Library & Special Collections Overview
The USGA Library collection is the world's largest and most significant related to golf history, containing more than 100,000 individual items in more than 25 languages documenting golf's development from its origins to the present. The Library's books and periodicals cover all aspects of the game, including rules, instruction, golf course architecture, equipment, biographies, travel guides, club histories and literature. Additionally, the Library cares for:
- Photography, as well as film and video collections
- Special collections of comic books, sheet music, children's books, cookbooks, scrapbooks and more than 35,000 scorecards
- Personal papers related to some of the game's most celebrated personalities, such as Bob Jones and Walter Travis
- A rare book collection containing original manuscripts and documents dating back to the 15th century, including the first reference to golf published in the English language
- Institutional records of the USGA and archival material related to its national championships
The USGA Library Catalog contains a record for each volume in the USGA Library's collection and is updated on a regular basis.
The Seagle Electronic Golf Library (SEGL) is a digital library of books and magazines from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Users will be able to read and text-search these publications in PDF format. (Note: To access our digitized materials, you will be redirected to our electronic database of USGA Collections hosted by HeinOnline to provide researchers with a full-text document search. If you have any questions, please contact the USGA Library at Library@USGA.org.)
The African American Golf History Archive includes Information and Ephemera, as well as resources to aid researchers in their analysis of two African American newspapers: the Baltimore Afro-American and Chicago Defender. Bibliographies and Subject Terms are available for download. The Archive also contains a variety of materials on people, organizations, events and places critical to the history of African Americans in golf.
Plan your Visit
Ask the Experts
As stewards of the game’s history, our team seeks to be a resource to all those who might have a question or need assistance with a research project. Even if we do not know the answer or have the necessary materials in our collection, we will assist you in any way we can. To ask a research-related question via email, please contact the collections division most relevant to your question. Due to the high volume of requests we receive there may be a wait time for inquiries.
Library and Historical Inquiries:
Submit a research request. (Note: During the USGA championship season, please expect a significant wait time, especially for requests requiring physical materials from the archive. We look forward to supporting your research and appreciate your patience.)
For research appointments please submit the library request form.
Photography Collection:
Please send all inquiries to photorequests@usga.org.
Museum Collection:
Kylie Garabed, Museum Registrar, at kgarabed@usga.org
Film and Video Collection:
Shannon Doody, Film and Video Archivist, at sdoody@usga.org
Herbert Warren Wind Award
Established in 1987 and renamed in 2006, the Herbert Warren Wind Award recognizes and honors outstanding contributes to golf literature. Named in honor of the famed 20th-century American golf writer, the award acknowledges and encourages outstanding research, writing, and publishing about golf. The award attempts to broaden the public’s interest in and knowledge in the game of golf. Presented by the USGA Golf Museum, the award is the top literary prize awarded by the USGA.
Please see the following link for a complete list of award recipients: USGA Herbert Warren Wind Award
The USGA is currently accepting submissions for the 2024 Herbert Warren Wind Award. To be eligible for the 2024 USGA Herbert Warren Wind Award, a book must be an original work about golf, written in English, and published between November 1, 2023 and October 31, 2024.
Wilson Endowed Research Fund
Apply for a stipend to conduct research on-site at Liberty Corner through the Wilson Endowed Research Fund.
Additional Resources
For USGA championship records and the official USGA Media Guide, please click here.
For results and information from USGA championships dating back to 2002, please click here.
For the Media Center homepage, please click here.
Statement of Fair Use
Fair Use of Digitized Material: Images from the USGA Electronic Collection may not be published, displayed, or transmitted in any way without permission from the USGA Museum & Library. Certain materials may be protected by copyright, trademark, or related interests not owned by the USGA. Responsibility for obtaining all permissions as may be necessary rest with the user.
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