I accidentally broke it in the late 1970s the shaft was installed over a milled section of the hosel! Wish the 5 iron would have been there. 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. Though he is a footnote in the PGA history he was briefly on tour in the 50s. 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. As a designer, the design is perfect and although they look funny, they were a great club, ask Cory Pavin. The Ping Zings were the worst! With the help of computers, we designed a unique shape we call the `Bull Nose which extends the toe weight out far enough to balance the head without creating an elongated appearance. 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. Cleveland was giving them away for free if you send in some coupon from golf digest. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. Protactic Golf in Chicago. ), Takomo Golf Clubs Review: (As Good as Expected? Thanks. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. You can post now and register later. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. From the 1950s to the 1990s Spalding was in the bag for many major victories, and was played on municipal courses across the country. Very well researched and well done, as someone who is not super well versed in some of golfs history, it was a great, informative read! The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spalding's most easily recognizable clubs. "name": "Swing Yard", In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. The Browning 440 was a marvelous clubas you say off the fairway!!! 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. Please put any questions or comments here. In one sense, Spalding suffered the same fate irrelevance as did fellow legacy golf brands Wilson Staff and MacGregor. The Strata, however, proved to be a gold mine for Spalding. Its on the list! Still have the XL-4s in the garage. 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. They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. Spalding also produced the first U.S.-made golf shoes, the first clubs to use numbers instead of names, and the first completely matching set of woods and irons (the Kro-Flite). Still use them. Still, the Uniques are the best irons I have ever hit! 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. More on the tr600!!!! 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. Tommy Armour TI 100 need to be on the list, they were twice the size of any other iron produced ever. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. Great list of wild clubs. Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? what is spanish colonial music? Within weeks, Top-Flite filed Chapter 11. Acushnet has been sold twice since the 1970s, and each time the buyer took the same approach: be profitable, and well leave you alone. Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. Spalding did have high hopes for the Hogan brand. Upgraded my driver from R7 to Razr Hawk, but will never surrender my Slingshots. Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. I have not 1 but 2 sets of Browning 440 irons. I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls. 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 Today, Spalding focuses nearly all of its commercial interests on basketball, producing balls, hoops, rims, and nets. when were spalding executive golf clubs made Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. OK. Ive got some irons sets you have up (Fila, Cleveland, Slotline, and the Tiger Shark). 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. Only until tomorrow until my hybrids come in and boom they're gone. By then the Cisneros brothers had taken the money and ran. Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. But unfortunately for the VASs they were dethroned from their long held position. Anybody know anything about them? About; Blog; Service; Contacts Kind of reminds one of the Hogan radial but not near as wide on the soul. lol! Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. Like many of his other unconventional looking but super functional designs for the time this one flew off the shelves. Jim passed away recentlyhe was a great innovator do you remember the Basakwerd Putter Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. Among Jones innovations: the first matched set of steel-shafted irons, the first set of irons with the sweet spot in the center of each club (denoted by a circle of dots on the clubface), and an iron set where the scoring irons were one length, the mid irons were one length, and the long irons were one length. Wed have monthly meetings at their West 57th Street offices in New York. The player would then conveniently cover the top of his bag with a towel so that no one would see the length of the irons. Until the USGA banned deep-grooved irons, Spalding's Stop 'Em and Dedstop clubs brought a smile to countless players' faces. Can you help me find the history of the club? By (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! I dont want to pay the asking prices for individual 440 Plus irons on eBay, so Ill keep my eye out for them at the thrift shops and G-W. Andyou see the Spaulding Executive irons at the Goodwill stores all the time. These articles are all outstanding. If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? Not to belittle them because KKR is incredibly successful, but they didnt know the golf business the way we did, says White. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? The Titleist were a bit longer lasting but I (a poor college student) could afford the Spaulding balls. You should shoot me some pics of your new set. i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. 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. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. vicunas. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? I think a list of the craziest irons made should definitely include the Jerry Barber Golden Touch irons made over 40 years ago. Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons - Ironfinder lol..!! Over two million Bobby Jones sets were sold in America. Sign In. does ohma have a child [email protected] buy all 6 get free shipping) Let me know by ebay . So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. Made from 1989-1994 and originally sold for $680. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Of course, it is the Indian not the arrow to some extent, but he does well. I have no ideabut I sure loved my Tommy Armour silver Scotts. If so send them to contact(at)mygolfspy.com. Ive got other odd clubs, a clear/see thru 5W, 68 & 73 degree wedge (of course, they may not be considered crazy. I got an incomplete set at the Salvation Army for $15. I love these old clubs. 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. * Note: These irons were designed by Don Wood remember the Plop putterswell they are back at it againyou can check them out here. I have two sets of Browning 440 Gold clubs (including the driver, 3 and 5 woods), and a set of Browning 500s. Their original design was a smaller headed Tony Penna model Innovator, they became the n1 and then the Bears came out when oversize irons hit the market. I look forward to your future deeper dive into the history of the Hogan company. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. The chrome 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. However my 6 iron had twice as much offset as any other iron in the set. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. 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. any info on this garbage?lol. and they placed it in the show. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. We had hybrids back in the 80s. I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. (What Exactly Happened?). werent as good. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. (Cavity back blades???) Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball Irons - Ironfinder Duke gave me an original solid brass/bronze Greenirons Slotline putter (heel shafted with slot in top line and white dot on lower rear section).. Spalding released multiple iterations of its Executive clubs throughout the sixties and seventies, and they became popular with professional golfers and recreational players alike. 2 iron sw. Let me know if anyone is interested. Windtree Golf is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. The Browning 440s took my game from the 150s (Wilson clubs) to the low 70s. Yes. Anybody know anything? BarbaJo, you da man! I asked him about it and he said he had shown it to Spaulding, Wilson and MacGregor and their response was It will never sell!!!! But the funky look kept me from ever thinking about buying a whole set. We have been making them since 1992ship them all over the worldto soldiers, traveling execs, private pilots, cyclists, retirees that want to walk but cant lug a full set, and many other categories. There is nothing crazy about the Slinger! While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. You have any pics of the Samurai irons Neilwould love to see them. If you have any you think we should include or have any additional info about the clubs listed feel free to post your comments. Bought a set for $25 as to help out a young lady with cancer. 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. As previously mentioned, you can buy Spalding Molitor clubs at Rock Bottom, and theyre a great option for beginner players. ), Undersize Golf Grips Explained (8 Key Facts!). The market was changing rapidly, as well. The Executive clubs are among the finest pure forged blades ever produced and have certainly stood the test of time. *chuckles* Maybe its a good thing I took a 30 year golf hiatus. 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. Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. In the 1920s, Spalding started making irons and innovated an assembly line style forging process that was much cheaper, faster, and more precise than the ole hammer and anvil. The Pyramid Rubber Company, a maker of baby bottles, strollers, and other infant products, bought a controlling interest. Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. What are the Most Forgiving Forged Irons? This new construction was a major technological advancement in golf balls. Long irons with shallow faces, little offset and perhaps slightly softer shafts can be quite playable. "https://www.instagram.com/_swingyard_/", when were spalding executive golf clubs made 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. * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. . TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. 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. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. One day, I was caddying for him and he crushed a drive, but about 100 yards out, it just fell out of the sky. Spalding stopped producing golf clubs in 2022, focusing on other sports in the years since. Just saw a full set of them again today. spalding golf clubs any good. MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. Brings back great memories! The ball was introduced in 1900. Spalding quickly grew, making baseball gloves and uniforms and the first modern baseball bat. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! Latitude Irons also give the golfer an added patented design feature of dual skids on the sole. 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. The 1999 Hogan Apex, forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan, remains a sought-after collectible, and a very playable blade, to this day. 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. Bought a used set of 3-SW with a sticker decal some 35 years ago and added a 2-iron with stamped lettering later on a trip to Chicago. And continuity, leadership, and smart decisions matter. 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. Ironfinder has a good selection of individual Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball golf clubs in stock to help you replace a missing single golf iron. What about Goldwin?? 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 has been the Ball King for so long, its hard to remember a time when it wasnt. The top of the club head is horisontal and is easy to set up perpendical to the target. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? Im surprised that nobody has mentioned the Wilson Fat Shaft irons for ugliness. Men's Right Handed. Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. Today its hard to fine a wooden golf club in a bag!!!! I shoot mid-80s like OP. 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. Spalding Ladies Golf Club History | Golflink.com The RB880 s by Northwestern are also knockoffs of the Browning 440 s. Another great history piece. 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. Although they wont win any awards for innovation, Spaldings Molitor clubs are a decent game improvement set and a good option for beginners. The VAS are ugly, but they work. I would love to have you include my Whole-In-One Adjustable Telescopic Golf Club in your mixdefinitely fits the criteria of unusual clubs. Today we are going to be spotlighting the crazy, the absurd, and some of the wackiest irons the golf world has ever seen. 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!) WITB Albums. . Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! { My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. maybe EVER. I dont know how people could justify any of the others. Are Spaulding good golf clubs? - Wise-Answer The Black Dots were longest (for me) but that cover would smile back at you with the slightest mishit. Really a zany=looking set of irons. Peter lived in Ridgefield,Ct. However, the name of their popular brand Top Flite was sold to Callaway, and is used for discount clubs and balls. Remember when pros like Norman and Stadler and others with that bright red Spaulding Tour Bag. Almost , http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html. GolfCartReport.com, Golf Undershirts (20 To Try On The Market Today), Do I Need Longer Golf Clubs? Don't let scams get away with fraud. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. John, He traded a set of classic Burke PunchIrons to get the Lynx. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. * Note: These irons were designed by Pat Simmons and ex-pilot and engineer which also had a part in the Zebra putter design. They all looked like mini woods. Still bagging their wedges. KKR wanted Spalding to make money the KKR way. Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Driver Review, Best Womens Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players, Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professional. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Copyright 2023. I just picked up 6 thru 9 of the Browning 440 Plus irons at the Goodwillcant wait to try them out. But more trouble was coming for Spalding. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. Golfers may also like: PGX Offset Golf Driver Review: is it any Good? document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); MyGolfSpy is gearing up to conduct the second edition of our groundbreaking ball test. (8 Ways To Know) . Callaway had been making balls but never turned a profit. Model: Tour Pro Offset In an effort to keep golf a game of skill, the USGA implemented the 14 club rule that we see today. The Executives were the bomb back in the day. }. 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. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. Spalding Driver Golf Clubs for sale | eBay "@context": "http://schema.org/", That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #1. Well these irons which were designed out in LA by Stan Thompson were made to capitalize on that same concept. OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! I just found a set of Slingers at the thrift store for $10. Weird thing was I could hit the XL-4 long irons better and the Executives better from 7-PW. One of my buddies gave me a Tiger Shark wedge the one with 3 different alignment lines, concave dimples on the face instead of grooves, and a funky dual bounce sole configuration. Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. Nice article John! Thats great. I wonder what Jack thought of them. Anyone hear of them? single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. Just bought a set of Nicklaus Linear Dynamics N1 Golf Irons at a thrift shop in Vegas. Case in point: The article makes the statement that The (Cleveland) VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! I dont think Cory Pavin would have won PGA tour events and endorsed them if this had been true. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Tom Farrell. In 1993 Payne Stewart signed a multi-million-dollar deal to go full Top-Flite, a move that sidetracked Stewarts career. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. I have a full set of Exec XE irons. Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. 2 Iron Spalding . This is because Spalding stopped manufacturing golf clubs in 2002, and most of the clubs available online today are vintage sets. 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. 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. Spalding sponsored Vardons 1900 tour of America, culminating in Vardon winning the U.S. Open in Chicago. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. Does Spalding make golf balls? Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million.