AUGUSTA, GA (Feb. 27, 2009) – Dr. John Reynolds, vice president of Global Business Development for Club Car, has spent the last 12 years selling golf cars to some of the world’s best known golf clubs. But the former neurosurgeon turned golf car executive hasn’t forgotten what it was like to be a caddie and walk alongside golfers with their clubs slung over his shoulder.
“Caddying was hard work, but it taught me about life’s challenges and the sense of accomplishment that comes through hard work,” said Reynolds, who was inducted into the Professional Caddie Association’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. “Caddying also opened my mind to the pleasures of the game of golf, a sport that has influenced my entire life.”
As a youngster growing up in Augusta, Reynolds caddied at the Augusta Golf Course and the Augusta Country Club.
After practicing medicine in Augusta for 20 years, he decided he wanted to spend the second half of his career in the golf business. Ironically, when calling on customers in the British Isles, Europe and Asia, where golf cars are not as prevalent as they are in the U.S., Reynolds finds himself talking to course owners about the virtues of riding as opposed to walking.
“Golf cars are an important part of the business model and a key source of revenue for today’s successful golf operations,” Reynolds said. “But caddies are part of the fabric and history of this great game and certainly a valuable part of my own history.”
As acknowledgement of their contributions, and in memory of his parents, Frances and John Reynolds of Augusta, Reynolds annually presents the Reynolds Medal to a caddie or caddie master in Georgia. The Reynolds Medal has been presented for the past 20 years in conjunction with the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.
As Club Car’s executive in charge of global business development, and as a member of some of the most respected golf clubs in the U.S. and abroad, Reynolds has had a chance to pass on some of the lessons he learned while looping to other youngsters.
“I tell them to work hard, respect the game and pay attention. There are a lot of lessons to be learned on the golf course if you just keep your mind and ears open,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds was one of seven 2008 inductees into the Professional Caddies Association Hall of Fame, which now includes 86 former or working caddies and PCA Foundation supporters.
Club Car, a business of Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited, a diversified industrial firm, Honors the Game in its service to customers and support of the golf industry. Club Car is the exclusive premier partner of the National Golf Course Owners Association in the U.S. and NGCOA Canada’s exclusive Golf Car Supplier and Platinum Partner. Club Car is also a sponsor of the European Golf Course Owners Association, a Silver Partner of the GCSAA and a Corporate Advantage Partner of the Club Managers Association of America. It is the Official Supplier of Golf Cars and Utility Vehicles to the 2010 Ryder Cup, the Official Golf Car and Golf Utility Vehicle and an Official Sponsor of the PGA European Tour, the official supplier of golf cars and utility vehicles to PGA Tournament Players Clubs, and leading sponsor of the PGA Professional National Championship, The First Tee and the Executive Women’s Golf Association.
About Club Car
Club Car provides fleet, turf, hospitality and financing solutions for golf, agricultural, recreational and industrial markets. For more information on Club Car, go to www.clubcar.com. Based in Augusta, Ga., Club Car is part of the Industrial Technologies sector of Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR) is a global diversified firm providing products, services and solutions to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings, transport and protect food and perishables, secure homes and commercial properties, and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. Driven by a 100-year-old tradition of technological innovation, we enable our customers to create progress and a positive impact in their world.
About the PCA
The Professional Caddies Association is a worldwide organization dedicated to introducing youngsters to the game of golf through the 500-year-old caddie tradition. The association also supports working and retired caddies and their families with incremental income opportunities, benefits, educational and communications programs. For more information, go to www.PCAFhq.org.
Contact:
Bill Bryant, Bryant Marketing Communications
(678) 366-3232, bbryant@bryantmarcomm.com
