when were spalding executive golf clubs made

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." About; Blog; Service; Contacts Sign In. I have a left handed set that I got from a guy on the senior tour, Bob Carson, who also owned a golf course in Titusville FLA. We want you to get the most out of your It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. Upload or insert images from URL. I surely do remember those Dot balls that my brother and I would find on OFCC in south suburbs of Chicago because we couldnt afford them but you really had to pay attention to look at those balls before you grounded your club or you would put a significant cut in them. Great research John with some very interesting history facts about the company and its equipment. An excellent article well researched the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. We had hybrids back in the 80s. But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. when were spalding executive golf clubs made MENU. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. 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. TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. Both were smart, competent leaders but had little golf experience. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Spalding-Irons-by-Year.jpg" The BIG BOYS missed on this one. Went to graphite (Vulcan Backfire hollow irons). Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. The Browning 440s took my game from the 150s (Wilson clubs) to the low 70s. What about Giant Irons, I remember seeing those on an infomercial a few times. Estimated resale value today:. Back in the day (early-60s), I caddied at a CC in 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. President The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. They had a premium Molitor ball at the then scandalous price of $2. I was wondering if anyone had ever tried Slotline Classic Copper golf clubs. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. 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. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. Fantastic article John! It was if I walked into the store from a time machine. Knowledgable folk say its all in the mind. Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. 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. Say what you will but I own a set of Ray Cook Titanic irons. Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. Thanks. I was the Sales Manager of Stan Thompson golf company for several years and worked very close with Stan. 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. Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. The VAS are ugly, but they work. Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. WITB Albums. 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. Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. I just picked up 6 thru 9 of the Browning 440 Plus irons at the Goodwillcant wait to try them out. The range is for form anyway. Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. They definitely arent the prettiest of clubs but I did enjoy playing them. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). 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. Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. 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. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. We have a new #1 For Craziest Iron Ever Made! For years the #1 spot for craziest iron ever made was held by the infamous Cleveland VAS irons (now #2). Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ Whats troubling to us is the extent to which a reputable company that has its own trademarks and has invested a lot of money and time feels it needs to become a predator on somebody elses goodwill to sell its products, said Callaway chief Don Dye at the time. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. Would you make an iron set out of stone? Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. 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. Played dots a bit but later played a lot of Top Flites because I was a teenager, and the balls did not cut (this was back in the days of balata balls that cut if you looked at them hard). I gave those up quickly only because they were really odd looking. Spalding started adding Tour staff during the 90s, with Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Graig Stadler, and Nick Price all playing Stratas. In an effort to keep golf a game of skill, the USGA implemented the 14 club rule that we see today. My friends and I (and Im embarrassed to say this now! Since you mentioned it in the article, how about doing the history of Ben Hogan golf from its inception in 1953 to itd ultimate demise under Callaway and then its resurrection in 2015. Great list! It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! The Endo-forged Hogan Apex Plus cavity back irons came soon after, along with a solid-core Hogan Apex ball. Weird thing was I could hit the XL-4 long irons better and the Executives better from 7-PW. They play as well as any other set Amazing how so of the old stuff works better than the hyped up new stuff! money, time and performance. ), shoplifted about four dozen balls each from a failing department store in New York City. Basically, the new irons are all the same cavity backed design tweaked for the metal content and painted pretty for your golf bag. Thanks for doing the digging! These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. Its a great story that needs to be told. 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. The set I found is 2-9, but the 5 iron is gone. The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. It is called a hollow wedge, but you can putt with it as well. 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. Great set. Callaway had been making balls but never turned a profit. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! And Spaldings ace in the hole Strata was old news by the time the Pro V1 and Nike Tour Accuracy hit the scene. The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. The company was founded in 1973 and today produces high-quality golf clubs using the . The design gave the clubs an exotic bamboo look; the underlying message being that these clubs offered players bamboo's legendary flexibility and whip-like strength. Brilliant idea? Its on the list! Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. I had read your original 2018 article about why Hogan still mattered. Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! Nabbed them just for the pure ugliness. . I also had a set of Ping Zings too.. My partner had that set of Cleveland VAS and believe it or not we had a partner that bought a used set of Slingers Great article takes me back to nostalgia. Men's Right Handed. Dont be ashamed thoughsome of these designs have actually been pioneering for the industry. There are worse things. Why are Spalding golf balls called Top Flite? You should shoot me some pics of your new set. Is my equipment holding me back? 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. 2 Iron Spalding . I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. Golfers have always known that deep-grooved irons produce better control and spin. Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. If it works for you use it. 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).. Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. They are a blade from the early 80`s. The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905, it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. Really solid clubs. 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 Ive got other odd clubs, a clear/see thru 5W, 68 & 73 degree wedge (of course, they may not be considered crazy. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. The Black Dots were longest (for me) but that cover would smile back at you with the slightest mishit. 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! Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. $77.83. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. Callaway had long wanted Top-Flites ball factory and patents but didnt want to assume any debt. This one in particular was interesting to me because I grew up in a Spalding family of sorts. and they wonder why they went out of business. We are here to help educate and empower golfers. my Dad is still pulling new 90s & 2000s Top Flights from the closet to play lol. I cant remember who made them, but I remember reading about an iron that was adjustable so its loft could be wildly altered. Brings back great memories! They had fantastic fairway woods that I still take out for a spin every once in a while. Long irons with shallow faces, little offset and perhaps slightly softer shafts can be quite playable. Well they made execs for over 20 yearswhich ones do you have? If so send them to contact(at)mygolfspy.com. Theyre awesome. Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. If you are a beginner and are looking for a . when were spalding executive golf clubs made. 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. That year Albert and his brothers opened the A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods company and started making baseballs. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. They also said this, Because titanium is 40% lighter than steel, yet incredibly strong, the Ray Cook design team was able to create club heads substantially larger than standard oversize irons and add significantly more mass in the heel and toe. Written by June 5, 2022 . and had a driving range there for many years. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. Spalding used to own Top Flite before selling the subsidiary to Callaway. A very interesting stroll down golf history. The Roaring 20s gave us Babe Ruth, Knute Rockne, Jack Dempsey, and Red Grange. What about the old Bullet Driver that was hollow in the center (like an inverted U shape)? Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . I still have the irons to this day! [email protected] 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. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. "description": "List of all the Spalding Irons by the year each set was released", 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. Various . I actually like the looks of those babies! It felt like a rock but flew like a rocket and weekend warriors bought them by the bushel. }, document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); MyGolfSpy is gearing up to conduct the second edition of our groundbreaking ball test. Great list of wild clubs. And Spalding predated Mizuno by at least 60 years with a copper undercoating for its forged blades in the mid-50s. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons. 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. I have a old slotline cigar putter I still use,,no loift at all,looks like a big tootsie roll,but puts great,,friends still get amazed at how it puts,,. I have a set of Ben Hogan AHS Hybrids and the SW is even a hybrid! What are the Most Forgiving Forged Irons? Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. By the early 1920s, Spalding began using a mechanical hammer to drop-forge heads in an assembly line, making the process faster, more consistent, and considerably less expensive. Hope you find this one interesting!!!! In the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. Goldwin was a San Diego company, years ahead of its time. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. Pat Simmons of Tiger Shark fame (and others) is the most underrated club designer of all time! 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. Colgate-Palmolive bought RAM and Penfold in the mid-70s to sell more toothpaste but gave up after only five years. Now I need some crazy Loudmouth pants and a pink ball. I played them for years, they were solid, and they looked really good at address for their time period. I had never seen the Fila irons before now. My first clubs were Spalding top flites. 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 I have a set of Browning 440s and a set of Browning 500s I was in the midst of restoring them but Browning would not sell me original grips! Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. 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? Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. 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. The Ginty, fueron palos adelantados a su poca, las maderas Ginty parecen las antecesoras de las big bertha de callaway, el material del que estaban hechas no poda aguantar las inercias, pero el diseo ya era adelantado a su tiempo. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. 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. Every iron ever made is ugly as hell when you hit it off the hosel. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. Laugh if you must, but the design works. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. Turns out it was just 20 years ago. No sir, they are in my bag and are still being used after all these years. The ball was introduced in 1900. As weve discussed before, its extremely difficult for legacy brands to remain relevant, especially when new, fresh brands get aggressive. Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. Thank you for your research efforts. They say you learn from your mistakes. I remembered them from this article. Each has a special place in my personal golf journey and is still some of the best equipment Ive ever used. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. Happily, I can say that I have seen these over the years, but none of them ever made it into my golf bag. Golfers may also like: PGX Offset Golf Driver Review: is it any Good? I learned the game on a set of used Spalding Execs-still have them today. You can post now and register later. 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. Just got Calloway X20s last week. When Did Spalding Stop Making Golf Clubs. These were great clubs. (Cavity back blades???) Reach and the Wright and Ditson sporting goods companies. vicunas. Box 4666, Ventura, CA 93007 Request a Quote: comelec district 5 quezon city CSDA Santa Barbara County Chapter's General Contractor of the Year 2014! Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. I play them still and love them. My Nike Slingshots is the best set I have ever used. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! 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 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. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Make Request. Lots of wackiness. Spalding lost $27 million in 2000 and another $20 million in 2001. 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 }. 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. In 1962, Pyramid merged with Dunhill International and the AP Parts Corporation. You have any pics of the Samurai irons Neilwould love to see them. I love it but was told it is no a legal putter. The old Spaulding Executive set I had back in the early 1980s. In the late 70s I also had a set of Unique irons which were great apart from the plastic covers covering the cavity back constantly falling out. Windtree Golf is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Paste as plain text instead, Spalding Golf Clubs: Do Still Make Them & How Much? Protactic Golf in Chicago. There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. I was told they only made a few hundred sets. Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. Spalding was the big name in women's golf clubs by 1950. On sole: club# + SPALDING. 1 Iron Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball . In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. Zevo was a great brand and I played a Zevo Zv2 hybrid for almost 6 years because it was so easy to hit and had incredible feel. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. Maybe it is a good idea or maybe it is not. Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set. 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. Design the future of bad golf! Current owner FILA Korea Ltd took Acushnet public, and the company has thrived ever since. * Note: These irons were designed by Duke Duclos. He also was one of the best designers in the golf biz. Keep up the great work. We stand behind our clubs and want you to be satisfied with them. Thats great. 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. Even tho I play with graphic shafts I really like the way those play. I had some Staff FG-17 and my friends dad had the Executives.

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