The Most Expensive Golf Clubs Ever Sold at Auction

Golf is among the most expensive sports to engage in, especially if you’re a purist and insist on high quality clubs. Memberships are high, but these pale in comparison to what a set of golf clubs can cost, let alone, single specialty clubs. How much is too much for a rare and valuable golf club? How much would you be willing to pay for a collectible with historical value?

The more proficient a golfer becomes, the more discriminating his or her taste in clubs because the right club can make all the difference in performance. Here are the top 5 most expensive golf clubs ever sold at auction to give you an idea of how expensive the game can be, but they’re not clubs that are likely to be used in a game, but rather, put on display in a safe and protected environment.

5. Long Nosed Scarped Golf Club – $91,000

The Long Nosed Scarped golf club is the fifth most expensive golf club ever sold at auction. It was bid to a dizzying selling price of $91,000 at a Sotheby’s auction. The club has been authenticated and the date imprinted on the club states that it was manufactured in the 18th century. You may wonder why such an old club would go for so much money? Yes, it’s an old scraper, but it is in excellent condition, and having survived so long, it is among the most valuable antiquated golf clubs in the world.

4. Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition – $150,000

For anyone who feels bad about paying $800 for a new set of clubs, the First Lady Special Edition Golden Putter went for a whopping $150,000 at the prestigious Sotheby’s auction. In case you’re wondering what could ever drive the price of this putter so high, it is crafted by the German company Barth and Sons, which in itself is not a trivial thing. The craftsman made the club using 24 carat gold for the putter head and the shaft. The thickness of the gold coating is five micrometers in thickness, so it’s much more than a thin electroplating. As if this was not luxurious enough, the makers also saw fit to embed diamonds in the cherry wood on the putter, just because they could.

3. Square Toe Lined Iron Golf Club – $151,000

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.This putter is just one of 12 known putters from the 17th Century to still be in existence, or at least available for purchase when an owner decides to let them go. The example is a real collector’s item for the fortunate winner of the auction who took it home. This putter did not require precious metals or gemstones to enhance its value, the age and condition made it a rare find.

2. Simon-Cossar Fruitwood Metal Headed Blade Putter -$165,000

Cossar Club is the manufacturer of the Simon Cossar Fruitwood putter. It’s a metal headed blade putter that is highly valued as a rare surviving example from the late 18th century. This highly collectible piece isn’t fancy, but it does have a long history behind it, which drove it’s value at a 1998 auction to the high sum of $165,000. Although this is a pretty penny, it’s still not the most expensive club to ever sell at auction. It is also worth noting that the Cossar Club Company is one of the oldest golf club manufacturers in the world, as well as being among the most prestigious.

1. Andrew Dickson Putter -$181,000

The Andrew Dickson long nosed putter is one of the oldest golf clubs known to exist in the entire world. It is also the most expensive ever sold at an auction at a mind boggling $181,000 at a Sotheby’s auction. The Andrew Dickson club is in good condition and it is stamped and has been officially authenticated as one of the few rare golf clubs to have been made in the 1700s and have survived in good condition, for well over 300 years. This club has proudly been displayed for all to see at the prestigious Glasgow International Exhibition, which is reputed for only displaying the most aged relics from Scottish history. Here we have the five most expensive golf clubs ever sold at auction.