when were spalding executive golf clubs made when were spalding executive golf clubs made

He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. Today its hard to fine a wooden golf club in a bag!!!! You can still buy Top-Flite and Strata branded balls at DICKS and Golf Galaxy. Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. He also was one of the best designers in the golf biz. They are also perfect in a steep slope due to the curved bottom of the club head. I tried to hit it oncenot a good idea! 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. 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). However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! "publisher": { Balata covers. I had released it into the foreign market through a network of distributors mid in 1978, where it was well received. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. "@type": "Article", Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek. MacGregors ownership carousel started in 1978 when it was sold to lumber conglomerate Wickes. 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. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. [email protected] Throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s, Spalding and Titleist were running neck and neck in golf ball production. These skids are tapered from the leading edge toward the rear of the club head, raising the sole above the ground without raising the leading edge off the ground. This technology is a shank-proof hosel. WITB Albums. Spalding club-makers paid as much scrutiny to shafts as heads. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. Play to a 4 6 cap. I have two sets of Browning 440 Gold clubs (including the driver, 3 and 5 woods), and a set of Browning 500s. Nice article John! Spalding introduced the Vardon Flyer, a golf ball that was popularized by Harry Vardon. Your previous content has been restored. OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! Just saw a full set of them again today. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. If you are a beginner and are looking for a . Both are really great. Although they wont win any awards for innovation, Spaldings Molitor clubs are a decent game improvement set and a good option for beginners. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. ENTER NOW! The Executives were the bomb back in the day. #15 - Stan Thompson Ginty Irons You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. Thanks for doing the digging! 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. Callaway had long wanted Top-Flites ball factory and patents but didnt want to assume any debt. You can post now and register later. Too bad. 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. No sir, they are in my bag and are still being used after all these years. Men's Right Handed. This new construction was a major technological advancement in golf balls. The range is for form anyway. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? Its on the list! 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. any info on this garbage?lol. You cannot do that with any other club. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. You find them on eBay Gary? Yes, it did. I gave the set to my nephew, and he loves them. What about Pax (Paul Goydos promoted them)? I actually have these clubs. GolfCartReport.com, Golf Undershirts (20 To Try On The Market Today), Do I Need Longer Golf Clubs? This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. I bought them new. I would hand stamp #7 on all irons. it was at my range's rental bin. Im surprised that nobody has mentioned the Wilson Fat Shaft irons for ugliness. We had small layoffs on an ongoing basis, and people kept looking over their shoulder. Titleist and PING were established competitors, while TaylorMade and Callaway were flexing their muscles. I was told they only made a few hundred sets. TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. Spalding is a big name in American sports, having manufactured equipment for basketball, American football, and golf over the years. And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. In an effort to keep golf a game of skill, the USGA implemented the 14 club rule that we see today. He changed from forged blades and balata balls to cavity back, investment cast irons and sold core balls, White tells MyGolfSpy. the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. This one in particular was interesting to me because I grew up in a Spalding family of sorts. Today we are going to be spotlighting the crazy, the absurd, and some of the wackiest irons the golf world has ever seen. I see that a few from my list made it. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. We are here to help educate and empower golfers. 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? I have a med flex shaft, 1 inch extension on each Exec club, and Golf Pride Velvet jumbo grips. 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. By 2002, players such as Hal Sutton, Bernhard Langer, and Luke Donald were playing the Hogan Apex ball. If so, are they any good? Used to play traditional blades with the odd shank. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. 5 Testers Needed! Oddity? Like many of his other unconventional looking but super functional designs for the time this one flew off the shelves. I just love them! 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. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. The VAS are ugly, but they work. My friends and I (and Im embarrassed to say this now! 0 bids. I can't imagine them being worth a shit. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #1. Keep up the great work. No, while you might be able to find Spalding golf clubs at thrift stores and via used online marketplaces, Spalding no longer manufactures golf clubs. What you like is what you like. While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! It was an excellent article and some of the follow-on comments from industry stalwarts like Jack Wullkotte, David Hueber, Tom Wishon, etc. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. * Note: These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. Although the Inertial irons werent so lucky. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); MyGolfSpy is gearing up to conduct the second edition of our groundbreaking ball test. Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. Spalding sponsored Vardons 1900 tour of America, culminating in Vardon winning the U.S. Open in Chicago. Mr. Adams had just formed Taylor Made Golf in late 1978 and this was their first showing in the market. Ugly. Thats great. Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. I was the Sales Manager of Stan Thompson golf company for several years and worked very close with Stan. Was: C $107.89. In the 1920s, Spalding started making irons and innovated an assembly line style forging process that was much cheaper, faster, and more precise than the ole hammer and anvil. They were good at it too, in one year selling off companies for more than $7 billion they had bought for only $1 billion. * Note: These irons were designed by Pat Simmons and ex-pilot and engineer which also had a part in the Zebra putter design. These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spaldings most easily recognizable clubs. I have not 1 but 2 sets of Browning 440 irons. Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. When I was first introduced to golf in the mid 70s, spoiling was still a player in the recreational market. Upload or insert images from URL. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. Eventually banned because it was too straight. During his time with Spalding, Stewart dropped from 6th to 123rd on the money list, with his only win coming at the 1995 Houston Open. I dont know how people could justify any of the others. Still bagging their wedges. I just found a set of 10 plops slotz. The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. Clear editor. not just the American side , some of Europe and some from Japan makers also wacky !!! What can you find out about Wilson x 70 irons. Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. Learn how your comment data is processed. You cannot paste images directly. Made from 1989-1994 and originally sold for $680. 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. Sign In. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. Well then so did everyone else. However my 6 iron had twice as much offset as any other iron in the set. Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. Thanks, http://www.clubsofdistinction.com/cod3/ucir5177.htm. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. 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. Does Spalding make golf balls? Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? 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. Make sense as I do have a Johnny Miller PW which looks just like an X 70. Your email address will not be published. Don't let scams get away with fraud. info@pgatradein.com Mon-Fri: 9AM - 5PM EST . I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. When Did Spalding Stop Making Golf Clubs. Spalding got so inventive with their clubmaking, they had golf bags around America sporting 20-30 clubs. So we thought if it was as crazy looking as the original it had to be on the list but a little further down. Spalding Executive Left Handed Golf Clubs There are several different types of left-handed golf club sets, so which one is the best for you? Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. It was a popular cavity back iron and Spalding decided to sell it through general sporting goods stores, eschewing the golf pro. Its impossible to overstate Albert Spaldings vision and ambition. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. Of course, it is the Indian not the arrow to some extent, but he does well. 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. spalding golf clubs any good. we closed and then were just screwing around with some of the rental clubs. I became a +2 handicap using those irons, and a lot of people scoffed at them early ontill they saw me hit them. Bird on ball was a very popular club. If it works for you use it. Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. Their president at the time said this about the newly released irons, Titanic irons are the first long irons even God and you can hit. Now that is a bold statement that should of had you guys flocking to purchase these beauties. It felt like a rock but flew like a rocket and weekend warriors bought them by the bushel. The Spaulding Executive was just too far ahead of its timegreat club! I think all the readers as well as the golfspies would love to learn as much about these past designs as possible. Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. There was a time that Spalding golf clubs were among the best in the business. By That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, "https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", 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. Great stuff. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-1.svg" There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. You should shoot me some pics of your new set. Spalding used to own Top Flite before selling the subsidiary to Callaway. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. I dont think I paid more than $300 for all four sets combined- Im a Salvation Army searcher. 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. 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. Instead, well hit the highlights. He struggled quite a bit with the change.. 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. "logo": { We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. 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. "height": "342", i was pretty impressed with the club. By 1970, the ownership group morphed into the Questor Corporation, and Pyramid Rubber was rechristened Evenflo. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. 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. We will miss Jim and his innovation ! Get10% offat Global Golf with Code:SwingYard. Placing the hosel behind the face eliminates the occasional `shank, creating forward-face progression. GolfWRX_Official 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. My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). President 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. If you have any you think we should include or have any additional info about the clubs listed feel free to post your comments. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", 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. What you supposed to do, cut your head off!!! Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Driver Review, Best Womens Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players, Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professional. More than 50 percent of that total came from golf ball sales. I had never seen the Fila irons before now. We had hybrids back in the 80s. Can you help me find the history of the club? Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. One with the sticker decal and one without. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. The BIG BOYS missed on this one. 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 wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. But under Section 363 of Chapter 11, a seller can sell assets without having to negotiate with its creditors. But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. Havent been able to give them up since my Dad died in 99, Does anyone remember a set of irons made in the 80s (I think) that were actually a bunch of small woods, even the PW was made from wood. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. 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,,,. 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. 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. But unfortunately for the VASs they were dethroned from their long held position. The 500s have less offset than the 440s. when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. But they seem to work though. Steve Almo "dateModified": "2022-05-12", Bought the Slotlines new. When my father would shot a 215 yard iron into the hole, his fellow golfers wold ask him what club he used. I have a set of clubs with Belmont Power on them. Weve done a mini-history on the Hogan Company, with input from a couple of longtime Hogan employees. These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. Pretty or not (thats the clubs), I have played Fila Latitude irons since they came out. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. I still have the samurai irons,2-pw and woods,driver,3w,5w,7w,,and still use them. I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. 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. Each has a special place in my personal golf journey and is still some of the best equipment Ive ever used. Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. Pat Simmons of Tiger Shark fame (and others) is the most underrated club designer of all time! Amazing how so of the old stuff works better than the hyped up new stuff! Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. vicunas. "description": "List of all the Spalding Irons by the year each set was released", But just because it was wacky did not mean it was not a hellova seller. 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. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. my Dad is still pulling new 90s & 2000s Top Flights from the closet to play lol. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. Back in the day (early-60s), I caddied at a CC in so. Leather Golf Grips Review: Should I Use Them? Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. Im sure Scott White would love to contribute. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. How about the Spalding Exec SE. Not to belittle them because KKR is incredibly successful, but they didnt know the golf business the way we did, says White. It means the Son of a Scottish brood that keeps getting into trouble only to easily find his way out of trouble! For more info on Stan Thompson click here. Cleveland was giving them away for free if you send in some coupon from golf digest. Make Request. 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. 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 One day, I was caddying for him and he crushed a drive, but about 100 yards out, it just fell out of the sky. In 1892 Spalding went into acquisition mode, buying up two key competitors: the A.J. Another really well done article. "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. Written by June 5, 2022 . marrano patio homes lancaster, ny 9, Juin, 2022. horse property for sale pocatello, idaho; 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. Paste as plain text instead, So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. lots of memories here. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Model: Tour Pro Offset they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). Driver to 15 wood. } I will admit to having a hankering for those slick lookin Zevo Lobs tho. I have a 3-15 wood set that are fun to play with. It made its mark in the 80s through leveraged buyouts buying undervalued or poorly managed companies with other peoples money, improving their bottom lines, and then spinning them off at a profit. Who Makes Dunlop Golf Clubs? They are a blade from the early 80`s. Various . Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. 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. These were said to be Moe Normans favorite clubs and are rated by the MyGolfSpy Forums resident vintage club expert Big Stu as the third greatest pure forged blade of all time. In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. You had to turn those over to see the ugly, but the cone in the bottom was down right wacky! The Executive clubs are among the finest pure forged blades ever produced and have certainly stood the test of time. The Sounder irons could be on the list-and are the best irons I ever had (have). I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment.