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
June 5, 2020
June 5, 2020By Jim Davis Gordon Beggs Jr. is a retired law professor (Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University) who makes his home in Tuscon, Ariz. A member of both the GHS and the Society of Hickory Golfers, he has been a long-time player and supporter of the National Hickory Championship (since 2008, seven tournaments). Though slowed in recent […]
May 30, 2020
Ari Flaisher is known to many hickory golfers as a solid player from the Philadelphia area. He has hosted and played in several events. These days he has more on his mind than mashies and niblicks. Flaisher has organized a new event titled “We Are The 50,” which plans to invite youth golf champions 15 and younger to compete in […]
May 11, 2020
A Random Golf Footnote fromJohn W. Fischer III (Editor’s note: GHS member John Fischer III is an accomplished golf writer whose occasional ‘Random Golf Footnotes’ are sent to an established mail list of golf history enthusiasts. He is a long-time member of the Cincinnati Country Club where Otto Hackbarth was the golf professional for many decades. Mr. Fischer is also […]
May 5, 2020
Editor’s note: Though the following was written in January 2017, it seems appropriate to again share at this time as most of us are still shut up at home. MacDuff is an occasional contributor to GHS pages and we thought his take on the promises of bright new golfing technologies worthy of revisiting. Most of us receive or have read […]
May 1, 2020
This story appeared in the December 2015 issue of The Bulletin of the Golf Heritage Society. By Pete Trenhamwww.trenhamgolfhistory.org Ted Smith was born in Philadelphia 1906, the son of immigrant parents who had come to the United States from Hungary and Americanized their name to Smith. His family moved to Chicago and at the age of 12 he requested clubs […]