Temporary Exhibits

When you visit the World Golf Hall of Fame, you will never know what you will see around the next corner. Special exhibits are planned throughout the year and new items are added on a regular basis giving you a reason to return again and again.

Currently on Display:

Bob Hope: Shanks For The Memory - Now Open!

Guests will find rich storytelling alongside more than 400 artifacts as they wind through a variety of set pieces designed to reflect the different eras and locations significant to Hope's life, including England, Cleveland, New York, Hollywood, Palm Springs, Washington D.C. and sites of USO shows around the world.

In each set, stories covering a broad range of topics are revealed, including the special relationship he shared with his wife Dolores, with whom he regularly played golf, as well as his achievements in live entertainment, radio, television, books and movies throughout eight decades of the 20th century. The exhibition offers insight into the close friendships Hope shared with Hall of Fame members, celebrities and United States Presidents over the years. It also looks at the impact Hope made as a fervent entertainer of the men and women of the United States Military, which was validated in 1997 when he became the first person in American history to be named an Honorary Veteran.

A video presentation hosted by Hall of Fame member and Host of the 2009 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Arnold Palmer is featured in the specially created Bob Hope Theater and showcases some of Hope's best-known golf stand-up and skits, as well as tributes from some of the game's most recognizable personalities.

Visit our Special Bob Hope page to learn more.

2008 Inductee Exhibits - Now Open!

The 2008 Inductee exhibits will feature the inspiring stories from the lives and careers of the 2008 Class: Sir Bob Charles, Pete Dye, Carol Semple Thompson, Denny Shute, Herbert Warren Wind and Craig Wood. Hundreds of artifacts, personal mementos, memorabilia and photos have been gathered for display.

Highlights include:

• Sir Bob Charles
  • The Claret Jug from his 1963 Open Championship victory at Royal Lytham & St. Annes
  • Trophies representative of his more than 75 worldwide victories
  • The Bulls Eye Putter he used from 1990 to 2000 to earn 10 Champions Tour titles
  • His Commander of the British Empire citation from the Queen of England in 1992


• Pete Dye
  • His 1995 Donald Ross award, 2003 Old Tom Morris award, and 2004 PGA Distinguished Service award, as well as his Past President's Jacket and gavel from the American Society of Golf Course Architects
  • His personal, marked-up copy of Alister Mackenzie's "Golf Architecture" book
  • His Honorary Doctorate from Purdue University and his Honorary Doctorate and Honorary golf letterman's jacket from the University of South Carolina.
  • Personal effects including Andy Griffith and Matlock DVDs and Mills Brothers cassettes showcase Pete's longtime favorite TV shows and music


• Carol Semple Thompson
  • Sixty-three contestant badges spanning various events over several decades (she has participated in more than 100 U.S.G.A. championships)
  • Seven gold medals from her seven USGA championships
  • The ball she used in the 2002 Curtis Cup to make a 27-foot birdie putt to earn the Curtis Cup-retaining point for the U.S. Team
  • Her 2005 PGA First Lady of Golf Award, alongside letters of congratulations from First Lady Laura Bush, Hall of Fame member Judy Bell and Alice Dye


• Denny Shute
  • A Gorham silver trophy from his 1927 Ohio Amateur victory and medals from additional Ohio Open wins
  • His contestant badges from 1921 through the 1940s, including major championships and U.S. Amateurs
  • His personal 1937 Ryder Cup program autographed by the U.S. Team
  • His plaque from the PGA of America representing his back-to-back PGA Championship wins in 1936 and 1937


• Herbert Warren Wind
  • Original pencil sketches by Anthony Ravielli for the cover of the book Wind wrote with Ben Hogan, "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf"
  • His 1956 publisher's leather-bound presentation copy of "The Story of American Golf"
  • A letter from Bobby Jones discussing details of the 1968 and 1970 Open Championships
  • A copy of the April 21, 1958 Sports Illustrated where Wind coined the term "Amen Corner"
  • Two clubs of Wind's also will be exhibited: a vintage hickory shafted Laurie Auchterlonie putter and a Walter Hagen 2-wood


• Craig Wood
  • Several clubs Wood used in winning the 1941 U.S. Open
  • His Masters Tournament cigarette box commemorating his 1941 Masters and U.S. Open victories, as well as his 1935 second-place finish to Gene Sarazen
  • A selection of rare Wood photographs and some of his medals

The Inductee Exhibits are featured in Shell Hall, located in the center of the Hall of Fame.

Take a look at select artifacts from this years Inductee Exhibits.

Jack Nicklaus: Golf's Golden Champion - On display through Dec. 31, 2008

Jack Nicklaus' benchmark career in golf and his successful career and life off the course is on display at the Hall of Fame for just a short while longer. Nicklaus' indelible impact on the game of golf began at age 10, the year he first picked up a golf club and carded a 51 in the first nine holes he ever played. The special exhibit's storyline begins with his youth and storied amateur career and extend through the greatest professional career to date, showcasing artifacts, memorabilia, photos, video and text.

To read Mr. Nicklaus' comments on the exhibit, click here.