1972 “In the Spring It’s the GGO Thing”
The 1972 Greater Greensboro Open commemorative decanter is arguably the most popular of the ten decanters commissioned by the Greensboro Alcoholic Beverage Control and approved by the Greater Greensboro Open Executive Committee. This Ezra Brooks issue contained 12 year old, 90 proof “real sippin’ whiskey” and went on sale at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 27, 1972. It sold for $15.20. This price was $10.40 more than the same whiskey in a standard bottle. 6,000 fifths were sold that day for a total of $91,200 according to published reports. Sculptor Bernard Hasenstab designed the decanter for Heritage China that stands 11” high by 8” .
The bottle’s round face is the form of the GGO crest that is most often associated with the Green Coat Club. The Green Coat Club was started by Mack Arnold, Jr. after his role as the 1955 Greater Greensboro Open General Chairman. When the 1972 decanter was issued the club was comprised exclusively of past presidents of the Greensboro Jaycees, past general chairman of the Greater Greensboro Open and past honorary chairman of the Greater Greensboro Open.
An article simply entitled “The Green Coat Club” that appeared in the 1973 Greater Greensboro Open Program details the groups role. “They know, of course, that these coats represent years of hard work for the community through the Jaycees and are only worn by achievement, for they cannot be obtained in any other way.”
The group later expanded to include eight time GGO Champion Sam Snead and Kmart’s Joe Antonini. In 2006 Greensboro Jaycees Charitable Foundation Chairman Bobby Long and Wyndham Championship tournament director Mark Brazil where added to the ranks of the prestigious group.
The decanter’s green surface is hand decorated in 24-Karat gold and its raised gold letters read “Greater Greensboro Open” as they circle the outer edge of the bottle. The head of a golf club serves as the bottle’s stopper. It is painted brown and has molded grooves in the clubface. This detail provides a contrasting background for the “GGO” lettering that appears in front of the clubface. These letters, like the ones below the bottle’s stopper, are also raised, but are finished in a more subdued bronze tone. The color of the letters on the bottle’s stopper and the letters on the body of the decanter compliment one another.
Within the crest is a gold ring containing the familiar golfer as he watches his shot soar towards the fairway. The golfer is facing the collector as he looks at the bottle. There are subtle molded details in the golfer’s face and clothes. Upon close inspection the golfer’s hairline, eyes and nose can plainly be seen. There is clear separation between his shirt and pants as well. It can be argued that he is actually wearing knickers. True golf fans will appreciate the player’s impeccable form as well as his acute sense of style.
There is a tree to the golfer’s left and a pin flag to his right. Both of these are common elements in this Greater Greensboro Open crest logo. While the pin flag shows limited detail, the tree has subtle details in its trunk and branches. There is a cloud effect molded into the ceramic behind the golfer.
At the bottom of the piece is a wide base. The year 1972 is displayed in 24-Karat, hand painted gold and is accented on either side by a stylized gold tee. The sides of the decanter, approximately an inch thick have a molded scalloped detail. This clever touch catches light and makes the edges of the decanter shine.
The reverse of the stopper is the back of the brown golf club resting on an area painted green to resemble grass. The back of this decanter also proudly displays the 1972 GGO theme of “In The Spring-It’s the GGO Thing”. The slogan’s letters, painted in gold, surround a white golf ball bearing the years of the first Greater Greensboro Golf Tournament in 1938 and the 1972 Greater Greensboro Open. The golf ball is outlined in gold and has a molded dimple pattern. The ball is teed up on not one, but three stylized golf tees. These tees match the ones on the front of the piece, but are longer and display the entire tee, not just its top.
At the base, the words “Greensboro, North Carolina March 27- April 2, 1972” appear in gold letters. The decanter makes no reference to the course on which the tournament will be played. Sedgefield Country Club’s name was omitted from this decanter and did not appear on the first four decanters in the series. A course name first appears on the 1976 GGO decanter.
Another detail that ties the entire piece together is a molded grass effect over the entire bottle. The decanter’s color along with this molded detail gives the bottle the look of grass. Under the base the decanter the backstamp reads, “Heritage China Ezra Brooks 1972”.
In keeping with the idea the decanters where a form of marketing for the tournament, they were accompanied by pamphlets with information about the Greensboro Junior Chamber of Commerce and a brief history of the Greater Greensboro Open. The 1972 decanter was originally sold with a tri-fold containing articles entitled, “Greensboro Suit the Champ to a Tee”, “The Green Grass of Home”, “Young Men on the Move” and “A Tribute to Community Pride”.
It is the graceful, simple lines of this decanter that make it one of the most popular bottles ever created to market the Greater Greensboro Open. Its treasures are subtle and could easily be over looked. It uses the golf theme without going over the top, as you will see in some of the other decanters discussed in these pages.
The 1972 Greater Greensboro Open commemorative decanter is a fine example of what bottle collectors from around the country are looking for in a collectible decanter. It is only natural to compare and contrast the complete set of decanters created in the decade spanning 1972 to 1982. A great set of guide lines to use during this comparison may come from a letter to Mr. J. Weiss, of Western World Publishers, from Thomas R. O’Shea of Ezra Brooks Distilling Co. in which O’Shea outlines his company’s moral responsibility to the bottle collector. The letter dated April 13, 1972 was reprinted in Western Collector’s Handbook and Price Guide to Ezra Brooks. It reads as follows.
Dear Mr. Weiss:
I am delighted to learn that a new and updated edition of our EZRA BROOKS Handbook will be published by Western World Publications.
Your request for a statement of our policy on the issuance and distribution of Ceramic bottles is most welcome because it affords us an opportunity to re-affirm our initial policy, a statement of which appeared in the first EZRA BROOKS Handbook.
We, at EZRA BROOKS Distilling Co. are primarily engaged in the marketing of EZRA BROOKS Bourbon, our Real Sippin’ Whiskey, and the issuance of Ceramic bottles is an integral part of what has been proven to be the best marketing program to achieve that primary objective.
It necessarily follows then that a loyal customer is our most important possession. The bottle collector, in my experience, is just such a person. He is a loyal and brand conscious purchaser.
Because of the bottle collector’s support of EZRA BROOKS we are conscious of a moral responsibility which impels us to help improve the hobby of “Bottle Collecting” and to express our profound gratitude toward those people who have chosen to collect our bottles. Therefore, with the single exception that it does not impair our primary objective of marketing EZRA BROOKS Bourbon, we will never knowingly do anything in the marketing of our Ceramic bottles which is not in the best interests of the collector.
To provide a more specific statement of those factors which appear of most pertinent interest to the bottle collector, I state affirmatively the following:
1. EZRA Brooks will never under any circumstances reissue a bottle the marketing of which has been completed.
2. EZRA BROOKS will never knowingly issue a bottle the primary appeal of which relies upon the use of decorated decals.
3. EZRA BROOKS will not issue the same bottle in two or more versions differentiated only by color or decals.
4. EZRA BROOKS will limit it’s (its) production of any bottle to the number which, in our judgement, can be sold in an orderly manner.
An awareness of those policies which will best serve our customers evolved as a result of considerable communication with bottle collectors throughout the country.
We will continue to learn from our customers and will earnestly strive to be responsive to their needs and desires.
Yours very truly,
EZRA BROOKS DISTILLING CO.
Thomas R. O’Shea
President
This letter will provide valuable insight to bottle collectors as they begin to study the details of each bottle. Factor number 2 “Ezra Brooks will never knowingly issue a bottle the primary appeal of which relies upon the use of decorated decals” will be considered more than once when inspecting the entire commemorative decanter collection. Collectors of the Greater Greensboro Open commemorative decanters will quickly learn that not all bottles are created equally and that not all distilleries share the Ezra Brook philosophy.
(March 27, 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the Greater Greensboro Open decanters.
