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.
