By Lisa Goulian Twiste, Senior Apparel Writer
As long as the game of golf has existed, artists have tried to capture the beauty of the sport and its breathtaking vistas. Owning original golf artwork is an aspiration for many enthusiasts, and some facilities are creating a “wow” factor by giving just that to tournament participants through Pinehurst, North Carolina-based Cassy Tully – Fine Art.
Named for artist Cassy Tully (pictured), the company provides tournament organizers with packages that include everything from original paintings for a private collection/auction to limited-edition, signed prints for tee gifts, to an in-person print signing or live painting on-site.
“We like to do gifts that are unique and something that the players cannot go out and buy themselves,” says Josh Luster, PGA of America Assistant Professional at Lake Forest Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky. “We were just finishing a bunker renovation and thought it would be a great idea to do a picture of our 18th hole with the new changes. In doing research, I found Cassy’s work and reached out.”
The desired picture was for Lake Forest’s Crystal Cup Invitational, held in June of 2023. Tully created a painting of the par-4, 441-yard 18th hole on the Arnold Palmer-designed course with the majestic clubhouse in the background. Tully was on hand on Stag Night to present a limited-edition, signed print to each of the tournament’s 120 golfers.
“The participants loved it,” Luster says. “We had several players who have been playing in this event for 20-plus years and said this was the best tee gift they had ever received.”
According to Luster, Lake Forest tries to come up with unique gifts each year, which have also included custom bourbon and Louisville Slugger baseball bats.
“This one was different,” he says. “Everyone enjoyed the painting and the print they received. Having Cassy on site and her being able to tell the story and the process of the painting set it above and beyond. A year and a half later, people are still talking about it!”
Tully has been involved in golf since 2008, when she was the artist in residence at a high-end design studio in Kohler, Wisconsin, and created a painting inspired by the Scottish landscape. A customer who saw it said it reminded her of Whistling Straits and commissioning Tully to paint the famed golf course. As a result, her passion for golf art was ignited.
“Golf is endlessly alluring for me,” says Tully, whose signature relief-painting technique incorporates acrylic gel mediums, which she blends with sand from the course to create a dynamic perspective. “As I consider each course, inspiration comes from understanding its history and respecting its design; these serve as inspiration as I paint.”
When asked to create a painting, Tully visits the site, takes photographs and measurements and meets with the golf professionals and designers to learn what’s special about the course. This allows her to create a painting that represents their unique, shared vision. Given the three-dimensional surface of the paintings, people want to reach out and touch them, she says, adding that their eyes light up when they learn there is sand from the golf course in the paint.
“Since I began, people’s interest in golf has increased. Championships and tournaments are events that draw large crowds of appreciative fans, and this energy is palpable,” she says. “My philanthropic mission is founded in giving back through art, and partnering with organizations like the PGA REACH Foundation. The PGA has opened the doors to new partnerships and ways of growing as a golf artist and philanthropist.”
Tully says her tournament work has increased as more facilities want to present tee gifts with a “wow” factor.
“There’s something very unique about creating art that connects members and guests with the host club,” she adds. “When I attend the tournament and interact with these wonderful people through unveiling the art and signing prints, it provides a dynamic gift; plus, it develops a special relationship with the participants and the club.”