The strangest set I play with at the moment is a matching set of 3 through 15 fairway woods made by Protactic Golf in Chicago (part of the remains of Northwestern Golf, I think). I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. Autore dell'articolo: Articolo pubblicato: 16/06/2022 Categoria dell'articolo: fixed gantry vs moving gantry cnc Commenti dell'articolo: andy's dopey transposition cipher andy's dopey transposition cipher "@type": "ImageObject", 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. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. Thanks for the history lesson, truly amazing how fast Spalding unraveled. "height": "342", Its a great story that needs to be told. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. unbelieveably so..!! Don Wood has the patent for the Plop Slotz Irons. Love them oldies. MacGregors ownership carousel started in 1978 when it was sold to lumber conglomerate Wickes. In 1880, Spaldings League Ball became the official baseball of the National League (and later of the American League), a position it held until 1976. Titleist has been the Ball King for so long, its hard to remember a time when it wasnt. The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? This stuff is really interesting.. We want your input before testing begins. Learn how your comment data is processed. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. The Executives were the bomb back in the day. 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. Whats more, KKR continued adding to its golf empire, buying Etonic in 1996 and Ben Hogan a year later. worst time to visit costa rica; apartments for rent in fort pierce with utilities included; sunshine plaza opening hours sunday; photosynthesis and cellular respiration kahoot Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. They were good at it too, in one year selling off companies for more than $7 billion they had bought for only $1 billion. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons. Spalding started adding Tour staff during the 90s, with Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Graig Stadler, and Nick Price all playing Stratas. In 1893, Spalding bought the Lamb Knitting Machine Company in Chicopee, Mass which made, obviously, knitting machines and, less obviously, eggbeaters, bicycle wheels, and rifles. I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. Take the Spalding Executive line. As previously mentioned, you can buy Spalding Molitor clubs at Rock Bottom, and theyre a great option for beginner players. Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. What is it for weight transfer? why did patrice o'neal leave the office; why do i keep smelling hairspray; giant ride control one auto mode; current fishing report: lake havasu And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. The RB880 s by Northwestern are also knockoffs of the Browning 440 s. When I was starting golf, I went to the shop and these were the clubs that I hit the best (compared to cavity backs) and bought them. Im from SD, so I had a set. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. The stickers are silver, but the Slinger logo is a black heavy type face and says pat. when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. Spalding lost $27 million in 2000 and another $20 million in 2001. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Do you remember what golf websites you were shopping on back in 1995? That year Albert and his brothers opened the A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods company and started making baseballs. Since the Ryder Cup is shortly upon us MyGolfSpy & GolfCircuit.com thought it[]. Yes, it sold a ton of golf balls, but as one former employee told us, the brand was decidedly blue-collar and not focused on the golf professional. So I sent it in and got the iron. 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. I don't mind the executives though, don't really know much about them either. It kept some of those out of my bag Im sure. It was in A Disordly Compendium of Golf I cant find my copy (actually havent seen it in a few months) but I know it was in there. They preceded hybrid irons by 20 years or so. I have a set of Spalding exec XE love them- I dont play more than 5-6 rounds a year now, but they are so consistant , I could go a year between swings and still play the same- got them back in 1980- ish. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. Brilliant writing! Jerry Barber Golden Touch shank-proof irons (BeCu, ideally), Powerbilt TPS with the Goalpost Alignment System, And I agree with a previous posters suggestion of the Spalding Cannon ADVANCE. Very well researched and well done, as someone who is not super well versed in some of golfs history, it was a great, informative read! Maybe it is a good idea or maybe it is not. Spalding used to own Top Flite before selling the subsidiary to Callaway. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. and I firmly believe the demise of Spalding was because a number of CEOs with little or no knowledge of the golf industry were appointed Can anyone ballpark an estimate on the value of a set of Samurai clubs? Jeff Sheets had been Director of R&D for Top-Flite since 1995, and his first club for Hogan became a legend. I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Various . Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. It wasnt very sophisticated back then, and they wanted to add layers of sophistication that they had in their other businesses. lol! Don't let scams get away with fraud. Theyre awesome. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. Until the USGA banned deep-grooved irons, Spalding's Stop 'Em and Dedstop clubs brought a smile to countless players' faces. Get10% offat Global Golf with Code:SwingYard. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. The 300XXL Driver was so lightawesome clubhead speed ! Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By GolfWRX_Official Executives were my first real set of golf clubs. and they wonder why they went out of business. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." Sold them to a guy 30 years younger who also loved them. . MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Some of the most popular Spalding Club models were: At one time, Greg Norman used the Spalding Tour Edition irons, now a collectors item, on Tour. Acushnet has been sold twice since the 1970s, and each time the buyer took the same approach: be profitable, and well leave you alone. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites Those Slinger Irons were the brain child of Jim Flood. In 1998 Spalding released the Top-Flite System C and System T golf balls which, Spalding claimed, were designed to perform best with two top-selling drivers of that year, the Callaway Big Bertha and the TaylorMade Ti Bubble 2. The range is for form anyway. That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. 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. But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. So, if youre looking for a decent set of golf clubs without breaking the bank, theres no reason not to invest in a used set of Spalding clubs if you see a set that you like online. Pat Simmons of Tiger Shark fame (and others) is the most underrated club designer of all time! A set of wedges were introduced several years ago claiming to be New and the best thing since sliced bread, but they looked strangely similar to the Golden Touch irons. Wide sole. "@context": "http://schema.org/", Case in point: The article makes the statement that The (Cleveland) VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! I dont think Cory Pavin would have won PGA tour events and endorsed them if this had been true. The likes of Callaway, TaylorMade, and PING all enjoyed good commercial success in the late nineties, and Spalding couldnt match the same feats achieved by the biggest brands. * Note: These irons were designed by Duke Duclos. Leather Golf Grips Review: Should I Use Them? When youre in the market for Spalding clubs, bear in mind that they were branded as Top-Flite clubs for a while, so be sure to broaden your search to include Top-Flite models. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. ), Finn Scooter Golf Reviews (Are These the Real Deal? By 1910, the company was selling aluminum fairway clubs and its Gold Medal series (1910 to 1919) featured aluminum bronze. How about the Spalding Exec SE. 5 Testers Needed! 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. Jones immediately put his Georgia Tech engineering degree to good use. 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. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", Callaway wound up suing Spalding for using its imagery on Spalding packaging. Its obvious that the maker of the Slingers spent SO much money on R&D that he had to use STICKERS instead of stamped lettering. Clear editor. About; Blog; Service; Contacts Regardless, both are great sets. i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. You have any pics of the Samurai irons Neilwould love to see them. Do You have any idea? I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. " [We] decided that . and had a driving range there for many years. The pro-shop who had them could not find a buyer. 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. Copyright 2023. You can post now and register later. Bought a set for $25 as to help out a young lady with cancer. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. * Note: These irons were designed by Don Wood remember the Plop putterswell they are back at it againyou can check them out here. Clare. The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. A very interesting stroll down golf history. Spalding stopped producing golf clubs in 2022, focusing on other sports in the years since. Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. Men's Right Handed. And continuity, leadership, and smart decisions matter. When my father would shot a 215 yard iron into the hole, his fellow golfers wold ask him what club he used. But as you can see could cause some serious digging issues. 6. Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. So, while Spalding is nowhere near as prevalent as it once was in the world of golf, you can still pick up a set of Molitor clubs for a very reasonable price online. What you like is what you like. i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. Much cheaper than renting. They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. 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. KKR was established in 1976 by partners Jerome Kohlberg, Henry Kravis, and George Roberts. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, I may be way off they had a a plain face -but the back was a series of round holes -like a honey comb design does any one remember these what were they called and who made themmy friend died so I cant ask himanyway thanks. In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. Thats great. (8 Ways To Know) . Would you make an iron set out of stone? GolfCartReport.com, Golf Undershirts (20 To Try On The Market Today), Do I Need Longer Golf Clubs? Bird on ball was a very popular club. WITB Albums. 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. 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. Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. Dont be ashamed thoughsome of these designs have actually been pioneering for the industry. vicunas. Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", The Cobra set left handed golf club set is made of premium products. words that have to do with clay P.O. Im surprised that nobody has mentioned the Wilson Fat Shaft irons for ugliness. Is it worth getting a new set of clubs, or should I focus on getting spikes and a gloves, ( I currently golf in thing sandles) 0. Though he is a footnote in the PGA history he was briefly on tour in the 50s. Fugly yes looks kinda like a pancake spatula at address but effective. But under Section 363 of Chapter 11, a seller can sell assets without having to negotiate with its creditors. Spalding also produced the first U.S.-made golf shoes, the first clubs to use numbers instead of names, and the first completely matching set of woods and irons (the Kro-Flite). I would like to repay you with mine. You cannot paste images directly. I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls. Just make sure to mix in a few lessons with your local PGA pro, and you'll progress nicely. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). Some crazy lookin clubs, Why didnt you include the 1st set of Ping Irons? The Top-Flite line was to feature investment-cast irons and Strata balls sold through pro shops and off-course retailers, while Spalding was to be the value/recreational line sold pretty much everywhere. What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. 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. The BIG BOYS missed on this one. Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. They actually play pretty well. Tommy Armours ownership circus eventually turned it into the Sports Authority (and now DICKS) house brand. Again THANK YOU FOR THE GOLF LESSON!!!!! One day, I was caddying for him and he crushed a drive, but about 100 yards out, it just fell out of the sky. ), Undersize Golf Grips Explained (8 Key Facts!). Cliffy2020 1 Iron (18) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE. Got them for $200.00 which was a really great price other pro shops were asking $450.00 for a set. 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. We used to say three-quarters of the golf balls manufactured in the world came out of the state of Massachusetts, says Ben Hogan CEO Scott White, who started his career as a golf ball product manager for Spalding in the early 90s. Is that so? "author": "Ned Howard", The Spaulding Executive XE for me never looked right They were available in 1-SW (I believe) A friend used to play these and I always suggested using his pitching wood :o) My $.02. I was interested in golf until around 2001 and soon discovered spoiling was on anachronism at that point. At the same time, the Spalding Top-Flite Syncrho-Dyned irons (released in 1953) were well received, thanks to their flex shaft and copper undercoating. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2. The Black Dots and Red Dots were equivalent to the Titleist black numerals and red numerals. maybe EVER. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. Your previous content has been restored. OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! }. Brings back great memories! He actually manufactured a set of irons whose heads were literally upside down take an iron, turn in upside down, your top edge now hits the turf, the sole having a hosel. It felt like a rock but flew like a rocket and weekend warriors bought them by the bushel. they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. And add on Sweet Spot Golf Drivers and the Mac/Burrows Driver. Jim passed away recentlyhe was a great innovator do you remember the Basakwerd Putter Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. And Jim Furyk won the 2003 U.S. Open with the new Strata Ace, which featured playing card suits (a la Penfold) instead of numbers. SPALDING EXECUTIVE 3-PW Iron Set Golf Clubs R/H Jet Step Stiff Flex Steel. Nice article John! I just searched eBay right now and saw a set for $139. In the 1960s, Spalding introduced the Spalding Executive line of clubs and balls and the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons with the Bird on Ball logo. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. These articles are all outstanding. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. I learned the game on a set of used Spalding Execs-still have them today. In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. I tried to hit it oncenot a good idea! If so, are they any good? In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. "datePublished": "2022-05-12", Used them for about 10-15 years before I switch to 845s. Great list of wild clubs. Callaway had long wanted Top-Flites ball factory and patents but didnt want to assume any debt. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. Albert Spalding was a superstar. The Early Years of Spalding Golf Starting in 1900, Spalding opened club-making factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905, it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. 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 Ping Zings were the worst! Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? Youve forgotten the worst offender. Pretty or not (thats the clubs), I have played Fila Latitude irons since they came out. Driver to 15 wood. Windtree Golf is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. Latitude Irons also give the golfer an added patented design feature of dual skids on the sole. Not sure if the Black Knight, Gary Players endorsement sucked allot of buyers into buying.LOL. As the 21st Century dawned, it had impressive sales and deep-pocket owners, but in reality, it was staring down the barrel of a gun. 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. You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. Jim, If you are interested in writing about the history of the urethane covered golf ball at Titleist, I can provide all of the facts. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. 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.. Weve done a mini-history on the Hogan Company, with input from a couple of longtime Hogan employees. My high school graduation present from my parents back in 1973 was a set of Executive clubs (back when the irons were forged before they were cast). White says the KKR leadership team was much more hands-on than the Cisneros brothers had ever been, which is understandable if you just shelled out a billion simoleons for a sporting goods company. I actually like the looks of those babies! Hope you all enjoyed a look back at some of the craziest irons ever made. Thanks! During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ Still have the XL-4s in the garage. These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. Sign In. }, The Start Of Spalding Golf Clubs In 1905, a sporting goods company saw that golf was starting to become quite popular in the United States. Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. APPLY NOW: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! I dont think I paid more than $300 for all four sets combined- Im a Salvation Army searcher. Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. What the hey. I wonder what Jack thought of them. Well they made execs for over 20 yearswhich ones do you have? Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. marrano patio homes lancaster, ny 9, Juin, 2022. horse property for sale pocatello, idaho; While theyre old-school, Spalding clubs are made to high standards and are built to last, making them a great option if youre looking for a cheap and cheerful set of clubs. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! Ive owned a set of VAS, Zings, Slingshots and the Spaulding Execs (for vintage golf days). I would hand stamp #7 on all irons. More than 50 percent of that total came from golf ball sales.