Just terribleand never sold thruas well it shouldnt. That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. Are these considered weird? 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. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. I dont know how people could justify any of the others. I think all the readers as well as the golfspies would love to learn as much about these past designs as possible. But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. I dont want to pay the asking prices for individual 440 Plus irons on eBay, so Ill keep my eye out for them at the thrift shops and G-W. Andyou see the Spaulding Executive irons at the Goodwill stores all the time. * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. Used to play traditional blades with the odd shank. 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. Shallow faces (not as shallow as the 440 of course) and less offset than many of the long irons they replace. 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! * 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. Spalding is a big name in American sports, having manufactured equipment for basketball, American football, and golf over the years. It is the Super Stick. } They all looked like mini woods. As previously mentioned, you can buy Spalding Molitor clubs at Rock Bottom, and theyre a great option for beginner players. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #1. In 1984, Questor sold off Spalding/Evenflo to a Venezuelan group headed by Gustavo and Ricardo Cisneros. Spalding Executive Irons for sale | eBay The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. 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. Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. Heres one for the booksTommy Armour EQL one length irons. when were spalding executive golf clubs made But, in the rough the club went right underneath the ball. In the meantime, this should hold you over, https://mygolfspy.com/why-does-the-ben-hogan-equipment-company-still-matter/. But just because it was wacky did not mean it was not a hellova seller. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? Great research John with some very interesting history facts about the company and its equipment. Spalding Golf Clubs History (Complete Story) - Golf Cart Report Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. Balata covers. 0 bids. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); MyGolfSpy is gearing up to conduct the second edition of our groundbreaking ball test. How about the Spalding Exec SE. In the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was. (ENTER TO WIN) Super cool contest we have for you fellow GolfSpies today! * Note: These irons were designed by Duke Duclos. and had a driving range there for many years. }. Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. Thank you for your research efforts. It adjusts to every loft in a full bag, plus half lofts. Case in point: The article makes the statement that The (Cleveland) VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! I dont think Cory Pavin would have won PGA tour events and endorsed them if this had been true. The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. With Spalding's mass-market success breeding scores of imitators, players could pick and choose from countless club lines. 1 Iron (18) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE. TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. Hope you all enjoyed a look back at some of the craziest irons ever made. No copy for them. I gave those up quickly only because they were really odd looking. Are Spaulding good golf clubs? - Wise-Answer They actually play pretty well. Every iron ever made is ugly as hell when you hit it off the hosel. Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. I cant believe to Ping Zing 2s are on the list. What can you find out about Wilson x 70 irons. And although Spalding would show operational profits, debt service kept turning those profits into losses. You had to turn those over to see the ugly, but the cone in the bottom was down right wacky! Spalding Irons By Year - Swing Yard KKR wanted Spalding to make money the KKR way. The products soon disappeared from shelves. pend. beneath. Spalding sponsored Vardons 1900 tour of America, culminating in Vardon winning the U.S. Open in Chicago. 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. Only until tomorrow until my hybrids come in and boom they're gone. Different, yes, but they are the only ones where you can really aim at the target! Its on the list! *chuckles* Maybe its a good thing I took a 30 year golf hiatus. Still, the Uniques are the best irons I have ever hit! 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. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. Really enjoyed them. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. Image: Central Press/Hulton Archive via Getty Images. 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. An excellent article well researched Knowledgable folk say its all in the mind. Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. In 1906 Bendelow designed the expansion of Atlantas East Lake Club, the eventual home club of one Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. Well spare you the decade-by-decade rundown of Spalding innovations (and there are many). In 1892 Spalding went into acquisition mode, buying up two key competitors: the A.J. My high school graduation present from my parents back in 1973 was a set of Executive clubs (back when the irons were forged before they were cast). when were spalding executive golf clubs made Swing Yard is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca, amazon.co.uk and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. By 1910, the company was selling aluminum fairway clubs and its Gold Medal series (1910 to 1919) featured aluminum bronze. They are a blade from the early 80`s. TaylorMade, now owned by adidas, was rising, and Callaway was a major force. Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", Great nostalgia with the article. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. A very easy to hit blade. Itd take a week to prepare for.. In 1962, Pyramid merged with Dunhill International and the AP Parts Corporation. i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. I have had many pros in proams hit them and fascinated by how the ball comes off the club face so fast,,good distance. 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. Read on to learn more about the history of Spalding clubs and what you can expect from various models. * Note: These irons were designed by Pat Simmons and ex-pilot and engineer which also had a part in the Zebra putter design. lots of memories here. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. WITB Albums. Youve forgotten the worst offender. Brilliant idea? Original? Went to graphite (Vulcan Backfire hollow irons). 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. 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. I remembered them from this article. Spalding lost $27 million in 2000 and another $20 million in 2001. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. "@type": "Organization", 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. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. 11 golf clubs/sets you owned and what they're worth now - PGA Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. It wasnt very sophisticated back then, and they wanted to add layers of sophistication that they had in their other businesses. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. Copyright 2023. What about the Porsche irons? In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. Spalding started adding Tour staff during the 90s, with Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Graig Stadler, and Nick Price all playing Stratas. 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. They play as well as any other set We want your input before testing begins. But as you can see could cause some serious digging issues. It is more of a you gotta be kidding me), an Integra 650 cc driver (you have to dig a ditch before you swing), etc. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. About; Blog; Service; Contacts 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. Over two million Bobby Jones sets were sold in America. I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. Brilliant writing! Not quite Bryson-like, but innovative for the day. Another really well done article. Do You have any idea? Well these irons which were designed out in LA by Stan Thompson were made to capitalize on that same concept. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. Im from SD, so I had a set. Yes, it did. i was pretty impressed with the club. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. 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,,,. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball Irons. LOL. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. Various . 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. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13. What was wacky about the Bears? My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. Anyone hear of them? He actually manufactured a set of irons whose heads were literally upside down take an iron, turn in upside down, your top edge now hits the turf, the sole having a hosel. Ive got a set of graphite Samurai ironwoods years ahead of their time lying around in the basement, I think. I am a self-admitted admirer of Mr. Hogan having owned more than 2 dozen sets of various Hogan iron sets over the years and a former member of the only club to have a Hogan-designed course (actually 27 holes). "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", 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!!!! "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"], The Titleist were a bit longer lasting but I (a poor college student) could afford the Spaulding balls. Back in the day (early-60s), I caddied at a CC in so. Im sure Scott White would love to contribute. spalding executive golf clubs please read DESCRIPTION BEFORE BUYING . They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. Golfers may also like: PGX Offset Golf Driver Review: is it any Good? 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! It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. Some deserve to be on the former, but definitely not the latter! 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. Tommy Armours ownership circus eventually turned it into the Sports Authority (and now DICKS) house brand. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. Well then so did everyone else. I see that a few from my list made it. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I have no ideabut I sure loved my Tommy Armour silver Scotts. 6. Each has a special place in my personal golf journey and is still some of the best equipment Ive ever used. He also was one of the best designers in the golf biz. If youre looking to buy or sell vintage Spalding clubs, the best place to do so is on eBay or Craigslist, where you can list the clubs in the condition that they are currently in. The History of Spalding Golf Clubs - Hickory Golfers Spalding Golf Clubs: Do Still Make Them & How Much? 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? I love it but was told it is no a legal putter. As the 21st Century dawned, it had impressive sales and deep-pocket owners, but in reality, it was staring down the barrel of a gun. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! Great stuff. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons. Who Makes Dunlop Golf Clubs? The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. Pasted as rich text. I collect odd golf items. maybe EVER. Promoting both sports and sports equipment, the lineup featured titles such as How To Play Second Base by Hall of Famer Johnny Evers, Boxing: A Guide to the Manly Art of Self Defense, and How to Play Golf by Harry Vardon and James Braid. when were spalding executive golf clubs made 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. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. His stuff was marvelous and all original. and they placed it in the show. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. Can you come up with any info on these? Men's Right Handed. Great list! Of course, it is the Indian not the arrow to some extent, but he does well. Spalding Driver Golf Clubs for sale | eBay The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spaldings most easily recognizable clubs. my Dad is still pulling new 90s & 2000s Top Flights from the closet to play lol. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). Keep up the great work. Weve done a mini-history on the Hogan Company, with input from a couple of longtime Hogan employees. Copyright 2023. MacGregor Doctor X. I had the Bears. Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. Please put any questions or comments here. Pat Simmons of Tiger Shark fame (and others) is the most underrated club designer of all time! In 1938, the USGA passed an edict limiting players to 14 clubs. Don't let scams get away with fraud. Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. 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. I had read your original 2018 article about why Hogan still mattered. Really solid clubs. KKRs $25 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco was chronicled in the book (and tv movie) Barbarians at the Gate. The Browning 440s took my game from the 150s (Wilson clubs) to the low 70s. Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Wide sole. The company experimented throughout the 1920s and 1930s with lathe-turned hickory shafts that featured circular ridges spaced at standard intervals down the entire shaft. All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. Instead, well hit the highlights. #15 - Stan Thompson Ginty Irons You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. The stickers are silver, but the Slinger logo is a black heavy type face and says pat. History of Spalding Golf Clubs | Golflink.com { Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. Jackie Gleason also owned a set. I bought them new. Id like to include the Wilson Reflex irons and PGF Slammer series. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. I think Browning was leaving the golf business then and they were discounted last set in the store. Make sense as I do have a Johnny Miller PW which looks just like an X 70. 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. Now I need some crazy Loudmouth pants and a pink ball. Laugh if you must, but the design works. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #3. #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. I still have the irons to this day! And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. Current owner FILA Korea Ltd took Acushnet public, and the company has thrived ever since. He has provided some keen insights from his time with Mr. Hogan in other articles and podcasts. It was first shown at the PGA dealers show at Disney World, Orlando, Florida 1979. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), CONTEST Adams Pro Black Giveaway! Callaway wound up suing Spalding for using its imagery on Spalding packaging. I would love to have you include my Whole-In-One Adjustable Telescopic Golf Club in your mixdefinitely fits the criteria of unusual clubs. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. Model Summary Color chart indicates best . Remember when pros like Norman and Stadler and others with that bright red Spaulding Tour Bag. 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. All that creativity has led to the great clubs we have today. 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. Its impossible to overstate Albert Spaldings vision and ambition. I saw the Cisneros brothers maybe once in my time there, he says. Sold them to a guy 30 years younger who also loved them. Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! They had fantastic fairway woods that I still take out for a spin every once in a while. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. 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. $86.40 shipping. These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. Can anyone tell me about Spalding executives : r/golf - reddit Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. 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. Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. However, the name of their popular brand Top Flite was sold to Callaway, and is used for discount clubs and balls. Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. Although they wont win any awards for innovation, Spaldings Molitor clubs are a decent game improvement set and a good option for beginners.