Valderrama Golf Club on Spain's Costa Del Sol, was the home of the
1997 Ryder Cup. This spectacular course is considered to be one of the
absolute best in continental Europe. To prepare for the 1997 Ryder Cup,
club owner Jamie Ortiz-Patino commissioned Bill Waugh, an international golf artist of considerable repute, to execute paintings of each hole on
the course. The paintings were completed and hung in the Valderrama
clubhouse in time for the Ryder Cup. Within a few months after Patino's
passing in 2012, his estate sold off many of the treasures Patino had
collected, including the original Bill Waugh 1997 Ryder Cup watercolors.
The painting offered here is one of those watercolors.
Titled "Los Altos - The Fifth Hole", this work is so marked
front and center across the bottom of the mat bordering the image. The painting depicts the fifth hole, which is
distinguished by the large trees that border the green (hence its name
"Los Altos" - the tall ones). The
image itself measures 19 1/2" wide by 12" tall, including the gorgeous
gold leaf frame, the entire piece measures 27 1/4" wide by 20" tall.
The frame uses musuem UV
glass so sunlight or any other light will never fade the rich and
vibrant colors no matter where this image is displayed. The artist, Bill Waugh, has signed and dated the bottom left corner of
the painting. The course designer, Robert Trent Jones, has signed the
bottom center of the painting.
The
mat itself is an incredible work of art that was created entirely by the hand of Waugh. The Ryder Cup Logo is hand-painted in the center at the bottom of the mat, and includes "Ryder Cup
1997, Valderrama," written in gold ink by hand. The mat's three sets of
gold border lines and light blue wash have also been executed by hand, and to exacting perfection. During the Victorian era, mount making involved three tradesmen: the mount cutter, the colored wash man, and the gold liner. Waugh learned to do all these skill himself and beautifully so.
This is a
substantial and beautiful work of art executed to the nines!
The auctioneer has it on good authority that Mr. Patino paid £4000 for each of the Ryder Cup 18 watercolors
depicting the 18 holes at Valderamma. The opening bid is just a fraction
of the original price. And while these watercolors did not come cheap, they are absolutely brilliant when viewed in person.
No mistake about that.
When describing the artist, Neil Macleod Prints & Enterprises wrote, "Bill Waugh has established himself as one of
Golf's major international artists. Among his clients he can name many
of the game's elite including Steve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Gary
Player and a couple of U.S. Presidents. His special skill is depicting
famous courses and their clubhouses in beautiful watercolors and oils.
Such is his prowess that apart from his special commissions he has
produced work for the Open, the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup and famous
clubs around the world."
But there is more to the story of Bill Waugh. Both the UK and Japanese Royal Families own his work. His paintings hang in the USGA's Bobby Jones Room in Far Hills, New Jersey, and at the R&A in St. Andrews. Throughout the course of his career he has worked with several companies including Disney and Garrard's, the famous London Jeweler. The book "Walking the Fairways with Golf Artist Bill Waugh," published by Grant Book in the UK in 2008, includes 51 full or double-page reproductions of Waugh's paintings that celebrate the beauty found in the game of golf.