This canvas and leather golf bag, once owned by the thirty-fifth president of the United States, dates back to an era where golfers were just getting used to calling irons by numbers instead of "niblicks" or "mashies" and the heads of woods were smaller than waffle irons. It is marked with medallion reading "Fred Haas & Associates."
Accompanying the bag are copies of a photo and signed letter from Mary Barelli Gallagher, who first served John F. Kennedy when he was a senator and later First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy as her personal secretary.
The letter reads: "This golf bag was given to me by Mrs. Kennedy in June, 1963. For several years, it had been stored at Merchants Transfer & Storage and was delivered to The White House on an afternoon when Mrs. Kennedy was in the process of clearing out items she no longer wanted. I have a photo that shows me carrying the golf bag, which is holding a set of the President's crutches, given to me at the same time. In the photo, I am walking from the Diplomatic Reception Room, South Portico of The White House, to the car for transporting these items to my home. The golf bag is constructed of a sturdy, tan fabric with leather trim and, on the outside spine directly above the leather handle, carries a round, brass medallion with a putting green and flag design in the center, and a circular engraving that reads: "Fred Haas & Associates - Chicago". This is to serve as proof of authenticity regarding the above item. Since receiving this, it has remained in my possession at my home in Alexandria, Virginia. I was formerly secretary to Senator John F. Kennedy (1953-1956) and Personal Secretary to Mrs. John F. Kennedy (1956-1964). In 1969, "My Life with Jacqueline Kennedy" was published by David McKay, N.Y., relating to my twelve years with The Kennedys."
Per his book First Off the Tee, Don Van Natta Jr. chronicles the history of presidents on the links. JFK didn't want the country to know of his passion for golf simply because Eisenhower was so well known for his golf obsession, which included a special cabin built for him on Augusta. He writes "JFK and his aides made a lot of hay out of Ike's golf playing. They called him the Duffer in Chief... They kept [JFK's] game in the closet. In fact, Americans didn't really realize JFK loved golf until several months after he was in office. They let the cat out of the bag only because there were all these rumors about JFK and other extracurricular activities. He was sneaking off doing other things and [spokesman] Pierre Salinger had to tell people, 'No, no, no. He's playing golf.' That was better than the alternative."
The bag measures 35 in. tall and it is in good condition overall with wear from use. LOA from John Reznikoff.
20,000 USD - 30,000 USD