The Beginning…
It all started one spring day when I was in college. My roommates invited me to play golf. It was the first time for me. All I knew was that golfers wore wingtip shoes and that some wore a “Hogan Cap”. Of course, I didn’t even know who Hogan was, and my wingtips didn’t have spikes, but I looked like a golfer. At least I thought I did. And, trust me, I didn’t swing like a golfer either and I lost 14 balls that day. I was a total hack!
But then it happened. One Saturday morning, I was playing a round of golf with my college roommate, one of the guys who introduced me to that first round of golf a few weeks earlier. It was my second-ever round of golf and we were on the third hole of Eureka Municipal golf course on a beautiful, sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. The green was framed by an amphitheater of tall firs and I had about 150 yards to the green fronted by a small creek.
It was one of those magical moments you never forget. I hit the shot – a 7-Iron – and it rose up above the trees into the bright blue sky, dead in line with the stick, and when it came down it landed right next to the hole. I was hooked.
Ever since that moment, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with this maddeningly addictive game. I’ve devoured instructional books, magazine articles and videos. I’ve filmed my swing for over forty years, and I’ve changed my swing so many times, I’ve lost track. I’ve also bought more clubs than I care to think about…or tell my wife about. And I love watching tournaments, studying the swing and reading feature stories about the great players.
But something was always missing. What about me? What about you? What about an opportunity for us to talk to each other about our game, our swing theories, our new clubs? To heck with Tiger Woods…it’s our turn! OK, maybe not to heck with Tiger Woods, but what’s wrong with us having a turn?
There needed to be a way for golf nuts to gather together to talk about our golf. So, I created it: The Golf Nut Society. It was 1986, and this was our first logo…
But, just as with my earlier hideous swing, we kept improving…
Back in 1986, there was no no Internet, no email or social media. But I was determined. I was going to launch a worldwide society of golf nuts to provide a place where we could connect and talk about golf. I called it “Golf’s 19th Hole” back then and that’s what we still call it.
At first, the membership included a printed newsletter sent through the mail. But eventually we had email and a website, but social media wouldn’t come along for quite a while. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Michael Jordan joined that very first year, but that’s another story for another page…the Michael Jordan page, in fact, right here on this website. Be sure to check it out.
As the Golf Nut Society continued to grow, the stories of certifiable golf nuts also grew. So, I decided to write a book, and MJ agreed to write the foreword…
The book was a huge success, selling over 50,000 copies sold to date, and now in it’s second printing. It was also a finalist in the 2002 “Book of the Year” competition conducted annually by Foreword Magazine. And for one magical week in 2002, it ranked as high as 67th on Amazon. The book is still in print after all these years and available through various outlets including Amazon.com. I’m confident you’ll enjoy the read.
Speaking of reading and writing, after 20 years of writing newsletters, doing Bonus Point Rulings, keeping track of everyone’s Nut Points and watching my handicap go up, I decided I’d had enough. So, just like Michael Jordan, I took a hiatus. I handed the Golf Nut Society off to a fellow member. But after a few years of seeing his handicap suffer, he went back to playing golf too.
But, just like Michael Jordan, I’m back!
Today’s Golf Nut Society…
Your Golf Nut Society membership includes…
• “Certified Golf Nut” Certificate
• Our Rigorous 55-Question Entrance Exam will answer the question, “How nuts are you?”
The whole point of The Society is to create a place where we can share our stories, opinions, and a laugh or two as we search for THE SECRET.
I hope to see you at “Golf’s 19th Hole”.
I’ll buy the first round,
The Head Nut
#0001