Antiques Roadshow host Fiona Bruce and her team of experts were at Kenilworth Castle, near Coventry in the Midlands during a classic episode of the BBC series. Intriguing treasures included a miniature safe, a trilby belonging to an ’80s pop star, and a golden buddha. However, it was the world’s first interactive golf games that caught the eye of Gordon and he left the owner stunned at the valuation.

When first taking a look at the machine, Gordon began: “Well this has created, I can tell you, a great deal of interest among my fellow specialists today.

“They have just never seen anything like it. It is an early computer and it is a golf game.”

The guest was clearly blindsided by the revelation as they exclaimed: “Oh, Christ!”

Gordon continued: “It is fantastic, I absolutely love it. Basically, how it works, I am sure you know, is that you whack a golfball attached to a piece of string.

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“And it would record the direction of the shot, either hook to the left or slightly to the right, the elevation of the shot, how high or low it went.

“And of course, the distance of the shot, and the distance is recorded on this scale at the side here, on these actual maps of golf holes.

“The golfer, just like they would do on a normal golf course with a real shot of a flag and a target, would then select the right club for that distance and again that would be recorded on here.

“At the end of the hole, you then wind it manually onto the next hole and they actually issued 12 different golf courses, of British golf courses.

“So you could actually imagine playing these courses. Now, do you have the aim and target piece?” he asked.

The guest admitted: “No, unfortunately, I don’t. I have to admit that I chopped it up as a child and used it as a fishing net.”

Impressed with her imagination, Gordon laughed and added: “Well still sporting in a way! Now, what about the machine though, is it actually working, have you seen it working?”

She explained: “Yes. My dad was an electronics engineer and he used to buy old bits of toot as he called them and he bought this home one day and got it going!”

Intrigued to know how old the piece of machinery had been in her possession, he asked how long ago her father brought it home.

She said: “Oh about 1965. It wouldn’t have been much because it wasn’t working, it wasn’t particularly fashionable at the time I don’t think.”

Delving into the history of the machine, Gordon expressed: “The Spotlight Golf Company, this was made in 1936, so it gives you an idea of how far back we are going.

“They marketed it very strongly, they had an advertising campaign in the press, they actually got the British Open champion to endorse it.

“I think the one drawback was that it was quite highly priced, it was 62 guineas back then, which is a lot of money.

“The current auction estimate, I would have no hesitation in saying this would be worth £5,000 up to perhaps £10,000.”

The guest stood in shock and replied: “Oh right… yes!” to which her friend joked: “Can maybe buy a few rounds at St Andrew’s after that.”

Before they left, Gordon said: “I think it is absolutely fantastic, I love it so thank you.”

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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