A Guide to Golf Collectibles (That Won’t Cost More Than Your Round)

There are only two sports where I hear people talk about a bucket list: golf courses and baseball stadiums. Golfers have a unique opportunity to play the same game they see on TV. And to experience in person what you’ve only see on TV can be a sacred experience for baseball fans.

This reverence combined with opportunity can lead to a pretty serious collection habit, especially among golfers. Keepsake items that remind us of the great rounds we’ve played (or even the bad rounds we’ve played at great courses) are a joy to discover in the pro shops. But the price tags can be anything but delightful after greens fees and associated expenses. Plunking down extra cash for golf collectibles can be more stressful than a four foot putt for the win.

So here’s a list of collectible golf items you can take home for less than a $10 nassau, and some that won’t even cost you a dime!

Collectible Golf Logo Balls

This is a popular choice, and nearly every golf course worth its salt has them conveniently located right next to the cash register. My parents have been playing golf together for as long as I can remember, and the walls of their den is adorned with multiple golf ball display cases showing their collection from the courses they’ve played.

Rarely do logo balls cost much more than a buck or two, and they make for great conversation starters. As your collection begins to grow, you can have fun arranging them in attractive golfball displays  to rank the best courses you’ve played.

Collectible Golf Towels

Think about the towel that’s currently hanging from your golf bag. I’ll be it’s pretty dirty. Can you even remember the last time you cleaned it? Next time you play a course that you’re fond of, see if they sell towels. Adding another one or two of these to your collection can help motivate you to keep a clean one on the bag. It will also prevent a “dirt from great courses” collection in the trunk of your car while providing a useful ice breaker for your next round with new friends.

A (Group) Picture: Worth 1,000 Words

No better way to remember an excellent golf round than with a picture of you and your playing partners! This is a completely free way to collect great golf memories. You can make it a bit more involved if you keep some consistency in the photos. Maybe you prefer to take it on the first tee, or at the 19th hole. The 18th green isn’t a bad idea, but make it snappy! The last thing you want to do is hold up play just to get the right picture on the last hole.

With the continuing improvement of cell phone cameras, you can capture print-worthy photos to frame as a personal gift for friends and loved ones.

Ball Markers & Tees

Finer courses put their logo on everything, all the way down to the plastic ball marks and tees. In these cases, they almost always offer them for free. Do what I do and grab a handful of tees and a marker or two to keep in your bag. Think about the mojo you’ll get from teeing it up on your home course with a tee from one of the great courses you’ve played. It’s all about the vibes!

If you want to take this up a notch, see if the pro shop sells a higher end ball mark (usually in metal or copper). These can have quite intricate designs displaying the personality of the course, and make for an inexpensive golf keepsake.

The Collectible Golf Scorecard

So maybe there are some scores you’d rather not remember, even though the course you played is one you’ll never forget. This was my experience playing the Blue Course at Congressional. Awful round of golf, but one of the best walks of my life. A few years later when Rory was running away to his first major at that very track, I wished I had kept the scorecard (even with it’s miserable number) as a frame of reference for how I played the course and how it was set up for the pros.

That’s why I recommend to anyone playing a great golf course that they tuck an extra (unmarked) scorecard into their bag at the end of their round. Especially if you think there’s a chance you might be returning to that course as a spectator one day, or if the course is on the schedule to host a major tournament. You might be able to get one of the players to autograph it for you, and if that player comes out on top, you’ll have yourself one heck of a keepsake!

Don’t Forget the Golf Pencil!

Of all the random chotskies in the golf memorabilia world, perhaps nothing is as mundane, but at the same time so unique, as the golf scoring pencil. Useful only in golf, putt-putt, and carpentry, the sawed-off version of the old No. 2 can make an excellent addition to your golf memorabilia collection. While they’re all the same basic item, the colors and font stylings of each different course make golf scorecard pencils a collectors item unto themselves.

Don’t believe me? Great Golf Memories sells 12 different types of golf pencil display cases, and they’re some of the more popular items! Even if you don’t intend to keep them in a display case, golf pencils are a handy item for you toolbox, tackle box, first aid kit, or anywhere you need a short stubby writing utensil.

So there you have it, six collectible golf items you can add to your collection, without spending all your money! Did we miss something? Tell us what you collect in the comments.

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