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. This original watercolor and gouache of Valderrama's 15th hole was made by Bill Waugh in 1989, as Valderrama was well on its way to becoming the highly acclaimed international course that it is today.

This colors in this painting are striking in their composition of flowers, fields, and mountains against a blueish, hazy, blank canvas of a sky. The image is brilliant in its execution and perfect in its condition. This image was once the property of Jamie Patino, the owner of Valderrama prior to his death in January of 2013.  Among other things, Patino was a world class art collector. His golf paintings were just a part of his interests.  Patino bought the Valderrama golf club in 1984, 5 years before Bill Waugh completed this painting.

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 Books in the UK in 2008, includes 51 full or double-page reproductions of Waugh's paintings that celebrate Waugh's artistry and the beauty found in the game of golf.

This painting itself measures 11 1/2" by 17" and is signed by the artist in the bottom right corner and titled in the bottom left corner.  The frame measures 20" x 24 3/4".  The French mat that borders the image is itself a work of art that was created entirely by the hand of Waugh. The opening bid is pretty much the price of a framed and matted print of this size.  Great opportunity!