Christie’s tees up the most important private collection of golf Art and memorabilia ever assembled.
On 30 May 2012, Christie’s London will auction the world’s most important private collection of golf art and memorabilia. Passionately assembled over 25 years by Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, the founder of the world-famous Valderrama Golf Club, this historic collection includes some of the rarest and most valuable treasures representing the history of the sport, and its most notable personalities.
The origins of golf are subject to frequent discussion and sometimes dispute. A number of early games which used a ball and a club are referenced in history including Jeu de Mail, an Italian game where a player had to loft a ball through various hoops, and Kolf which was played in Holland and which used heavy clubs and larger balls than we know today.
By 1880, golf courses could be found in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. By 1910, there were over 250 golf clubs in the USA, and nearly 1,000 in England. Today, there are estimated to be over 30,000 golf courses in the world, with over 50 million people playing the Royal and Ancient game.
The viewings will showcase a range of items from old gold balls, clubs, China depicting golfers and paintings.
