when were spalding executive golf clubs made

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. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. Previously, they manufactured equipment for golf, American football, and baseball, but they have downsized considerably in recent years. This stuff is really interesting.. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. 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. Jones immediately put his Georgia Tech engineering degree to good use. Great collection I remember many of them in the past 30 years often thought of buying some of them, but luckily, I didnt, Ive purchased dozens of iron sets in the last few years (Big Bertha,FTI, Taylor Made, Cobra, Nike V series) NOne of these work as well as my Ping Zings, Hey, what about Shakespeare and fiberglass. KKR had been trying to dump Spalding as early as 2000, but no one would take on the debt burden. "https://www.instagram.com/_swingyard_/", 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,,,. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #3. 2 iron sw. Let me know if anyone is interested. Great nostalgia with the article. Until the USGA banned deep-grooved irons, Spalding's Stop 'Em and Dedstop clubs brought a smile to countless players' faces. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. "publisher": { One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. Spalding manufactured golf clubs for some of the leading players in the game, including the legendary American player Bobby Jones. Thanks. They introduced the Browning 500 Series to counter that effect.But, they waited too long and by that timethe party was over! But under Section 363 of Chapter 11, a seller can sell assets without having to negotiate with its creditors. Love to see them. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. i just hit a 8 iron in that series last night. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). Well done. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? The company was founded in 1973 and today produces high-quality golf clubs using the . Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. 1-949-642-6484 . In 2001 Spalding launched a $17 million ad campaign for Hogan and Strata. That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. 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. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. GolfCartReport.com, Golf Undershirts (20 To Try On The Market Today), Do I Need Longer Golf Clubs? They say you learn from your mistakes. TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. These articles are all outstanding. I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. Just bought a set of Nicklaus Linear Dynamics N1 Golf Irons at a thrift shop in Vegas. Brilliant idea? Don Wood has the patent for the Plop Slotz Irons. Our friends[], Amazing Ryder Cup Contest! By the early 1920s, Spalding began using a mechanical hammer to drop-forge heads in an assembly line, making the process faster, more consistent, and considerably less expensive. 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. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. 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. Protactic Golf in Chicago. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! They are for sale. Today, Spalding Executive clubs arent worth a great deal of money. 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. The pro-shop who had them could not find a buyer. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. KKR was established in 1976 by partners Jerome Kohlberg, Henry Kravis, and George Roberts. But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. I still have the irons to this day! I agree, though it does deserve a deep dive. I had a friend who worked for Gary Player and he sent me his brand called iGNITORS Those were fairly strange and not particular long! * Note: These irons were designed by Don Wood remember the Plop putterswell they are back at it againyou can check them out here. No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", Thanks for the article. What you like is what you like. Display as a link instead, OK. Ive got some irons sets you have up (Fila, Cleveland, Slotline, and the Tiger Shark). The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905, it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs. Spalding Executive clubs were established in the 1960s, with the Top Flite Executive Synchro-Dyned golf clubs being the first in a super popular series. { And although Spalding would show operational profits, debt service kept turning those profits into losses. In 1895, Spalding started making golf balls. A request, could you do Sonartec at some point? The Black Dots were longest (for me) but that cover would smile back at you with the slightest mishit. Someone suggested to me they were a prototype club for Johnny Miller, but were never marketed. Nice article John! Here Im going to date myself a bitBack in the late 70s there was a company called Unique..The iron set design was oversized head with a deep cavity that was covered with a hard plastic. I will admit to having a hankering for those slick lookin Zevo Lobs tho. Played dots a bit but later played a lot of Top Flites because I was a teenager, and the balls did not cut (this was back in the days of balata balls that cut if you looked at them hard). What about Giant Irons, I remember seeing those on an infomercial a few times. Tommy Armours ownership circus eventually turned it into the Sports Authority (and now DICKS) house brand. Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. Spalding got so inventive with their clubmaking, they had golf bags around America sporting 20-30 clubs. There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. 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.. Really a zany=looking set of irons. i was pretty impressed with the club. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. My friends and I (and Im embarrassed to say this now! The Spalding brand, however, is still alive under the Russell Athletic umbrella, making basketballs and apparel. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #1. Great list of wild clubs. i think special t golf was the only people dumb enuff to handle these. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! 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. More than 50 percent of that total came from golf ball sales. Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! In 1962, Pyramid merged with Dunhill International and the AP Parts Corporation. Some deserve to be on the former, but definitely not the latter! 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. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By does ohma have a child [email protected] buy all 6 get free shipping) Let me know by ebay . The ball was introduced in 1900. BombTech Golf Reviews (These Golf Clubs Any Good? Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. 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. The BIG BOYS missed on this one. Spalding took off with sales and production with Bobby Jones joining the team. Keep up the great work. ENTER NOW! I see that a few from my list made it. As weve discussed before, its extremely difficult for legacy brands to remain relevant, especially when new, fresh brands get aggressive. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. 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). I was told they only made a few hundred sets. I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. Cleveland was giving them away for free if you send in some coupon from golf digest. Theyre awesome. I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. I am still playing with my set every week! The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. If KKR had appointed Scott Creleman as the head man at the time I firmly believe Dpaldi g would still be a player in the golf industry The nineties saw the release of the Top Flite Tour Ti irons, which were among the last clubs that the long-standing brand would manufacture. Does Spalding make golf balls? They kept slashing the pricing. On sole: club# + SPALDING. I have the entire set of samurai woods and irons,,,driver,3wood,5wood,7wood,,irons,,2-pw,dont believe they ever made a sw,,,,and I still use them,,,my fellow golfers are still amazed at the distance I get,,if you want a picture of the set,,let me know,,ill take one and send to you,,, I have the whole set of samurai irons,2-pw and woods1,3,5,7,,still use them,,i have had pros hit them,,and be amazed at the distances over their irons,,,i would like to find another 5wood,if anyone knows where or who has 1,,i, neil,,do you have a samuarai 5 wood,,,hard to find,,,id like one. What about Goldwin?? Buyers can still find Spalding clubs on some secondary sites. The Black Dots and Red Dots were equivalent to the Titleist black numerals and red numerals. Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. I shoot mid-80s like OP. 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. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. Executives were my first real set of golf clubs. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", Would you make an iron set out of stone? The Strata, however, proved to be a gold mine for Spalding. I have a full set of Exec XE irons. Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. Albert Spalding died in 1915, but his company continued to flourish. GolfWRX_Official Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). Ive owned a set of VAS, Zings, Slingshots and the Spaulding Execs (for vintage golf days). Those Slinger Irons were the brain child of Jim Flood. They are a blade from the early 80`s. Ugly. I look forward to your future deeper dive into the history of the Hogan company. All Irons for men were 37. Sold them to a guy 30 years younger who also loved them. Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. The Executive clubs are among the finest pure forged blades ever produced and have certainly stood the test of time. Knowledgable folk say its all in the mind. I remember a set called Canon I think, possibly a Spalding brand. 1 Iron (18) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE. I really enjoy reading your articles, John. At the 2003 PGA Show, Hogan introduced the Apex 50 blade commemorating its 50th anniversary, the game improvement CFT irons, and the Carnoustie and Riviera wedges. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. Spalding club-makers paid as much scrutiny to shafts as heads. It is my Go To clubmy favorite. The greatest golfer at the time plays Spalding? Learn how your comment data is processed. i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. 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. You can post now and register later. Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. 1 Iron Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize. I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. Known for launching the ball from a nice crisp fairway lie but it jumped the shark when it came to hitting it from any kind of fluff. This new construction was a major technological advancement in golf balls. The shelves are full of the latest and greatest technology (hybrids, woods the size of a frying pan, dozens of shaft offerings), in 20+ years people will be laughing at those funky sticks as well. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. What a great list! 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. The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. They had a premium Molitor ball at the then scandalous price of $2. "dateModified": "2022-05-12", "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", Just make sure to mix in a few lessons with your local PGA pro, and you'll progress nicely. While theyre old-school, Spalding clubs are made to high standards and are built to last, making them a great option if youre looking for a cheap and cheerful set of clubs. Your email address will not be published. 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. Goldwin was a San Diego company, years ahead of its time. Not quite Bryson-like, but innovative for the day. Anybody know anything? I have a set of clubs with Belmont Power on them. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. "width": "645", Inventory available of individual, single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons. 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. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. Now I need some crazy Loudmouth pants and a pink ball. Thank you for your research efforts. 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,,. Jim passed away recentlyhe was a great innovator do you remember the Basakwerd Putter 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. It became the most consistent and durable golf ball ever made. Spalding was the big name in women's golf clubs by 1950. I gave those up quickly only because they were really odd looking. 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. We will miss Jim and his innovation ! Im surprised that nobody has mentioned the Wilson Fat Shaft irons for ugliness. It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. lots of memories here. The 300XXL Driver was so lightawesome clubhead speed ! Windtree Golf is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Various . So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? worst time to visit costa rica; apartments for rent in fort pierce with utilities included; sunshine plaza opening hours sunday; photosynthesis and cellular respiration kahoot Pretty sure that was the first major won for a solid core ball. I have a set of Ben Hogan AHS Hybrids and the SW is even a hybrid! In the early days, golf clubs were hand-forged using a hammer and anvil. Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! 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. Still, the Uniques are the best irons I have ever hit! The 1953 Top-Flite Synchro-Dyned irons were particularly innovative, featuring a matched shaft flex and head weight for each iron in the set. Men's Right Handed. "image": { Spalding introduced the Vardon Flyer, a golf ball that was popularized by Harry Vardon. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. I would hand stamp #7 on all irons. Every iron ever made is ugly as hell when you hit it off the hosel. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! In 1892 Spalding went into acquisition mode, buying up two key competitors: the A.J. Those were first made around the end of the 19th century during the hickory era. 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. Still have the XL-4s in the garage. Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. 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. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! 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. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. Jeff Sheets had been Director of R&D for Top-Flite since 1995, and his first club for Hogan became a legend. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). Callaway had been making balls but never turned a profit. Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. Sign In. What a mess that design was! Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. when were spalding executive golf clubs made MENU. !but they had a very proprietary, strange-sized grip. Man crush on Nicklaus led to this purchase. Steve Almo The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. it was at my range's rental bin. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. Fantastic article John! Used them for about 10-15 years before I switch to 845s. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. Well then so did everyone else. Clear editor. He struggled quite a bit with the change.. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. Geek Golf Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. I recently tried an old Jack Nicklaus 7 iron made by MacGregor many years ago. 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. Titleist has been the Ball King for so long, its hard to remember a time when it wasnt. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spaldings most easily recognizable clubs. I just love them! That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, Your link has been automatically embedded. Design the future of bad golf! Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. He has provided some keen insights from his time with Mr. Hogan in other articles and podcasts. Sold millions of those over the years. 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. I have been playing golf over 40 years and have owned many brands of clubs. They all looked like mini woods. Odyssey to Callaway In July 1997, Callaway Golf purchased putter maker Odyssey for $130 million, or nearly four times the company's annual sales of $35 million at the time. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. Like many of his other unconventional looking but super functional designs for the time this one flew off the shelves. I have a med flex shaft, 1 inch extension on each Exec club, and Golf Pride Velvet jumbo grips. Even tho I play with graphic shafts I really like the way those play. who buys wild hogs in oklahoma, cricut design space snap to grid, beau of the fifth column website,