Top 5 Most Valuable Golf Cards

The most valuable golf cards in the world may not compare to the inflated hobby prices seen by the top-tier cards collected from the other major sports, but in the last decade a growing number of golf card collectors (especially vintage golf card collectors) have sent prices soaring. The popularity of golf is undeniable and the heroes of the sport are legendary: Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Bobby Jones and so many more legends of the PGA have been featured on cards. Which of these great golfers holds the spot at number one on the list of Top 5 Most Valuable Golf Cards?

Like most of the top-tier cards in any sport that are among the world's finest, the golf cards that make the cut are normally graded by a third-party grading company (usually SGC, PSA or Beckett). This company and grade is noted below if applicable. Card prices fluctuate greatly according to price. The prices quoted for these cards are based on actual sales. The current prices may vary from these, but for now they remain the highest prices ever paid for golf cards. And now, the Top 5 Most Valuable Golf Cards of All Time!

The Cards:

5) Gene Sarazen – 1932 U.S. Caramel PSA 8 $5400

The first entrant on the list of the most expensive golf cards may not be a household name, but it is a highly sought after trading card. The legendary Sarazen helped create the modern sand wedge and is best remembered for his famous "shot heard round the world" at the 1935 Masters Tournament. The thin stocked U.S. Caramel set feature baseball players, boxers and only two golfers: Sarazen and Bobby Jones. Condition sensitive and appealing to set collectors and golf fans alike, this high-grade example of Sarazen starts the list with a tag price over five grand.

4) Walter Hagen – 1933 Goudey Sport Kings PSA 8 $7700

One of the greatest golfers of all-time, Hagen still occupies third place for most majors in a career behind only two first name legends: Tiger and Jack. The Goudey Sport Kings set is another multi-sport set and is widely collected by baseball card collectors, too. The thicker stock makes the Goudeys easier to find in strong condition, but PSA 8 and above is very rare. Hagen has a huge following and this makes his card especially desirable.

3) Bobby Jones – 1933 Goudey Sport Kings GAI 8.5 $13,100

No surprise that Bobby Jones should make the list of most valuable golf cards. Considered by some to be the greatest golfer of all time, Jones is the only golfer to make an appearance on the list of the top 5 most expensive golf cards more than once. His first entry is from the same Goudey Sport Kings set as the famous Hagen card. Simple in design, but boldly presented, the Jones card sold for just over $13,000.

2) Bobby Jones – 1932 U.S. Caramel SGC 96 $41,400

The same condition sensitivities that make the U.S. Caramel cards so expensive are compounded when they also depict the legendary Bobby Jones. This extremely high-grade example from one of the most respected sportscard grading companies in the business, SGC, had some lucky buyer reaching deep into their wallet. The U.S. Caramel set and the Goudey Sport King set will continue to dominate the 30s era golf cards and will remain collector favorites for years to come.

1) Tiger Woods – 1996 Sports Illustrated For Kids PSA 10 $125,000

Could it be anyone else? The man who has ushered in legions on new fans to the game, solidly occupies the number one spot with the most valuable golf card in the world. The perforated insert from a kid's sport magazine has proven to be extremely difficult to remove and have graded as a PSA 10 GEM MINT card. There have been plenty of PSA 8s and 9s that are available for less than $1000, but the ultra rare PSA 10 was brokered by Mike Souza in a private sale in 2001 for the hefty sum of $125,000. Many people do not even consider this a true card since it was a magazine insert. Some claim it would fetch $400,000 today. Others feel the recent scandals involving Tiger Woods means that this card will never approach this price again. To make matters worse, it has been heavily counterfeited and there are also graded reissue Sports Illustrated Tiger Woods cards available for less $20. How will the price for this Tiger card hold up with a future generation of collectors? Only time will tell.

For further comparisons to see how the most valuable golf cards stack up to cards in other sports read about the Top 10 Most Valuable Baseball Cards, the Top 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards, the Top 10 Most Valuable Football Cards or even the Top 10 Most Valuable Hockey Cards. Golf cards have proven to be a sound investment and more people are collecting the greats of the game. Who will be next to break into the list of Top 5 Most Expensive Golf Cards?