Lot # 71: Robert T. Jones Calamity Jane 1976 Memorial Copy by Jack NIcklaus

Starting Bid: $250.00

Bids: 13 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed

Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Spring 2023",
which ran from 4/5/2023 12:00 PM to
4/22/2023 8:00 PM



In 1976, Jack Nicklaus had 250 exact replicas of Jones's original Calamity Jane putter made--to give as gifts to the participants in his inaugural Memorial tournament's pro-am event:

"Nicklaus went to great lengths to get the things right. His associate, Ken Bowden, who cooked up the idea, traveled last year to Georgia, where he was allowed to take a hallowed Calamity Jane from its trophy case at the Augusta National Golf Club. Bowden had the club measured and photographed from all angles. A mold of it was made by a local dentist. The reference material was sent to Swiken of St. Andrews, the club-makers, who sub-contracted the components....Once assembled in Scotland last winter, Calamity Jane needed only an authentic coating of rust. The clubs were left to lie out in the raw, salty air that blows over St. Andrews. Hey presto! an antique club..." (Golf Journal October 1976, 37-39)

This 33 1/4" replica Calamity Jane club and display was one of the putters Jack Nicklaus produced for the 1976 Memorial Tournament (as noted by the engraved plaque). One of the main purposes of the tournament is to honor someone each year who has had a profound influence on the game of golf. It is of no surprise that the founding honoree was Bobby Jones, and that the token gift was a reverenced replica of his beloved "Calamity Jane."

The frame measures 39 1/2" long and 11" tall. These putters come up every once in a great while, but rarely ever with the plaque.

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