As a fascinating, side attraction at the Ryder Cup last September, a rather special collection, built up over the years by Valderrama's owner, Jaime Patino, was put on display in the host clubhouse. But it didn't include an item which, two months later, would become the world's most expensive piece of golf memorabilia.

The exhibition was sponsored by Sotherby's, who produced a stunning catalogue to accompany it. And on a back page of the catalogue was a reproduction of a charming painting called The Links, North Berwick, depicting the scene on a teeing ground, with a woman golfer at the top of her follow-through.

We were informed that it would be auctioned in London on November 26th. "It went to an anonymous bidder for £660,000," said Susannah Pollen of Sotherby's. "To my knowledge, there has never been anything more expensive with a golfing connection, anywhere in the world."

The painting should be of particular interest in this country insofar as the artist was an Irishman, Sir John Lavery. Born in Belfast in 1856, he did a number of delightful paintings at North Berwick where he spent considerable time, staying with friends. Now, 57 years after his death, he holds a unique, golfing distinction.

Though the Valderrama exhibition included contributions from other sources, much of it was the property of Patino, who is acknowledged as a major collector. Among the items, I noted a menu from the 1953 Ryder Cup at Wentworth, which was signed by Harry Bradshaw and Fred Daly, among other members of the home side.

Then there was the menu from the US Ryder Cup victory dinner at East Lake CC - Bobby Jones's home course - in 1963, when one of the players in a printed list of the "British Team" was "Christie" O'Connor. Appropriately, the menu was signed by Jones.

Patino is particularly proud of a Scottish iron golf club circa 1700, for which he paid £92,400 at a Sotherby's sale in Musselburgh on July 13th, 1992, to coincide with the staging of the 121st British Open. Officially, it was "bought by Titus Kendall on behalf of the Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, Spain."

But there are other collectors with international reputations, equally enthusiastic though of more modest means. Among them is John Gleason, whom I met during the Walker Cup at Quaker Ridge last August. I discovered he was one of the leading authorities on amateur golf in the US and I was flattered that he was seeking my help for the purposes of a history he was compiling on the Walker Cup.

When I mentioned Joe Carr, he replied that he had already interviewed him at some length during the 1991 Walker Cup at Portmarnock. And what about David Sheahan? He had spoken to him, too. After a few more names, I realised I had nothing to offer this remarkable old man.

Which was hardly surprising, given that Gleason has a large research library and extensive reports on every US Amateur and Walker Cup ever contested. On moving to Florida in 1980, he took his hobby, a collection of 800 golf books, with him.

That has since evolved into a second career. He began to collect clippings of the leading amateur events and the courses where they were played and they now comprise mini-mountains of paper in every room of his condominium.

"I get calls all he time from people with questions about amateur golf," he said. "It's flattering they should ask me, but I still hope to publish the results of my research. So, why should I give away this information before I can use it?"

Elsewhere in the US, about a mile from the Colonial CC in Fort Worth, Texas, Matty Reed lives in a modest bungalow with Mildred, his wife of 68 years. As a youngster, Matty traded strokes with a promising contemporary by the name of Ben Hogan - "I remember he made 13 birdies in two days in a state amateur that he won."

These days, however, Matty is known as the King of Clubs. He has lost count of the number of clubs that are packed into very corner of his home. There could be as many as 40,000 or maybe even 50,000, he claims.

The garage at the back has become a small warehouse, with the clubs sorted out by the make and year, rack upon rack. "Unless it's an off-brand, I can tell the year a club was manufactured the minute I see it," claimed the collector.

How does his wife cope? "You mean how have I put up with all these clubs over the last 68 years?," she responds. "Well, it was okay, I guess, until about the last two or three years. Now there's too many of `em around and it's getting on my nerves."

Reed delights in a story about Ben Crenshaw, a regular visitor. "Ben came here early one Saturday morning during Colonial week and was still examining clubs up to 35 minutes before his starting time," he said. "He shot 68 that day, without hitting a practice ball."

He went on: "I'd never sell or trade any of my old MacGregors or Tommy Armours. They are worth more to me than money. Still, if someone wants to pay me a visit and I'm still spry enough to get around, I might be able to work out some kind of a buy or a sale or a trade."

And what of the future of his collection? "My two sons and three grandchildren can do what they want with it, I guess," he replied. "But I hope they won't sell the clubs off. I'd like them to continue the collection, if only for the fact that I spent a lot of time putting it together over the last 74 years."

In contrast, Mark Zukerman is a latecomer to the game, having taken it up only eight years ago. During that time, he has played probably no more than 40 or 50 courses, but after putting out the word to family friends that they should bring him a couple of scorecards from wherever they play, he now has a collection well in excess of 2,000.

"I've reached the stage where I can specialise," he said. "For instance, I have Pebble Beach scorecards from three or four different generations: same course, different cards." Then he added: "If anybody's interested in trading, I've got 500 duplicates available."

Bob Smith's collection is more space-consuming. In fact his house is full of commercial egg cartons and wooden barrels with not an egg or drop of wine in sight. He uses them for packing his collection of 30,000 golf balls.

"I have an 8-dozen collection of Jack Nicklaus signature and commercial balls and a near-complete collection of Titleists - each model in all numbers," he claimed. Then there are nearly 200 balls with Indian-head country club logos, old signature balls of the 1930s and 1940s associated with players such as Johnny Revolta, Lloyd Mangrum, Ky Lafoon and the Turnesa brothers.

Smith learned the true value of golf balls when he worked as a caddie at a local municipal course in Minnesota. "In 1939, if a caddie couldn't find his player's ball, it was a good bet he'd get sent back to the pro shop and not be paid," he recalled. "The reason was simple. A new, top-notch ball cost 75 cents then. A caddie got paid 60 cents a round, so the ball was worth more than the caddie."

Smith started his collection after World War II. He needed the money and a local driving range was prepared to pay him five cents per ball. "Once I started, I couldn't break the habit," he said. "I believe I have personally found 98 per cent of the balls in my collection."

Collectors have their own network, which includes a booklet titled: A catalogue of antiquarian golf literature and memorabilia. One such publication which I came across in my travels, carried a letter from the editor, Brian Siplo, inside the cover.

It read: ". . . I played the antique course at Bluff Point, New York and foolishly left my hickories at home; I'll have to return with them. I was also immensely lucky to be invited to play the Royal Montreal Golf Club Blue Course recently (the oldest golf club in the Americas).

"The following listing of golf items comprises another of my occasional catalogues. I picked up quite a few books in Scotland during my month's stay, as well as a small collection of trophies, programmes and badges, locally. An eclectic cornucopia of golfing curios awaits you."

Among the books were three by P G Wodehouse - A Few Quick Ones, FORE! The best of P G Wodehouse and Week-End Wodehouse - at prices ranging from $20 to $40. Then there was How to Play Golf by H J Whigham, published in 1897. This instructional book by the Scottish winner of the US Amateur in 1896 and 1897, was on offer at $275.

Meanwhile, those with serious money to spend could turn their attentions to the equipment section. There, at $2,275 was an adjustable club, manufactured by Urquhart's Ltd, Edinburgh, circa 1890. Apparently Urquhart's were the first company to make this particular club on which the loft of the head could be changed, replicating the complete set of irons, simply by pulling a spring-loaded knob.

Back here at home, the work of Lavery and his artistic contemporaries, is obviously limited to the wealthy. But their powerful influence is to be seen in the splendid work by amateur artists in golf clubs throughout the country.