An old leather-bound featherie golf ball due to go under the hammer has presented a conundrum for auctioneers - and it is set to fetch up to £10,000.

The early leather-bound feather golf ball was consigned for sale from a house move in Old Woking in Surrey and John Nicholson’s auctioneers will sell it on May 14.

The auctioneers said the family heirloom is inscribed stamped King James VI Club.

On the other side it appears to read “1807 Martins” although the inscriptions have been obscured with much wear and tear to the ball.

King James VI Golf Club is a private club on the River Tay in Perth, Scotland and is the only entirely self-contained course on a river island.

Intriguingly the club was found in North Inch, Perth in 1858, just over 50 years later than the date shown on the ball offered here, before being moved to Moncreiffe Island in 1897 to a course designed by ‘Old’ Tom Morris, winner of numerous British Open Championships.

The tradition of playing golf in Perth dates back beyond King James VI himself – in fact, as far back as 1502, when a bow maker made a set of clubs for King James IV for thirteen shillings.

Featherie golf balls date back to the early 17th century and were used for around 200 years before modern designs took over.

They were made by sewing hide together and stuffing it with chicken or goose feathers.

As the Future Museum in Scotland notes, the measure to fill a ball was usually a top hat full of feathers.

The estimate is £5,000-10,000.

Live online bidding is available via www.johnnicholsons.com