Golf Club Collecting
Uncover the Joy of Collecting
Why Collect Golf Clubs?
When people hear the words Golf Collector, most often their first thought is of hickory shafted golf clubs, and with good reason. Club collecting long dominated the subject and remains a top collecting category because of the large number of options for personally connecting with the implement on equal footing with the golf ball required for playing the game.
There were millions of hickory shafted clubs produced between 1900 and 1930, any of which can make intriguing wall hangers, but those with unusual characteristics are fascinating, both in appearance but particularly in revealing the evolution of the game and the mindset of those attempting to make the game easier, with or without success. Gripping an old club brings visions of whoever used it and their struggles and triumphs along the way. While today’s clubs are much improved versions, almost every new concept was at least tried long ago (large heads, metal headed woods, springy faces, movable weights, offset hosels, and on and on).
Articles on Golf Ball Collecting from Our Publications
Here are a few relevant articles on ball collecting from our archives (in The Golf and The GHS Bulletin).
A Short History of Golf Ball Dimples and Patterns
Why/How to Collect Golf Balls
GHS Zoom Presentations
The GHS Ambassador Program
Doug Marshall, Canadian historical golf leader, 1937-2022
Member exclusive – video interview with Dr. Bob Jones IV
Leonard Fischer, March 2021
Lance Enholm, April 2019
Joe Meehan, August 2019
Dr. George “Willie” Gayle, October 2019
Dick McDonough, author of ‘Great Golf Collections’ 1942-2021
Gene Boldon – 1927-2020
Extra Holes for Autumn 2019
Membership news and notes
Extra Holes – The Golf, Summer 2019
GHS Board Meeting Minutes and President Statements
The Golf, Spring 2019 – Extra Holes
Categories of Golf Club Collecting
Feather Ball Era:
Long Nose Woods
Long Nose Makers
Blacksmith Irons
Gutta Percha Era:
Transitional Woods
Irons
Early Cleek Marks
Manufactured Clubs:
Makers
Cleek Marks
Matched sets
Patent Clubs:
-Woods
-Irons
Club Face Markings
Classic Clubs:
~1930 to 1990
& More:
-Fakes
-Walking Sticks
Golf club collecting
From Our Blog
Our blog has a constant stream of valuable articles on golf’s rich heritage.
Earliest golf club makers in the U.S.
The quest for a little spring in the swing – spring-faced clubs
Trove of rare clubs in Edinburgh bank vault traced to famed British golfing families
Series examines the art and style of Scotty Cameron putters
Classic Clubs – Deep Face Woods
Classic Clubs – The Zebra Putter
Classic Clubs – MacGregor Custom Department ‘OS’ Clubs
Classic Clubs – Beginnings of a lifelong passion
Classic Clubs – Drivers, Wedges, and Putters
Golf Ball collecting Resources
Video Resources
MIGHT ADD A VIDEO TEASER of portions of Bobby Grace or of Pete G. from segments of past Grand Zooms?
Collecting Playlist
FEATURED GOLF BALL COLLECTIBLE
Johnny Bulla
Autographed Ball
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Golf Ball collecting Resources
Recommended Reading Resources
- 500 Years of Golf Balls, by John F. Hotchkiss, 1997, Antique Trader Books
- The Essential Guide to Collecting Golf Balls, by Colin Palmer, 2010, Riley Dunn & Wilson Ltd.
- Antique Golf Collectibles, 3rd Edition, by Chuck Furjanic, 2004, Krause Publications
- Golf in the Making, by Ian Henderson and David Stirk, 1979, Henderson & Stirk Ltd.
- The Encyclopedia of Golf Collectibles, by John Ohlman and Morton Ohlman, 1985, Books Americanna
- Antique Golf Collectibles, Identification and Value Guide, by Pete Georgiady, 2006, Collector Books
- The Story of the Golf Ball, by Kevin W McGimpsey, 2003, Philip Wilson, London (winner of the 2004 Murdock Medal presented by the British Golf Collectors Society)
- The Collectible Golf Ball Directory, Folio I, ‘Gutta-Percha’ golf balls 1845-1903, by Kevin W McGimpsey, 2021
- The Collectible Golf Ball Directory, Folio II, ‘Rubber-Cored’ golf balls 1901-1919, by Kevin W McGimpsey, 2022
- The Collectible Golf Ball Directory, Folio III, ‘Rubber-Cored’ golf balls, A-K 1920-1945, by Kevin W McGimpsey, 2023 [November]