1930's Bobby Jones Signed Golf Ball

         This is certainly one of golf autograph collecting's greatest highlights - a 1930's Bobby Jones signed golf ball.

        Despite the relative abundance of Bobby Jones autographs in the hobby, only a handful of authentic Bobby Jones signed golf balls exist. The few authentic examples that have surfaced have been almost exclusively signed in the latter part of Jones' life. However, the autograph on the ball presented here unquestionably dates to the 1930's, making it far more desirable and historically significant.

        Collectors are often amazed at the extreme rarity of Bobby Jones signed golf balls (in fact, this is the first that GJA has ever offered), which begs the question: "How can a golfer as famous as Bobby Jones have signed so few golf balls?" The answer is actually far simpler than you'd expect - the practice of autographing golf balls was virtually non-existent during Bobby Jones' playing career. One popular reason for this is that the writing utensils of the day made signing a golf ball a very difficult task. So, when all was said and done, thousands of Bobby Jones autographs appear on items such as tickets, programs and notebook paper, but only a handful of golf balls.

        The ball itself remains in excellent condition, and the signature rates a solid 7 of 10. Despite the difficulty of being signed with a fountain pen, this ball still displays impressively. This ball was originally offered at auction in the July 2005 Lyon and Turnbull Auction in London, England. Our initial research has not turned up any other authentic signed Bobby Jones balls that have been offered publicly since that time. This ball has been authenticated by Green Jacket Auctions, and has been entered into our authentication database. It is also guaranteed to pass PSA/DNA authentication.