“We should be extremely careful who handles the product and in what areas they handle it,” says Ortiz. “Don’t go chasing sales. That’s the big mistake we made at Orlimar. We wanted to get big. Everyone was looking at doing an IPO and you had to be $100 million-plus, but that’s not the way to go.”

Should Ortiz ever be tempted otherwise, reminders of the Orlimar days are not far away. The wresting of the company from family control divided the family; Ortiz and his sister, Carmen, don’t speak. Jesse reconciled with his father before Lou slipped into the grip of Alzheimer’s, but the regret remains. Ortiz wishes he could have done better for the man who taught him everything he knows about clubmaking, and wishes Lou could see the clubs he’s making now.

“I tried my best, and for a period of time we were No. 1 on tour,” Ortiz says. “I was proud of that, I’m proud of the products I’m making now, and I’m proud of the fact that my name is on the clubs with Bobby Jones. I think my dad takes comfort that the Ortiz family name will be well known for many years as one of the best clubmaking families that has ever existed.”