As a golf writer, I attended the Masters Golf Tournament from 1996 to 2007, 12 years in a row. In my first trip, I was lucky to meet a member named Fred Brand. Fred was a lifelong member of the USGA who held several offices through his life including winning the prestigious 1997 Bobby Jones Award.

Fred was from Pittsburgh and had the distinction of being a member of 14 country clubs. "I can't join another club or I will have to take a 2-stroke penalty, you know golf has a 14 club rule," Fred explained with a smile. I was honored to be called his friend and Fred always invited me for cocktails in one of the Augusta National cabins he stayed in during the Masters.

Seeing Fred's green jacket up close motivated me to start Jackets Required,Inc. so other country clubs could start a blazer program like Augusta National to have their own version of the famous green jacket tradition.

Jackets Required offers custom embroidery of the finest quality with blazers available in several colors for men and ladies, no minimums and no setup fees. We also offer the option of personalizing each blazer with each members name on the inside lining for a personal touch.

Fred is gone but not forgotten.

Five years later, I was lucky enough to win the 50th Golf Writers Association of America Championship at the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach in a 1-hole playoff against Al Barkow. The trophy was presented by Arnold Palmer and I was wearing my Jackets Required blazer during the presentation.

Jackets Required has been selling embroidered blazers for the past 23 years and our goal is to provide each customer with a garment they are proud to wear and cherish for years to come. Even though Jackets Required caters to country clubs, we do a lot of business for Corporate Blazers, Sports Blazers, Fraternity Blazers, Sorority Blazers, Team Blazers, Church Blazers, Club Blazers for all sorts of organizations.

I want to thank all our customers for their loyalty and their business.

Johnny Lyon
President