
Full Answer
What are rare vintage golf clubs?
Rare vintage golf clubs have uncommon patents or features and were made in limited quantities that set them apart from the mass produced common clubs. Many feature wooden shafts. Many rare or hard-to-find golf clubs will have the following features: Unusual head shapes and wood heads
What is the best guide to collect rare Ping golf clubs?
Guide to Collecting Rare Ping Golf Clubs by Bobby Grace lots of rare Ping clubs. American Golf Classics Golf Club Collectors Handbook by Bob Farino, classic woods, irons, putters and even some hickories. The Ping Identification and Collectors Guide by Dalton Daves, Ping clubs only.
What are these classic golf clubs worth today?
Here's a look at 11 classic golf clubs or sets of clubs from the past and what they're worth today. 1 Arnold Palmer Peerless Chattanooga P31 Wood Set. This set of woods, manufactured when Palmer owned Peerless, came out... 2 PING ZING Irons. Introduced to the public in 1992 for a price of $1,200, these irons became an instant classic. More ...
Where can I find classic golf clubs?
There are sites on Facebook dedicated to classic putters, persimmon woods and forged blades and a number of our GHS members collect them. During the 1970s, 80s and early 90s, the earlier years of the then GCS, players and collectors alike sought out what came to be known as the “classic” clubs.

What is the rarest golf club?
One of the oldest and rarest golf clubs in the world is the Square Toe Lined Iron Golf Club. This treasured and highly desired collectible was sold at a Sotheby's auction for $151,000 in 2007.
What golf clubs are valuable?
Long Nosed Scraped Golf Club: this vintage club was sold at a Sotheby's auction in 2007 for $91,000. Square Toe Light Iron Golf Club: this club was auctioned at the Sotheby's 2007 auction for $151,000. Andrew Dickson Long-Nosed Putter: this club was equally sold at a Sotheby's auction in 2007 for $181,000.
How do you know if a golf club is valuable?
Many rare or hard-to-find golf clubs will have the following features:Unusual head shapes and wood heads.Unmarked faces or unusual markings.Unusual patented features for players' improvements.Thick-necked wood clubs covered with several inches of string whipping.More items...
Do old golf clubs have any value?
Like all collectibles, a golf club is only worth what one is willing to pay, and more often than not the cost of refinishing will exceed its value. "Old" is a relative term, of course. Using wooden shafted clubs as antique criteria, the rarest and Spalding1.
What are the most expensive golf club brands?
Golf Brands#1 – Titleist.#2 – Taylormade.#3 – Callaway.#4 – PXG.#5 – Honma.#6 – Ping.#7 – Mizuno.#8 – Cobra.More items...
Does anyone want old golf clubs?
There are plenty of places to donate your unbroken used equipment. Charitable organizations such as Goodwill, The Salvation Army, Savers, and a host of others accept such equipment and sell them in their stores.
How can you tell how old a golf club is?
The Wooden Shaft Test – Whether or not the shaft is made of wood is a primary indicator of age. The Markings or Stamps – If there is a marking or shop stamp, an Antique Golf Club Reference Guide could be used to date the club fairly precisely.
What are old golf clubs called?
They were:Driving iron: 1 Iron.Mid-iron: 2 Iron.Mid-mashie: 3 Iron.Mashie iron: 4 Iron.Mashie: 5 Iron.Spade mashie: 6 Iron.Mashie-niblick: 7 Iron.Pitching niblick: 8 Iron.More items...
Are used golf balls worth anything?
When recovered and cleaned up, these used balls sell for as little as six cents wholesale and up to $1 or more retail. It's a $200 million industry, and a golf ball diver can make $100,000 per year, according to Golf.com.
Do golf clubs lose value?
Golf clubs on average depreciate by over 50% within 2 years and around 75% by the time they are 4 years old. So if you do decide to splash out on that new club you should just be aware that it is unlikely it will be worth anything close to what you paid for it in a relatively short space of time.
What Golf Club is a niblick?
9-irons16. Pitching Niblick – this is the old way to refer to a golf club which achieved the same function as the modern 8-iron, or short iron. 17. Niblick – the old name for a sort of golf club which corresponds to the 9-irons golfers around the world use nowadays.
What happens to old golf clubs?
Sell old golf clubs to a golf-specific retailer like Golf Galaxy or 2nd Swing Golf. Sell them to a sports-specific retailer like Play it Again Sports. Donate old golf clubs to organizations, golf courses, or instructional facilities. Gift your golf clubs to a friend or co-worker.
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What Is the Difference Between Common Golf Clubs And Rare Golf Clubs?
The difference between a common golf club and a vintage one is very simple – how many of them are there? A common vintage golf club will be worth only slightly more than a regular type of club that you can pick up at your local golf store.
Where Can You Get Rare Golf Clubs Valued?
You can go on websites such as golfweek.com and that will be a good place to start for valuing your golf clubs. Most rare golf clubs have been manufactured around 1900 and are made from vintage wood.
Why You Should Take Time To Value Your Old Clubs?
As we have stated above, your clubs probably won’t be worth much more than what they were originally bought for. Chances are that if your clubs belonged to your father or grandfather, then they probably have more sentimental value than they do monetary value.
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What was the most common club used by golfers?
As irons became more popular, machines took over manufacturing. In fact, the ability to mass produce irons helped shaped the game. Before long, irons completely took over as the most prevalent club used by golfers. Most irons bore the stamp of their manufacturer, and a rare few were chrome-plated.
What wood is used in Douglas McEwan golf clubs?
This is also when some standardization of clubs began. In those days, the heads of Douglas McEwan golf clubs (also sold as D. McEwan & Son) were made of beech while the shafts were fashioned from hickory, a wood whose elasticity allowed for the maximization of torque in a swing.
What is a fairway wood called?
The equivalent of today’s driver was the play club, which was used from the tee box. Fairway woods were called “spoons” and were designed to produce different lofts so a ball would travel varying distances. Most players packed three spoons in their bags. McEwan was only one of numerous Scottish clubs manufacturers.
What was the greatest golf innovation of the postwar decades?
But the greatest golf innovation of the postwar decades was probably the metal wood, which was introduced in the 1970s by Gary Adams, founder of TaylorMade. Metal woods are the only woods you see today, and makers have experimented with different metals such as titanium to make clubs lighter and more forgiving.
What is an engraving on a golf club?
Clubs were normally affixed with an engraving bearing the maker’s name. Today, these engravings help collectors identify these early clubs. In addition to the woods, players also carried one iron, which helped golfers chip the ball out of tall grass or other trouble—courses weren’t nearly as groomed as they are today.
When did irons become more common?
It wasn’t until the 1880s or ’90s that irons became more common than woods in a set. Examples of early irons include the “cleek,” a long iron used for play in the fairway, and “lofters” or “niblicks,” which were used for approach shots.
When were steel shafts used in golf clubs?
In the 1910s and ’20s, steel shafts were used in clubs, which gave all clubs in a set a consistent feel. In 1926, steel-shafted clubs were cleared for tournament play by the United States Golf Association.
Vintage Golf Clubs Value: A Short Guide
It’s fun to have an old set of collectible golf clubs that you can take out and play with occasionally. It’s obvious that a lot of golfers in the golf community are always looking to buy new golf gear. Why not, newer golf clubs are often equipped with new technology, some of which can be game changing.
What Are The Most Valuable Vintage Golf Clubs?
The key to the value of vintage golf clubs is the supply and demand. Certain models are highly sought after, so they may be more expensive than others. They’re not only valuable but are also playable. And the right collector will drop a decent price for a club that’s in decent condition with all the right features.
How to Identify Valuable Antique Golf Putters
When looking at antique putters, you have to look at the history, rarity, and the person who made the putter.
Timeline on Vintage Golf Equipment
Vintage golf equipment are those clubs invented around the 15th century by primitive methods having handmade, custom/unique, and even unusual qualities. These often lack the sophistication of the modern clubs, coming from the Scottish Shepherds up to the 17th century. Most of these are mostly out of reach.
Frequently Asked Questions: Antiques
Why many older sets of clubs can be worth just a few dollars, others can be worth in the thousands. There are many features that can drum up the value of golf club memorabilia. Golf clubs closer to the 20th century, from a reputable club maker, and in good condition can easily be worth more than a few thousand dollars.
What are rare vintage golf clubs?
Rare vintage golf clubs have uncommon patents or features and were made in limited quantities that set them apart from the mass produced common clubs. Many feature wooden shafts. Many rare or hard-to-find golf clubs will have the following features:
What were the common golf clubs in the 1900s?
During the early to mid 1900s, common, inexpensive golf clubs were mass produced by companies such as Wilson, Spalding, Burke, MacGregor, Kroydon and many more. Common golf clubs can be identified by these traits: Phrases on the back such as accurate, superior, aim-rite, and other common sounding names.
How much does an antique golf club cost?
According to GolfWeek, the most valuable antique golf clubs can sell for as much as $80,000 at auction. However, it's not at all common to see this type of value. Most individual clubs sell for between $15 and $100 at auction or in resale shops. The key to knowing whether you have a valuable antique is researching and carefully assessing your club.
Who is the author of Classic Golf Clubs?
Classic Golf Clubs by Joe Clement is a pictorial guide to woods irons and putters. Golf Classics Price and Identification Guide by Mike Doherty pictures and prices of many classics. Putters of Distinction by Dalton Daves lots of classic putters.
Who were the dealers of GCS?
Dealers from the past include Bobby Farino, Bob Kent, Guido Ianni, Roger Cleveland, Jim Butler, Bobby Grace, and even Jeff Ellis had a sales publication that included the classics. While the early GCS readily accepted members whose primary interest was the classic clubs, most club interest was in earlier equipment.
What is a GCCA?
Another organization dedicated to golf collecting but more aligned to the classics, the now-defunct Golf Club Collectors Association (GCCA), was formed and thrived. This alternative collecting group had their own publication with informational articles, meetings and trade shows.
Is a golf club rare?
They can be quite rare. The Golf Club Identification and Price Guide II by Wilson and the GolfWorks is very helpful in identifying the exact year a club was made and also has some interesting golf manufacturer’s history.
What were golf clubs made of before the turn of the 20th century?
Before that time, shafts were made of hickory, all iron heads were forged steel and woods were hand-carved from a single piece of persimmon. Clubs from before the turn of the 20th century can be worth quite a bit, presuming they were made by a prominent club maker and are in good condition.
How long has golf been around?
Some historians say the game of golf has been around for more than 500 years. Clubs and other equipment can be dated back to different eras throughout that time. To find clubs with significant value, you need to look back, definitely before World War II and probably before 1930, the year steel shafts and matched sets became common in golf club manufacturing. Before that time, shafts were made of hickory, all iron heads were forged steel and woods were hand-carved from a single piece of persimmon.
How much did a rake iron sell for in 1989?
One such iron, a rake iron designed to hit balls out of mud and water, was estimated to go for less than $300 at auction. It sold in 1989 for almost $80,000. Prices like these, while unusual, do happen now and again. Values in the vintage club market fluctuate wildly based on many factors.
Is collecting golf clubs a hobby?
Collecting antique clubs can be a fun and educational hobby. Having a collection of classic or antique golf clubs is not an unusual hobby. Developing a valuable collection, on the other hand, is a very different commitment. Like wine or antiques, classic and vintage golf clubs can appreciate in value over time.
Is it a hobby to collect golf clubs?
Having a collection of classic or antique golf clubs is not an unusual hobby. Developing a valuable collection, on the other hand, is a very different commitment. Like wine or antiques, classic and vintage golf clubs can appreciate in value over time. Not every club appreciates or appreciates in the same way, however.
