Host Greg Smith reports:
Thanks to all who participated in the 12th annual event and for remembering Louisville Golf founder Mike Just on the 10th year of his passing.
For me this year’s event has been one of the most rewarding. We had several players new to gutty golf and a few of us got to stay in the nearby 100-year-old cottages. Definitely will be repeated.
This year’s Keeper of the Spirit Award might have brought a smile to Mike as it was awarded to the owner and employees of his beloved Louisville Golf Company.
Mike Just passed away 10 years ago in 2016. While we miss him, his influence remains in the standards he helped build, the craftsmanship he demanded, and the love for hickory golf that never faded.
Each year since his passing, our gutty golf event has sponsored the Mike Just Keeper of the Spirit Award. This annual honor is our way of recognizing Mike’s passion and dedication to hickory golf.
This year’s recipient, the Louisville Golf Company, is more than a name – it represents the commitment of a tradition built by people who understand that this craft isn’t just about making clubs. It’s about protecting history, learning the trade, and taking pride in doing things the right way – every time.
When Mike passed, Louisville Golf did not lose direction. It gained strength from within. Jeremy Wright, who purchased the company, stepped forward with the same spirit that defined Mike: a love of hickory golf, respect for its history, and a determination to keep the manufacturing alive.
Mike’s brother, Robert, had this to say about Jeremy:
Jeremy’s passion is personal. He has a deep love of the hickory game of golf and a strong appreciation for the history behind it. He helped keep the manufacturing of hickory-shafted clubs going – and as longtime experience began to shift as employees retired or moved on, Jeremy did not just maintain operations. He learned the work. He learned the processes. He learned how to build a wooden golf club from start to finish.
Just as important, Jeremy did not stop at preserving the craft – he improved operations. He brought knowledge of the original hickory clubs forward while continuing to make improvements through Louisville Golf products.
And he does it with a perfectionist attitude. He shares that standard with new employees, teaching the trade and the expectations that make Louisville Golf clubs what they are. He never settles — he pushes for the very best.
The 2026 Keeper of the Spirit award recognizes Louisville Golf Company because it continues Mike’s legacy in a real, measurable way: in the shop, in the work, in the learning and teaching, and in the standards that are passed on.
We also honor the people who make this possible Jerry Bradshaw, Gerard Just, Robert Just, Nancy and Jerry. Their dedication is what turns passion into finished clubs.
Congratulations to Louisville Golf Company on receiving the Mike Just Keeper of the Spirit Award — and thank you to everyone who keeps hickory golf alive through the craft, the commitment, and the care that Mike stood for.
As for the 2026 competition, below are the results. Congratulation to Steve Simer for his 6th Open win and Jim McGraw for his 1st Reserve win.
