Fantastic article John! Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. * Note: These irons were designed by Dave (cant remember last name) which was considered a very good designer by others in the business at the time and one that some felt did not get as much credit as he deserved. The 300XXL Driver was so lightawesome clubhead speed ! Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? 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. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. They are nearly in perfect condition. Callaway had been making balls but never turned a profit. 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. The Top Flite name lives on, however, thanks to the purchase of its namesake via Callaway in the early 2000s. when were spalding executive golf clubs madeoregon dpsst training calendar. I learned the game on a set of used Spalding Execs-still have them today. 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 vicunas. This technology is a shank-proof hosel. Over two million Bobby Jones sets were sold in America. Regardless, both are great sets. The set I found is 2-9, but the 5 iron is gone. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Great list of wild clubs. Great looking blade and the low COG really lets one hit it high. Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. 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. By 1970, the ownership group morphed into the Questor Corporation, and Pyramid Rubber was rechristened Evenflo. The 15 wood is only a little longer than an 8 iron (in my 70 yr old hands) so I put a 9 iron through sand wedge in the bag and away we go They are straight and land incredibly soft. Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. They play as well as any other set ), Finn Scooter Golf Reviews (Are These the Real Deal? But unfortunately for the VASs they were dethroned from their long held position. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. I am still playing with my set every week! Its factory could only make about six million dozen a year, and it was paying patent royalties. maybe EVER. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? Odyssey to Callaway In July 1997, Callaway Golf purchased putter maker Odyssey for $130 million, or nearly four times the company's annual sales of $35 million at the time. " [We] decided that . "description": "List of all the Spalding Irons by the year each set was released", Does anyone know anything about them? And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. 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. About half of our sales are with personal names or corporate logos in the back and given as gifts. He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. Is that so? The Early Years Starting in 1900, Spalding opened clubmaking factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the U.K. and U.S. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. What was wacky about the Bears? But just because it was wacky did not mean it was not a hellova seller. KKRs $25 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco was chronicled in the book (and tv movie) Barbarians at the Gate. 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. I agree, though it does deserve a deep dive. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. During their time together, Vardon and Spalding agreed the best way to grow the game in the U.S. and grow the market for Spalding golf products was to build more golf courses. But, in the rough the club went right underneath the ball. Among Jones innovations: the first matched set of steel-shafted irons, the first set of irons with the sweet spot in the center of each club (denoted by a circle of dots on the clubface), and an iron set where the scoring irons were one length, the mid irons were one length, and the long irons were one length. I just love them! 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. }. 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. I wonder what Jack thought of them. Not quite Bryson-like, but innovative for the day. } Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons - Ironfinder I think Browning was leaving the golf business then and they were discounted last set in the store. 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. Its on the list! Spalding, seemingly, was on top of the world. After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. 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. 5 Testers Needed! Europe was a bit ahead of the United States when it came to golf, and the sport had only just started to explode in the United States. i think special t golf was the only people dumb enuff to handle these. At the 2003 PGA Show, Hogan introduced the Apex 50 blade commemorating its 50th anniversary, the game improvement CFT irons, and the Carnoustie and Riviera wedges. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. As a former professional player, Spalding recognized the need of enlisting the assistance of experts to promote both the game and his merchandise. One with the sticker decal and one without. Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. Jones famously retired from golf after winning the 1930 version of the Grand Slam. "@context": "http://schema.org/", I remembered them from this article. John is an aging, yet avid golfer, writer, 9-point-something handicapper living back home in New England after a 22-year exile in Minnesota. The brand was popular until the late 1990s, but Spalding opted for a new direction at the turn of the century and focused on other sports instead of golf. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. Nice article John! My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. Great collection I remember many of them in the past 30 years often thought of buying some of them, but luckily, I didnt, Ive purchased dozens of iron sets in the last few years (Big Bertha,FTI, Taylor Made, Cobra, Nike V series) NOne of these work as well as my Ping Zings, Hey, what about Shakespeare and fiberglass. "keywords": ["spalding irons by year","when did spalding stop making golf clubs","does spalding still make golf clubs","spalding golf clubs history","spalding executive golf clubs history"], $77.83. Great collection! We knew something was up, recalls White. 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 Executives were my first real set of golf clubs. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. 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 is a big name in American sports, having manufactured equipment for basketball, American football, and golf over the years. What is it for weight transfer? LOL. I played a lot of Spaulding equipment as a kid in all kinds of sports. Spalding Driver Golf Clubs for sale | eBay Pretty or not (thats the clubs), I have played Fila Latitude irons since they came out. Spalding manufactured golf clubs for some of the leading players in the game, including the legendary American player Bobby Jones. There was a time that Spalding golf clubs were among the best in the business. The old Spaulding Executive set I had back in the early 1980s. Are these considered weird? 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. However my 6 iron had twice as much offset as any other iron in the set. as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game Men's Right Handed. I would hand stamp #7 on all irons. Please put any questions or comments here. I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. I would appreciate any help you could offer! Ive owned a set of VAS, Zings, Slingshots and the Spaulding Execs (for vintage golf days). Itd take a week to prepare for.. #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. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. Shank no more, draw, fade, straight, you name it, my Filas do it. I have two sets of Browning 440 Gold clubs (including the driver, 3 and 5 woods), and a set of Browning 500s. Get the best deals on Spalding Executive Irons when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. . Knowledgable folk say its all in the mind. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", Much cheaper than renting. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. Ive got a set of graphite Samurai ironwoods years ahead of their time lying around in the basement, I think. Weve done a mini-history on the Hogan Company, with input from a couple of longtime Hogan employees. 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. (Cavity back blades???) pend. beneath. I would like to repay you with mine. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.geekgolf.com. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. No copy for them. Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. Only until tomorrow until my hybrids come in and boom they're gone. Another great history piece. Some deserve to be on the former, but definitely not the latter! He traded a set of classic Burke PunchIrons to get the Lynx. 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 The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905, it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs. Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. Well then so did everyone else. I didnt know until I read this article that evidently FILA was the designer of the original face forward iron design; speaking of which, I wouldve thought the F2 Face Forward Irons wouldve made the list (http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html). I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). 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. } We stand behind our clubs and want you to be satisfied with them. Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. The pro-shop who had them could not find a buyer. Display as a link instead, Bought a used set of 3-SW with a sticker decal some 35 years ago and added a 2-iron with stamped lettering later on a trip to Chicago. I think you are talking about the Spaulding Executive XE irons,ahead of their time,I played a set for a couple of years then sold them, looking back I wish I hadnt. We want you to get the most out of your I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. 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. The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. 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. Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. 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 I don't mind the executives though, don't really know much about them either. Bought a set for $25 as to help out a young lady with cancer. Spalding got so inventive with their clubmaking, they had golf bags around America sporting 20-30 clubs. Anyone ever hear of anything like that? Ive got other odd clubs, a clear/see thru 5W, 68 & 73 degree wedge (of course, they may not be considered crazy. I am on my 2nd set.I used to lovem and had friends that bought as they loved the ball flight and were also a great set of chippers. Here Im going to date myself a bitBack in the late 70s there was a company called Unique..The iron set design was oversized head with a deep cavity that was covered with a hard plastic. Matched them to Wilson Pro Staff low compressions and I was a happy camper. 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. "@type": "Organization", You cannot paste images directly. So we thought if it was as crazy looking as the original it had to be on the list but a little further down. have a putter,,that comes in a case,,like a pool stick,,on thecourse when its time to put,,i take it out,each piece screws together to form the putter,,,,,,,putts really good,,,. To maintain the limit of 14 clubs in the bag, I change off now and then. Weird thing was I could hit the XL-4 long irons better and the Executives better from 7-PW. Yes. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. He also had a head for business and knew a good opportunity when he saw one. 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. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. Id like to include the Wilson Reflex irons and PGF Slammer series. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. In 1977 while having molds made for my new line of Irons at a mold makers in Oxnard California, I spotted a very interesting club in a bag at the rear of the shop. We had small layoffs on an ongoing basis, and people kept looking over their shoulder. Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. He has provided some keen insights from his time with Mr. Hogan in other articles and podcasts. Perhaps they were a little ahead of their time (3-PW). I have a set of clubs with Belmont Power on them. "width": "645", Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. Spalding Executive Golf Clubs for sale | eBay Within weeks, Top-Flite filed Chapter 11. (What Exactly Happened?). The Pyramid Rubber Company, a maker of baby bottles, strollers, and other infant products, bought a controlling interest. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. Of course Drivers and putters are like women. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Never get tired of reading these types of articles. I actually have these clubs. Not sure if the Black Knight, Gary Players endorsement sucked allot of buyers into buying.LOL. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. Norman credited the extra spin of the Tour Edition for winning the 1986 British Open. There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. I have a Simmons Great White Shark putter with a 7 blade. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. it was at my range's rental bin. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. I know this is coming way after the article was published but I have a set of irons that are branded Fairway and the model I believe is Spider. They are also perfect in a steep slope due to the curved bottom of the club head. Get10% offat Global Golf with Code:SwingYard. When were Spalding executive clubs made? - Trentonsocial.com & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! In 1993 Payne Stewart signed a multi-million-dollar deal to go full Top-Flite, a move that sidetracked Stewarts career. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. Tom Farrell. These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. I accidentally broke it in the late 1970s the shaft was installed over a milled section of the hosel! Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. Great stuff. More on the tr600!!!! Great nostalgia with the article. It is the Super Stick. Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. Yes, it did. Keep up the great work. 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 a fan of the TopFlite XL. 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." Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. There is nothing crazy about the Slinger! And Spaldings ace in the hole Strata was old news by the time the Pro V1 and Nike Tour Accuracy hit the scene. Taylor Made Golf was my Distributor for the U.S. and Canadian market. Peter lived in Ridgefield,Ct. What about the old Bullet Driver that was hollow in the center (like an inverted U shape)? when were spalding executive golf clubs made Although the Inertial irons werent so lucky. Their original design was a smaller headed Tony Penna model Innovator, they became the n1 and then the Bears came out when oversize irons hit the market. They definitely arent the prettiest of clubs but I did enjoy playing them. Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons Individual, Single, Replacement Golf Irons when were spalding executive golf clubs made Geek Golf They all looked like mini woods. Thanks. Spalding Golf Clubs: Do Still Make Them & How Much? (ENTER TO WIN) Super cool contest we have for you fellow GolfSpies today! * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. Wanted them when I was in college but couldnt afford them then. "sameAs": [ OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! 0 bids. Take the Spalding Executive line. Original? Whats more, Spalding Molitor clubs currently retail at $280 for an entire set, which is a price point that is pretty hard to beat. I have had many pros in proams hit them and fascinated by how the ball comes off the club face so fast,,good distance. What about Giant Irons, I remember seeing those on an infomercial a few times. It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. The History of Spalding Golf Clubs - Hickory Golfers 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. Do You have any idea? One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. Oddity? I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. If you are a beginner and are looking for a . I just searched eBay right now and saw a set for $139. Was: C $107.89. What about Goldwin?? Tommy Armours ownership circus eventually turned it into the Sports Authority (and now DICKS) house brand. No. I had a few customers back in the 1970s who ordered custom irons and would request the same number on the sole of their heads. ENTER NOW! It was first shown at the PGA dealers show at Disney World, Orlando, Florida 1979. Alternatively, you can look on a discount site like Rock Bottom Golf. Acushnet has been sold twice since the 1970s, and each time the buyer took the same approach: be profitable, and well leave you alone. Though he is a footnote in the PGA history he was briefly on tour in the 50s. In 1984, Questor sold off Spalding/Evenflo to a Venezuelan group headed by Gustavo and Ricardo Cisneros. Great insight! He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. The latter is notable as the Wright of Wright and Ditson is one George Wright, a Hall of Fame shortstop for the Boston Red Stockings and a major mover and shaker of turn-of-the-century golf. FS - Fiberbuilt Flight Deck / GripMaster Roo pulls, New Vokey SM8 52 & 56 wedge set / New Titleist Caps (for bigger heads) / New Cobra RadSpeed 10.5* Driver, Peacoat, with premium, upgraded shaft, TSR3 ub-6x, cobra radspeed, TEE pro 721 driver and 3w, Ventus Black TR Folds of Honor 6x w/ TM Adapter, Ventus Red TR 6x w/ TM Adapter, Adidas Tour 360 22 Size 13, MyStealth2 Driver Headcover. * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. You cannot do that with any other club. They had fantastic fairway woods that I still take out for a spin every once in a while. So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. Until the USGA banned deep-grooved irons, Spalding's Stop 'Em and Dedstop clubs brought a smile to countless players' faces. The Browning 440s took my game from the 150s (Wilson clubs) to the low 70s. I have a full set of Exec XE irons. Especially in America. "@type": "ImageObject", Spalding was the big name in women's golf clubs by 1950. Love them oldies. In 1895, Spalding started making golf balls. Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13. 1977 Spalding Executive Irons - The Vintage Golfers - YouTube 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 Anybody know anything? Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. But as you can see could cause some serious digging issues. Great article takes me back to nostalgia. They actually play pretty well. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s, Spalding and Titleist were running neck and neck in golf ball production. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. I see that a few from my list made it. Jackie Gleason also owned a set. Someone suggested to me they were a prototype club for Johnny Miller, but were never marketed. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. 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. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions?
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