So, I got this idea, right? We have this yearly golf outing with my buddies, nothing too serious, mostly for laughs and bragging rights. But this year, I thought, why not step it up a notch? Instead of just the usual handshake for the winner, how about some actual medals? Sounds a bit fancy, I know, but I figured it’d be a good laugh and something tangible to show off. That’s how this whole “medals for golf” project kicked off in my head.
My First Dive into the Medal World
First thing I did, like anyone these days, was jump on the internet. Typed in “custom golf medals” and wow, talk about an information overload. So many websites, so many options! You got your shiny gold, your classy silver, your “hey, I tried” bronze. Then there’s different finishes, like antique this, polished that. Some had enamel colors, some were just plain metal. And shapes! Round, square, custom shapes that looked like a golf ball or a club. It was a lot. Honestly, I spent a good couple of hours just clicking around, feeling more confused than when I started. It felt like I was trying to pick a single flavor in an ice cream shop with a thousand choices.
The “I Can Make These!” Phase
Now, I like to think of myself as a bit of a DIY guy. You know, fix things around the house, build a shelf or two. So, my next brilliant thought was, “Hey, I can probably make these myself!” How hard could it be, really? Spoiler: harder than I thought. I ordered some blank metal discs online, thinking I could maybe etch them or engrave them somehow. I even watched a few YouTube videos. Let me tell you, my garage saw some action. And by action, I mean a lot of trial and error. Mostly error. I ended up with a few scratched-up pieces of metal that looked less like medals and more like something my dog had chewed on. Plus, a weird smell that lingered for days. So, DIY medal making? Yeah, that was a quick and humbling failure for me.
Okay, Let’s Find a Professional
Alright, DIY was a bust. My ego was a bit bruised, but the golf outing was still happening. Time for Plan B: find someone who actually makes medals for a living. Back to the internet, but this time I was looking for companies. And man, that was another journey. Some places only did huge orders, like hundreds or thousands. We only needed like, ten medals, tops. Others had these super complicated design processes. You’d think I was commissioning a national monument. And the prices! Some quotes I got back made my eyes water. I wasn’t looking for Olympic gold here, just something fun for a friendly game.
- Sent out a bunch of emails.
- Got a few quotes that were just way out of budget.
- Some never even replied. Classic.
Finding the Right Fit and Getting it Done
After a bit more searching, I stumbled upon this smaller company. Their website wasn’t all flashy, but they seemed to do smaller, custom orders. I shot them an email, and they actually replied pretty quickly. Talked to a real person on the phone, explained what I was after – something simple, classic looking, with the name of our silly little tournament on it. We went back and forth on the design a few times. My initial sketch was, let’s be honest, pretty terrible. But their designer managed to turn my scribbles into something that actually looked like a proper medal. That was a relief.
Then it was just a waiting game. Paid the deposit, and they told me it would take a few weeks. You know that feeling when you’re waiting for something you’ve ordered? A mix of excitement and “did I make the right choice?”. Finally, a package arrived. I was almost nervous opening it. What if they were awful? But, they weren’t! They were actually pretty cool. Nice weight to them, the engraving was sharp, and they even came with little ribbons. Not super fancy, but perfect for what we needed.
The Big Day and Lessons Learned
Come the golf day, I handed them out. The guys got a real kick out of them. The winner wore his around for the rest of the evening, which was hilarious. It definitely added a fun little extra to the whole thing. So, what did I learn from this whole medal-making adventure? Well, for one, sometimes it’s better to leave things to the professionals, especially if your garage ends up smelling like a failed science experiment. And two, finding those smaller businesses that actually talk to you like a human can make all the difference. It took a bit of effort, sure, but seeing my buddies with their “prestigious” golf medals? Totally worth it. I’d probably do it again, but I’d skip the DIY part next time, for sure.
