Another coveted ‘Green Jacket’

Enter, the Green Coat Gang.

Founded in 1982, the 'Green Coat Gang” is a band of golfing friends, formed for a 36-hole medal play golf competition and the quest for a simple green coat.

The story of the green coat goes back to a founding member, Denny Jelmeng, who received the coat from one of his friends who worked at John Deere. Each year, the friends come from all over the country to play in the Father's Day tournament held at Elkader Golf and Country Club.

Loosely based off the green jacket PGA golfers earn after winning the Masters, the journey to bring home the green coat began as friendly competition.

For Jelmeng, it's one of the only times of the year he gets to see his golfing companions.

'It's good to be with all the guys and telling stories,” Jelmeng said. 'The stories get better and better every year.”

The coat itself has a remarkable history. The coat has kissed the bricks at the Indianapolis Speedway, been in the tunnel at Memorial Stadium to greet the Nebraska Cornhuskers and even stood atop the Eiffel Tower to gain international fame.

Even members at last year's Ryder Cup noted it's poise and flash on the course.

'I got a bunch of signatures from players there and it got a lot of attention, being a green coat,” said Brian Bennett, a member of the Green Coat Gang. 'Fred Couples grabbed it and was teasing one of the guys in the tournament because he didn't have a green coat.”

The coat now is put on display, with pictures of professional golfers and signatures, in the Elkader clubhouse.

After wearing the coat throughout the following year, it is each winner's duty to leave a memento in the coat to pass along to the next year's owner. Bennett said by now the coat weighs around 40 pounds.

Members have traveled from Nebraska, Minnesota, Arizona, Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana to be a part of the group that competes annually for the apparel and bragging rights.

Bennett said winning the green coat is a great honor and a great curse. While the winner receives the fame and gloating each year, he also is stuck with a pretty big check.

And that's no prize check.

'The guy who wins the coat gets to tee off wearing it,” Bennett said. 'But you get to buy walleye dinner at (Bill's Boat Landing in Clayton) every year for the whole group. It costs you about 500 bucks, but it's all good.”

Being reunited each year is what matters to this group.

'The thing is, you get to see the same guys and commiserate with the same guys year after year,” said Joe Chapman, general manager at the Elkader golf club. 'They're relatively close friends, and everybody's happy.”