Contacting professional golfers and getting their autograph can be tough. The reason for this is that so much money is made from golfing memorabilia that the players have, for the most part, shut their autograph signing habits down. This isn’t to say you can’t get a golfer’s autograph, but that you may either need to find the golfer shopping for his groceries, or you need to buy his or her signature from a reputable dealer.

The PGA has a deal with a company called Pro Tour Memorabilia to sign for them only. This means that, while other companies can still acquire signatures, the autographs that come from PTM are verified as real (and are, therefore, expensive).

You can still meet your favorite golfer in a number of ways. First, simply go to your local golf course and say “hi” to the club professional. More often than not the club pro has played a little golf and will know a few other pros and, if he or she feels the urge, can certainly tell you how to get in touch with them. The more important task when dealing with your club pro is to find out when the next big tournament or Pro-Am will happen.

Large golf tournaments can only exist if there are a lot of sponsors, and since every big-name player is paid a hefty appearance fee for just showing up, the expectation is that the player will do a little PR for the tournament. That’s your chance to show up as well, make a little small talk, and say, "Hey, I wondered if you wouldn’t mind maybe signing my program for me." The golfer may say no, but chances are he or she will be happy to sign.

In fact, most tournaments include several parties and banquets before and after the festivities. So if you can get invited, you’ll most likely find a lot of players happy to talk with you. A rain delay is another great time to locate your heroes, since they can’t change clothes or shower in case the rain breaks, and they’ll have very little to do other than sign while they wait for the weather to get better.

"I understand it’s the people in the gallery who come out and support the game of golf that allow myself and other players to play golf for a living," says Phil Mickelson. "If we didn’t have that type of support, well, as entertainers we wouldn’t be able to play golf for a living. So I try to take the time and show that I respect them, whether it’s to sign autographs or just acknowledge they’re there. I understand and acknowledge they allow me to play golf for a living, which is a wonderful way to make a living. And consequently, I try to do the same and just show how much I respect them."

The Pro-Am is a great way to meet your favorite golfer, but it will cost you money. Spaces in celebrity Pro-Ams are normally auctioned off to people with money to blow. If you can afford to get in the line-up, you’ll not only meet your favorite golfers, you’ll also play a round with them. That’s got to be worth more than a signed photo in the mail, don’t you think?

Thinking fast is always an important part of meeting a celebrity in a way that it will be a positive experience. In 2003 when actor Bill Murray hit a golf ball into the crowd during a Pro-Am tournament in Pebble Beach, the quick-thinking woman he’d hit came out of the gallery and asked him to sign the ball. In a situation like that, how could he not? In fact, Murray goofed around with the woman for a few minutes before he signed the ball for her and moved on.

Almost every professional golfer is sponsored by a company--generally one that has something to do with golf wear, club manufacturing, etc. Since those companies, as part of their sponsorship deals, require the golfer to get out and do PR, if you can’t find a way to write the golfer professionally, try sending a note to the company that sponsors him or her. It’s a long shot, but worth the price of a stamp for sure.

One thing to remember if you do spot a celebrity golfer is don’t rush up and be a pain on the course. Remember, golf may be a simple pleasure for you, but for the players it’s their livelihood. If you interrupt them while they’re preparing for a tournament, you might end up with your head bitten off rather than a signed picture. Handy items to keep with you for signing may include a scorecard, a tournament program, a cap, club-covers, and even a ball. But remember, without a good pen, they won’t be signing anything.

Golf fans are expected to be calm, good-natured, gentlemanly and ladylike at all times, and when they are, the pros tend to chum around with them. Unruly fans get short shrift, says Davis Love III, pointing out the difference between private and public course fans. "[Public course players] like to talk a lot. They might get mad if they are the 527^th person in line and didn’t get their autograph," says Love, adding that the "people who behave" get more of his time than those who get snippy.

In fact, according to Jim Furyk, being a nice person can have advantages far beyond just a signature. He met his wife while signing autographs on a golf course. "I was playing a practice round on Wednesday, and when I got off the golf course there were a bunch of kids behind the green. I was signing autographs and playing with the kids and I happened to see her standing there. I said “hi” to her, thinking she was very attractive. A friend of hers was there and he kind of introduced us, and then invited me to go to dinner with himself and his fiancé." Five years later, Furyk and the women were married.

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