As Francesco Molinari lifted the famous claret jog at Carnoustie to celebrate his victory at The Open – the first golf major win for an Italian – I recalled once again that this is a sport that hovers close to the top of the collecting table in terms of popularity and values when it comes to memorabilia.
Hickory clubs, rare golf balls and, of course, famous trophies all feature among the top prices at auction, one of the most memorable being Arnold Palmer’s Masters trophy, a rather stunning piece of silverware modelled as a miniature version of the Augusta clubhouse, which went for $444,000 at the appropriately named Green Jacket Auctions in 2016.
While British collectors are very active, the real centre for this field is the US, so it was no surprise when one of the oldest clubs known, a square-toed iron dating to the 1600s, sold from a leading collection for $151,000 at Sotheby’s in New York in 2007. It was designed for use on sandy or stony ground and is one of only half a dozen surviving clubs of a similar age.
Rory McIlroy’s 2014 Open Championship golf ball sold for $52,000 – also at Green Jacket Auctions – beaten only by a signed vintage Bobby Jones ball, which made nearly $56,000 in 2011.
For rare and ancient, the prize for a golf ball goes to an 18th century feathery that took £24,000 in 2004, selling to Jamie Ortiz-Patigos, owner of the Valderama course. The ball was the first ever made by Allan Robertson, one of the best-known early promoters of the game.
