PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 2, 2005) - The Golf Collectors Society, a not-for-profit organization whose members collect golf memorabilia, will hold its 35th Annual Meeting and Trade Show Sept. 11-13 at the World Golf Village Renaissance Resort in St. Augustine, Fla. The event, open to new and established members of the GCS, will be hosted this year by John and Alys Gates of Elkton, Fla. John Gates is a GCS Regional Director.
"We look forward to returning to the World Golf Village for our annual meeting this year," said Karen Bednarski, executive director of the Golf Collectors Society. "We are pleased that more and more golfers are discovering the GCS and are joining our ranks. Some outstanding programs are planned for this year's event."
To celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Golf Collectors Society, the Board of Directors has announced a special opportunity extended to all golfers who love the game and respect its history. All new GCS members joining after July 1, 2005, will receive a prorated membership fee for the balance of 2005. They also will receive the Annual Membership Directory listing members and their collecting interests, and the September and December issues of the GCS quarterly, The Bulletin. The Bulletin includes Society news and events, book reviews and articles of historical interest. Display advertising and classified ads are available to both members and non-members of the GCS. And of course, new members will be welcome at all Society events.
Special events at this year's national meeting will include a putting contest at the World Golf Hall of Fame Putting Course and the GCS Open Hickory Championship at St. Johns County Golf Club, where participants will play with wooden-shafted clubs. Many players will be dressed in traditional golf attire: knickers for the gentlemen and long skirts for the ladies. Also on the agenda are a cocktail reception and banquet, the annual membership meeting and the GCS trade show & education sessions. The trade show will feature over 200 tables of golf artifacts and memorabilia including antique golf clubs, bags, golf balls, books, documents, ceramics, silver, sculpture, jewelry, medals, trophies, art, photographs and ephemera. The public is invited to attend portions of the trade show.
Nearly 1,400 members representing 20 countries and a wide variety of collecting interests comprise the Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.,-based Golf Collectors Society, which was formed in 1970. Members, who live all over the world, range from beginning collectors to experts. Regional and national meetings, trade shows and tournaments bring members together several times a year for golf, camaraderie, education and memorabilia shows.
For more information or to join the Golf Collectors Society, call 904-825-2191 or see www.golfcollectors.com.
