A centre shafted putter dating from 1900 is to be offered at Bonhams Sporting and Golf Memorabilia sale at Chester on February 24.
The club has an intriguing history. The maker is unknown and the putter is not recorded in The Club Maker's Art - aka "the Bible" of golf clubs.
It is stamped AGH Askew, but no-one of that name is recorded as a professional. So the club was probably made either for, or by, an affluent amateur.
 The centre-shafted putter has been dated to 1900 |
The putter's head is in the shape of a two-faced hammer, and it has 17 holes in its base to reduce the weight of an already very heavy club.
It most likely fell foul of the banning of centre shafted putters which followed Walter Travis' win in the 1904 Amateur, after which the golfing authorities barred their use for over a decade.
The mystery vintage putter carries an estimate is £1,800-2,200.
Also included in the sale is a painting of a game of golf at St Andrews by the doyen of golf painters, Arthur Weaver.
The watercolour of 1961 dates from his golden period and his work is in high demand. It is estimated at £2,000-3,000.
 No-one of the name 'AGH Askew' is recorded as a professional golfer |
An unusual memento of the 1979 Ryder Cup matches will also sell in the form of a copy of The Story of American Golf, signed by both captains and all the players.
The green leather bound book by Herbert W Wind has the Ryder Cup trophy and flags on the front cover.
The signatures were obtained by the original owner who travelled to the match venue, The Greenbrier, West Virginia, with the British Golf Supporters' Association between September 8-17, 1979.
The memorabilia is estimated at £500-800.
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Boots image: Bonhams
