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 spring 2024 edition of The Golf has been posted to the Members Only section and is in the mail to members.
- Deadline for articles and news for the summer edition of The Golf is May 6.
foursomes are a part of masters history
This Masters feature comes from historian John Fischer III who looks at the start of the Masters including a foursomes match for all Masters invitees on the Wednesday before the start of the tournament proper. There’s also a bit on gambling at the Masters involving Cliff Roberts and Dwight Eisenhower.
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 tom Reinhardt
From the March 2015 edition of The Bulletin we share a feature on the collection of Tom Steinhardt, a Baltimore resident who is a long-time member of the GHS. Steinhardt has assembled a remarkable collection of memorabilia, photos, autographs, and letters from such golfers as Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, John McDermott, and Babe Zaharias. He finds the history fascinating, brought to life by these personal glimpses into the legendary golfers. This feature gives us a little peek at Tom’s amazing collection. As we share these collection profiles, keep in mind that golf collecting is a fluid hobby and that collections change over the years as items are bought, sold and change hands. The collection you see here is a snapshot in time from March 2015.
Click here to read the article.
News / Features
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 […]
January 27, 2022
This story has interested GHS members Bob Gettis and John Capers III to pursue a possible Zoom presentation to the membership. The 105-year-old Cobbs Creek GC was designed by Hugh I. Wilson, when the Philadelphia city father’s believed there was a need for a public championship course equal to the two Merion Golf Club courses he had previously designed. He also designed […]