A Gathering of Kindred Spirits
It’s 1972 in Louisville, Kentucky. Seventeen people, plus their spouses, traveled from across the country to come together to celebrate an ancient game that is loved by millions worldwide. Those who gathered were members of something that barely existed yet at that time: the Golf Collectors Society, an organization so new it still had that fresh-paint smell of possibility.
Advertisement
Two years earlier, Joe Murdoch and Robert “Bob” Kuntz had sent out a call to anyone who might understand. Twenty-five people answered. These were the ones who got it, who felt their pulse quicken at the sight of a hickory-shafted mashie, who could spend hours tracing the stitching on a leather golf ball from 1905, who believed that every dented club head and faded scorecard held a story worth saving.
They were preservationists, sure. Historians, absolutely. But more than that, they were romantics. The kind of people who saw ghosts in the grain of persimmon wood. Who heard echoes of long-forgotten rounds in the weight of an old iron.
That first meeting in Louisville had no fanfare, no grand ballroom, no keynote speakers. Just a handful of believers in a room, sharing their treasures and their dreams. But sometimes that’s all you need, a spark, a room, and people who care enough to show up. What grew from that modest gathering would become something none of them could have imagined.
Advertisement
More Than Just Talk
What made that inaugural gathering special wasn’t the venue or the size of the crowd. It was what they decided to do there. The group established a tradition that continues to this day: a hickory golf event now known as the Golf Heritage Society National Championship.
Think about that for a moment. In an era when metal woods and cavity-back irons were revolutionizing the game, these collectors chose to honor golf’s roots by actually playing with the old equipment. They didn’t just want to preserve history in display cases. They wanted to feel it in their hands, hear the distinctive click of persimmon on balata and experience the game as it was played generations before.
Advertisement
It was a bold statement about what matters in golf. Not just the score or the technology, but the connection to something timeless.
A Movement Takes Root
From that modest beginning in Louisville, the organization set out on a journey across America. The following year, they moved to Morris Plains, New Jersey. Then Dayton, Ohio. Then Raleigh, North Carolina. Each gathering brought new faces, new stories and new artifacts to share.
Joe Murdoch, one of those original visionaries, took it upon himself to keep everyone connected between meetings. He started a newsletter called The Bulletin. The first edition? A single typewritten page that he mailed to members. Simple, direct and filled with the kind of enthusiasm that can’t be manufactured.
Advertisement
Under Murdoch’s careful stewardship, that single page grew. And grew. Through multiple editors and 215 editions, it evolved into a 52-page color quarterly journal. In 2018, it was renamed The Golf, a nod to the old way of referring to the ancient game. Today, it features stories on golf history, notable collections, and the kind of deep dives into the game’s past that you won’t find anywhere else.
The Legacy Lives On
Fast forward to today, and those annual meetings now attract hundreds of participants. The trade show held alongside the gathering has become the world’s largest of its kind. Members can search an online directory to find others who share their specific collecting interests or who live nearby.
Advertisement
But perhaps most importantly, the organization now known as the Golf Heritage Society has expanded its mission beyond preservation. It engages with youth organizations to share the game’s heritage and the values it teaches. It creates partnerships with other groups that love the game. It hosts regional and national meetings that bring people together.
The society’s members now offer access to some of the most exclusive courses in America, including nine past and current U.S. Open venues. Names like Oakmont, Merion, Baltusrol and Scioto. The organization supports The First Tee, the Annual Optimist Youth Tournament, and programs such as Adapt FORE Vet Golf.
Why This Matters
In my opinion, after 45 years of playing this game, after first picking up a club in 1980 at 5 years old, after starting my journey working in golf in 1996 when I moved from Upstate New York to Orlando, Florida, after becoming a PGA Professional in 2009, after years as a coach and golf writer, I’ve learned something essential about this ancient game.
Advertisement
You must hold the traditions close. But you must also embrace the new as the game advances.
That’s not a contradiction. It’s the only way forward.
My Personal Passion
From PGA Professional credentials to Masters Tournament memorabilia to carefully curated golf history pieces, this home office and “golf hallway museum” (yes, that’s what we call it) tells the story of 45 years devoted to this ancient game. It’s a living reminder that respecting where golf has been doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate where it’s going.
The Golf Heritage Society understands this in a way that few organizations do. They’re not museum curators trying to freeze golf in amber. They’re not purists who think the game peaked in 1923 and it’s been downhill ever since. They’re preserving the past while actively engaging with the present and future.
Advertisement
When they partner with The First Tee, they’re not just teaching kids how to grip a club. They’re passing down something that stretches back centuries. When they open doors to Oakmont and Merion, they’re not just offering access to exclusive courses. They’re letting people walk the same ground where Hogan and Nicklaus walked, where history was made.
I applaud the Golf Heritage Society in its mission. Because they get it. They understand that respecting where we’ve been doesn’t mean we can’t move forward. Honoring Old Tom Morris doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate Scottie Scheffler. That a hickory-shafted mashie and a carbon fiber driver can coexist in the same love story.
That’s what those 17 people in Louisville were really starting. Not just a collectors’ club, but a bridge between past and future. A reminder that this game we love has always been evolving, always been changing, and always been worth preserving.
Advertisement
It all traces back to that room in Louisville in 1972. Seventeen people and their spouses who believed that golf’s past deserved to be celebrated, preserved and shared. They couldn’t have known they were starting something that would span decades and touch thousands of lives.
But maybe that’s the beauty of it. They weren’t trying to build an empire. They were just trying to connect with people who understood why an old niblick or a faded scorecard from 1923 could make your heart skip a beat.
That’s the real story of the Golf Heritage Society’s first round. Not the beginning of an organization, but the continuation of a love affair with golf that stretches back centuries and forward into an uncertain future.
Advertisement
And it all started with 17 believers in a room in Kentucky.
Join the Movement
If you’ve felt that same pull, that same recognition of something sacred in golf’s history, then you belong in this community. The Golf Heritage Society isn’t exclusive in spirit, even if some of its course access is exclusive in practice. It’s a gathering place for anyone who understands that golf is more than a game, it’s a living connection to generations of players who came before us.
Advertisement
Whether you’re a serious collector with a vault full of hickory-shafted clubs, a casual historian who loves reading about the game’s evolution, or simply someone who gets chills walking the grounds of a storied course, there’s a place for you here.
Membership opens doors. You’ll receive The Golf, the society’s acclaimed quarterly journal filled with stories, research and deep dives into golf history that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll gain access to a member directory where you can connect with others who share your specific collecting interests or live in your region. You’ll be invited to regional and national meetings, annual conventions and events where you can walk the same fairways as legends. You’ll join a community of thousands who believe that preserving golf’s past is just as important as embracing its future.
This is your invitation to become part of something that started in a modest room in Louisville over 50 years ago. To add your voice and your passion to a movement that’s still growing, still evolving, still connecting people who love this ancient game.
Advertisement
Ready to join?
Visit https://www.golfheritage.org/membership-join/ to become a member today.
Have questions? Reach out directly:
The Golf Heritage Society is waiting for you. All you need is a passion for golf’s history and a willingness to be part of something bigger than yourself.
Related: Justin Rose’s Historic Seven-Shot Victory: A Masterclass in Timeless Golf
Related: Nelly Korda Claims Victory at Weather-Shortened Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
Related: PGA Tour Twins Parker and Pierceson Coody Join Turtleson Team
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Golf section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Read the full article here