I learned the game on a set of used Spalding Execs-still have them today. 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 HellI know I dont and I have been involved in some type of internet golf business since[], THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST: Farve The Looper (CONGRATS!) Find golf club trade-in and re-sales values for over 4,000 models of used golf clubs at the PGA Value Guide, from leading manufacturers such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping, Odyssey, Nike, Cleveland, Mizuno, Cobra, Adams, Wilson. I look forward to your future deeper dive into the history of the Hogan company. 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. One day, I was caddying for him and he crushed a drive, but about 100 yards out, it just fell out of the sky. i was pretty impressed with the club. Thats great. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This new construction was a major technological advancement in golf balls. 2 iron sw. Let me know if anyone is interested. I was the person responsible for introducing urethane prepolymers to Dr Shen Shen Wu, Titleist R&D chemist. Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. Too bad. I think this is the web site for me . Though he is a footnote in the PGA history he was briefly on tour in the 50s. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Take the Spalding Executive line. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. SPALDING EXECUTIVE 3-PW Iron Set Golf Clubs R/H Jet Step Stiff Flex Steel. werent as good. Protactic Golf in Chicago. MacGregor Doctor X. I had the Bears. I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. 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. We had hybrids back in the 80s. Turns out it was just 20 years ago. Various . The old Spaulding Executive set I had back in the early 1980s. Both were smart, competent leaders but had little golf experience. Might need to get a full set of Tiger Shark irons to match the wedge!! Previously, they manufactured equipment for golf, American football, and baseball, but they have downsized considerably in recent years. ), Phat Golf Scooters Reviews (Good or Waste of Cash? Regardless, both are great sets. Ive got other odd clubs, a clear/see thru 5W, 68 & 73 degree wedge (of course, they may not be considered crazy. In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. What you supposed to do, cut your head off!!! I really enjoy reading your articles, John. What is it for weight transfer? is fantastic, but the club is as stiff as an old water pipe and is accordingly harsh. Since the Ryder Cup is shortly upon us MyGolfSpy & GolfCircuit.com thought it[]. Hope you find this one interesting!!!! Those are the reasons they work. 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? Great looking blade and the low COG really lets one hit it high. The Kro-Flite in 1930 was golfs first liquid center golf ball, while the Spalding DOT was a mid-century icon. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. Please put any questions or comments here. The Black Dots and Red Dots were equivalent to the Titleist black numerals and red numerals. You can check it out at http://www.adjustablegolfclub.com. But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). 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. I played a set of Mags for years until I got to where I could not swing fast enough to bend the stiff shafts. Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. Especially in America. Tommy Armour TI 100 need to be on the list, they were twice the size of any other iron produced ever. Great article takes me back to nostalgia. Spalding Ladies Golf Club History | Golflink.com Thanks for doing the digging! I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. Brilliant idea? 0 bids. Really enjoyed them. ), Finn Scooter Golf Reviews (Are These the Real Deal? Amazing how so of the old stuff works better than the hyped up new stuff! (ENTER TO WIN) Super cool contest we have for you fellow GolfSpies today! Today we are going to be spotlighting the crazy, the absurd, and some of the wackiest irons the golf world has ever seen. No. Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. 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. Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. LOL. The History of Spalding Golf Clubs - Hickory Golfers I accidentally broke it in the late 1970s the shaft was installed over a milled section of the hosel! I dont know how people could justify any of the others. Balata covers. We want you to get the most out of your I actually have a set of 440s I bring them out every year or two when I am hitting the ball poorly. I recently tried an old Jack Nicklaus 7 iron made by MacGregor many years ago. 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. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. Recently I bought another set (I keep an eye on E-Bay for them) so I could have extras & other club sets for friends that come into town. I have a full set of Exec XE irons. You can actually play Spalding golf balls again! It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! Tommy Armours ownership circus eventually turned it into the Sports Authority (and now DICKS) house brand. Still bagging their wedges. That year Albert and his brothers opened the A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods company and started making baseballs. 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . All are memory refreshing .. have been in golf clubhead design , manufacturing 25 years , familiar with the designs ! Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. Well they made execs for over 20 yearswhich ones do you have? We are here to help educate and empower golfers. 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 Men's Right Handed. In the mid-80s, Spalding introduced the solid core Tour Edition, and in 1996 it came out with Strata, a true game-changer for Spalding and the first multi-layer solid core ball used on Tour. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. Much cheaper than renting. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. The greatest golfer at the time plays Spalding? 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. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. Spalding released multiple iterations of its Executive clubs throughout the sixties and seventies, and they became popular with professional golfers and recreational players alike. I had a VAS 5 iron. I am on my 2nd set.I used to lovem and had friends that bought as they loved the ball flight and were also a great set of chippers. Estimated resale value today:. Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set. You can post now and register later. Love it or hate it the Nike Slingshot irons made the list. Just saw a full set of them again today. In the meantime, this should hold you over, https://mygolfspy.com/why-does-the-ben-hogan-equipment-company-still-matter/. I had read your original 2018 article about why Hogan still mattered. My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. Still have the XL-4s in the garage. Over two million Bobby Jones sets were sold in America. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? 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.. Well done. But, in the rough the club went right underneath the ball. I gave those up quickly only because they were really odd looking. Inventory available of individual, single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons. My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. President Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. They were good at it too, in one year selling off companies for more than $7 billion they had bought for only $1 billion. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. 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. when were spalding executive golf clubs made Spalding Executive Golf Clubs for sale | eBay I have been playing golf over 40 years and have owned many brands of clubs. 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. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. Albert Spalding died in 1915, but his company continued to flourish. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. The Spaulding Executive was just too far ahead of its timegreat club! The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. They are similar to the Nike slingshots as they have a powerbow looking thing on the back of them. Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. I think a list of the craziest irons made should definitely include the Jerry Barber Golden Touch irons made over 40 years ago. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13. Make Request. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. I have no ideabut I sure loved my Tommy Armour silver Scotts. "image": { Does Spalding make golf balls? Maybe it is a good idea or maybe it is not. spalding executive golf clubs please read DESCRIPTION BEFORE BUYING . ), Undersize Golf Grips Explained (8 Key Facts!). Placing the hosel behind the face eliminates the occasional `shank, creating forward-face progression. not just the American side , some of Europe and some from Japan makers also wacky !!! One with the sticker decal and one without. Jim also marketed the first Graphite Shafts sold under the Aldila name. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. Great set. Got them for $200.00 which was a really great price other pro shops were asking $450.00 for a set. "logo": { I just had a guy show me a wedge that is a small diamond shaped club with about a 3/4 hollow core in the back that goes up to the inside of the face of the club. Thanks, John. when were spalding executive golf clubs made His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. 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. I have a set of clubs with Belmont Power on them. Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. These were great clubs. I have one of those! I collect odd golf items. The top of the club head is horisontal and is easy to set up perpendical to the target. I have had many pros in proams hit them and fascinated by how the ball comes off the club face so fast,,good distance. Your email address will not be published. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. Colgate-Palmolive bought RAM and Penfold in the mid-70s to sell more toothpaste but gave up after only five years. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. I wonder how much influence he had on those? Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. There was a time that Spalding golf clubs were among the best in the business. Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. In the early days, golf clubs were hand-forged using a hammer and anvil. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. The ball was introduced in 1900. 11 golf clubs/sets you owned and what they're worth now - PGA I have a set of Spalding exec XE love them- I dont play more than 5-6 rounds a year now, but they are so consistant , I could go a year between swings and still play the same- got them back in 1980- ish. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. 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. i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. "author": "Ned Howard", Used to play traditional blades with the odd shank. 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. Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. I saw the Cisneros brothers maybe once in my time there, he says. Those Slinger Irons were the brain child of Jim Flood. 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. Remember all the other clubs, good to read. Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? Thanks. 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. 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. The 1999 Hogan Apex, forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan, remains a sought-after collectible, and a very playable blade, to this day. "description": "List of all the Spalding Irons by the year each set was released", My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! Learn how your comment data is processed. Oddity? 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. Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. I became a +2 handicap using those irons, and a lot of people scoffed at them early ontill they saw me hit them. Spalding Executive Golf Clubs for sale | eBay 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 Cliffy2020 }, They all looked like mini woods. Quite honestly, we werent ready for that.. Although the Inertial irons werent so lucky. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. Wish the 5 iron would have been there. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. I still think I deserve to be recognized as the leader in this category and will be appealing your decision. "@context": "http://schema.org/", "publisher": { No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. What about Pax (Paul Goydos promoted them)? Great list of wild clubs. Even tho I play with graphic shafts I really like the way those play. http://www.geekgolf.com. I agree, though it does deserve a deep dive. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", Leather Golf Grips Review: Should I Use Them? Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. Nabbed them just for the pure ugliness. It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. (What Exactly Happened?). The VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! Although from a phone-in interview Mr. VAS told us, I feel robbed. *chuckles* Maybe its a good thing I took a 30 year golf hiatus. 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 The Honda Classic - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Genesis Invitational - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - Discussion and Links to all photos. 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. 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 have a set of Ben Hogan AHS Hybrids and the SW is even a hybrid! "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"], Jeff Sheets - Spalding - Past Designs It became the most consistent and durable golf ball ever made. Spalding got so inventive with their clubmaking, they had golf bags around America sporting 20-30 clubs. 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. Still, the Uniques are the best irons I have ever hit! 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. 1-949-642-6484 . I was interested in golf until around 2001 and soon discovered spoiling was on anachronism at that point. Anybody know anything about them? There are still folks around from when Mr. Hogan ran the company and I am sure you can get some keen insights not only of the company but of Mr. Hogan himself. Mr. Adams had just formed Taylor Made Golf in late 1978 and this was their first showing in the market. Its factory could only make about six million dozen a year, and it was paying patent royalties. However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. Not sure if the Black Knight, Gary Players endorsement sucked allot of buyers into buying.LOL. I have a Simmons Great White Shark putter with a 7 blade. It felt like a rock but flew like a rocket and weekend warriors bought them by the bushel. In the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. Happily, I can say that I have seen these over the years, but none of them ever made it into my golf bag. Are these considered weird? Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. Just terribleand never sold thruas well it shouldnt. Whats more, Spalding Molitor clubs currently retail at $280 for an entire set, which is a price point that is pretty hard to beat. But more trouble was coming for Spalding. 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. Sign In. 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,,. The BIG BOYS missed on this one. Spalding Driver Golf Clubs for sale | eBay Wed have monthly meetings at their West 57th Street offices in New York. The range is for form anyway. 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. How about the Spalding Exec SE. 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. I played them for years, they were solid, and they looked really good at address for their time period. Great insight! Id like to include the Wilson Reflex irons and PGF Slammer series. Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Driver Review, Best Womens Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players, Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professional. What can you find out about Wilson x 70 irons. I would hand stamp #7 on all irons. It was a popular cavity back iron and Spalding decided to sell it through general sporting goods stores, eschewing the golf pro. Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. Unfortunately, Spalding has fallen a long way down the pecking order in terms of their sporting equipment, and it has been a long time since they manufactured a new set of golf clubs. Don Wood has the patent for the Plop Slotz Irons. 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. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? Love to see them. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? I am still playing with my set every week! If you are a beginner and are looking for a . 6. Get the best deals on Spalding Executive Irons when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. #15 - Stan Thompson Ginty Irons You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. I have two sets of Browning 440 Gold clubs (including the driver, 3 and 5 woods), and a set of Browning 500s. Its a great story that needs to be told. Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. Original? Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. They got so popular at the time that it scared club makers badly (Every set was pretty much custom built then), and Golfing associations banned the club from play. Author: Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professionalif(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'swingyard_com-box-3','ezslot_6',194,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-swingyard_com-box-3-0'); Spalding has one of the most storied histories in sports, and a major impact on golf. Upload or insert images from URL. The RB880 s by Northwestern are also knockoffs of the Browning 440 s. 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. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. Did KKR overpay? I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. words that have to do with clay P.O. I would like to repay you with mine. He also had a head for business and knew a good opportunity when he saw one. If it works for you use it. Spalding decided it would be good business to provide golf course design services free of charge to anyone with the money and inclination to build one. It overpaid for Spalding and borrowed heavily to do it. In 1895, Spalding started making golf balls. Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. The stickers are silver, but the Slinger logo is a black heavy type face and says pat. 1 Iron Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball . The Browning 440 was a marvelous clubas you say off the fairway!!! The market was changing rapidly, as well. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. 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.