AN extremely rare membership certificate for the world's first golf club will come up for sale in Swindon tomorrow.

The certificate, printed on vellum with manuscript insertions, dates from 1808.

"This is just 20 years after the foundation of the modern game as we know it today," said Richard Westwood-Brookes, documents expert for Dominic Winter Book Auctions.

"It was issued by the Honourable Company of Golfers of Edinburgh, who laid down the laws of golf."

And it admitted Donald Mackay, a local lawyer, to the Company at the Links of Leith, the world's first 'proper' golf course, said Mr Westwood-Brookes.

"This is a scarce document indeed and is likely to create a considerable amount of interest among golf memorabilia collectors.

"It is certainly the pinnacle of any collection to have an original document issued by the very founders of the sport, only a few years after the laying down of the laws of the game," he said.

"It is also a very attractive document, featuring a fine printed vignette of an early golfer at its head."

The document is being offered by Dominic Winter at a specialist sports sale and carries an estimate of between £2,000 and £3,000.