If you’ve ever wondered where PGA Tour golfers acquire their classic belts, we’ve discovered the answer – and it’s spectacular. Alligator belts and exotic skin accessories are made by House of Fleming in Atlanta, Georgia.
Robert Fleming Childs, better known as Gator Bob and Bobby Belts, didn’t start his business with golfers in mind, and it wasn’t until Butch Harmon, a teaching professional, asked for a couple of belts for a pupil in 1996 that he realized it. Tiger Woods was that student.
Tiger Woods was the first golfer to wear a House of Fleming belt, and today professionals like Ian Poulter, Justin Thomas, Harold Varner III, Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Phil Mickelson, and others wear them in every major championship.
The children did not come from a wealthy family. To make one of these belts, it took maxing out a bank card in 1982 while shopping for skins in France and a lot of optimism. Childs had a vision for his belts, but he never anticipated they would be worn by some of the world’s finest players.
House of Fleming imports materials from Italy in nearly every shade and finish imaginable. Exotic skins of all hues and bins of leftover skin pieces from earlier projects greet you as you enter the premises. He makes yardage books, shoes, handbags, wallets, and coasters in addition to belts, and he seldom says no to requests.
Childs does not invest in marketing or attempting to get his belts into the company’s top retailers. His popularity is based on word of mouth. One of Bob’s favorite projects was when members of the 2020 Ryder Cup team asked him to create custom Ryder Cup belts as gifts for everyone.
