Common Course: The Community Inside a Community

If we're talking about communities quietly collecting stock in the golf space and cementing themselves as tastemakers, it's impossible to not talk about The Golfer's Journal. Since its launch in 2017, it has been known for it's very pointed, aesthetically pleasing limited printed issues and evergreen storytelling—TGJ has developed a bit of a cult following complied of the golf-obsessed.

Its community, The Broken Tee Society, is a culmination of members who travel or desire to travel the world hacking it around and soaking up the experiences golf gifts us with each round. This tight knit group stands tens of thousands strong, across YouTube, Instagram, and its main source of communication, Discord.

In it's simplest form, the Broken Tee Society is a membership program that provides access to The Golfer's Journal's online community, events, and content. But what it's transformed into is a collective unified by the way they like to experience golf. Brendon Thomas, the founder of TGJ has said, "When photos of broken tees appeared on social media shortly after our first issue launch with the hashtag “#brokenteesociety,” I quickly realized this community was going to take on a life of its own."

The creation of this community happened organically, coming to life only two years into TGJ's existence and it's only continuing to grow. But inside The Broken Tee Society community, sits a smaller more intimate group of about 25 folks across the U.S. who are all connected by a common thread...literally. We're being serious—needles, thread, and a secret diary are the backbone of this bunch who created a traveling headcover to help signify and commemorate each and every adventure.

The Broken Tee Society at Kittansett Golf Club in Marion, Massachusetts.

It's golf's very own version of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and dare we say a tiny bit cooler.

Jeremy Koons is the ring leader of this mini society and the man behind physically constructing the headcover that has traveled nearly 145,000 miles over 245 rounds of golf.

Covid shut down, [I] needed a new hobby. So, I starting sewing miniature quilts, inspired by my mom’s textile art, and adapted into my own style. It's now transitioned to mini golf quilts, adapting on-course photos into pseudo-realistic art.

Jeremy Koons Bandon Dunes Quilt, "Meant To Be"

As a kid, Koons started sewing household items like pot holders, quilt squares, and basic clothing. As for golf, he picked up the game as a kid, taking lessons throughout his adolescence. He made the varsity team as a high school freshman, playing every single day for four years straight—a luxury afforded to those who grow up in California. But over time, Koons felt his passion for the game shift. He needed to find ways to reinvigorate golf for himself, which began with him altering his mindset. No longer caring about results, but rather focusing on the experiences and enjoyment instead.

"I played competitive golf throughout high school, but then stopped. I played ‘life’ for 15 years after that," Koons explained. "In 2015 I got back into it and took it very seriously. But as the cycle goes, in 2019, [I] crashed out a bit on the grind to be perfect. It wasn’t fun anymore, always chasing an impossible target."

In 2021, he reframed his focus on how to have fun and play well instead of just looking for the lowest scores—and that's where the mystical headcover comes in.

Making art, building relationships, having shared experiences, this is my favorite way to enjoy golf. I am still very proud of the goals I met, I even framed my first “0.0” handicap index card. But the things I most cherish now are the buddies trips and shared stories.

Re-framing his love for the game is how he discovered TGJ. He wanted a place where he could connect with the other golf sickos who love to indulge in "binge golfing". The kind of golf where you're playing 16 courses in 8 days just for the hell of it. He began as a simple subscriber, building friendships through the Discord server and in-person at events.

This new phase of Koon's revitalized golf journey now merges his two hobbies—golf and crafting go hand and hand. From quilts to scorecard holders, the sky is the limit for what Koons hopes to create. Each project presents a new challenge, but he admitted that the headcovers are the most fun...and most popular amongst his friends and fellow Broken Tee Society members.

But why a headcover? What other items were thrown around the group before landing on the unique handmade keepsake?

"I was already creating and sewing bespoke headcovers and pouches for some friends, and after filling a handful of orders on Discord, I got a note from fellow member Clay Doty. His idea was to spin off NLU’s traveling bag with a BTS twist. The idea took off immediately—the Google sheet filled up with requests to tote the headcover on future golf trips."

And the rest is kind of history.

Given his creative background and his love for golf travel, Koons was the perfect person to enlist on creating something special for this community that just kind of found each other within the larger Broken Tee Society discord. A handful of folks, that to this day remains nameless, thought it would be interesting to enlist this shared item element for the group to join at any time. It kicked off in the summer of 2023 and its been a full steam ahead process. The first ever Traveling Headcover journeyed over 55,000 miles in nearly 90 rounds of golf.

But it is also a self-selected subgroup. Not everybody cares about this, just like not every one is into the Golf Course Architecture or Pro Golf or Cars channels in Discord. The beauty of the TGJ discord set-up is we all signed up for the magazine, but found these other ways to bond, interact, and share.

His process is rather interesting. He lets the group set a few parameters, but essentially this is Koons' brainchild to build from the ground up...literally. "It all begins with the template shape before moving on to deciding on which material to make it out of. There are three official headcovers that have been made for The Broken Tee Society," Koons shared that the first one was mostly anointed out of convenience.

"I had made a headcover to mimic the tees that TGJ has on hand at their events. I used a quilting technique to craft it from cotton canvas. It quickly wore out from use, and faded in the sun," Koons said." "After about a year, it needed to be replaced."

The Traveling Headcover 1.0 (Before)

The Traveling Headcover 1.0 (After)

This ultimately led to the creation of The Traveling Headcover 2.0.

"The second iteration was from TGJ travel duffel bag, which fit the travel theme better," details Koons. "The black on black was a popular style. It's stealthy, durable, and I wanted to design it with more attention to detail—the carry strap, the zipper pocket, mimicking the duffel utility."

Versions 1.0 and 2.0. Photo by Jaren Hunsaker

The travel really ramped up with Volume II, accumulating around 84,800 miles over the course of 18 months. Though remarkably impressive, that kind of wear and tear meant it was time for yet another upgrade. It was time to retire 2.0 and graduate to a third and the current iteration.

Made up of the membership gift that was given out this past year, wanting to focus on being more membership-specific, honing in on why this whole thing got started in the first place.

But you'll notice that each version maintains this consistent look and aesthetic. Very utilitarian and gorp-y. Incorporating technical details like zippers, pockets, and straps. For his designs Koons tends to gravitate to clean lines, high contrast, symmetry, bold colors, and balanced composition.

Once a headcover is crafted and ready for use, now it's ready for its journey. The full traveling kit that Koons puts together includes the sewn item, a journal, a set of instructions, and tees.

With the first version of the Traveling Headcover, Koons did a little test run to figure out a few logistical elements of his debuting keepsake.

"I wanted to set an example for how it might be used. I played my local course, then handed off to a local BTS friend," Koons explained. "After that, [a friend] played a round then hand delivered to the next, and to the next. The first five players all hand-passed the cover, which I think is part of the community building component. Meet someone, share a round, pass it on."

But now, like the style and materials of the headcover, how it's shared has evolved into something else, where members cherry-pick bucket list trips, calling dibs on the headcover, where it's shipped across the country after every turn. Many of the participants are repeat users, having a turn each year. A google sheet is used to sign up organically, reserving blocks of time. It all operated on a first come first served basis.

It spent a month in California, and then went on a whirlwind tour. Florida to Montana to Tennessee…it’s a bit less personal to ship it this way, but the stories in the journal prove the community is still the driving factor.

What makes it even more special, itt travels with a true golfer's journal—a shared diary between those who take the headcover all over, write down parting thoughts of their trips, bringing along the rest of the community to marvel in the experience. The stories written out in these journals have cemented the idea that the golf isn’t always about the golf. It’s the shared experiences that people cherish.

The names written into the first Traveling Headcover Journal.

For Koons, this component is the "why" behind the headcover. "Reading accounts of bucket list experiences is inspiring. We all want to play the Old Course, so when a BTS member travels there, plays it, writes about it, we all get to live it through their eyes—it's special."

It's a real passion project for Koons and for those who make up this tiny, but mighty and extremely adventurous crew. While some of us are fine with a quick selfie and Instagram post to document our golfing tales, this is creates a tangible piece of tokenism that's meant to be used and tattered, because each loose-hanging thread on the headcover or penciled imprint on a page signifies continuity—the beginnings of records to be looked through decades from now and recalled fondly.