Golf News: - Posted 8th July 1998

Putter sells for £106,000

London - The world's most expensive golf club on Tuesday went under the auctioneer's hammer for £106,000.

The putter was sold to a London-based consultant acting on behalf of the Valderrama golf club in Spain, which last hosted the Ryder Cup, said auctioneers Christie's.

Dating from the late 18th or early 19th century, the rare metal-headed blade putter set its new world record auction price at Christie's annual sale of golf memorabilia in Glasgow.

The putter, whose sale price was more than twice the expected forecast, was one of 57 lots offered for sale by the Royal Perth Golfing Society in a sale which saw more than 440 lots sell for more than £500,000.

Christie's golfing specialist Edward Monagle said tonight: ``The sale has undoubtedly shown the underlying strength of the golfing memorabilia market.''

A rare blacksmith-made cut-off nose track iron, dating from the same period, also entered for sale by the Royal Perth Golfing Society, went for £80,700 to a private buyer, again well over the forecast price.

And a copy of the rules and members of the Society in 1825, the year after it was founded, sold for £43,500.