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, took the 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!
3,001 four-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.
The Head Nut
#0001
