Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. We have a new #1 For Craziest Iron Ever Made! For years the #1 spot for craziest iron ever made was held by the infamous Cleveland VAS irons (now #2). But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. It is more of a you gotta be kidding me), an Integra 650 cc driver (you have to dig a ditch before you swing), etc. The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. "name": "Swing Yard", Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! lol! 1 Iron (18) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE. Corey Pavin won the 1996 US Open Shinnecock with a purple set. 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 Its factory could only make about six million dozen a year, and it was paying patent royalties. Incidentally, Vulcan (Chicago suburb club makers who made some of the earliest hybrids) made a full set of hybrids 3-SW. You have not lived until you hit good hybrid wedges! That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. History's Mysteries: Spalding Golf's Final Countdown So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. Protactic Golf in Chicago. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. He traded a set of classic Burke PunchIrons to get the Lynx. Keep up the great work. * Note: These irons were designed by Duke Duclos. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. You might be wondering how the hell did a Ping iron make the listbut look againthis one definitely deserves to be on the list for Wackiest Irons. Today its hard to fine a wooden golf club in a bag!!!! Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set - PGA Wide sole. They produced more premium balls, but we used to make 25-, 26-million dozen a year.. Today, Spalding Executive clubs arent worth a great deal of money. They are nearly in perfect condition. I am a self-admitted admirer of Mr. Hogan having owned more than 2 dozen sets of various Hogan iron sets over the years and a former member of the only club to have a Hogan-designed course (actually 27 holes). It was fun to have and I actually hit the thing really really well. Scott was a highly respected individual in the golf industry during this period and he had the respect of both his staff and golf professionals Sold them to a guy 30 years younger who also loved them. Wed have monthly meetings at their West 57th Street offices in New York. With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. 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. Youve forgotten the worst offender. The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905, it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs. A very easy to hit blade. Fantastic article John! when were spalding executive golf clubs made. Copyright 2023. "@type": "ImageObject", Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? 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! Im from SD, so I had a set. Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! The Strata, however, proved to be a gold mine for Spalding. Well today is going to be a little bit different. They say you learn from your mistakes. Really solid clubs. Each has a special place in my personal golf journey and is still some of the best equipment Ive ever used. They introduced the Browning 500 Series to counter that effect.But, they waited too long and by that timethe party was over! While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. Iomic Golf Grips: 8 Key Facts Before You Buy. My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. But more trouble was coming for Spalding. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. Although the Inertial irons werent so lucky. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. Thanks for the memories, John Barba. 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, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. Did KKR overpay? 1 Iron Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. Really a zany=looking set of irons. I actually have these clubs. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. 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. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. Would you make an iron set out of stone? Turns out it was just 20 years ago. Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. They are also said to be legendary Canadian player Moe Normans favorite clubs of all time. Knowledgable folk say its all in the mind. Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. This technology is a shank-proof hosel. 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 Executives were the bomb back in the day. The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. Spalding no longer makes golf clubs, and hasnt for some time now. Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. By 1910, the company was selling aluminum fairway clubs and its Gold Medal series (1910 to 1919) featured aluminum bronze. Bought the Slotlines new. Golf bags bulged with 20 to 25 clubs, and the USGA, fearing too many specialty clubs had watered down the skill required in golf, took action. Those were first made around the end of the 19th century during the hickory era. Say what you will but I own a set of Ray Cook Titanic irons. unbelieveably so..!! higher loft is really your best bet for getting out of these difficult fairway lies, Top 10 Best Cheap Drivers (Updated 2021 Buying Guide), 5 Advantages of A Strong Golf Grip (Everything To Know), What Is An Overrun Golf Ball? 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. Remember when pros like Norman and Stadler and others with that bright red Spaulding Tour Bag. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. 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. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. Its on the list! I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. Again THANK YOU FOR THE GOLF LESSON!!!!! I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Used them for about 10-15 years before I switch to 845s. Do You have any idea? There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. 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. The 300XXL Driver was so lightawesome clubhead speed ! I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. No. But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. Hope you find this one interesting!!!! Spalding Executive Registered 3 4 5 Driver Wedge P Golf Clubs Set Made In USA $26.21 Local Pickup or Best Offer SPONSORED Vintage lot of 3 Woods Top Flite Spalding Model 133 Professional 1 3 4 golf Club $29.95 $17.95 shipping or Best Offer SPONSORED PERSIMMON Spalding Robert Jones Jr Percussion Woods Set Golf Clubs Driver & 3 $60.00 $15.00 shipping The range is for form anyway. "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" 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. He also was one of the best designers in the golf biz. Brings back great memories! What a great list! It became the most consistent and durable golf ball ever made. Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. 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. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. 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. Much cheaper than renting. That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. You have any pics of the Samurai irons Neilwould love to see them. is fantastic, but the club is as stiff as an old water pipe and is accordingly harsh. Steve Almo Might need to get a full set of Tiger Shark irons to match the wedge!! We used to say three-quarters of the golf balls manufactured in the world came out of the state of Massachusetts, says Ben Hogan CEO Scott White, who started his career as a golf ball product manager for Spalding in the early 90s. I had read your original 2018 article about why Hogan still mattered. { FIND A SET! Placing the hosel behind the face eliminates the occasional `shank, creating forward-face progression. Theres even premium urethane cover options (Pro V1 and X styles) for ~$15 a dozen. 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. Spalding Golf Clubs History (Complete Story) - Golf Cart Report Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. 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).. They definitely arent the prettiest of clubs but I did enjoy playing them. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. In one sense, Spalding suffered the same fate irrelevance as did fellow legacy golf brands Wilson Staff and MacGregor. Never get tired of reading these types of articles. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. Great stuff. 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. 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. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. For more than 25 years, he has contributed to a wide array of publications including "American Heritage," "American History," "Yankee," "VFW," "Golf," and "Golf News." 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. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . 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 Driver to 15 wood. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The company was founded in 1973 and today produces high-quality golf clubs using the . "https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", today. * Note: These irons were designed by Don Wood remember the Plop putterswell they are back at it againyou can check them out here. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! I still have a set of samurai woods and irons,,and still use them,,had a pro hit my 7 iron once,,it flew his 7iron,,he was amazed,they hit great,,but graphite wears down over years and breaks,and when that happens,,its hard to find a replacement,,,. Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons Individual, Single, Replacement Golf Irons Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons - Ironfinder Ive owned a set of VAS, Zings, Slingshots and the Spaulding Execs (for vintage golf days). when were spalding executive golf clubs made 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!) Used to play traditional blades with the odd shank. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. He changed from forged blades and balata balls to cavity back, investment cast irons and sold core balls, White tells MyGolfSpy. I dont think I paid more than $300 for all four sets combined- Im a Salvation Army searcher. In 1880, Spaldings League Ball became the official baseball of the National League (and later of the American League), a position it held until 1976. I would love to have you include my Whole-In-One Adjustable Telescopic Golf Club in your mixdefinitely fits the criteria of unusual clubs. 2 Iron Spalding . KKR had been trying to dump Spalding as early as 2000, but no one would take on the debt burden. They are exactly like the Cleveland Ironwood set you see now, but it was made y..e..a..r..s ago. You cannot do that with any other club. Golfers have always known that deep-grooved irons produce better control and spin. Thanks! Its obvious that the maker of the Slingers spent SO much money on R&D that he had to use STICKERS instead of stamped lettering. If you are a beginner and are looking for a . What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. Within weeks, Top-Flite filed Chapter 11. The set I found is 2-9, but the 5 iron is gone. And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. I had a VAS 5 iron. Not to belittle them because KKR is incredibly successful, but they didnt know the golf business the way we did, says White. Taylor Made Golf was my Distributor for the U.S. and Canadian market. Thanks. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! I love these old clubs. John, Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. Just terribleand never sold thruas well it shouldnt. While the Top Flite was initially scorned by better players as the rock flight, it probably caused a rule change. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. The Titleist were a bit longer lasting but I (a poor college student) could afford the Spaulding balls. "@context": "http://schema.org/", Did you forget about Zevo Golf? Men's Right Handed. This stuff is really interesting.. Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. The Pyramid Rubber Company, a maker of baby bottles, strollers, and other infant products, bought a controlling interest. I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? http://www.geekgolf.com. Shallow faces (not as shallow as the 440 of course) and less offset than many of the long irons they replace. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. BombTech Golf Reviews (These Golf Clubs Any Good? In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Take the Spalding Executive line. Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. GolfCartReport.com, Golf Undershirts (20 To Try On The Market Today), Do I Need Longer Golf Clubs? document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Do you remember what golf websites you were shopping on back in 1995? I wonder what Jack thought of them. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #1. Well they made execs for over 20 yearswhich ones do you have? single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons. He also had a head for business and knew a good opportunity when he saw one. maybe EVER. All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. They are for sale. About half of our sales are with personal names or corporate logos in the back and given as gifts. He has provided some keen insights from his time with Mr. Hogan in other articles and podcasts. Spalding Ladies Golf Club History | Golflink.com We want you to get the most out of your It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. And continuity, leadership, and smart decisions matter. remove head from shaft? 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 Spalding introduced the Vardon Flyer, a golf ball that was popularized by Harry Vardon. Is my equipment holding me back? Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. Well done. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. Its impossible to overstate Albert Spaldings vision and ambition. Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek. Laugh if you must, but the design works. Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. Cliffy2020 Thank you for your research efforts. You cannot paste images directly. Spalding Executive Golf Clubs for sale | eBay 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. Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? They preceded hybrid irons by 20 years or so. Anybody know anything? They kept slashing the pricing. My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. The products soon disappeared from shelves. They were good at it too, in one year selling off companies for more than $7 billion they had bought for only $1 billion. Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. Can you come up with any info on these? The design gave the clubs an exotic bamboo look; the underlying message being that these clubs offered players bamboo's legendary flexibility and whip-like strength. Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-1.svg" 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. Spalding Irons By Year - Swing Yard They play as well as any other set Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. Can you help me find the history of the club? "sameAs": [ #14 - Spalding Executive Irons These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. There are worse things. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. Pat Simmons of Tiger Shark fame (and others) is the most underrated club designer of all time! They are similar to the Nike slingshots as they have a powerbow looking thing on the back of them. Finally, I think a distinction needs to be made between the wackiest looking and worst irons made. Brilliant idea? Great set. 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. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. Terrific article as usual Mr. Barra. Currently play AP2s coming out of the bag for a few rounds and if the linear dynamics keep performing like they did in Vegas the AP2s will be taking a long rest. Sign In. I just found a set of 10 plops slotz. "https://twitter.com/_swingyard_", Just make sure to mix in a few lessons with your local PGA pro, and you'll progress nicely. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! I was the person responsible for introducing urethane prepolymers to Dr Shen Shen Wu, Titleist R&D chemist. By 1970, the ownership group morphed into the Questor Corporation, and Pyramid Rubber was rechristened Evenflo. Spalding was the big name in women's golf clubs by 1950. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Balata covers. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Ive seen several of those uglies up close over the years so this was fun to view. when were spalding executive golf clubs made MENU. What about Pax (Paul Goydos promoted them)? Previously, they manufactured equipment for golf, American football, and baseball, but they have downsized considerably in recent years. General Albums. Goldwin was a San Diego company, years ahead of its time. Executives were my first real set of golf clubs. 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. 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. Jeff Sheets - Spalding - Past Designs Buyers can still find Spalding clubs on some secondary sites. Thanks, http://www.clubsofdistinction.com/cod3/ucir5177.htm. 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. But, they were NOS (New Old Stock) and with Ohio State grips and headcovers; so a diehard Buckeye fan. Titleist and PING were established competitors, while TaylorMade and Callaway were flexing their muscles. " [We] decided that . Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By Still have the XL-4s in the garage. Not sure if the Black Knight, Gary Players endorsement sucked allot of buyers into buying.LOL. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. Thanks. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. 5 Testers Needed! The Spaulding Executive XE for me never looked right They were available in 1-SW (I believe) A friend used to play these and I always suggested using his pitching wood :o) My $.02. 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. Hope you all enjoyed a look back at some of the craziest irons ever made. In 1892 Spalding went into acquisition mode, buying up two key competitors: the A.J. Fugly yes looks kinda like a pancake spatula at address but effective. When Did Spalding Stop Making Golf Clubs. Today, Spalding focuses nearly all of its commercial interests on basketball, producing balls, hoops, rims, and nets. Spalding, seemingly, was on top of the world. 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. money, time and performance. "@type": "Organization", The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls. I just searched eBay right now and saw a set for $139. 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. This putter is a remake of the model Bobby Jones used in the 1930s and features a head made from nickel plating over copper plating over forged carbon steel. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Spalding-Irons-by-Year.jpg" and they placed it in the show. I remember a set called Canon I think, possibly a Spalding brand. That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, Although they wont win any awards for innovation, Spaldings Molitor clubs are a decent game improvement set and a good option for beginners. Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. But as you can see could cause some serious digging issues.