Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Surprise the Golf Fan in Your Life with Photos of Golf Courses or Golf Memorabilia

Are you looking for a very special gift for the golfer or golfing fan in your life? Why not consider starting or adding to a collection of golf memorabilia? From photos of golf courses and autographed photos of famous golfers to custom displays that include pin flags and Masters tickets, there’s a wide world of golf collectibles that your golfing fan will greatly appreciate. Golf course pictures are a particularly good choice. Is there someone in your life who would appreciate a golf course photo?
Aspiring Traveler
Is there a golfer who hasn’t dreamed of playing the top golf courses in the world? They may not be able to swing a club and hit the green in a painting of Augusta #12, but they can certainly sit back and enjoy the view. In addition to photos of famous greens and holes, you might consider a limited edition print by golf artist Linda Hartough, or a painting by Marci Rule. If you know someone who dreams of walking the course at St. Andrews, why not acknowledge that dream with a photo of the world-famous golf course?
The Golf Enthusiast
Does someone you love dream of playing with the pros? You may not be able to get them into a tournament, but you can certainly give them the scenic tour. The most famous , most treacherous and most beautiful golf holes in the world are among the most frequently photographed landscapes in the world. Pick a framed triptych of photos of the Amen Corner at Augusta, or beautifully framed photo of the famed 9th Hole at PGA West. From Pelican Hill to to TPC Sawgrass, you’ll find photos of golf courses around the country and around the world.
The Decorator
Golf course pictures are always a great decorating choice. Golf courses are among the most beautifully landscaped grounds in all the world. There are holes that overlook sea cliffs, greens that stretch along the banks of rivers and links that make their way through eerily beautiful cypress swamps. Golf course photos are the perfect accent behind the bar in your home den or on the wall of your office waiting room.
When you buy photos of golf courses from high-end dealers, you’ll get more than just a pretty picture. Your photo will be double-matted and framed in museum quality wood moldings, often with an engraved descriptive plate that includes the name of the golf course and other important information.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Iconic Photos of Famous Golfers

Sports photos often headline the news, but only a few of them make it to the status of iconic images. The photos of Bobby Orr’s famous 1970 Stanley Cup goal and Bill Buckner’s missed ground ball come immediately to mind. There are also quite a few iconic golf photos that any golfing fan will recognize immediately. If you’re looking for a special piece of golf room décor, you might check out these iconic images of famous golfers photographed in moments of triumph or play.
The Lost Bet –In 1967, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer were snapped by golf photographer William F. Thompson as they settled up a wager at the end of a round of golf. The iconic photo was “lost” for decades because Thompson promised Palmer and Nicklaus not to sell it to the AP. It appeared for the first time in November 2006, after Thompson’s death. You can put the classic moment of golf history on your wall, complete with signatures and a museum quality frame.
Ben Hogan Golf Swing – Ben Hogan, one of history’s all time golf legends, was the model for the illustrations in Ravielli’s “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.” Photos of Ben Hogan at various points in his famous “perfect swing” create stunning photo compositions. A single photo shows the blur of the golf club, but you can also purchase the famous golf photos as a collection, with 3, 6 or even 12 photos showing Hogan’s classic form.
Bobby Jones – Robert “Bobby” Jones is another of the famed legends of golf – not only for his performance on the green, but also for what he contributed to the game off the course. Jones is the most successful amateur to ever compete on the national and international level, but he is also remembered for founding and helping design the Augusta National Golf Club and for co-founding the Masters Tournament held there each year.
Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer at Laurel Valley, 1971 – The King and the Kid had a golf rivalry that spanned decades, and engendered a true friendship between the two famous golfers. The combination of tension and friendship is beautifully captured in a vintage golf photo or the pair striding across the green at the 1971 Team Championship at Laurel Valley Golf Club.
Moments of Triumph – Not all iconic shots are vintage. Some of the most famous golf photos are those of famous golfers of today celebrating their wins.  Phil Mickelson, 2013 British Open winner, raised both arms in victorious jubilation as his birdie putt on the 72nd hole hit its mark, and 2005 Masters Champion, Tiger Woods, pumping his fist in the air in triumph.
Those are just a sampling of the famous golfers you can find captured in their most memorable moments. Any golfer you know would love one of the many golf autographs and golfer photos available as a very special gift this year.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The Most Famous Golf Pictures of All Time

Golf pictures are among the most popular and sought-after types of golf memorabilia. While there are a lot of generic golf pictures floating around, there are also a number of pieces that have acquired an almost cult status. If you’re looking for golf autographs, golf art or golf collectibles, these golfer photos and golf art pieces are among the best known and most popular.
Ben Hogan Golf Swing
Golfer Ben Hogan is generally acknowledged to be one of the greatest golfers in history. He was best known for his legendary golf swing and contributed greatly to the very notion of practicing your golf swing to perfect it. In 1957, “Sports Illustrated” published a five-part series on perfecting the Ben Hogan golf swing. That series was later compiled and published as a book, “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.” The book was illustrated by golf artist Anthony Ravielli. The illustrations of Ben Hogan’s golf swing are widely available, and photographs that show the Ben Hogan golf swing at each position are among the most popular golf pictures on the market.
Linda Hartough Augusta #12
Golf artist Linda Hartough has built her reputation on paintings of golf courses around the country, but her most famous golf paintings are those of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament. Of particular note are her two paintings of Augusta #12, nicknamed “Golden Bell” for the forsythia bushes in the landscaping. For a complete retrospective of Augusta #12 – the central hole of the Amen Corner at Augusta – see also the painting of the Golden Bell by Marci Rule, another renowned golf artist.
The Lost Bet
Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus are two of the best known legends of golf, and their rivalry was the stuff of which legends are made. While there are hundreds of photos of each of them – as well as many golfer photos of the two of them together – none has the story and history shown in one of the most famous golf photos of all time. The famous photo captures a moment of golf history – Arnold Palmer, the acknowledged King and legend of golf, paying off on a bet he lost to Jack Nicklaus. The photo was shot by well-known golf photographer William F. Thompson in 1967, but wasn’t released until after Thompson’s death and after both Palmer and Nicklaus had retired from the game.
In addition to these famous golf pictures, there are other “genre” pictures that are very collectible, among them photographs of golfers bidding farewell to St. Andrews from the bridge overlooking the Clubhouse. If you’re looking for something more than just a “picture of a golf course,” consider one of the iconic golf pics that represent famous moments in golf history.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Five Reasons Golf Pictures Make Great Gifts

With the holidays creeping up, you may be looking for a gift for a golf enthusiast in your family. You could always pick from the common golf gifts – a bucket of golf balls, a putting cup or a pair of golfing gloves – but really, how many executive practice putting cups can you fit into one office? If you’ve never considered buying golf pictures as gifts for your favorite golfing enthusiasts, there are some very good reasons that you should.
Golf Course Art Is Beautiful
Whether you choose a photographic picture of a golf course or golf paintings, you’ll find some of the most striking, unique and beautiful landscapes among golf course pictures. Golf architects like Robert “Bobby” Jones, who helped design the Augusta National golf course, routinely chose the most beautiful land they could find on which to locate their golf clubs. From visually stunning seascapes to the attractive and well-manicured Augusta #14, Golden Bell, golf pictures featuring famous golf holes make beautiful accent pieces in any room.
Golfer Photographs Honor Great Athletes
Autographed photos of the legends of golf are the adult equivalent of sports hero posters. Framed golf memorabilia featuring golfer photos let you acknowledge and pay tribute to your golf enthusiast’s favorite athletes.
Golf Pics Feed a Dream
Maybe your golfer dreams of someday teeing off at St. Andrews or taking on the Amen Corner at Augusta National. Golf course art helps feed the dream and encourages him or her to keep working at it, and golfer photographs can inspire him and give him something to strive for.
Golf Memorabilia Makes Great Game Room Décor
Most golf memorabilia comes beautifully framed and ready to hang in your game room, den or golf room. The right golf pictures can elevate the decorating in any man cave or fit right in with an elegant and stately executive dining room.
Many Golf Pictures Will Increase in Value
Genuine golf memorabilia – particularly signed golfer photographs or golf course autographs – can become collectors’ items, and may increase in value year after year. When you give a piece of golf art, you’re giving more than just a picture – it’s an investment.
If you have a golf enthusiast on your gift list this year, consider breaking out of the mold this holiday season. Skip the usual golf gifts and take a look at the assortment of golf pictures, golfer photos, golf course art and golf autographs available through golf memorabilia dealers.


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Collecting Golf Pictures for Fun and Profit

Golf art is more collectible than most people realize. Unlike team sports, where superstar athletes regularly ink deals that include them signing memorabilia items, such as jerseys and game balls, golf art and golf pictures tend to be far less a big business and far more a matter of individual tastes. You won’t often see a green Master’s jacket go up for bid at a golf collectibles auction, for example, but it’s not unusual for Super Bowl championship rings to show up at pawn shops around the United States. For a lot of reasons – including the relative scarcity of golf autographs and golf collectibles, collecting golf pictures can be both more challenging and more profitable than collection other types of sports memorabilia.
Legends of Golf Collectibles
As with any other sport, the most collectible golf pictures are those that feature one or more of the many legends of golf. Autographed photos of Arnold Palmer, Robert “Bobby” Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are surefire collectible items, and many of them can be expected to increase in value. Every once in a while, previously unknown golf pictures crop up and make an unexpectedly big splash in the sports collectibles world. Not many years ago, for example, a sports photographer released a previously unpublished photograph of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer settling up after a bet on one of the holes they played. “The Lost Bet” has become one of the most popular golf pictures of all time, and hangs in some of the best known golf club dining rooms.
Golf Course Art
Of course, not all the legends of golf are human. Anyone who has ever faced Augusta #12, Golden Bell, on a windy day, can tell you in no uncertain detail exactly why that particular hole is one that golfers dread facing. Photographs of Augusta #12 don’t do it justice, but a few golf painters have managed to capture that hole in all its glory and treachery. It’s not the only hole to be captured by painters Linda Hartough and Marci Rule, who have painted some of the most beautiful golf course art available on the market. In most cases, Hartough’s and Rule’s pieces are available as prints in limited, signed editions. Some are numbered in a series, while others are more widely available to collectors of golf memorabilia.
Whether you’re drawn to a stunning golf landscape or prefer the focus and concentration on the face of one of golf’s greats, golf pictures are a great way to enhance your home décor while accumulating a golf arts collection that could become quite valuable in the future.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Five Reasons Golf Pictures Make Great Gifts

Why would you choose golf pictures as a gift for someone you love? Here are five great reasons to buy golf memorabilia, golfer autographs and golf pictures as holiday or birthday gifts for your favorite golf enthusiast.
No One Buys Them Golf-Related Gifts
Golf enthusiasts get short shrift on the gift market. Movie buffs get themed toys and posters. Fans of pro team sports have their pick of team posters, individual player posters and logo clothing to receive as gifts. You’ll be hard-pressed to find golf gifts for people who love following and playing golf, though. Oh, you can always find personalized golf tees and silly golf room décor, but if you want to give a golf-related gift that impresses, there’s just not that much available. There is one major exception to the dearth of golf memorabilia that’s easily available – golf pictures.
Golf Pictures Make Great Game Room Décor
A framed picture of a golf course or autographed golfer photos of one of the legends of golf are more than keepsakes. They make great home décor in the right setting. Beautifully framed and presented golf scenes fit into many different styles of décor, especially if you choose golf course art by such well-known names as Linda Hartough or Marci Rule. If landscapes aren’t your thing, you can choose from a wide variety of golfer photos, signed or unsigned, of a favorite golfer or tournament.
Golf Memorabilia Carries Bragging Rights
When you choose genuine golf memorabilia, you’re also giving the gift of bragging rights. These aren’t just any old golf pics – many of them are collectors’ items that have their own intrinsic value. Dealers who specialize in assembling golf displays may put together a framed Masters display, for example, that includes golf autographs, photos of one or more Masters Tournament winners and flag that served as a hole marker at one of the holes.
You Can Be Starting Them on a New Hobby
Collecting golf art can be a rewarding hobby. When you give a golf painting, such as a Marci Rule painting of Augusta #12, you could be sparking an interest that becomes a fun activity for the rest of your favorite golfer’s life.
Golf Pictures Can Increase in Value
Golf memorabilia can be an investment that gains value over the years. While there’s no guarantee that a particular golf photo or golf autograph will increase in value, the field of golf collectibles is a growing one and there’s a good chance that any golf pictures you buy today will be worth more in the future.
If you have a golf fan on your gift list, give a gift that stands out from the crowd and will be remembered for years. Pick out one of the many golf pictures available from a reputable collectibles dealer and wrap it up with pride.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Golf Pictures for Your Sports Bar

Choosing the décor for your sports bar can be an adventure. While many people think of the major league sports when they’re looking for game room décor in a sports bar, you can elevate the surroundings when you choose to decorate with golf pictures. You can pick from a wide variety of golf art to suit just about any mood you want to establish, from framed golf memorabilia to golfer autographs to golf course art. If you’re trying to decide what kinds of golf pictures to choose for your establishment, consider these ideas.
Golf Course Art
A picture of a golf course makes a nice centerpiece for a golf art display. Even in this little niche of the golf memorabilia category, you’ll find a wide variety of artwork. Some of the most popular golf pictures are paintings by two masters of golf course art, Marci Rule and Linda Hartough. Both women have impressive resumes in the world of golf art, and have often painted different views of the same golf scenes. A pair of paintings of Augusta #12, Golden Bell, would make a beautiful display in the right golf room.
Aside from paintings, there are also many golf course photographs available, including photos of some of the most famous greens and courses in the world. If you prefer photos that feature the legends of golf, you could easily put together a collection of some of the most famous golfers of all time standing on the bridge looking back at the Old Course at St. Andrews as they say their goodbyes to the course.
Golf Swing Photos
Feature some of the most famous golfers in golf history showing off their form for the sports photographers. While most golfers have heard of the Ben Hogan golf swing photos, Hogan isn’t the only golfer whose form has been immortalized on film. You’ll also find autographed photographs and unsigned golf pictures from the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Robert “Bobby” Jones, names familiar to anyone with even a passing familiarity with the world of golf.
Golf Cartoons
Add a note of levity to a game room with framed and matted golf cartoons depicting the hilarious misadventures of Ben Lightfoot’s fearsome foursomes. Lightfoot’s style combines stunning golf scenes at some of the world’s most famous golf holes and deftly drawn cartoons of his own can’t-shoot-straight gangs in situations that will be familiar to anyone who’s ever swung a golf club.
Golf pictures are a great accent in your sports bar. If you’re looking for a unique slant on the common sports bar, take a look at the many different types of golf art available.