What are the most expensive golf clubs in the world?
Some high-priced golf clubs earn their value by using precious metals combined with high-end engineering that calls on decades of experience.
Others earn their price due to their historical significance, selling at auction to high-end collectors of sports memorabilia.
This article explores the ten most expensive golf clubs of all time, from the diamond-encrusted Honma five-star single club to Andrew Dickson’s antique long-nosed putter.
The Most Expensive Golf Clubs in the World
We’ve put together this guide to the golf clubs worth their weight in gold by covering the history, manufacturing, and the golfing icons associated with their production.
Here’s our list of the 10 most expensive golf clubs in the world:
10. Honma Golf’s Five Star Single Club – $5,400
The Japanese craftsmen at Honma have been committed to manufacturing the highest quality golf clubs in the world for over 60 years, with their five-star club range the pinnacle of their work.
Honma’s designers work closely with some of the best golfers in the world to ensure the finished clubs infuse every movement of the client’s hands, and the five-star single club is no exception.
Made with some of the most expensive precious metals in the world, the five-star single club is plated in 24-karat gold for a truly luxurious finish.
This expensive golf club is crafted from 38HRC American Aerospace Class 17-4, which means that the metal used has been rigorously tested equivalent to materials used in the aerospace industry.
Imported titanium alloy is used for the club’s strike surface, with steel imported from Datong, Japan to ensure it meets the highest possible standards.
These hand-crafted clubs are incredibly popular among golfing enthusiasts, with a waiting list of up to two months for those interested in owning single clubs or a full set.
Just one club of the Honma gold five-star series will set you back an impressive $5,400, while an entire set will cost $75,000.
With over 400 craftsmen involved in producing these premium clubs, using Pt1000 platinum in addition to gold plating, it’s not hard to see why they command such a high price.
9. Adams Golf Tight Lies Spin Control – $8,500
Adams Golf, Inc. was an American golf equipment manufacturer based out of Plano in Texas and was acquired by the Adidas-owned company TailorMade in 2012.
Specializing in customized golf clubs, their original Tight Lies line of clubs proved to be a huge success thanks to a television infomercial presented by golfing legend Hank Haney.
Haney, perhaps best known as Tiger Woods’ golfing coach, was closely involved with Adams Golf and the Tight Lies line, his name recognition no doubt increasing the brand’s awareness.
The Tight Lies spin control club is available as a 3 or 5 fairway wood and comes in either a regular or stiff flex depending on the user’s preference.
The club’s shaft is made from a high-quality and durable Aldila Synergy shaft, while the grip is constructed from Golf Pride tour velvet.
While Adams Golf includes more budget-friendly clubs in its range, the Tight Lies spin control club is their most expensive, with a single club costing $8,500.
It’s a solidly-performing fairway wood with an ergonomic design capable of sliding easily underneath the ball to achieve both a high lift and a long carry.
An excellent golf club with the added pedigree of Tiger Woods’ coach helping with its design, the Adams Golf Tight Lies Spin Control is a great addition to any golfer’s set of clubs.
8. Gemspot OM 5 Deluxe Diamond – $10,000
Some of the most expensive golf clubs you can buy earn their high price tag not from their ability to lower a golfer’s handicap, but because of the quality of materials used in their construction.
The Gemspot OM 5 Deluxe Diamond is one such golf club, offering golfers a blinged-up mallet putter sporting elegant gemstones.
Costing $10,000, the equivalent of the most expensive laptops in the world, the Gemspot OM 5 Deluxe Diamond commands its high price thanks to the five diamonds encrusted in the club.
This luxury putter is designed by the Gemspot Jewelled Putters Company, which also uses a precision CNC milled putter head featuring beveled edges.
The bezel-set gems themselves are located on a gold aluminum bar, which the company precisely calibrates to ensure optimal performance on the golf course.
With a head weight of 375 grams and a curved design that allows for a higher MOI by redistributing the perimeter, it’s a mallet putter capable of solid performance on the green.
The Gemspot OM 5 Deluxe Diamond mallet putter is part of the Gemspot OM collection, with the company claiming it offers a combination of stability, balance, and luxury.
While it’s unlikely the inclusion of diamonds will improve your golf game, this limited edition golf club is an impressive piece for golfers who appreciate ostentatious displays.
7. Titleist Scotty Cameron Tiger Woods Stainless Masters Winner – $20,000
The Adams Golf Tight Lies Spin Control club earned its reputation through the collaboration with coach Hank Haney, the Titleist Scotty Cameron is closely associated with Haney’s pupil, Tiger Woods.
This limited edition golf club, which goes for a cool $20,000, was produced in just 21 units and belongs to a full set of 21 clubs.
It’s constructed from a copper and brass mold, with a performance on the green, noted for its outstanding forward roll with minimal hopping.
While Tiger Woods has recently struggled with his golf game due to injuries, the Titleist Scotty Cameron Tiger Wood Stainless Masters Winner is modeled around the one used by Woods for his victory in 1997.
The specific golf club used by Woods for this victory was a black-finished Scotty Cameron Newport Teryllium TeI3,
Scotty Cameron putters have been used by professional golfers for many years, and are among some of the most desired flat sticks in the golfing community.
Cameron joined Titleist in 1994 and began by refining the Newport clubs, resulting in the development of the Newport 2, featuring rounder lines and mechanical back bumpers.
6. Palmer Patent Fork Shaft Wood – $49,000
The Palmer Patent fork shaft wood golf club is a rare antique golf club from the iconic sporting goods manufacturer, A. G. Spalding & Bros based in New York and Chicopee.
While Spalding is perhaps best known for its basketballs, the company has a long and studied the history of making a range of sporting goods including high-quality golf equipment.
Produced in 1907, this wood comes with a unique forked wooden shaft, with an integral wooden grip and a fiber slip screwed into the leading edge of the sole.
This sole features three screws that lock the edge of the sole, allowing for smooth and responsive turf interaction.
The Palmer Patent fork shaft wood golf club was one of the first advanced fairway wood golf clubs created., and revolutionized the game by allowing for extra yardage on the course.
Selling for $49,000, it’s the kind of antique golf club the richest golfers in the world would buy for their collection, although it’s unlikely they’d use it for their next tournament.
It was sold at Sotheby’s auction in 2007, with the auction house describing the golf club as being in “very good condition with some pitting and wear to the face of the blade.”
Originally a part of the personal collection of Jeffrey B. Ellis, the Palmer Patent fork shaft wood, while the head of the club is nicknamed “The Spalding”.
5. Long Nose Scraped Golf Club – $91,000
As with the Palmer Patent fork shaft wood golf club, the Long Nose Scraped golf club is another antique that sold for a huge sum at auction, setting a new record at the time of the sale.
After going through an intricate authentication process, it was confirmed that the Long Nose Scraped golf club was initially created and used in the 18th century.
With the date of manufacturing engraved on the club, it fetched an impressive $91,000 when it was put up for auction at Sotheby’s auction house in 2007.
Aesthetically, the Long Nose Scraped golf club is different from what you expect from golf clubs today, constructed from the traditional wood from which the wood golf club derives its name.
This makes it one of the most valuable – and sought-after – sporting items available, prized by golf enthusiasts and general sports memorabilia collectors around the world.
It’s also one of the earliest golf clubs to have sold at auction, with the sport having first become popular in the late 19th century after being popularized in Scotland.
While the Long Nose Scraped golf club isn’t going to hold up on the fairway against the latest golf clubs, it represents a well-preserved and important era of the sport’s history.
4. Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition – $150,000
If you’re looking for an expensive golf club that outdoes the Gemspot OM 5 Deluxe Diamond club, the Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition comes in at ten times the price.
Selling for the same amount as some of the most expensive motorbikes in the world, it’ll set you back $150,000 to add this club to your collection.
It’s made with a combination of precious metals that combines a classic style with the traditional form of golf clubs, with each copy coming with a unique engraving.
The Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition putter is also a high-end piece of sporting equipment, using a handmade leather grip with hart gold-plated or platinized shafts.
It also comes with a delicately balanced putter head with the hosel milled from the solid, and an individualized inlay on the backside of the putter’s head.
Created by Barth and Sons, the Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition also features diamonds and other gemstones in addition to the use of gold and platinum plating.
Founder and owner, Michael Barth, commented on his commitment to creating a truly unique customer experience, with the use of exclusive materials combined with customized elements.
The gold shafted putter comes in a suitable ostentatious cherry wood case for safe and secure storage, featuring leather straps to secure the putter in the box, as well as a tan leather handle.
If you’re put off by the $150,000 price tag, Barth and Sons also offer a regular edition of the Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition for around $3,000.
It’s certainly a considerably cheaper price, but still more than most professional players pay for a full set of clubs.
3. Square Toe Light Iron Golf Club – $151,000
The Square Toe Light Iron Golf Club is another example of one of the most expensive golf clubs ever sold to earn its value thanks to its historical importance.
Dating from around 1600, the Square Toe Light Iron Golf Club is an antique golf club from the earliest days of the sport and was rediscovered in a garden shed in Edinburgh.
It’s also one of the oldest verified golf clubs ever found, which is the main reason it’s one of the most expensive golf clubs in the world.
It was manufactured by a blacksmith, as is clear from its rather crude construction by today’s standard, and is built from light iron.
The Square Toe Light Iron Golf Club was well-preserved and remains in excellent condition, further driving its eventual sale at Sotheby’s auction house for $151,000.
Along with the iron head, it features a wooden shaft and takes on the appearance of a blade putter, with a shallow face along with a long hitting area.
At the time of its production, the Square Toe Light Iron Golf Club would have been primarily used when the ball lay on sandy ground or hidden among small stones.
It’s another expensive golf club that was listed at Sotheby’s as part of the Jeffery B Ellis Antique Golf Club Collection.
2. Simon Cossar Fruitwood Metal Headed Blade Putter – $165,000
The Simon Cossar Fruitwood Metal Headed Blade Putter is another rare, historical item of golfing equipment that fetched an astronomical sum at auction.
The Simon Cossar Fruitwood Metal Headed Blade Putter is constructed from fruitwood, and while this isn’t one of the most expensive woods, it’s one of the most profitable North American hardwoods you can buy.
Also known as Swiss Pear or European Pear, fruitwood has a pleasing finish and fine grain structure, and is popular with architects around the world.
The Simon Cossar Fruitwood Metal Headed Blade Putter is also constructed with a metal head for the putter blade.
It was created by the Cossar Club Company, one of the oldest manufacturers of golf clubs in the world, having been producing clubs since the late 18th century.
Simon Cossar was also one of the first golf club manufacturers to stamp his clubs with his name, a trend that has continued to this day.
The Simon Cossar Fruitwood Metal Headed Blade Putter sold for $165,000 at auction, making it the second most expensive golf club ever sold.
1. Andrew Dickson Long-Nosed Putter – $181,000
At $181,000, the Andrew Dickson Long-Nosed Putter is the most expensive golf club in the world, as well as being the oldest verified golf club.
While only the richest athletes in the world can afford such an astronomical sum, the Andrew Dickson Long-Nosed Putter was available to view at the Glasgow international exhibition.
Featuring the stamp of Andrew Dickson to verify its authenticity, the Long-Nosed Putter dates back to the 1700s, when golfing was still in its infancy.
This authentication makes the Andrew Dickson Long-Nosed Putter the oldest verified golf club in the world, contributing to its high price.
As with some of the other old and rare golf clubs featured on this list, the Andrew Dickson Long-Nosed Putter was also sold at a Sotheby’s auction in 2007.
Featuring a wooden shaft, the putter blade itself is made from metal, with a series of notches running along the bottom of the putter giving it a unique appearance compared to modern golf clubs.
Summary
That concludes this article exploring the most expensive golf clubs in the world.
We hope it will inspire you to invest in a new set of clubs to take onto the course, as well as help you to lower your handicap.
With new and antique golf clubs continuing to be made and rediscovered, we’ll be sure to update this list in the future, so check back again for the latest details.
Here’s a quick recap of the 10 most expensive golf clubs in the world:
- Andrew Dickson Long-Nosed Putter – $181,000
- Simon Cossar Fruitwood Metal Headed Blade Putter – $165,000
- Square Toe Light Iron Golf Club – $151,000
- Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition – $150,000
- Long Nose Scraped Golf Club – $91,000
- Palmer Patent Fork Shaft Wood – $49,000
- Titleist Scotty Cameron Tiger Woods Stainless Masters Winner – $20,000
- Gemspot OM 5 Deluxe Diamond – $10,000
- Adams Golf Tight Lies Spin Control – $8,500
- Honma Golf’s Five Star Single Club – $5,400
