The five most iconic golf trading cards

The Ryder Cup begins on Thursday, Sept. 25, with the United States looking to reclaim the trophy after Team Europe's victory in Italy in 2023. In honor of the greatest golf tournament, a look at the most iconic golf cards of all time.

How are the most iconic golf cards determined in this article? They're measured by popularity, iconography, and historical sale prices. The list doesn't encompass the rarest or most expensive cards, but rather, the cards that showcase the history of the sport and the hobby. All information was gathered from Gem Rate, Card Ladder, and PSA.

1. 2001 Upper Deck Golf Tiger Woods #1

2001 Upper Deck Tiger Woods — Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

This is Woods' most popular card; an iconic card of the most iconic player at the beginning of his career. It is neither a rare nor an expensive card in PSA 10 condition. However, it is the most popular golf card and remains sought after for personal collections. The numbers:

PSA Submissions: 43,815
PSA 10 Population: 14,546
Last PSA 10 Sale: $266.75

2. 1998 Champions of Golf Tiger Woods - The Masters Collection

According to PSA, "The 1998 Masters Champions of Golf was released by Grand Slam Ventures and consists of one black-bordered card for each of the Augusta Masters Championships, beginning with Horton Smith in 1934. The set came in two different versions, with a limited edition gold foil version (imprinted border and bar on the front of the card) scarcer than the gold ink variety."

This card is Woods' second-most graded card (the gold ink variety) and the second-most graded golf card ever. The numbers:

PSA Submissions: 9,275
PSA 10 Population: 2
Last Public PSA 10 Sale: $64,316 (Feb. 25, 2019)
PSA 9 Population: 135
Last Public PSA 9 Sale: $1,959 (Sept. 14, 2025)

3. 1981 Donruss Golf Jack Nicklaus #13

Jack Nicklaus is widely recognized as the second-greatest golfer in history, behind only Woods. Some could argue that he had a better career than Woods, having won 18 majors to Woods' 15. Regardless of the debate, Nicklaus is a legend of the game and a cherished figure. His 1981 Donruss Golf card is considered his rookie card, though there were several, smaller prior releases in Europe.

PSA Submissions: 5,447
PSA 10 Population: 135
Last Public PSA 10 Sale: $3,250 (Aug. 25, 2025)
PSA 9 Population: 1,183
Last Public PSA 9 Sale: $250 (Aug. 15, 2025)

4. 1932 U.S. Caramel Bobby Jones #3

The 1932 U.S. Caramel Bobby Jones card is considered Jones' most important. He was also considered golf's first superstar. Only 71 Jones cards have ever been graded by PSA from the multi-sport card set. The cards could also be redeemed by mail for baseball equipment, putting many of them out of circulation.

To put this card in context, it is the golf equivalent of the T206 Honus Wagner, a historically significant card of a historically important player. A significant discovery of the cards occurred in the 1980s, yielding a number of higher-grade cards. The numbers:

PSA Submissions: 71
PSA 10 Population: 0
Last Public PSA 10 Sale: n/a
PSA 9 Population: 3
Last Public PSA 9 Sale: $105,000 (May 5, 2021)

5. 1965 Bancroft Tiddlers Giants of Sport Hand-Cut Arnold Palmer with Piggott Back

1965 Bancroft Tiddlers Arnold Palmer — Image Courtesy of Fanatics

Before Nicklaus, there was Arnold Palmer. Palmer, along with Nicklaus and Gary Player, is credited with popularizing the game of golf in the 1960s. Palmer, in particular, followed the great champions Ben Hogan and Sam Snead in introducing the sport to millions through television.

The 1965 Bancroft Tiddlers card is Palmer's first, though it came seven years after he won his first major, the 1958 Masters. It is also a hand-cut card with a back of Lester Piggott, an English jockey, from the set because of how the cards were released. Nevertheless, the card features Palmer's famous swing next to a side portrait. The numbers:

PSA Submissions: 175
PSA 10 Population: 1
Last Public PSA 10 Sale: n/a
PSA 9 Population: 21
Last Public PSA 9 Sale: $5,040 (Aug. 4, 2025)