Treasures Of The Game


May 16, 2007

By Rand Jerris , USGA

In November 1935, George W. Blossom Jr. , a member of the USGA Executive Committee from the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Ill., first proposed the creation of a museum to celebrate the history of golf. Blossom's original vision was a modest one - to "collect implements, balls, etchings, photographs, literature and similar articles pertaining to the game and exhibit them." Nonetheless, his idea was novel for its day. At that time, not a single sports museum existed in the United States . Three years would pass before the National Baseball Hall of Fame would open its doors in the upstate New York hamlet of Cooperstown. Still, the leadership of the USGA recognized the value inherent in Blossom's proposal. By unanimous vote on Jan. 10, 1936, the Executive Committee approved the plan set forth by their colleague from Chicago .

The Museum is home to part of the Ben Hogan collection. (USGA Photo Archives)

Soon after Blossom's plan was embraced, notice went out to the golf community that the USGA had established a museum and that it was seeking items of historical interest. Unfortunately, no accurate records were kept during the earliest days of the Museum's existence, so it's impossible to know what the very first item donated to the fledgling institution might have been. But it is safe to say that within a very short time, significant artifacts from some of the game's most accomplished champions began to stream into the USGA's new offices in mid-town Manhattan.

In the 70 years that have since passed, the Museum's collections have grown to encompass more than 42,000 artifacts, a library of more than 20,000 volumes, some half a million photographic images, and several thousand hours of historic film and video. The USGA Museum is now home to the premier collections of golf memorabilia in the world. In their depth, breadth, and quality, these collections reflect the Association's commitment to preserving and promoting the traditions and history of the game.

When the exhibitions in the new Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History open next summer, some 1,500 of our most treasured artifacts will be on display, many for the first time. Artifacts from some of the most important moments in USGA Championship history will be featured, including Francis Ouimet's golf ball, scorecard, putter, and irons from the 1913 U.S. Open, regarded among the most important moments in the history of American golf; Ben Hogan's 1-iron from the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion when he returned from a horrific car accident to win the nation's premier championship; the medal won by Horace Rawlins at Newport Golf Club in 1895 when he became the first champion in U.S. Open history; Babe Zaharias' wedge from the 1954 U.S. Women's Open, when she returned heroically from a battle with colon cancer to win the championship by a then-record 12 strokes; the original enamel- and jewel-encrusted U.S. Women's Amateur Trophy, the oldest of the USGA's championship trophies, dating from 1896; Tiger Woods' wedge from the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, when he shattered numerous scoring records en route to a 15-stroke victory; and, of course, Bob Jones' legendary Calamity Jane II putter, which he used when completing the Grand Slam in his historic campaign of 1930.

The members of the museum staff who care for these artifacts on a daily basis will tell you that the collections are much deeper and far more diverse than this list may suggest. Naturally, the collections include the types of artifacts that one might expect to find in a sports museum - examples of clubs and balls that document the development and evolution of golf equipment and technology through the centuries; as well as items used or worn by the greatest champions during their most celebrated victories. Indeed, when the Museum was first launched in 1936, among its very first objectives was to collect a club used by every USGA champion in history. This collection of so-called "Clubs of Champions" now encompasses more than 400 clubs.

But the collection also comprises artifacts that document, in more unique and often more personal expressions, the ways in which golf has impacted American society and culture through the years. Many of America 's most accomplished artists have celebrated the game's unique appeal, and so the collection includes works by such noted artists as Norman Rockwell , James Montgomery Flagg, Charles Schulz , and Leroy Nieman . In similar manner, golf was a theme embraced by many of the country's most notable ceramic and pottery manufacturers, firms such as Lenox and Weller, who at the turn of the previous century recognized golfer's passion for their favorite sport by placing golf motifs on everyday household objects such as dinnerware and vases.

An extensive collection of toys and games dating back to the late 19th century further speaks to the love of the game. Leading American manufacturers such as Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley , and Schoenhut created unique products that allowed golfers to enjoy their favorite sport on rainy days or in the heart of winter. Indeed, such games exposed many individuals to golf for the very first time, introducing to them the basic principles, Rules, and language of the game.

Other artifacts in the collection document the unique relationship that golf and politics have enjoyed throughout American history. Our collection of Presidential golf memorabilia includes not include clubs and balls used by many White House occupants, but also political cartoons, photographs, postcards, and written correspondence that document their love of the game.

Through the years, the USGA Museum's collections have been utilized for various purposes, most important for display and study. As we look towards the opening of the Palmer Center in 2008, we recognize that these very collections will forever remain at the core of our activities and program. In 2003, we began an extensive project to systematically review all aspects of the Museum's collection in light of a newly composed mission statement:

The USGA Museum and Archives is an educational institution dedicated to fostering an appreciation for the game of golf, its participants, and the Association. By collecting, preserving, and interpreting the historical developments of the game in the United States , with an emphasis on the Association and its championships, the Museum promotes a greater understanding of golf's cultural significance for a world-wide audience.

We are now moving forward with our goal of creating a comprehensive and carefully articulated plan that will help us grow and develop these collections into the future.

Dr. Rand Jerris is the director of the USGA's museum and archives and is responsible for overseeing the development of the Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History. Email him with questions and comments at rjerris@usga.org