It is unclear whether any of the players reimbursed Talbott for the $80- to $100-a-round guest fees. Even if they had, gaining access to the club through Talbott was an exclusive benefit and a possible NCAA violation, as Pryor received extra benefits based on his sports notoriety.
At first, general manager Regan Koivisto thought having a few celebrities would generate a good buzz for the Sciota Reserve Country Club. But, he said, he started to worry when they became frequent guests -- and when he learned that Talbott was a sports memorabilia dealer.
"I said, 'This does not smell good,' " Koivisto said. "If anything bad was happening, I didn't want it to be happening on my property."
Koivisto called the Ohio State athletic department and said he spoke to coach Jim Tressel's secretary. He said he told the woman about his concerns regarding Talbott and Pryor playing together at the club.
"She asked, 'Can I have Coach Tressel call you?' I said, 'He can,' " Koivisto said. "Coach never did call me back. But I never saw Pryor at the club again."
No one else from Ohio State contacted Koivisto, either.