A major collection of antique golf clubs is to auction at Bonhams.
The Roberto Family Trust Golf Collection comprises 130 clubs dating from the 17th to the 19th century.
The clubs range from the 17th to the 19th century
It has been painstakingly assembled since the 1960s.
Its curator, Will Roberto, comments: "Putting together this collection has been a wonderful, absorbing hobby which has given me decades of pleasure.
“The time has now come for a new generation of collectors to enjoy these fascinating objects."
As a whole, it’s valued at $700,000-1m, although it will be offered as a series of individual lots.
Among the highlights is a long nose club dating to around 1750-1780.
It was commissioned from a violin bow maker and displays an extraordinary level of skill in its construction.
It’s among the oldest examples of its type extant, justifying its estimate of $40,000-60,000.
There’s also a heavy iron made for the Duke of Atholl circa 1780. It is expected to make $20,000-25,000.
Bonhams' golf specialist, Kevin McGimpsey, said: "The Roberto Family Trust's outstanding collection of early golf clubs and other golf memorabilia ranks among the top five in the world.
"It represents a lifetime of enthusiasm and connoisseurship and provides an unrivalled opportunity to acquire pieces of great historical significance and rarity."
Looking for a more affordable piece of golf memorabilia? We’ve got this Tiger Woods signed visor for sale.
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