Ball Ring for "Testing" Balata Balls - "The Smaller the Better"

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/27/2013

For over 100 years, a tool became essential for top players and caddies alike. This tool was the Balata testing ring. With the Balata ball there was a small deviation in size as they arrived from the manufacturer. The ring was mainly used to test for roundness. Heat from a car trunk would make balls out of round, sometimes shaped like a football. With the smaller in size ball being the better for distance and spin, the English ball was often used by Americans in the British Open. If a ball would not fit through the testing ring it was discarded. Offered here is one of those valuable Balata ball testing rings from the collection of the Penna family.

This highly successful and respected professional golfing family offers golf mementos from the careers of brothers Toney Penna and Charley Penna, and Tommy Armour whom Toney and Charley worked under for many years as pros at Boca Raton in Florida and various courses in the Chicago area. Toney was a consistent top 20 money winner on the PGA Tour in the 1930's and 40's while his brother Charley competed in 20 U.S. Open and PGA Championships. We have it all from their storied careers in golf both on and off the course, including everything from contestant’s pins, to used sets of clubs, and prototypes for Penna's famous clubs. Toney is an icon when it comes to club making in the 20th Century, first with the MacGregor Golf Company as their chief of design and then later with his own brand of Penna clubs. Many of the designs of club heads used today were first developed by the genius of Toney. We introduce you to this extraordinary collection by offering various lots from the family’s collection in this special offering. This is an opportunity to acquire golf history, possibly for the last time.

In order to bid in extended bidding you must place a bid on the lot before 9pm on auction closing day.[13]