Joe Sgroi, our newest member, exemplifies what our society is all about…
We exist to give people like Joe their “fifteen minutes of fame”.Speaking of which…
Joe has played over 200 rounds a year for 13 straight years and has made nine holes in one during that span. During his illustrious career, Nut #4051 has also been a member of four different golf clubs; three in Florida and one in North Carolina. Ruling: 1,660 Nut Points
Joe also scored 7,665 Points on his Entrance Exam, for a Grand Total of 9,325 Nut Points.
Those are real Arnold Palmer signatures on those clubs, not “Arnold Palmer Signature Model” clubs. They are “one of a kind” clubs! Ruling: 500 Nut Points
Mike Brands (#0774), one of our earliest members, shown here, back in the nineties, testing the speed and accuracy of the carpet in his new home before giving his wife the thumbs-up on the purchase. 500 Nut Points
We lost Ed Heimann, Certified Golf Nut #2740 last August 1, 2021 at the age of 83.
Ed was famous in the Golf Nut Society for a couple of stupendous feats. First, his company, Globe and Hamilton Tailoring, were the makers of the Masters winners’ jackets, which earned him 2,000 Nut Points. Equally impressive was when he once hired David Leadbetter for a full week of all-day lessons when Leadbetter was at the height of his popularity, a rather expensive feat any measure! I guess #2740 wasn’t hitting it all that well and was kind of desperate. It earned him 5,000 Nut Points.
Following is an excerpt from Ed Heimann’s obituary:
“Globe and Hamilton Tailoring were manufacturers, representing dealers nationwide, of Fine Custom made suits, coats and uniforms. They sold Uniforms to the US Marines, US Air Force, Delta Airlines, Private Golf Clubs, and Police Forces across the country.
While Globe catered primarily to their dealers, and larger organizations, Ed was a gifted salesman and was able to convince many well-known individuals in the golfing world like Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman to appreciate Globe’s Garments. He also nurtured many celebrities like Perry Como, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell, and Chet Atkins to be loyal customers.
Soon, not only were they customers of Globe but they became Ed’s friends. He often was invited to Palm Springs to play in the Bob Hope Classic and stay in Bob and Deloris’s home.
A recent article in Town and Country polled a number of athletes and asked them what they thought was the most coveted and well known award in sports. Overwhelmingly, they voted for the “Masters Green Jacket”, which was produced for more than 40 years at Hamilton Tailoring in Cincinnati.
Not only was Ed a gifted salesman, but also a master golfer. At a very young age he beat Jack Nicklaus at Avon Fields. He won the Club Championship at Hyde Park Country Club 26 times, the Club Championship at Coldstream Country Club 18 times, the Club Championship at Hammock Beach in Florida, and was a member of the Society of Seniors. He was also inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Legends of Golf.
Ed loved the game; he loved seeing others succeed at the game, and he inspired others to love it as much as he did.”
The Golf Nut Society celebrates Ed Heimann’s unmatched passion for the game, his great skill as a competitive golfer, and his endearing personality which made him a friend of the famous and not so famous throughout his life.
Dave Wells, Certified Golf Nut #2803, was named 2021 Golf Nut of the Year by the Golf Nut Society. Wells, a resident of Memphis, Tennessee, is the quintessential golf nut in every sense of the word. An excellent golfer who has played golf with numerous tour players, Dave is still an autograph hound and inveterate golf memorabilia collector. Nicknamed “Iron Byron” by none other than Julius “Dr. J” Irving for his uncanny accuracy off the tee, Dave has shot his age over 200 times, and every time he tees it up he is a threat to do it again.
He lives on the first tee of TPC Southwind, the home of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Classic and can literally sit in his backyard and watch players tee off in the event.
He has played golf all across America and has attended numerous world-class PGA Tour events and Ryder Cups.
And then there’s his golf museum which takes up a large room in his home…
In winning the title, “Iron Byron” had an Entrance Exam score of 11,614 Nut Points, and 37,207 Bonus Points for a total of 48,821 Nut Points, placing him fourth on the All-Time Leading Scorers list.
An 84-year-old 10.6 handicap golfer, his lowest Index was 1.0, Wells is a long-time member of the Golf Nut Society and one of our favorites for his active involvement, great sense of humor, and unmatched passion for the game. Here are some of his more impressive feats:
BONUS POINTS SUMMARY
Was given the nickname “Iron Byron” by none other than Julius Erving (“Dr. J”} after they were paired together in a pro-am and Dave hit every single fairway. 1,000 Points
Dave and Nancy Wells live adjacent to the tennis courts, with a backyard overlooking the first hole at TPC Southwind. 1,000 Points
On the first day at the first fan-less World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, Dave Wells was one of the few Memphians doing exactly what he would have been doing if the tournament hadn’t been completely altered by the coronavirus pandemic. He was watching the players tee off from his back yard. 500 Points
Has a spectacular golf museum on the second floor of his home. 5,000 Points
Has 65 trophies and 150 golf books in his home’s golf museum. 1,150 Points
Retired almost 30 years ago from his job at Schering-Plough. And even then, when someone would ask what he did for a living, Wells would joke, “I play golf.” 500 Points
Almost every inch of almost every wall of his “museum” is filled with golf memorabilia from seemingly every significant golfer of the past century. Sam Snead. Ben Hogan. Arnold Palmer. Jack Nicklaus. Lee Trevino. Seve Ballesteros. Tom Watson. You name it, aside from Tiger Woods, Wells probably has an autograph up somewhere. 1,000 Points
There’s a Ben Hogan signature which prompts Wells to tell the story of how he once met Hogan at Old Cherokee Golf Course at the corner of Lamar and Prescott. 1,500 Points
There’s also an autographed picture from Al Geiberger with this note: “You were here that great day,” when Geiberger shot the first 59 in tour history. 1,059 Points
Dave was also there in 1965 when Nicklaus won the Memphis Classic. 165 Points
“Iron Byron” would always bring a chair to the events to stand on so he could see over the people in front of him. 100 Points
He has a faded program from the 1979 Danny Thomas Classic that his son used to get autographs. When they came home, Dave asked how many he managed to get. “Three,” his son said. A few years later, Dave was leafing through the program in his son’s room and noticed the three autographs were Gerald Ford, Bear Bryant and Danny Thomas. 503 Points
On another shelf in his museum sits a photo of Patrick Reed from when he won an American Junior Golf Association event at TPC Southwind as a 14-year-old. 114 Points
Another prized possession is a signed picture from Cary Middlecoff, the greatest Memphis golf product. It’s the first piece of memorabilia Wells ever got. It’s from 1948. 948 Points (See top photo)
Also has a Scrapbook given to him by Cary Middlecoff. It is one given to Middlecoff one year as a Masters participant, honoring the winner of the Masters the prior year. Cary received the scrapbook in 1965. It was entitled ‘Arnold Palmer’s Scrap Book’ honoring Arnie’s win in 1964…..many photos, scorecards, history of the Masters, newspaper headlines and articles written during the 1964 tournament and many other photos of the golfers playing in the 1964 Masters (See bottom of photo below.)
When Dave had the opportunity to play a round with Arnie in 1989, he carried the “Arnold Palmer Scrapbook” with him, and Palmer honored him by immediately signing it upon meeting him. So, you could say, it all started with the gift of this famous book from Cary Middlecoff…and Arnold’s autograph makes it a keeper for life. 2,500 Points
Has a photo of Arnold Palmer and himself walking together up the 18th hole as they finished their round together. 1,018 Points
“Arnold Palmer told me the most important thing about the game of golf is who you meet on the golf course,” Wells said. 500 Points
After his round with Palmer, he asked Wells, “Dave, what do you do for a living?” When he returned home, he told his boss what Palmer asked and his boss replied, “I would like to have been there to hear your answer!” 500 Points
Has played every golf course on the West Coast Swing (Pebble Beach, Hawaii, Palm Springs, and San Diego). 500 Points
Won “Low Gross” in the CEO Open Gross at TPC Sawgrass which earned him a spot in the 1990 AT&T Pro-Am. 1,000 Points
Won two Father-Son championships (‘77/’78), proving that he has his priorities in order. 200 Points
Has made 4 holes-in-one. 4,000 Points
Has shot his age over 200 times. 2,000 Points
“Retired” the first 50 golf balls with which he shot his age, and still has them. 500 Points
Made a Double-Eagle – the shot of his life – on the 10th hole at Nairn GC in Scotland. 200 Points
Has over 200 golfer autographs dating back to 1946 including Hogan, Snead, Palmer Middlecoff and many others. 2,000 Points
Has played golf with tour pros Arnold Palmer, Sandy Lyle, Tom Kite, Neal Lancaster, Ted Purdy, David Frost, Hubert Green, Doug Barron, Clark Dennis, Dale Douglass, John Inman, and Jeff Hart. 1,300 Points
Has autographed photos of Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker. 500 Points
Got Bob Hope’s autograph while attending the 1990 Bob Hope Desert Classic. 500 Points
Has autographed photos of LPGA founder Marilyn Smith, Woody Austin, Boo Weekley, and David Toms. 400 Points
Witnessed Justin Leonard’s winning Ryder Cup putt in person and got Leonard’s autograph. 1,000 Points
In the “International Section” of his golf museum he has autographs from Louis Oosthuizen, Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els, Darren Clarke, Jon Rahm, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood and KJ Choi, and also has Justin Rose’s glove from the 2021 Memphis Classic. 1,200 Points
Got an autograph from Gene Sarazen when he was 95 years old and still playing golf at Marco Island. 950 Points
Has Lee Trevino’s autograph. 500 Points
Has autographs from Ken Venturi, Jerry Pate, Ted Purdy (his Scottsdale neighbor), Billy Casper, and Johnny Miller. 600 Points
Has a birthday card from David Feherty. 500 Points
Has a golf book about Payne Stewart, autographed by Stewart. 300 Points
Has several autographed golf balls including from Greg Norman, Tom Kite, John Daly, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Andrew Magee and Dan Quayle. 600 Points
Has written 26 golf articles over the last 10 years for two local magazines. Quite an achievement for a non-golf writer! 2,600 Points
Last, but not least, Dave has his wife’s grandfather’s golf clubs from 1924 proudly displayed in his golf museum. They include six clubs (Jackson Park Driver not shown because shaft/clubhead were broken), five Irons (Mashie Iron, Mid Iron, 1-Iron, and two putters (one a Champion brand hand-made putter). Also in the bag were two Spalding golf balls and three short tees from that era. 600 Points
Dave Wells, Certified Golf Nut #2803, embodies everything that makes the Golf Nut Society what it is…a society for golfers who will never win a major, but who love the game with a passion that surpasses all understanding. We proudly celebrate Dave “Iron Byron” Wells’ victory! He is a worthy recipient of the title 2021 Golf Nut of the Year.
As we approach the day when we will name our Golf Nut of the Year, I thought it appropriate to honor the great achievements of a few of our past Golf Nuts of the Year. So let’s go, Nuts!
Bob Fagan(#3468) – 2003 Golf Nut of the Year & All-Time Leading Scorer
At the age of 51, he played 6 different 18-hole courses in 124 degree heat in Palm Springs in July in a single day. 624 Points
At the age of 48, he played 6 different 18-hole courses in 114 degree heat in Palm Springs in July in a single day, while walking and carrying his bag on three of the rounds. And on the sixth and final course, Tamarisk CC, he had no drinking water and the clubhouse was closed. “It was like the Burma Death March,” said Bob. 1,114 Points
And he survived to play another day. That’s nuts! – The Head Nut
Tom Jewell (#0175) – 1997 Golf Nut of the Year
Played golf on the first day of his honeymoon, April 8, 1956, at Locust Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. There was snow on the ground, the temperature was a balmy 31 degrees, and his newlywed bride walked with him all 18 holes but didn’t play. 500 Points
Certified Golf Nut #0175 definitely married well! – The Head Nut
Howdy Giles (#2073) – 1994 Golf Nut of the Year
Howdy was Arnold Palmer’s dentist for many years, and when Arnie would come in to have his teeth worked on, Howdy would clandestinely scrape a small amount of gold from his fillings and tuck it away until he had enough to make a gold ball marker. When the top secret project was complete, he bought some black velvet, tookthe ball marker to the bank, rented a safe deposit box, and placed it on the velvet in the safe deposit box where it resides to this day. 3,000 Points
I think it’s safe to say that it is the only ball marker of its kind on Planet Earth. – The Head Nut
Mike Noyes (#2211) – 2000 Golf Nut of the Year
Mike spent nearly $10,000 to construct a 3-hole chipping and putting green in his backyard that he has dubbed “Dry Creek Golf Club.” It comes complete with a dry creek bed, tee markers, ball washer, yardage marker, club cleaner, sand trap rake and bar stools from the now defunct “Driftwood Golf Club” in Huntington Beach, California. 2,300 points
We lost Mike to The Great Fairway in the Sky several years ago but we still remember and honor him as one of our all-time greats. We miss you, #2211. – The Head Nut
Joe Malay (#0020) – 1986 Golf Nut of the Year (Our first Golf Nut of the Year)
Joe Malay doesn’t have a job.. “Well, it’s a problem,” he says. “It would have a negative effect on my golf. You see, I love golf too much to work, and golf and work are incompatible. I love to play in golf tournaments, so that’s what I do. I plan to get a job when I’m too old to play golf.” His source of income? “To be determined at a later date,” says Joe. “I’m independently happy.”
Joe Malay has always marched to the sound of a different drummer. He lives in Weiser, Idaho, a small town in western Idaho, and everybody knows Joe. Well, except his wife, Mary. Joe isn’t home a lot during the golf season, so when someone calls and asks, “Where’s Joe?,” Mary replies, “I don’t know, let me check the IGA (Idaho Golf Association) schedule.” Every golf nut needs an understanding wife, but Mary breaks all the records.
Joe played in 53 tournaments in 1986, and the tournament season is only nine months long so that adds up to nearly six tournaments a month! In fact, he’ll often play in two tournaments on the same weekend, getting a morning tee time in one, and an afternoon tee time in the other. Joe gets in plenty of practice rounds too. He averages over 300 rounds of golf a year, and that’s done in only nine months, since it gets pretty cold in Idaho in the winter. If you run the numbers, you’ll see that Joe averages thirty-eight 18-hole rounds of golf a month! The final tournament of the year for Joe is the Pneumonia Open.
Speaking of cold weather, one bitter cold day in the dead of winter, Joe decided that he needed a round of golf to keep from going nuts. The temperature was 18 degrees, the wind was blowing 20 mph, the fairways, greens and water hazards were frozen solid, and the flagsticks were frozen in the cups. Joe shot an unbelievable 62 at Gem County Muni in Emmett, Idaho, and that was with a ball out-of-bounds on one hole!
There’s only one Joe Malay. His love of golf runs deep, and a round of golf with Joe is about as much fun as you can have on a golf course. – The Head Nut
Michael Jordan (#0023)1989 Golf Nut of the Year
When the 1993 All-Star Game was held in chilly Salt Lake City, MJ skipped “Media Day” and flew to Las Vegas with two other All-Stars to play golf at famous Shadow Creek. When asked why he flew to Las Vegas, he stated that the NBA should arrange to hold All-Star Games only in warm-weather cities so he could more easily play golf. 500 Points.
It is not wise to deny #0023 his appointed rounds. He will find a way to tee it up regardless the circumstances! We Golf Nuts are honored to have such a famous athlete and celebrity as a former Golf Nut of the Year. – The Head Nut
E.M. Vandeweghe (#1191) 1993 Golf Nut of the Year
He was practicing his swing one morning when he “got it!” His son (Ernie, Jr.) convinced him not to change his grip, and told him he would put the top down on the convertible and drive him to the golf course so he could try his new swing. They drove the two miles to the course with E.M. holding onto the club in the back seat, never once changing his grip. When he arrived at the course, Ernie, Jr. teed up a ball, and Dad took a swipe at it, shanking the ball into the pro shop. It was 7AM, and his hands had frozen on the drive to the course. 307 Points
This was clearly one of the great moments in Golf Nut history. E.M. was a legend at his home club and in the Golf Nut Society. He loved golf and we loved him. Rest in Peace, #1191, you are truly a legend who will live forever. – The Head Nut
Scott Houston (#1186) – 2002 Golf Nut of the Year
While caddying for Arnold Palmer at Pebble Beach, he pocketed a divot taken by Arnie on the 18th hole, took it home, and planted it in a flowerpot. For several years, #1186 cultivated it, even feeding it Coors Light at times. He would take it with him when he went to the range to practice, and even took it out for Sunday drives in the country so “Arnie” (Yes, he named it “Arnie”) could get some much-needed sun. It was such a compelling story that one filmmaker featured Scott and “Arnie” in his documentary entitled Golf: The Ridiculous Obsession. You can view the video HERE. 5,000 points
One of my all-time favorite Golf Nut stories, and #1186 is one of a kind. In fact, that begs the question, What kind of mind thinks of such things? – The Head Nut
Charlie Madge (#4025) – Our reigning Golf Nut of the Year!
At last count, the inimitable, irrepressible, Charlie Madge had made 3,001 four-footers in a row on his putting mat. I’m sure the count is higher by now, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Bonus Points. You can check out the rest of #4025’s accomplishments HERE. They will blow your mind!
3,001four-footers in a row! Who does that?? Answer: A Certified Golf, that’s who. – The Head Nut
Well, I hope you enjoyed our trip through the past. Now you know why every Certified Golf Nut has a Nut #. That way it’s easier for the authorities to round them up and take them to the funny farm if they go over the edge.
