Deep dives into the forgotten history of the PGA TOUR

Focus on the 1960s and 1970s

I grew up in a country club in the early 1970s. I played golf everyday, caddied for the colorful characters that made up the membership and reveled in the social scene. It was a family oriented scene that gave me a glimpse into how the grownups “let down their hair” and enjoy the fruits of their suburban life.

It was also a protected space that insulated me and my friends of the ugly social issues of the times — racial and gender discrimination. Tour Backspin tries to highlight these issues with a historian’s perspective that is unafraid to frame the issues within the times and attitudes of the day.

I was lucky enough to caddie in regional events for a Golf Magazine Top 100 teacher, Carl Welty. From the weekly pro ams that he played in to the two day tournaments in the region, I would travel with Carl and learn life lessons about competition and work.

At these tournaments I would meet the pros from other clubs and saw up close the best players in the area, both professional and top class amateurs. The pros sported the same big red and white Wilson Staff, bright orange PowerBilt or black and white Titleist bags that I saw on TV every weekend while watching the PGA Tour.

Looking back on these fun times it often seems that they were more relaxed and with more comaraderie than the current times. The PGA Tour was experiencing a rise in tournament purses from the early 1960s due to the emergence of TV and the superstar status of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino.

These players did not have the huge entourages that aaccompany today’s current stars. They spent their time away from the course with each other sharing meals and drinks.

The tournaments during this time were evolving from events sponsored by chamber of commerce type organizations to boost their city to events that attracted celebrity affiliations and corporate sponsorships. Tour Backspin takes you back to these golden years of the PGA Tour providing the DNA and historical footing for today’s tour events. We tell a compelling story from these days and highlight the colorful characters that were ever present as this travelling circus made its way from one side of the country to the other, and back again.

Tour Backspin also features the hugely popular WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest where subscribers can test their skill in golf course recognition for the chance to win a signed copy of my book, Uncorked, The Life and Times of Champagne Tony Lema (available on Amazon). Vintage ads, a Spotify playlist from the same year as the featured story, and our recommendations for interesting items around the web round out each week’s newsletter offerings. Tour Backspin is free to subscribe to and is sent every Thursday. Sign up today.