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
March 7, 2022
In June 2021 PGA Historian Emeritus Bob Denney interviewed Dr. Bern Bernacki for an article that was published in the PGA magazine. It was quite an honor to be so featured, but somehow, your website editor forgot to post the link! With this current post, we are happy to correct that oversight and share Denney’s wonderful article. Click here to […]
March 3, 2022
SI writer John Hawkins details the ways in in which Arnold Palmer was the “King” long after his golf began to diminish. Click here to see his story on the Morning Read.
February 18, 2022
Ship Ahoy February 2022By Taba Dale(Gallery of photos below story.) The Invitation When I saw a GHS ad for his book, A History of Greenkeeping; Golf’s Cause and Effect, I called its author Mel Lucas and bought his book. That’s when I learned of his commensurate background and he mentioned, “Ya know, GHS has been offered a free table at […]
February 8, 2022
black history month 2022 – honoring early black golfers By Jim Davis In his book, Uneven Lies, The Heroic Story of African-Americans in Golf (2000, The American Golfer), author Pete McDaniel has a chapter titled “The Shadow People,” about the experience of Black Americans in the early golf industry in the U.S. It is a story of racial injustice as […]
January 31, 2022
I’ve played in one-club tournaments, even three- and four-club events, but never in an event that used one ball per player. This one took place in 1945 in France and was a golf event for the Armed Forces. The story comes to us via Philadelphia-based golf historian and golf professional Pete Trenham and his golf history newsletter which, if you […]