I'm 25 years old and I've been playing with my grandfathers Spalding executives for 10 years now, and I shoot about a 80-85. The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? Although they did have issues with the shafts actually wrinkling due to the configuration of the shape of the toe on this ironcrazy little factoid. Id like to include the Wilson Reflex irons and PGF Slammer series. By 1910, the company was selling aluminum fairway clubs and its Gold Medal series (1910 to 1919) featured aluminum bronze. It is my Go To clubmy favorite. NOW AVAILABLE: GolfWRX G/Fore Hats and Holderness & Bourne Polos! I actually have a set of 440s I bring them out every year or two when I am hitting the ball poorly. No. What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He struggled quite a bit with the change.. I would hand stamp #7 on all irons. It became the most consistent and durable golf ball ever made. Too bad. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, Tuesday at 04:47 PM, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 20, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 6, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, January 31, By We had small layoffs on an ongoing basis, and people kept looking over their shoulder. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. I played a lot of Spaulding equipment as a kid in all kinds of sports. Again THANK YOU FOR THE GOLF LESSON!!!!! And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. it was at my range's rental bin. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. Does Spalding make golf balls? 5 Testers Needed! I remember a set called Canon I think, possibly a Spalding brand. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. marrano patio homes lancaster, ny 9, Juin, 2022. horse property for sale pocatello, idaho; Find golf club trade-in and re-sales values for over 4,000 models of used golf clubs at the PGA Value Guide, from leading manufacturers such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping, Odyssey, Nike, Cleveland, Mizuno, Cobra, Adams, Wilson. when were spalding executive golf clubs made MENU. These skids are tapered from the leading edge toward the rear of the club head, raising the sole above the ground without raising the leading edge off the ground. KKRs $25 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco was chronicled in the book (and tv movie) Barbarians at the Gate. Promoting both sports and sports equipment, the lineup featured titles such as How To Play Second Base by Hall of Famer Johnny Evers, Boxing: A Guide to the Manly Art of Self Defense, and How to Play Golf by Harry Vardon and James Braid. Those are the reasons they work. My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! They had fantastic fairway woods that I still take out for a spin every once in a while. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. Unfortunately, Spalding has fallen a long way down the pecking order in terms of their sporting equipment, and it has been a long time since they manufactured a new set of golf clubs. Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. If youre looking to buy or sell vintage Spalding clubs, the best place to do so is on eBay or Craigslist, where you can list the clubs in the condition that they are currently in. I will admit to having a hankering for those slick lookin Zevo Lobs tho. Tom Farrell. Jackie Gleason also owned a set. Anyone ever hear of anything like that? Instead, well hit the highlights. The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. I demand a re-count!, He went on to say, and as owner of MyGolfSpy you should feel ashamed since you were given a set as a gift 15 years ago and I remember you putting me in play for a few rounds, how could you do this to me?, Slotline had a hit on their hands with their Slotline Inertial puttersthey sold over 2 Million of those flatsticks. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. Spalding, like its old school brethren Wilson and MacGregor, simply wasnt sexy to a new generation of golfers. Mismanagement and a growing golf market led Spalding to cease manufacturing golf products, selling off popular brands like Top Flite to Callaway in the early 2000s. These irons actually performed quite well and had many copy cats of it down the road to prove itincluding another iron that made the list at #12 Slotline Lowpro iron and the Titleist Super Slim irons. and they placed it in the show. But, you raised an interesting question: If Top-Flite Elite Professional irons with the Bird on Ball logoare rated by the MyGolfSpy Forums resident vintage club expert Big Stu as the third greatest pure forged blade of all time. Then what irons are #1 and #2 best ever forged blades? I have a set of Ben Hogan AHS Hybrids and the SW is even a hybrid! With this in mind, this article looks at why Spalding golf clubs are no longer popular and how much some of their most popular sets are worth. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. Fugly yes looks kinda like a pancake spatula at address but effective. The market was changing rapidly, as well. I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. I have a Simmons Great White Shark putter with a 7 blade. Currently play AP2s coming out of the bag for a few rounds and if the linear dynamics keep performing like they did in Vegas the AP2s will be taking a long rest. They play as well as any other set Just remember, Its always the indian and not the arrow. Love them oldies. Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. any info on this garbage?lol. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. I had released it into the foreign market through a network of distributors mid in 1978, where it was well received. Although lots of factors influence how much golf clubs are worth, you can typically pick up a set of Spalding golf clubs for less than $100. In the meantime, this should hold you over, https://mygolfspy.com/why-does-the-ben-hogan-equipment-company-still-matter/. We are here to help educate and empower golfers. money, time and performance. I still have a set of samurai woods and irons,,and still use them,,had a pro hit my 7 iron once,,it flew his 7iron,,he was amazed,they hit great,,but graphite wears down over years and breaks,and when that happens,,its hard to find a replacement,,,. Amazing how so of the old stuff works better than the hyped up new stuff! I asked him about it and he said he had shown it to Spaulding, Wilson and MacGregor and their response was It will never sell!!!! I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. Right now Ive been with the Execs 2 then 5 SW, Ram 64 wedge, 1 & 3 wood, both hybrids and putter. Current owner FILA Korea Ltd took Acushnet public, and the company has thrived ever since. "datePublished": "2022-05-12", when were spalding executive golf clubs made. maybe EVER. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #3. In 1893, Spalding bought the Lamb Knitting Machine Company in Chicopee, Mass which made, obviously, knitting machines and, less obviously, eggbeaters, bicycle wheels, and rifles. We want your input before testing begins. They are a blade from the early 80`s. Titleist and PING were established competitors, while TaylorMade and Callaway were flexing their muscles. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. I'm 25 years old and I've been playing with my grandfathers Spalding executives for 10 years now, and I shoot about a 80-85. As a golfer of a certain age, these history articles are fascinating! Executives were my first real set of golf clubs. In the 1920s, Spalding started making irons and innovated an assembly line style forging process that was much cheaper, faster, and more precise than the ole hammer and anvil. The pro-shop who had them could not find a buyer. You cannot do that with any other club. Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. Leather Golf Grips Review: Should I Use Them? Man crush on Nicklaus led to this purchase. It overpaid for Spalding and borrowed heavily to do it. The chrome Not sure if the Black Knight, Gary Players endorsement sucked allot of buyers into buying.LOL. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. For more than 25 years, he has contributed to a wide array of publications including "American Heritage," "American History," "Yankee," "VFW," "Golf," and "Golf News." What the hey. Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. As previously mentioned, you can buy Spalding Molitor clubs at Rock Bottom, and theyre a great option for beginner players. By . Tommy Armour TI 100 need to be on the list, they were twice the size of any other iron produced ever. I had a VAS 5 iron. Even tho I play with graphic shafts I really like the way those play. There are a couple different models of this iron. Especially in America. About; Blog; Service; Contacts Model: Tour Pro Offset Within weeks, Top-Flite filed Chapter 11. I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. He also worked at Zevo when the LoB Irons were developed. I have the entire set of samurai woods and irons,,,driver,3wood,5wood,7wood,,irons,,2-pw,dont believe they ever made a sw,,,,and I still use them,,,my fellow golfers are still amazed at the distance I get,,if you want a picture of the set,,let me know,,ill take one and send to you,,, I have the whole set of samurai irons,2-pw and woods1,3,5,7,,still use them,,i have had pros hit them,,and be amazed at the distances over their irons,,,i would like to find another 5wood,if anyone knows where or who has 1,,i, neil,,do you have a samuarai 5 wood,,,hard to find,,,id like one. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. Please put any questions or comments here. With the help of computers, we designed a unique shape we call the `Bull Nose which extends the toe weight out far enough to balance the head without creating an elongated appearance. Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. Scott was a highly respected individual in the golf industry during this period and he had the respect of both his staff and golf professionals Laugh if you must, but the design works. No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. I collect odd golf items. I can't imagine them being worth a shit. If KKR had appointed Scott Creleman as the head man at the time I firmly believe Dpaldi g would still be a player in the golf industry Today its hard to fine a wooden golf club in a bag!!!! 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 The Honda Classic - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Genesis Invitational - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - Discussion and Links to all photos. That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), Acushnet 2022 Financials: $2.27 Billion and Counting, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Four Testers Wanted Inesis Spikeless Shoe. Don't let scams get away with fraud. Itd take a week to prepare for.. I was the Sales Manager of Stan Thompson golf company for several years and worked very close with Stan. Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You cannot paste images directly. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! Written by June 5, 2022 . It was first shown at the PGA dealers show at Disney World, Orlando, Florida 1979. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! Clare. They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. The Sounder irons could be on the list-and are the best irons I ever had (have). Got the 3 PW for 3.99 a club, bought the 5- PW first, played two rounds and went back and bought the 3 & 4. Make sense as I do have a Johnny Miller PW which looks just like an X 70. I play them still and love them. By 2002, players such as Hal Sutton, Bernhard Langer, and Luke Donald were playing the Hogan Apex ball. The products soon disappeared from shelves. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. I think a list of the craziest irons made should definitely include the Jerry Barber Golden Touch irons made over 40 years ago. Dont be ashamed thoughsome of these designs have actually been pioneering for the industry. Spalding Executive clubs were established in the 1960s, with the Top Flite Executive Synchro-Dyned golf clubs being the first in a super popular series. It is more of a you gotta be kidding me), an Integra 650 cc driver (you have to dig a ditch before you swing), etc. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. Wanted them when I was in college but couldnt afford them then. The top of the club head is horisontal and is easy to set up perpendical to the target. One of my buddies gave me a Tiger Shark wedge the one with 3 different alignment lines, concave dimples on the face instead of grooves, and a funky dual bounce sole configuration. i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. !but they had a very proprietary, strange-sized grip. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. "@type": "Article", Duke gave me an original solid brass/bronze Greenirons Slotline putter (heel shafted with slot in top line and white dot on lower rear section).. Well then so did everyone else. Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? I wonder what Jack thought of them. Great set. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites Mr. Adams had just formed Taylor Made Golf in late 1978 and this was their first showing in the market. Although the Inertial irons werent so lucky. The range is for form anyway. President I think I actually played one of them 150 holes before I gave up. These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. These irons which I dont know who actually designed were called the Ray Cook Titanic irons and were made back when Scotty Cameron was a putter designer for the company. } Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. or Best Offer. i think special t golf was the only people dumb enuff to handle these. They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. Is my equipment holding me back? Extra weight added to the toe keeps the center of gravity where needed and also keeps the club head square at impact, resulting in straighter shots.. Was: C $107.89. vicunas. Nice article John! OK. Ive got some irons sets you have up (Fila, Cleveland, Slotline, and the Tiger Shark). How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. You should shoot me some pics of your new set. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. Upload or insert images from URL. Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. When we got out there, his Black Dot was split all the way to the liquid core I played D1 golf in college and we got three Red Dots for every match. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). Taylor Made Golf was my Distributor for the U.S. and Canadian market. I cant believe to Ping Zing 2s are on the list. At the time of the sale, it was considered the lowest cost and most efficient operation in the industry. I saw the Cisneros brothers maybe once in my time there, he says. "sameAs": [ This stuff is really interesting.. My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. In that year, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) took shape, and many of the fledgling tour's stars already had endorsement deals with Spalding. I speak with Nat Rosassco, former owner, of NorthWestern golf at least every 7 to 10 days and he holds Pat Simmons as one of the best club designers of all time as well. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. Purespin (diamond face)? Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. Yes, it did. Well today is going to be a little bit different. Anybody know anything about them? Starting in 1900, Spalding opened clubmaking factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. Your email address will not be published. Albert Spalding was a superstar. These were said to be Moe Normans favorite clubs and are rated by the MyGolfSpy Forums resident vintage club expert Big Stu as the third greatest pure forged blade of all time. lol! #14 - Spalding Executive Irons These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. Whats more, KKR continued adding to its golf empire, buying Etonic in 1996 and Ben Hogan a year later. Another great history piece. Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. Image: Central Press/Hulton Archive via Getty Images. Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. Get the best deals on Spalding Executive Irons when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. They definitely arent the prettiest of clubs but I did enjoy playing them. Do You have any idea? And in 1930, it hit the jackpot. Its impossible to overstate Albert Spaldings vision and ambition. Well these irons which were designed out in LA by Stan Thompson were made to capitalize on that same concept. Corey Pavin won the 1996 US Open Shinnecock with a purple set. I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. Sold millions of those over the years. Almost , http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html. I will let the then Chariman of FILA Golf tell you a little bit about these 1994 released set of ironsand take you back in time like you were there for the original launch: Never before have so many game improvement features been built into one club. Oddity? Spalding got so inventive with their clubmaking, they had golf bags around America sporting 20-30 clubs. * Note: These irons were designed by Don Wood remember the Plop putterswell they are back at it againyou can check them out here. It felt like a rock but flew like a rocket and weekend warriors bought them by the bushel. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. Is that so? The primary reason why Spalding halted the production of golf clubs was that they couldnt keep up with the competition. Callaway had long wanted Top-Flites ball factory and patents but didnt want to assume any debt. Press J to jump to the feed. Keep up the great work. In 1892 Spalding went into acquisition mode, buying up two key competitors: the A.J. Titleist has been the Ball King for so long, its hard to remember a time when it wasnt. Really a zany=looking set of irons. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-1.svg" When Did Spalding Stop Making Golf Clubs. Make Request. Men's Right Handed. * Note: These irons were designed by Pat Simmons and ex-pilot and engineer which also had a part in the Zebra putter design. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. The VAS are ugly, but they work. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. i was pretty impressed with the club. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Do you remember what golf websites you were shopping on back in 1995? These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. The Spaulding Executive was just too far ahead of its timegreat club! Only until tomorrow until my hybrids come in and boom they're gone. And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls. It was a close race but in the end we felt like it was finally time for the super-rare and hard to find Lil David Slingers get the recognition they were due. In 2001 Spalding launched a $17 million ad campaign for Hogan and Strata. Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! And if you did not have the exact lie to match your swing could cause issues with the toe or heel diving down at impact.