst, so don’t delay securing your spot.
- Deadline for articles and news for the autumn edition of The Golf is July 29.
- GHS member and author John Riley has a new book that covers the life and career of legendary Philadelphia amateur Bill Hyndman. Titled A Will to Win, the book already has great reviews, but we’ll post one in the Autumn edition of The Golf. Meanwhile, here’s a video of an interview with Inside Golf host Harry Donahue. Jay Sigel and Gordon Brewer also make an appearance on the video to talk about the book and Hyndman. Riley’s previous golf book was How He Played the Game, about Ed “Porky” Oliver. You can find A Will to Win at the following link: https://awilltowin.com/. It is the best place to buy the book.
pinehurst shops are troves of golf history
The website magazine First Call paid a visit to two of our favorite Pinehurst shops during the recent U.S. Open. The Old Golf Shop’s owner Bob Hansen took the magazine’s writers on a tour of his remarkable store of vintage golf memorabilia. Over at The Old Sport and Gallery, owner Tom Stewart welcomed the First Call team for a tour of his equally wonderful collection of golf history… all for sale, you understand. These are businesses that cater to both the casual tourist and the savvy golf historian/collector. Click here to see the story.
ghs classics from the Archives
The GHS quarterly journal, The Golf, and its long-lived predecessor, The Bulletin, had features that were – are – just plain fun to read. Below we are pleased to offer a “classic” from the past, a look at the collection of one of the Society’s long-time members.
the golf collection of philip truett
From the December 2014 edition of The Bulletin we share a feature on the rare book collection of Philip Truett, a resident of Walton-on-the-Hill, England. Truett’s lifelong interest in books has led to an astonishing variety of rare volumes, most published before 1920, his central focus. This feature gives us a little peek at Truett’s amazing collection. We are indebted to the late Dick McDonough for his work in providing photos and background for this feature.
Click here to read the article.
News / Features
July 21, 2020
On July 22, the GHS Board and Directors announced the cancellation of the 2020 meeting out of an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please click here to read the official notice from the board and executive director announcing the cancellation. The meeting has been re-scheduled for the same time period and location in 2021.
July 14, 2020
In late June the white-coats in Titleist’s R&D labs thought to produce, for whatever reason, a dimple-less golf ball and ask tour pros to hit the thing. What would it do? How would the pros react? Most GHS guys, and the hickory golf guys, too, know exactly what would happen. And, as the video below shows, it did. The professional […]
Original oil by J.F. Kernan By Frank Cantrel Jr. The world of golf art includes many colorful illustrations created by such artists as Norman Rockwell, Charles Dana Gibson, Howard Pyle, JC Leyendecker, and J.F. Kernan. These paintings were created to be reproduced in magazines and newspapers, as posters, advertisements, and on products such as greeting cards and calendars. “With illustration […]
July 13, 2020
GHS member Howard Schickler’s passion for photography was featured in GCS Bulletin No. 209 (December 2016). Long fascinated with the history and wonder these photos portray, Schickler scoured auction sites and bought, sold, and traded with fellow collectors to amass one of the finest troves of golf photography in the world. A story on the sale of this collection – […]
July 8, 2020
Celebrating Black Golfers – Pete McDaniel Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African Americans in Golf, by Pete McDaniel, is the critically acclaimed history of the men and women who struggled (and in many cases, still do) against racism in the game. Not all black golfers accomplished stirring things on the course. Some, like McDaniel, are brilliant writers, others are […]