No. 6. Spalding club-makers paid as much scrutiny to shafts as heads. Sold millions of those over the years. (What Exactly Happened?). But just because it was wacky did not mean it was not a hellova seller. Was: C $107.89. Albert Spalding was a superstar. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. When youre in the market for Spalding clubs, bear in mind that they were branded as Top-Flite clubs for a while, so be sure to broaden your search to include Top-Flite models. Great nostalgia with the article. Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. That year Albert and his brothers opened the A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods company and started making baseballs. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. The Top-Flite line was to feature investment-cast irons and Strata balls sold through pro shops and off-course retailers, while Spalding was to be the value/recreational line sold pretty much everywhere. Wright was the driving force behind Bostons Franklin Park golf course, the first municipal course in the U.S. Bostons other muni is named after Wright, who donated the land for the Donald Ross design. Titleist and PING were established competitors, while TaylorMade and Callaway were flexing their muscles. 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. So, while Spalding is nowhere near as prevalent as it once was in the world of golf, you can still pick up a set of Molitor clubs for a very reasonable price online. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. Golfers have always known that deep-grooved irons produce better control and spin. Can you help me find the history of the club? Spalding, however, never dominated the pro game as Wilson and MacGregor did. My first set of irons were the Tiger Sharks.The ball seemed to jump off the face.I still have them.My second set,still in play,are the Vas+.I love them.I hit them a mile high and they feel great.When I hear them calledthe worst irons ever it makes me wonder what the heck Im missing out on. I played them for years, they were solid, and they looked really good at address for their time period. "image": { He re-gripped them and beats the Taylormade hand-me-downs of his friends. Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. Can you come up with any info on these? when were spalding executive golf clubs made MENU. i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. 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). 1 Iron (18) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE. Anybody know anything? By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. We want your input before testing begins. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. Although they wont win any awards for innovation, Spaldings Molitor clubs are a decent game improvement set and a good option for beginners. Jeff Sheets had been Director of R&D for Top-Flite since 1995, and his first club for Hogan became a legend. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. Wed have monthly meetings at their West 57th Street offices in New York. Really solid clubs. There is nothing crazy about the Slinger! You should shoot me some pics of your new set. They preceded hybrid irons by 20 years or so. Dont be ashamed thoughsome of these designs have actually been pioneering for the industry. 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. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. * Note: These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. I know that this is a very late reply but I actually knew the designer of these irons and spent time speaking with him. Just terribleand never sold thruas well it shouldnt. "datePublished": "2022-05-12", Today, Spalding Executive clubs arent worth a great deal of money. remove head from shaft? Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. We are here to help educate and empower golfers. Regardless, both are great sets. (Everything To Know). I would appreciate any help you could offer! These were great clubs. The company stayed the course, and the result is a thriving, profitable company. I shoot mid-80s like OP. LOL. Great research John with some very interesting history facts about the company and its equipment. Spalding also started the Spalding Athletic Library; a series of sports and exercise books published from 1892 through 1941. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. This new construction was a major technological advancement in golf balls. Laugh if you must, but the design works. We had hybrids back in the 80s. 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,,,. If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. "publisher": { I became a +2 handicap using those irons, and a lot of people scoffed at them early ontill they saw me hit them. Spalding no longer makes golf clubs, and hasnt for some time now. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. This one in particular was interesting to me because I grew up in a Spalding family of sorts. Thanks. but fairly forgiving. Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. All Irons for men were 37. An excellent article well researched They also made a set made entirely of woods. Not sure if the Black Knight, Gary Players endorsement sucked allot of buyers into buying.LOL. The chrome *We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. "description": "List of all the Spalding Irons by the year each set was released", Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. 1 Iron Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. Ugly. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. Spalding sponsored Vardons 1900 tour of America, culminating in Vardon winning the U.S. Open in Chicago. Wanted them when I was in college but couldnt afford them then. I saw the Cisneros brothers maybe once in my time there, he says. Is that so? From 1932 until 1973 two years after Jones death Spalding sold over 15 different models and two million sets of Bobby Jones clubs. Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. When he would get ready to play, he would hold the club so that the sole was visible to everyone. In 1962, Pyramid merged with Dunhill International and the AP Parts Corporation. They actually play pretty well. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ Today we are going to be spotlighting the crazy, the absurd, and some of the wackiest irons the golf world has ever seen. Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. Brilliant writing! Bought the Slotlines new. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. If it works for you use it. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. 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! Don't let scams get away with fraud. And continuity, leadership, and smart decisions matter. Im from SD, so I had a set. 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). 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. spalding golf clubs any good. It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. Shallow faces (not as shallow as the 440 of course) and less offset than many of the long irons they replace. It was a popular cavity back iron and Spalding decided to sell it through general sporting goods stores, eschewing the golf pro. The Endo-forged Hogan Apex Plus cavity back irons came soon after, along with a solid-core Hogan Apex ball. Getting sold doesnt have to be the end of the world, but it can be if the buyer doesnt do their homework and pays too much. Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. 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. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). They kept slashing the pricing. GolfWRX_Official Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. ), Phat Golf Scooters Reviews (Good or Waste of Cash? Press J to jump to the feed. These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. My first clubs were Spalding top flites. 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. I can't imagine them being worth a shit. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. Thank you for your research efforts. Hope you find this one interesting!!!! I have a full set of Exec XE irons. About half of our sales are with personal names or corporate logos in the back and given as gifts. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Upload or insert images from URL. The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. In addition to being a prolific golf club designer and inventor of innumerable gadgets and gizmos, I have led a fascinating life, as you can see by a brief look at a summary of my biography.. 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. He has provided some keen insights from his time with Mr. Hogan in other articles and podcasts. I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. But, they were NOS (New Old Stock) and with Ohio State grips and headcovers; so a diehard Buckeye fan. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. Our friends[], Amazing Ryder Cup Contest! They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. 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. Dreadful golf balls! 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 Never get tired of reading these types of articles. Turns out it was just 20 years ago. The Spaulding Executive was just too far ahead of its timegreat club! 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. I just searched eBay right now and saw a set for $139. 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). Corey Pavin won the 1996 US Open Shinnecock with a purple set. Thanks for the article. lol! Does Spalding make golf balls? Established in Caracas in 1929 as a small material transport business, the Cisneros Group had its fingers in everything from soft drinks, ice cream, and beauty products to banking and a burgeoning telecommunications business. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! Just bought a set of Nicklaus Linear Dynamics N1 Golf Irons at a thrift shop in Vegas. I don't mind the executives though, don't really know much about them either. 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. Overall, Spalding clubs arent worth a great deal of money today, but theyre a good option if youre hoping to pick up an affordable set of clubs to get started with. I was the Sales Manager of Stan Thompson golf company for several years and worked very close with Stan. By 1970, the ownership group morphed into the Questor Corporation, and Pyramid Rubber was rechristened Evenflo. By reducing our debt and consolidating our operations, we enhance our abilities to drive growth behind our prestigious group of golf brands, CEO Jim Craigie said at the time. 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. Spalding quickly grew, making baseball gloves and uniforms and the first modern baseball bat. I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. I gave the set to my nephew, and he loves them. Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. He struggled quite a bit with the change.. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. I would like to repay you with mine. TaylorMade, now owned by adidas, was rising, and Callaway was a major force. Bought a set for $25 as to help out a young lady with cancer. KKR wanted Spalding to make money the KKR way. Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was. I think a list of the craziest irons made should definitely include the Jerry Barber Golden Touch irons made over 40 years ago. when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. 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. 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. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905, it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. It kept some of those out of my bag Im sure. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. 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. Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. 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. Estimated resale value today:. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. Ive seen several of those uglies up close over the years so this was fun to view. Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. Im sure Scott White would love to contribute. My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! I have a Simmons Great White Shark putter with a 7 blade. Play to a 4 6 cap. Incidentally, Vulcan (Chicago suburb club makers who made some of the earliest hybrids) made a full set of hybrids 3-SW. You have not lived until you hit good hybrid wedges! Much cheaper than renting. In 1892 Spalding went into acquisition mode, buying up two key competitors: the A.J. Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. 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. Thanks for you4 diligence and reporting. 1983 That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. ), Undersize Golf Grips Explained (8 Key Facts!). 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 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. The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. Get the best deals on Spalding Executive Irons when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. The reason why Spalding clubs arent particularly valuable is that they have been widely available for so many years. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. 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. 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. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. I would hand stamp #7 on all irons. I agree, though it does deserve a deep dive. My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. Those and the Ram Tour Grinds that Watson played were my bucket list irons, but never could afford them. No copy for them. "dateModified": "2022-05-12", When I was starting golf, I went to the shop and these were the clubs that I hit the best (compared to cavity backs) and bought them. At the turn of the 20th Century, golf had stirred mild interest in the United States, and A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods saw an opportunity. It is my Go To clubmy favorite. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. Can anyone ballpark an estimate on the value of a set of Samurai clubs? The VAS are ugly, but they work. He was a pro at having fun when he played golf! 1-949-642-6484 . I look forward to your future deeper dive into the history of the Hogan company. Men's Right Handed. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight. - BenHogan. 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. 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . These articles are all outstanding. It was just crazy how many golf balls we would sell through Wal-Mart in 18-ball pack, adds White Wed get orders on the fax machine for 50,000 18-ball packs, and theyd want them in two weeks.. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. They are nearly in perfect condition. Don Wood has the patent for the Plop Slotz Irons. Anybody know anything about them? My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. 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). No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. By Tommy Armour TI 100 need to be on the list, they were twice the size of any other iron produced ever. He changed from forged blades and balata balls to cavity back, investment cast irons and sold core balls, White tells MyGolfSpy. Purespin (diamond face)? Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt.