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. 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. I just love them! 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. Throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s, Spalding and Titleist were running neck and neck in golf ball production. today. In the 1960s, Spalding introduced the Spalding Executive line of clubs and balls and the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons with the Bird on Ball logo. Man, some of my favorites on this list. I would like to repay you with mine. When I was first introduced to golf in the mid 70s, spoiling was still a player in the recreational market. Its on the list! 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? Fugly yes looks kinda like a pancake spatula at address but effective. 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. 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. Starting in 1900, Spalding opened clubmaking factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. Look at many of todays hybrids. Shallow faces (not as shallow as the 440 of course) and less offset than many of the long irons they replace. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. Got the 3 PW for 3.99 a club, bought the 5- PW first, played two rounds and went back and bought the 3 & 4. The top of the club head is horisontal and is easy to set up perpendical to the target. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. * Note: These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. Peter lived in Ridgefield,Ct. Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. 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!) Thanks. Another great history piece. Ive owned. They also made a set made entirely of woods. 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. 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. Both were smart, competent leaders but had little golf experience. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. 15 Craziest Golf Club (Irons) Ever Made! - MyGolfSpy "sameAs": [ More on the tr600!!!! 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. "https://twitter.com/_swingyard_", does ohma have a child [email protected] buy all 6 get free shipping) Let me know by ebay . Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. 1 Iron (18) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13. They are also perfect in a steep slope due to the curved bottom of the club head. His stuff was marvelous and all original. Yes. It was if I walked into the store from a time machine. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball Irons - Ironfinder In 1938, the USGA passed an edict limiting players to 14 clubs. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. 1983 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. They all looked like mini woods. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. I got an incomplete set at the Salvation Army for $15. I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. Play to a 4 6 cap. There was a time that Spalding golf clubs were among the best in the business. Maybe it is a good idea or maybe it is not. Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons Individual, Single, Replacement Golf Irons MacGregors ownership carousel started in 1978 when it was sold to lumber conglomerate Wickes. Men's Right Handed. Finally, I think a distinction needs to be made between the wackiest looking and worst irons made. Anybody know anything? 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! Brings back great memories! Tommy Armour TI 100 need to be on the list, they were twice the size of any other iron produced ever. During their time together, Vardon and Spalding agreed the best way to grow the game in the U.S. and grow the market for Spalding golf products was to build more golf courses. 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. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. I see that a few from my list made it. Itd take a week to prepare for.. I think a list of the craziest irons made should definitely include the Jerry Barber Golden Touch irons made over 40 years ago. unbelieveably so..!! Thanks for the history lesson, truly amazing how fast Spalding unraveled. What can you find out about Wilson x 70 irons. My Nike Slingshots is the best set I have ever used. The strangest set I play with at the moment is a matching set of 3 through 15 fairway woods made by Protactic Golf in Chicago (part of the remains of Northwestern Golf, I think). They say you learn from your mistakes. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. Ive owned a set of VAS, Zings, Slingshots and the Spaulding Execs (for vintage golf days). TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. Happily, I can say that I have seen these over the years, but none of them ever made it into my golf bag. 5 Testers Needed! CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. The Executives were the bomb back in the day. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. A request, could you do Sonartec at some point? Met a friend in Costa Mesa at Mile Square Golf Club back in the early 1970s and he was with Duke Duclos., a friend from their McDonald-Douglas days. my Dad is still pulling new 90s & 2000s Top Flights from the closet to play lol. Today, Spalding Executive clubs arent worth a great deal of money. He was a pro at having fun when he played golf! LOL. The woods were the strangest looking things. We will miss Jim and his innovation ! i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. The Top-Flite acquisition made it a player. when were spalding executive golf clubs made - reklamcnr.com That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, I had some Staff FG-17 and my friends dad had the Executives. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. 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. Especially in America. The RB880 s by Northwestern are also knockoffs of the Browning 440 s. My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. Acushnet has been sold twice since the 1970s, and each time the buyer took the same approach: be profitable, and well leave you alone. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. } Man crush on Nicklaus led to this purchase. Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. The ball was introduced in 1900. What about Goldwin?? Pat Simmons first wanted to say thanks and also that, You may not know the Pat Simmons name, but if youre a golfer, you know of several of my inventions. In 1984, Questor sold off Spalding/Evenflo to a Venezuelan group headed by Gustavo and Ricardo Cisneros. they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. The VAS are ugly, but they work. Remember when pros like Norman and Stadler and others with that bright red Spaulding Tour Bag. The primary reason why Spalding halted the production of golf clubs was that they couldnt keep up with the competition. info@pgatradein.com Mon-Fri: 9AM - 5PM EST . Can anyone ballpark an estimate on the value of a set of Samurai clubs? Albert Spalding died in 1915, but his company continued to flourish. I will let the then Chariman of FILA Golf tell you a little bit about these 1994 released set of ironsand take you back in time like you were there for the original launch: Never before have so many game improvement features been built into one club. I remembered them from this article. "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", 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. Im not talking a couple of degrees, but for one shot you could make it a 5 iron and the next (with a quick adjustment) itd be a PW. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. I recently tried an old Jack Nicklaus 7 iron made by MacGregor many years ago. The set I found is 2-9, but the 5 iron is gone. Spalding, like its old school brethren Wilson and MacGregor, simply wasnt sexy to a new generation of golfers. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. It adjusts to every loft in a full bag, plus half lofts. 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. Model: Tour Pro Offset Copyright 2023. remove head from shaft? The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. SPALDING EXECUTIVE 3-PW Iron Set Golf Clubs R/H Jet Step Stiff Flex Steel. No, while you might be able to find Spalding golf clubs at thrift stores and via used online marketplaces, Spalding no longer manufactures golf clubs. 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,,,. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. Since you mentioned it in the article, how about doing the history of Ben Hogan golf from its inception in 1953 to itd ultimate demise under Callaway and then its resurrection in 2015. I was the person responsible for introducing urethane prepolymers to Dr Shen Shen Wu, Titleist R&D chemist. Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. 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. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. Titleist and PING were established competitors, while TaylorMade and Callaway were flexing their muscles. i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. My first clubs were Spalding top flites. I think this is the web site for me . Why are Spalding golf balls called Top Flite? You can post now and register later. I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. "@type": "ImageObject", 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. Spalding Ladies Golf Club History | Golflink.com I have a full set of Exec XE irons. I have a med flex shaft, 1 inch extension on each Exec club, and Golf Pride Velvet jumbo grips. I can't imagine them being worth a shit. Purespin (diamond face)? 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). Keep up the great work. 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. But they seem to work though. He traded a set of classic Burke PunchIrons to get the Lynx. Great stuff. Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. If you have a vintage set of Bobby Jones Spalding irons that are in great shape, you might be able to sell them at a slightly higher price, but theyre not worth a great deal of money in the current market. Cleveland was giving them away for free if you send in some coupon from golf digest. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. ), Phat Golf Scooters Reviews (Good or Waste of Cash? Oddity? Spalding did have high hopes for the Hogan brand. I have a Simmons Great White Shark putter with a 7 blade. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. Can anyone tell me about Spalding executives : r/golf - reddit Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. I was interested in golf until around 2001 and soon discovered spoiling was on anachronism at that point. when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. These were great clubs. I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Driver Review, Best Womens Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players, Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professional. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), Acushnet 2022 Financials: $2.27 Billion and Counting, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Four Testers Wanted Inesis Spikeless Shoe. Does Spalding make golf balls? "https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", I surely do remember those Dot balls that my brother and I would find on OFCC in south suburbs of Chicago because we couldnt afford them but you really had to pay attention to look at those balls before you grounded your club or you would put a significant cut in them. What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. Placing the hosel behind the face eliminates the occasional `shank, creating forward-face progression. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. I actually have a set of 440s I bring them out every year or two when I am hitting the ball poorly. The Endo-forged Hogan Apex Plus cavity back irons came soon after, along with a solid-core Hogan Apex ball. And add on Sweet Spot Golf Drivers and the Mac/Burrows Driver. They produced more premium balls, but we used to make 25-, 26-million dozen a year.. Albert Spalding was a superstar. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was. They are a blade from the early 80`s. Whats more, Spalding Molitor clubs currently retail at $280 for an entire set, which is a price point that is pretty hard to beat. Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. BombTech Golf Reviews (These Golf Clubs Any Good? MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. And Spaldings ace in the hole Strata was old news by the time the Pro V1 and Nike Tour Accuracy hit the scene. I have no ideabut I sure loved my Tommy Armour silver Scotts. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! Display as a link instead, The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! Sold millions of those over the years. Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. Even tho I play with graphic shafts I really like the way those play. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. 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. What about the old Bullet Driver that was hollow in the center (like an inverted U shape)? Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. 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. Thanks. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Do you remember what golf websites you were shopping on back in 1995? Spalding Golf Clubs: Do Still Make Them & How Much? The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. 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). KKR wanted Spalding to make money the KKR way. Decent? Every iron ever made is ugly as hell when you hit it off the hosel. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spaldings most easily recognizable clubs. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. Callaway wound up suing Spalding for using its imagery on Spalding packaging. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. made it even more interesting and valuable. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. These articles are all outstanding. Well these irons which were designed out in LA by Stan Thompson were made to capitalize on that same concept. Eventually banned because it was too straight. I just found a set of Slingers at the thrift store for $10. i just hit a 8 iron in that series last night. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. Tom Farrell. We knew something was up, recalls White. BarbaJo, you da man! You should shoot me some pics of your new set. Titleist has been the Ball King for so long, its hard to remember a time when it wasnt. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 * 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. Im from SD, so I had a set. When my father would shot a 215 yard iron into the hole, his fellow golfers wold ask him what club he used. I had released it into the foreign market through a network of distributors mid in 1978, where it was well received. Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. I became a +2 handicap using those irons, and a lot of people scoffed at them early ontill they saw me hit them. I collect odd golf items. #PowerToThePlayer. In 1998 Spalding released the Top-Flite System C and System T golf balls which, Spalding claimed, were designed to perform best with two top-selling drivers of that year, the Callaway Big Bertha and the TaylorMade Ti Bubble 2. If it works for you use it. Still have the clubs in my basement. This technology is a shank-proof hosel. Mr. Adams had just formed Taylor Made Golf in late 1978 and this was their first showing in the market. Ive seen several of those uglies up close over the years so this was fun to view. We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. We want you to get the most out of your TaylorMade, now owned by adidas, was rising, and Callaway was a major force. 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. Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). PING was still PING, and Tiger was becoming Tiger. The player would then conveniently cover the top of his bag with a towel so that no one would see the length of the irons. 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites It made its mark in the 80s through leveraged buyouts buying undervalued or poorly managed companies with other peoples money, improving their bottom lines, and then spinning them off at a profit. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. Norman credited the extra spin of the Tour Edition for winning the 1986 British Open. I actually travel with it and use it at the driving range, so I dont have to rent clubs. It was first shown at the PGA dealers show at Disney World, Orlando, Florida 1979. While the Top Flite was initially scorned by better players as the rock flight, it probably caused a rule change. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. An excellent article well researched 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. With a few months of work and some radical design modifications it was turned into the first modern Metalwood. "https://www.instagram.com/_swingyard_/", single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball Irons. why did patrice o'neal leave the office; why do i keep smelling hairspray; giant ride control one auto mode; current fishing report: lake havasu The BIG BOYS missed on this one. "datePublished": "2022-05-12", Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. 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. APPLY NOW: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. We stand behind our clubs and want you to be satisfied with them. Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. and had a driving range there for many years. 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.