This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/20/2024
Howard Hughes' Bobby Jones Spalding Golf Clubs Given To Ruben Shaw
This family heirloom's star-studded provenance story including Howard Hughes, Gene Sarazen and Clark Gable even, is best told by Hal Shaw, son of club set recipient Ruben Shaw. A signed letter of provenance from Hal Shaw Founder of The Babe Zaharias Foundation comes with this lot.
"This story being back in the early 1930s. My mom and dad meet for the first time while working
at the Hacienda hotel located in New Port Richey, Florida. My mom’s job as a linen maid was to
see that all the rooms she was assigned had extra linens, bath towels and sufficient toiletries.
She was seventeen years old at this point in her life. Most of my dad’s first twenty-four years
was spent growing up on a farm, tending to the crops along with feeding and birthing livestock.
His newly acquired job at the hotel was brought about by a cousin named Fred A. Shaw who
was a local city politician and city mayor of New Port Richey. Dad’s duties at the hotel included
landscaping and occasionally walking a dog for one of the hotel’s guests, including famous
personalities like Gloria Swanson, Clark Gable, William Boyd, Zazu Pitts and many more.
During this period of activities, my mom and dad had started dating and developed deep
feelings for one another and got married after dating for a year in 1933. During all of this,
professional golfer Gene Sarazen, now a local homeowner was setting up golf games for many
of the hotel’s guests. The only problem was finding enough caddies, the ones available were
working other jobs to keep food on the table. While visiting one of his friends at the hotel, Mr.
Sarazen noticed my dad tending to the hedges and flowers in the hotel’s garden. It was Mr.
Sarazen’s idea to offer my dad an opportunity to earn a little extra cash by caddying and he
would teach him the duties and responsibilities of being a caddy. My dad accepted the offer and
became Mr. Sarazen’s personal bag toter along with his many friends, including Howard
Hughes. My dad had no idea who he was caddying for but after the round, Gene and Hughes
came out of the clubhouse to pay him the going rate for carrying two bags. He could not believe
his eyes, of how much money the placed in his hand. He thanked them profusely for their
generosity and kindness.
Fast Forward from spring to fall when Howard Hughes flies back for another visit to Sarazen’s
winter headquarters. Hughes brought along one of his buddies, who was also very much
interested in aviation, Mr. Will Rogers. The following day was planned around golf, dad is
excited to be in the company of such famous gentlemen. As usual, he is carrying Mr. Sarazen
and Mr. Hughes bags, while Mr. Rogers has acquired for his partner, recent US Open champion
Billy Burke, who lived down the road in Clearwater. Sarazen and Hughes won out 3 and 1 final.
Hughes had noticed my dad off to the side practicing his swing, as many caddies do, during a
bottleneck on the course. After the round, Mr. Hughes pulls dad aside and encourages him to
take up the game. Dad thanked Mr. Hughes but explained his financial situation and afterwords
Mr. Hughes looks at dad and says “the clubs on your shoulder are now yours, you can dive for
balls and I’ll set you up with a golf pro, at this course one gratis green fee per week for a year,
and after that we’ll see what you have accomplished, agreed?” Dad gave it his best, but his
heart was not in it. He stored these clubs away and never set foot on a course again. Ironically,
dad gives up the game and his first born makes the game of golf his life.35 1/2" - 42"
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