‘Official Price Guide to Golf Collectibles’ by Edward Kiersh


Reviewed by Susan Oberlink

I made a deal with the devil. I promised to write a book review (a few paragraphs) for Jeff Shelley, editorial director of Cybergolf, and in return he said he “might” write a nice little article about a golf group I play in that’s been around since 1928.

Jeff gave my husband three books for me to read and review. I see them on the kitchen counter and pick up the first one and start laughing. I’m thinking, is Jeff crazy? – he wants me to review the “Official Price Guide to Golf Collectibles.” I start thumbing through it for laughs and, 30 minutes later, I’m still standing in the kitchen hop-skipping through the book.

For wannabe collectors it is chock full of helpful tips for all types of golfers. The author, Edward Kiersh, combines stories and facts to interest and help people who collect golf equipment for investment, sentiment, love of the game, fun, and even those pawing through piles of junk at garage sales hoping to “hit the big one.”

The first two chapters take you back in time and give you a feel for the ancient game of golf, with emphasis on the golf ball. Details of how the wooden balls, featheries, and gutta perchas were made are detailed. Today, some of these rare finds can bring as much as $70,000 each!

Another chapter, “Stakes in Time,” describes the evolution of tees, shows pictures of the old sand-tee molds and lists specific manufacturers and models of tees and how much they are worth to collectors.

I don’t think you need to read this book cover to cover. But every medical office should have it lying around to read. Once a golfer gets into this book, no one will care if the doctor is late.

‘Official Price Guide to Golf Collectibles’ by Edward Kiersh, Random House, $19.95, 304 pages, ISBN 0-375-72085-5

Susan Oberlink is a golfer who has won eight club championships at three different clubs. She is currently a City League Team captain and has served on the board of directors for a private country club. She lives in Seattle.