The 9 most expensive golf clubs in the world

While golf is a sport accessible to all, there are numerous ways for players with deep pockets to indulge in luxury and high-end products. And one way of doing this is by purchasing one of the most expensive golf clubs around.

If you’re just starting out, a set of beginner golf clubs might cost around £200-£300, however you can easily break £1,000 for a more advanced set.

As expensive as that is, it’s nothing compared to the most expensive club sold in the UK – the Andrew Dickinson Square Toe Light Iron, which is around 400 years old, was sold at auction for a remarkable £122,000 in 2007.

Here, we’ll look at nine more examples of the most expensive clubs around and ever sold, along with others available at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. We’ll also answer the big question: are they worth it?

9 of the most expensive golf clubs

Let’s take a look at some of the most expensive golf clubs the world has ever seen.

1. Maruman Majesty Sublime Irons 6-SW: $12,369 (~£9,212)

When it comes to golf clubs, you’ll find that anything gold is worth a decent amount. With a striking gold, black and red design (with some stunning laser-etched designs on the rear), everything about these irons screams luxury.

Maruman is a Japanese brand that has been making golf clubs for over a century, and prides itself on authentic craftsmanship. Their clubs are made in Japan, and they import materials from across Europe and the world to ensure their products remain of an incredibly high standard.

With both high performance and exclusivity at the forefront of this particular club, it would set you back an awful lot – but not as much as some other irons.

2. BERES Five-Star Irons: $27,000 (~£20,109)

At over double the price, BERES Five-Star Irons also hail from Japan and feature a similarly striking design, though with more silver than black.

No performance was sacrificed for the exquisite look, though. Quite the opposite, in fact. These are essentially the dream irons, featuring a noticeably large face opening and face volume that allow for maximum distance.

For the price, you’d expect tremendously high-quality irons, and you’d certainly look the part with them too.

3. Palmer Patent Fork Shaft Wood: $49,000 (~£36,490)

Not all expensive clubs sell for their high-end properties, though. For many, spending huge fees on golfing equipment is about owning a slice of history. And that’s precisely the case when it comes to the Palmer Patent Fork Shaft Wood.

Made by A.G. Spalding and Brothers, this club dates back to 1907, and you’ll struggle to find another that looks like it. With its forked wooden shaft, it has an incredibly unique appearance, featuring a stamp of the word “Spalding”.

It’s this uniqueness and its age that made it an incredibly valuable historic item.

4. Long-Nosed Scraper: $91,000 (~£67,767)

Another historic artefact, the Long-Nosed Scraper, sold for $91,000 back in 2007, and its interesting features are largely in the lead weight at the back.

Back in the 18th century, when this club was in use, golf courses were seldom the pristine sights we enjoy now. With high grass a regular issue, part of this design was that it could cut through on its way to making contact with the ball.

Of course, any club this old and this unique was always going to fetch a high price.

5. Louis Vuitton Golf Bag & Clubs: ~$100,711 (£75,000)

You might not immediately associate Louis Vuitton with golf, but when it comes to the most expensive clubs, they’ve also made their mark.

It would cost over $100,00 for their bag and set of clubs, combining sport and high fashion together.

6. Simon Cossar Fruitwood Metal-Headed Putter – ~$123,539 (£92,000)

Another older club that fetched a wild sum was the Simon Cossar Fruitwood Metal-Headed Putter, which sold at auction for over £92,000. That’s over US$120,000.  

This is a particularly fascinating piece of history, as it is one of the first clubs to combine a wooden head with a metal shaft. This ensures it’s a landmark of one of the most significant crossroads in the development of the sport.

No wonder it’s one of the most expensive golf clubs ever.

7. Barth & Sons Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition: $150,000 (~£111,705)

It’s only going to get more expensive from here.

The Barth & Sons Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition follows a familiar formula in that it’s a gold-plated high performer.

What really makes this club expensive is the inclusion of diamonds. A 24-carat gold shaft is cool and all, but the version without the diamonds costs roughly $3,000.

If you really want to finish your hole in style, this is the club for you.

8. Andrew Dickinson Long-Nosed Putter: $181,000 (~£134,790)

Authentic wooden clubs are simply not easy to come by, so when a putter over three centuries old can be officially verified, you better believe it costs a pretty penny.

This one, stamped A.D., was sold in 2007 for $181,000 and is as much of a status symbol as anything else. Using this to actually play golf wouldn’t be advised.

9. Tiger Woods’ “Tiger Slam” Irons & Wedges: $5,156,162 (~£3,839,793)

And then there’s the crazy money.

Anything Tiger Woods sells goes for remarkable amounts of money. One putter sold for over $3,000,000 and even a back-up putter went for nearly $400,000.

In 2022, the irons and wedges used by the golfing great in his 2000/01 “Tiger Slam” were sold for over £5,000,000, making them perhaps the ultimate collector’s item in all of golf.

FAQs

Are expensive golf clubs worth it?

There’s no easy answer to this, the big question.

Really, value is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s all about why you want an expensive club. If you want to become a better golfer without having to put the work in, then perhaps not. High-end clubs do offer performance benefits, but they’re not going to reduce your handicap.

However, if you want to own part of golfing history or own the absolute best of the best, then it’s easy to see why you might consider spending an enormous fee worthwhile. Ultimately, it’s up to you.

Are left-handed golf clubs more expensive?

Sadly, if you’re left-handed, you may find that the clubs that best suit you cost more than their right-handed counterparts.

It’s a simple case of supply and demand. Fewer people are left-handed, so fewer left-handed clubs are made, making them harder to get hold of. 

The gap is starting to decrease, but for now, you may pay slightly more for the perfect club for you.

What are the big-four golf brands?

Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade and PING are generally considered the big four golf brands.

Each is famous for various different things and specialises in slightly different areas. Titleist manufactures great wedges and pioneered the Vokey design. Callaway developed the Big Bertha driver. TaylorMade offers products designed for players at all levels. And PING are putter specialists.

What are high-end golf clubs?

Many factors can make a club high-end. Premium materials and performance benefits are the two main aspects that set high-end clubs apart from their standard counterparts.

Specialist golf insurance with Golf Care

You may not own one of the most expensive golf clubs in the world, but owning a good set of clubs can still be a significant investment. That’s why you may want to consider protecting yourself and your equipment with specialist golf insurance.

With Golf Care, policies include Equipment Cover up to £7,500, Public Liability of up to £10m, and Personal Accident Cover up to £50,000. Get a quote online today.