This putter is a remake of the model Bobby Jones used in the 1930s and features a head made from nickel plating over copper plating over forged carbon steel. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! Haha my dad had a set of these and I ended up bagging the 3 and 4 irons as I hated the hybrids that came with my new set. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. What about Pax (Paul Goydos promoted them)? 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. He would hold up the club so they could see the 7 on the bottom and with a big grin say I hit a 7 iron. Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. But, they were NOS (New Old Stock) and with Ohio State grips and headcovers; so a diehard Buckeye fan. KKRs $25 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco was chronicled in the book (and tv movie) Barbarians at the Gate. Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. my Dad is still pulling new 90s & 2000s Top Flights from the closet to play lol. Jeff Sheets had been Director of R&D for Top-Flite since 1995, and his first club for Hogan became a legend. You cannot paste images directly. I saw the Cisneros brothers maybe once in my time there, he says. Steve Almo All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. 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 Get10% offat Global Golf with Code:SwingYard. Incidentally, Vulcan (Chicago suburb club makers who made some of the earliest hybrids) made a full set of hybrids 3-SW. You have not lived until you hit good hybrid wedges! The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. LOL. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. 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. "https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). It was an excellent article and some of the follow-on comments from industry stalwarts like Jack Wullkotte, David Hueber, Tom Wishon, etc. That year Albert and his brothers opened the A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods company and started making baseballs. Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. What a great list! However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. In the early days, golf clubs were hand-forged using a hammer and anvil. The reason why Spalding clubs arent particularly valuable is that they have been widely available for so many years. I actually have a set of 440s I bring them out every year or two when I am hitting the ball poorly. This is because Spalding stopped manufacturing golf clubs in 2002, and most of the clubs available online today are vintage sets. 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. But they seem to work though. 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. If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . I had released it into the foreign market through a network of distributors mid in 1978, where it was well received. Buyers can still find Spalding clubs on some secondary sites. 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 traded in some Titleist Acushnet blades for themI had only paid $99.00 for the set of Acushnets (used)they gave me $139.00 in trade value, and wanted another $100 for the UniquesThey were some of the easiest to hit irons I have ever ownedout of the 40 50 different sets I have had. Finally, I think a distinction needs to be made between the wackiest looking and worst irons made. The Executives were the bomb back in the day. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. Image: Central Press/Hulton Archive via Getty Images. I learned the game on a set of used Spalding Execs-still have them today. The old Spaulding Executive set I had back in the early 1980s. Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. By then the Cisneros brothers had taken the money and ran. Your previous content has been restored. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. Dont be ashamed thoughsome of these designs have actually been pioneering for the industry. And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! Anyone hear of them? I dont know how people could justify any of the others. About; Blog; Service; Contacts Dreadful golf balls! Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. In one sense, Spalding suffered the same fate irrelevance as did fellow legacy golf brands Wilson Staff and MacGregor. It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. Well these irons which were designed out in LA by Stan Thompson were made to capitalize on that same concept. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. What you supposed to do, cut your head off!!! i was pretty impressed with the club. Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com, Maxfli Tour, Tour X and Tour S Golf Balls, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Topgolf Callaway 2022 Financials: $4 Billion? By 2002, players such as Hal Sutton, Bernhard Langer, and Luke Donald were playing the Hogan Apex ball. Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. He also had a head for business and knew a good opportunity when he saw one. I really enjoy reading your articles, John. In 1938, the USGA passed an edict limiting players to 14 clubs. They were good at it too, in one year selling off companies for more than $7 billion they had bought for only $1 billion. Today we are going to be spotlighting the crazy, the absurd, and some of the wackiest irons the golf world has ever seen. Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. Great stuff. After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. when were spalding executive golf clubs made MENU. KKR had been trying to dump Spalding as early as 2000, but no one would take on the debt burden. All Irons for men were 37. 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. Really solid clubs. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. Original? His stuff was marvelous and all original. 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!!!! 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. So I sent it in and got the iron. In an effort to keep golf a game of skill, the USGA implemented the 14 club rule that we see today. made it even more interesting and valuable. Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. The Cobra set left handed golf club set is made of premium products. What a mess that design was! They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. Cliffy2020 { Theyre awesome. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. On top line: OVERSIZE. Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. 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. [email protected] when were spalding executive golf clubs made. They had fantastic fairway woods that I still take out for a spin every once in a while. Did KKR overpay? The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight. - BenHogan. 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. The Kro-Flite in 1930 was golfs first liquid center golf ball, while the Spalding DOT was a mid-century icon. 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. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. 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). Although the Inertial irons werent so lucky. 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. Every iron ever made is ugly as hell when you hit it off the hosel. With new sexy companies like Titleist, Callaway, and TaylorMade, and golfers like Tiger and Phil, the new aged golfer wasnt interested in playing their grandpas golf clubs. Sales declined into the 2000s, and Spalding made their last club in 2002. Model: Tour Pro Offset I think I actually played one of them 150 holes before I gave up. Duclos, a former flight engineer worked on the Skylab and S-IVB (third stage of the Saturn V rocket, responsible for getting the Apollo module from the Earth to the moon). A very interesting stroll down golf history. What the hey. In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. My golf team partner talked me into getting new technology Ping G-20s a couple years ago, & I can not hit them nearly as well. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game I still have the samurai irons,2-pw and woods,driver,3w,5w,7w,,and still use them. Remember all the other clubs, good to read. Both were smart, competent leaders but had little golf experience. As a designer, the design is perfect and although they look funny, they were a great club, ask Cory Pavin. Shank no more, draw, fade, straight, you name it, my Filas do it. I finally gave it to a friend of mine who is a beginner and he says it is the only club he can hit reliably. Tommy Armours ownership circus eventually turned it into the Sports Authority (and now DICKS) house brand. Started Thursday at 03:24 PM, Please put and questions or comments here, Please put any questions or comments here, Please put any questions of comments here. but fairly forgiving. Throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s, Spalding and Titleist were running neck and neck in golf ball production. Don Wood has the patent for the Plop Slotz Irons. 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? Still bagging their wedges. I have a set of Ben Hogan AHS Hybrids and the SW is even a hybrid! Instead, well hit the highlights. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. 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. Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek. "logo": { }, One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. Read on to learn more about the history of Spalding clubs and what you can expect from various models. 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. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! By this time, Spalding was making everything from barbells, dumbells, punching bags, and rowing machines to fencing blades, whistles, shot puts, javelins, and golf clubs. I collect odd golf items. Keep up the great work. The VAS are ugly, but they work. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. I have a set of clubs with Belmont Power on them. Please put any questions or comments here. They dropped the Tour Edition moniker and focused on the expansion of their touring staff on the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA tours. You might be wondering how the hell did a Ping iron make the listbut look againthis one definitely deserves to be on the list for Wackiest Irons. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. I have had many pros in proams hit them and fascinated by how the ball comes off the club face so fast,,good distance. when were spalding executive golf clubs madeoregon dpsst training calendar. Spalding Top-Flite In 1995 Spalding Sporting Goods reorganized its golf club division by forming the Top-Flight golf company as its premium club brand. Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. today. (Cavity back blades???) The VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! Although from a phone-in interview Mr. VAS told us, I feel robbed. Thanks. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. Those and the Ram Tour Grinds that Watson played were my bucket list irons, but never could afford them. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. Too bad. Inventory available of individual, single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons. 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. Within three years, it would be gone for good. Does Spalding make golf balls? Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. Men's Right Handed. I had some Staff FG-17 and my friends dad had the Executives. 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. Over two million Bobby Jones sets were sold in America. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. Fila Golf has developed this new iron using a patented design feature. Now, like Henry Ford's assembly-line Model T's, Spalding craftsmen used a mechanical hammer to craft club-heads, drill sockets in them to attach the shaft and then polish the heads, all of which allowed Spalding to mass produce matching club sets. We stand behind our clubs and want you to be satisfied with them. Just make sure to mix in a few lessons with your local PGA pro, and you'll progress nicely. I had a VAS 5 iron. Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! In the mid-80s, Spalding introduced the solid core Tour Edition, and in 1996 it came out with Strata, a true game-changer for Spalding and the first multi-layer solid core ball used on Tour. Men's Right Handed. Went back 10 years and got the 845s used. Great article takes me back to nostalgia. Basically, the new irons are all the same cavity backed design tweaked for the metal content and painted pretty for your golf bag. Mr. Adams had just formed Taylor Made Golf in late 1978 and this was their first showing in the market. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), CONTEST Adams Pro Black Giveaway! Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. My first set of irons were the Tiger Sharks.The ball seemed to jump off the face.I still have them.My second set,still in play,are the Vas+.I love them.I hit them a mile high and they feel great.When I hear them calledthe worst irons ever it makes me wonder what the heck Im missing out on. 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 wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #1. In the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. Just saw a full set of them again today. Purespin (diamond face)? Fugly yes looks kinda like a pancake spatula at address but effective. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. It kept some of those out of my bag Im sure. One day, I was caddying for him and he crushed a drive, but about 100 yards out, it just fell out of the sky. Great set. Spalding Executive Registered 3 4 5 Driver Wedge P Golf Clubs Set Made In USA $26.21 Local Pickup or Best Offer SPONSORED Vintage lot of 3 Woods Top Flite Spalding Model 133 Professional 1 3 4 golf Club $29.95 $17.95 shipping or Best Offer SPONSORED PERSIMMON Spalding Robert Jones Jr Percussion Woods Set Golf Clubs Driver & 3 $60.00 $15.00 shipping While the Top Flite was initially scorned by better players as the rock flight, it probably caused a rule change. * Note: These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. Albert Spalding died in 1915, but his company continued to flourish. MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. What are the Most Forgiving Forged Irons? "datePublished": "2022-05-12", And continuity, leadership, and smart decisions matter. Both are really great. Established in Caracas in 1929 as a small material transport business, the Cisneros Group had its fingers in everything from soft drinks, ice cream, and beauty products to banking and a burgeoning telecommunications business. Overall, Spalding clubs arent worth a great deal of money today, but theyre a good option if youre hoping to pick up an affordable set of clubs to get started with. I would hand stamp #7 on all irons. }. There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Driver Review, Best Womens Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players, Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professional. 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. Especially in America. #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. 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 The Spalding brand, however, is still alive under the Russell Athletic umbrella, making basketballs and apparel. Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! Great insight! FIND A SET! Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. I played them for years, they were solid, and they looked really good at address for their time period. All that creativity has led to the great clubs we have today. Spalding sponsored Vardons 1900 tour of America, culminating in Vardon winning the U.S. Open in Chicago. I actually like the looks of those babies! We had small layoffs on an ongoing basis, and people kept looking over their shoulder. No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. I became a +2 handicap using those irons, and a lot of people scoffed at them early ontill they saw me hit them. Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. The shelves are full of the latest and greatest technology (hybrids, woods the size of a frying pan, dozens of shaft offerings), in 20+ years people will be laughing at those funky sticks as well. My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. It was if I walked into the store from a time machine. I have a Simmons Great White Shark putter with a 7 blade. You should shoot me some pics of your new set. 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. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Spalding released multiple iterations of its Executive clubs throughout the sixties and seventies, and they became popular with professional golfers and recreational players alike. They all looked like mini woods. * Note: These irons were designed by Don Wood remember the Plop putterswell they are back at it againyou can check them out here. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spalding's most easily recognizable clubs. The Top-Flite acquisition made it a player. * Note: These irons were designed by Pat Simmons and ex-pilot and engineer which also had a part in the Zebra putter design. I just found a set of Slingers at the thrift store for $10. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. All are memory refreshing .. have been in golf clubhead design , manufacturing 25 years , familiar with the designs ! $77.83. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", Placing the hosel behind the face eliminates the occasional `shank, creating forward-face progression. The nineties saw the release of the Top Flite Tour Ti irons, which were among the last clubs that the long-standing brand would manufacture. Just got Calloway X20s last week. I cant believe to Ping Zing 2s are on the list. OK. Ive got some irons sets you have up (Fila, Cleveland, Slotline, and the Tiger Shark). 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. 0 bids. Can you come up with any info on these? Corey Pavin won the 1996 US Open Shinnecock with a purple set. Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. I still have the irons to this day! "author": "Ned Howard", I just searched eBay right now and saw a set for $139. Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. The Black Dots were longest (for me) but that cover would smile back at you with the slightest mishit. At the time of the sale, it was considered the lowest cost and most efficient operation in the industry. Spalding stopped producing golf clubs in 2022, focusing on other sports in the years since. Love it or hate it the Nike Slingshot irons made the list. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. Your email address will not be published. You have any pics of the Samurai irons Neilwould love to see them. Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. The company's unique "baseball mark" A.G. Spalding had helped put baseball on the map--was stamped on the clubs and below it "Made in Great Britain" appeared. The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. I shoot mid-80s like OP. unbelieveably so..!! Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. What about Goldwin?? Yes it has some smoother lines compared to some of the other clubs on the listbut you put that PowerBow as Nike says on any of those other irons and it is a dead ringer for this list of crazies. Not sure if the Black Knight, Gary Players endorsement sucked allot of buyers into buying.LOL. 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.