Etched Glass Plaque Commemorating Richard Helmstetter of Callaway Golf

I was recently commissioned to design and create a large commemorative etched glass plaque at The Bridges Golf Center at The Bridges Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe.

The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe

A private golf and country club in the heart of Rancho Santa Fe.

Imagine a private retreat, nestled among the citrus groves, rolling foothills and lush fairways of Southern California. Picture a place of connections, camaraderie, competition and ease from the pace of life - an idyllic environment for a gracious way of living.

The plaque is to commemorate Richard C. Helmstetter of Callaway Golf fame, known by some as "The Mad Scientist of Golf". As Senior Executive Vice President of the Callaway Golf Company, Mr. Helmstetter was a principal figure in the company that revolutionized the golf world:

Helmstetter is a genius, for sure. If you’re into golf, he’s the man behind those gigantic drivers that changed the game when Callaway Golf introduced the aptly named Big Bertha. Since the creation of that particular club, drivers have become larger and larger and their design has changed from the humble persimmon woods in the heyday of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to the modern materials of titanium and carbon fiber that almost every professional and amateur golfer uses today.¹

The finished etched glass plaque measures 30” by 48” and is etched on bronze tempered glass and stained with gold to give it a rich, warm appearance befitting a true pioneer in the golf industry. It was created to ensure that Mr. Helmstetter's legacy will continue to inspire not only golfers, but all visitors to this beautiful Southern California location.

^{1 Quoted from Photography One On One}