Valero Texas Open: Historic Tournament, Awesome Photo Op

Last month we wrote about the quintessentially Texan Valero Open and its impending 90th birthday celebration. Well, the tournament/celebration is now underway.

Matt Every's history-making, course-record was a highlight of round one... which certainly gives him reason to celebrate... along with the stellar weather, awesome ancilary activities and ultra-enthusiastic fans, ensure that the excitement will continue through the upcoming weekend.

One of the things I love most about golf is its unique history, so I'm really enjoying the VTO throwback photos.  They feature, modern day folk... presumably volunteers, staffers and fans... posing in old-time golf apparel with golden age golf equipment. The full gallery is on the Valero Texas Open Facebook page as are other timely updates from the San Antonio tournament, and I reccomend you check it out.

If you love golf and can't make to the Lone Star State, it's the next best thing to being there.

The Valero Texas Open on Facebook and Twitter

Golf History - The Double-Edged Sword of a Bittersweet Past

"Golf must change now"

The PGA of America's recently unveiled grow-the-game initiative, Golf 2.0, is based on that belief, and efforts to make the game more friendly, accessible and fun are already underway at courses and clubs across America.

The goals are lofty;  Golf 2.0 is aiming for a 50 percent increase in the U.S. golfer population by 2020, to upwards of 40 million.  Some say such goals are unrealistic, and that may be true, but they are the stated goals, and one thing that is clear is that a substantial part any increase be attracting, welcoming and retaining non-traditional golf consumers: minorities, women, families.  Hence the "Drive for Diversity" element.

As it did for many who love golf, the motivation behind Golf 2.0 resonated with me. It made me think about the things I love about the game, and how I might be able to communicate these elements  to new players... or perspective players.  That's where I came up against the double-edged sword.

There are the obvious attributes of golf... the camaraderie and the competition, the park-like settings... the things almost everyone can relate to,  but beyond those basics, there's a wide variety of places where golf lovers find the game's wonderment. However those places don't necessarily represent the most inclusive aspects of the game.  Take for example, golf history.

One of the things I really love l about the game is its unique history.  I savor stories of golf's golden age; stories about the creation of iconic courses, and the unlikely outcomes of early tournaments.  I also delight in photographs and illustrations that bring this early epoch to life.  However I realize that in sharing golf's proud, picturesque history one must also deal with its history of exclusion; The PGA’s “Caucasian Only” rule was on the books until 1961, and Augusta National didn't admit its first Black member until 1991.  Jews and Catholics have also faced discrimination, and women still can't become members of the cloistered club.  Ironically,  the very populations golf 2.0 is attempting to woo are likely to be "turned off" rather than inspired by the game's history.

In the recent wake Golf 2.0's launch, I came upon a series of articles written by corporate diversity expert, Andrés Tapia. In addition to his work with top corporations on diversity programs Tapia is a prominent speaker and author of, The Inclusion Paradox, a book about diversity and its relevance to business and organizational success.  The three part series, "Golf Mythology: What the “Gentlemen’s Game tells us about European American Culture”  is Tapia's exploration of the history of golf in America, and the game's strong bond with European-American corporate culture.  His overview allows one to imagine how certain exclusionary behaviors may have emerged to distort golf's aspirational ideals.

"...inclusion requires not only that we learn and know more about others, but also that we actually start by trying to learn more about ourselves."

To my mind that's most applicable and important takeaway for the advancement of Golf 2.0, and particularly its Drive for Diversity component, and when it comes to golf history, the past offers no shortage of inspiration for new golfers.  However they should probably be advised to avoid some of the fashion foibles that marked the game's early years. 

A Demure Naked Lady Once Rewarded Golden Age Golfers

Bartlett Hills C.C. - June 15, 1929

It was the early summer of 1929 and America was in the last frothy throes of a decade-long period of economic prosperity.  Bobby Jones would soon soon win his third U.S. Open in a dramatic 36-hole playoff at Winged Foot, meanwhile Tilly himself was putting the finishing touches on Ridgewood Golf Course, and few months later... on the eve of the Wall Street Crash that would lead to the Great Depression... a baby boy by the name of Arnold Palmer was born in Youngstown, OH.

But on June 15, the golfers at Bartlett Hills Country Club were focused on the fairways and greens of their own course in the pastoral countryside outside of Chicago.  It was Glen Garry Dae and members were competing for a very distinctive trophy.  This was not a standard silver loving cup or a common engraved tray.

On that long ago summer day the winning golfer was rewarded with dainty bronze sculpture of a young lady.  She wasn't carrying a golf bag...or swinging a club, in fact, her pose had nothing whatsoever to do with the game. She appeard to be doing a kind of march-mimicking dance, her eyes demurely downcast ... oh, and for some strange reason she happened to be stark naked.

 Granted, the golf apparel of the day was not particularly flattering, and certainly would do nothing to highlight the ample attributes of this statue's attractive subject, but the integral nudity does seem a bit out-of-context for a golf trophy.

Now, nearly a century later the diminutive lady has lost much of her luster.  The once-proud figurine was recently up for auction on e-bay.  The discription mentioned "some wear to thigh and navel" which was visible in the accompanying photos.

In the end, the oddly endearing golf trophy sold for a modest $85.00.

If you like golf antiques and collectibles you may also enjoy these posts:

GolfOMeter - Golf Gadget of the Month
David Williams Solves a Golf Memorabilia Mystery 
Vintage Louis Vuitton Golf Bag Up For Bid
Another LV Golf Bag Gets Away

Golf Logos & The Golden Bear's Manly Man Makeover

I love logos!  At their best they're a melding of memorable art and effective communication; the graphic symbol of an identity... corporate or personal.

Golf is big on logos.  Now more than ever, as players, tournaments, country clubs and manufacturers seek to distinguish themselves in a highly competitive marketplace.  A memorable logo... one that truly evokes the values of a particular brand... becomes the face of that brand and all it may offer.


A couple of years ago I wrote a post on recent US Open logos and how each one had to provide a distinctive take on both a hallowed golf venue and a major sporting event... in one simple image.

Country club logos traditionally tend to feature a crest and couple of crossed golf clubs, however one that really stands out for me is the re-design by Group W Art Works, of the Merion Golf Club logo.  Based on William Kittleman's design, it features a wicker basket flagstick set against a tuft of Scotch Broom. Both the pin and the plant are distinctive elements of the course, and they're artfully rendered in this logo design.

Apparel and equipment companies often tend to rely on custom fonts in their logos.  The industry has also used an interesting array of wildlife... crocodiles pumas, penguins... to create memorable brand identities.

Many professional golfers have logos these days too.  Tiger Woods, Suzanne Petersen and Lee Westwood all use their initials.  Of course I'm more partial to John Daly's lion and Ryo Ishikawa's squirrel.

This all brings us the Golden Bear... and the makeover.  Perhaps you knew this, but I didn't:  It seems that at the height of the Arnold Palmer-Jack Nicklaus rivalry,  Palmer would goad those he saw wearing Jack Nicklaus golf shirts, going so far as to suggest that the embroidered Golden Bear on the breast pocket looked more like... a pig.  And quite frankly,  if you look at the logo on the far left, you'll see that it did, in fact, appear slightly quite porcine.  Well, many surmise that the subsequent makeover... which resulted in a logo that was noticeably more athletic manly ursine... came about because Nicklaus ultimately got wind of his rival's caustic comments.

That story was originally told in "Arnie: Inside the Legend" by Larry Guest, but I came upon it in Adam Schupak's new book.  "Golf's Driving Force" is the amazing story of Deane Beman, the former PGA Tour commissioner who literally transformed the PGA Tour.  It's extremely compelling because you feel like you're in listening in on conversations... often contentious ones... that took place decades ago among those who shaped professional golf.  Shupak's writing style along with his exhaustive research and over two hundred interviews, bring golf's mid-century growing pains... and the force that overcame them... to life.