Collecting Golf Clubs:
The Classics
collecting classic clubs
Drivers, Wedges & Putters
Expert Bobby Grace's
Classic Club "Hot List"
Bobby Grace is especially well known for his creation of the “Fat Lady Swings” putter popular on tour in the 90’s and he hasn’t stopped since. He is also a collector extraordinaire and renowned expert in the area of Classic Clubs. He has been kind enough to share his expertise with members of the GHS with a series of articles (and also a Zoom presentation). Treasure his “Hot List” of Classic Drivers, Wedges and Putters in this particular issue… READ MORE
Collecting Classic Clubs
Classics Are Back
by Bob Georgiade
Many modern-day golfers have become disillusioned with the current state of the game. Hitting the new irons with no feel and the large headed woods that look like soup bowls on a stick has taken much of the enjoyment out of golf. Much the way seriously playing with hickory clubs has grown, playing with the old blades, wooden headed woods and putters with feel is also seeing a resurgence.
Plus, so many of these clubs are just beautiful, whether surviving in mint condition or as restorations.
Eras of Golf Ball Collecting
Rubber Core 1920-1940 Era
The ball was still undergoing experimentation as manufacturers jockeyed for position in the market. Surface patterns in the early 20s were just as inventive and unusual as the earlier decade. As time wore on, the golf ball market began to settle down as more consistent manufacturing processes took hold and key makers began to dominate. The collector for this period will look for early maker names and try to assemble a progression that shows the evolution of both the ball and its marketing and maker iterations.
Characteristics of rubber core collecting involve looking for moulded or hand-cut gutties; wrapped and uwrapped balls, golf ball boxes (fascinating in their colorful varieties), even fakes, which have, when known, a certain collectible appeal. Wooden balls, too, were available for short time during war years.
Eras of Golf Ball Collecting
1940s-Current Era
Collectors of balls for this period have many choices should they wish to focus on a particular niche, as these include balls with logos of from anything to universities to sports clubs and everything in between; corporate brands (logos); images of any number of things from animals to birds; joke balls, balls with the names of professional golfers, sometimes in script; autographed balls, itself a category as collectors often like to build a display of balls that the golfer him or herself has signed.