Perhaps no one in show business was finer at their craft and stayed at the top longer than legendary comedian Bob Hope. And we all know how obsessed the man was with golf he would often use golf clubs as props in his famous shticks on stage. Hope played in as many as 150 tournaments some years so its no wonder he became a four handicap. The Bob Hope Classic played in the Palm Desert of Southern California began in 1960 and has been a fixture on the PGA Tour ever since (now the Humana Challenge). Now courtesy of the Zaharias Estate and the Babe & George Zaharias Golf Foundation comes Bob Hopes very own vintage golf bag and full set of Stan Thompson clubs. The comic genius played dozens of charity celebrity or Pro-Am tournaments in the 1960s and 1970s with this same bag and club set.

Bob Hope and Babe Zaharias played many rounds of golf together in the 1940s and 1950s sometimes as opponents and sometimes on the same team. Susan Cayleffs biography Babe: The Life and Legend of Babe Didrikson Zaharias quotes a patented Bob Hope line: Theres only one thing wrong about Babe and myself. I hit the ball like a girl and she hits it like a man. Babe would play along with Hopes on-course antics and the crowds ate them up. They formed a great friendship which endured through her husband George long after Babes death in 1956. According to Hal Shaw president of the Babe & George Zaharias Golf Foundation Bob Hope donated this very set of his personal bag and clubs at a 1975 charity golf tournament in Tampa FL. George Zaharias won them at the banquet auction. Like most Zaharias Estate golf items the set was passed on to the foundation after George's death.

The most impressive item in this set is the custom-designed 34 3/4" putter made by The Nugget Co. with BOB HOPE engraved in the club head. Irons 2-9 and 99 Wedge are Stan Thompson brown dot stainless steel with matching black and green leather Swing Rite grips. All woods (1-4) are engraved Stan Thompson *Hand-Made* Beverly Hills CA and come with vintage Ben Hogan leather headcovers stamped 'Mirror Lake C.C.'. The clubs show heavy use yet are perfectly playable for a round today. The bag is a Burton brown leather and vinyl beauty in practically pristine condition with all straps zippers and pockets completely functional and intact. Its vintage appearance suggests use in the 1960's maybe earlier. Attached to the bag is a 1973 PGA Championship Canterbury Golf Club (Cleveland OH) tag with a sticker label that reads BOB HOPE signifying that Hope likely used this bag at the Pro-Am event prior to the 55th PGA Championship. What an amazing group of personally-owned artifacts from one of the most beloved entertainers of the 20th century!

Comes with a letter of provenance from the Babe & George Zaharias Golf Foundation Inc. of Tampa Florida. The foundation was founded by Hal Shaw Zaharias' former caddie who toed the bag for the 10-time Women's Major Champion starting in the late 1940's. Since 2002 the foundation has served individuals with disabilities from Shriner Hospital and Camp Florida.