ne Virginian has a sizable golf memorabilia collection in his home . Another has a massive historical archive in his head .

Both love the history of the game and , respectively , both retired U . S . Army Col . Dick Johns and retired college dean Dr . Harold Guy have contributed significantly to the Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America ( MAPGA ).

Each is a card-carrying member of the Golf Heritage Society , established “ to promote an appreciation for the history and traditions of golf and to foster friendship among its enthusiasts worldwide .”

And each has helped the section retrieve and build its historical timeline in their own way against the backdrop of an organization founded in 1970 as The Golf Collectors Society .

The organization of golf history enthusiasts changed its name to the Golf Heritage Society ( GHS ) in 2018 , and has grown from a handful of golf-nut Americans to more than 1,000 members from 15 countries who gather for regional and national meetings , hickory-shafted golf tournaments and most recently , the GHS ’ s 50th anniversary national convention .

And while neither Johns nor Guy attended this year ’ s convention , the two men fit right in with what the GHS stands for in exploring golf ’ s history , players , courses , championships and equipment .

PHOTOS COURTESY GOLF HERITAGE SOCIETY

JOHNS ’ JOURNEY

Johns served 26 years of active duty in the Army with tours abroad in Vietnam , Germany and Honduras , so his involvement in golf was limited during those years .

But his interest in hickory-shafted clubs started 50 years ago when he inherited some old clubs from his maternal grandfather . As it turned out , three of his great uncles were PGA professionals .

Johns originally joined the Golf Collectors Society in 1987 and became the executive director of the Middle Atlantic PGA , following his military service . He held that office at the section for 17 years , becoming a Rules official and officiating at PGA Tour events and the President ’ s Cup .

During that time , the Army officer ’ s personal collection of golf photos , books , hickory-shafted clubs , sterling silver medals and trophies , and putters took over the dining room of his home . His

I started digging into his career and it became a 90-page book . Working on that biography brought me into contact with Dick Johns and the section , and allowed me to become their historian , archivist and librarian .”

— Harold Guy

Club collectors gather to view rare clubs at the 50th Annual National Convention of the Golf Heritage Society , held Sept . 22-26 in Pittsburgh , Pa . This seminar , one of several during the convention , presented almost the entire history of the sand wedge , with rare samples representing each era of the club ’ s evolution .

most prized golf memento is a porcelain mug made in Germany in the late 1800s .

Several years ago , he discovered the golf-themed mug for $ 200 at a flea market in downtown Washington , D . C . Johns initially balked at the price , but saw it pictured on the cover of a book at a market value of $ 8,000 . He tracked down the owner , paid her asking price of $ 200 , and proudly added the mug to his ever-growing collection of golf memorabilia .