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. Great article takes me back to nostalgia. (ENTER TO WIN) Super cool contest we have for you fellow GolfSpies today! "author": "Ned Howard", Spalding is a big name in American sports, having manufactured equipment for basketball, American football, and golf over the years. 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. Scott Stallings - WITB - 2023 Genesis Invitational. i think special t golf was the only people dumb enuff to handle these. Your email address will not be published. It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. 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. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com, Maxfli Tour, Tour X and Tour S Golf Balls, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Topgolf Callaway 2022 Financials: $4 Billion? Wide sole. 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. The 1953 Top-Flite Synchro-Dyned irons were particularly innovative, featuring a matched shaft flex and head weight for each iron in the set. Terrific article as usual Mr. Barra. During that time, Spalding ownership changed hands a half dozen times, and saw the same fate as MacGregor Irons. All are memory refreshing .. have been in golf clubhead design , manufacturing 25 years , familiar with the designs ! I actually have these clubs. I love it but was told it is no a legal putter. I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-1.svg" Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. All that creativity has led to the great clubs we have today. (8 Ways To Know) . Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", lol..!! spalding golf clubs any good. Regardless, both are great sets. The Black Dots and Red Dots were equivalent to the Titleist black numerals and red numerals. I have not 1 but 2 sets of Browning 440 irons. Happily, I can say that I have seen these over the years, but none of them ever made it into my golf bag. You can actually play Spalding golf balls again! They are for sale. By the Roaring '20s, A.G. Spalding & Brothers was using the process of "drop forging" to manufacture metal club-heads. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Please put any questions or comments here. Great research John with some very interesting history facts about the company and its equipment. "logo": { Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. The products soon disappeared from shelves. It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. When I was first introduced to golf in the mid 70s, spoiling was still a player in the recreational market. PING was still PING, and Tiger was becoming Tiger. What was wacky about the Bears? when were spalding executive golf clubs made. Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. Is it worth getting a new set of clubs, or should I focus on getting spikes and a gloves, ( I currently golf in thing sandles) 0. Make sense as I do have a Johnny Miller PW which looks just like an X 70. Fila Golf has developed this new iron using a patented design feature. Shank no more, draw, fade, straight, you name it, my Filas do it. So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. Spalding quickly grew, making baseball gloves and uniforms and the first modern baseball bat. Protactic Golf in Chicago. 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. Thanks, John. My friends and I (and Im embarrassed to say this now! Still have the clubs in my basement. Lots of wackiness. when were spalding executive golf clubs made My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! 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. } I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. ), Finn Scooter Golf Reviews (Are These the Real Deal? I played a lot of Spaulding equipment as a kid in all kinds of sports. Was: C $107.89. . Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set. * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. $86.40 shipping. He would hold up the club so they could see the 7 on the bottom and with a big grin say I hit a 7 iron. "height": "342", Someone suggested to me they were a prototype club for Johnny Miller, but were never marketed. Great set. They are a blade from the early 80`s. I just love them! You cannot do that with any other club. "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" Kind of reminds one of the Hogan radial but not near as wide on the soul. The pro-shop who had them could not find a buyer. Mr. Adams had just formed Taylor Made Golf in late 1978 and this was their first showing in the market. 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. 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. 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. 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. Knowledgable folk say its all in the mind. Anybody know anything about them? This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), CONTEST Adams Pro Black Giveaway! Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! when were spalding executive golf clubs made Would you make an iron set out of stone? This new construction was a major technological advancement in golf balls. "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. It kept some of those out of my bag Im sure. I see that a few from my list made it. Never get tired of reading these types of articles. After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. We had hybrids back in the 80s. 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. 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. 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. 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. not just the American side , some of Europe and some from Japan makers also wacky !!! 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. Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. I was wondering if anyone had ever tried Slotline Classic Copper golf clubs. What a great list! President Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! I love these old clubs. ENTER NOW! today. Nabbed them just for the pure ugliness. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. Different, yes, but they are the only ones where you can really aim at the target! They preceded hybrid irons by 20 years or so. lots of memories here. Norman credited the extra spin of the Tour Edition for winning the 1986 British Open. Laugh if you must, but the design works. 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. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", I play them still and love them. . CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. Press J to jump to the feed. Paste as plain text instead, One with the sticker decal and one without. The ball was introduced in 1900. We had small layoffs on an ongoing basis, and people kept looking over their shoulder. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons. 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! Hope you find this one interesting!!!! 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). Did KKR overpay? I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. Jeff Sheets had been Director of R&D for Top-Flite since 1995, and his first club for Hogan became a legend. I was the Sales Manager of Stan Thompson golf company for several years and worked very close with Stan. Really a zany=looking set of irons. I would appreciate any help you could offer! when were spalding executive golf clubs made. I just found a set of Slingers at the thrift store for $10. Fugly yes looks kinda like a pancake spatula at address but effective. Weve done a mini-history on the Hogan Company, with input from a couple of longtime Hogan employees. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. About; Blog; Service; Contacts Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2. My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. The top of the club head is horisontal and is easy to set up perpendical to the target. Written by June 5, 2022 . History's Mysteries: Spalding Golf's Final Countdown Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. My Nike Slingshots is the best set I have ever used. 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. It is the Super Stick. does ohma have a child [email protected] buy all 6 get free shipping) Let me know by ebay . The Strata, however, proved to be a gold mine for Spalding. remove head from shaft? Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. NOW AVAILABLE: GolfWRX G/Fore Hats and Holderness & Bourne Polos! I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. Yes, it did. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? Placing the hosel behind the face eliminates the occasional `shank, creating forward-face progression. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! 15 Craziest Golf Club (Irons) Ever Made! - MyGolfSpy Jones immediately put his Georgia Tech engineering degree to good use. They also made a set made entirely of woods. 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 Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? and they wonder why they went out of business. Spalding did have high hopes for the Hogan brand. Spalding Executive Golf Clubs for sale | eBay That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. The latter is notable as the Wright of Wright and Ditson is one George Wright, a Hall of Fame shortstop for the Boston Red Stockings and a major mover and shaker of turn-of-the-century golf. Albert Spalding was a superstar. lol! Spalding Executive Left Handed Golf Clubs - Left Handed Golf Clubs Whats more, KKR continued adding to its golf empire, buying Etonic in 1996 and Ben Hogan a year later. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. 2 Iron Spalding . 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . Golfers have always known that deep-grooved irons produce better control and spin. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. I recently tried an old Jack Nicklaus 7 iron made by MacGregor many years ago. Jim, If you are interested in writing about the history of the urethane covered golf ball at Titleist, I can provide all of the facts. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! In the meantime, this should hold you over, https://mygolfspy.com/why-does-the-ben-hogan-equipment-company-still-matter/. *We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. 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,,,. I think you are talking about the Spaulding Executive XE irons,ahead of their time,I played a set for a couple of years then sold them, looking back I wish I hadnt. what is spanish colonial music? He also was one of the best designers in the golf biz. Great insight! maybe EVER. 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. ), Takomo Golf Clubs Review: (As Good as Expected? Love it or hate it the Nike Slingshot irons made the list. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spaldings most easily recognizable clubs. (Cavity back blades???) spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . If you are a beginner and are looking for a . Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. 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. Jim also marketed the first Graphite Shafts sold under the Aldila name. he is a cleveland iron man now, but he still owns the spalding executives. "https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", Right now Ive been with the Execs 2 then 5 SW, Ram 64 wedge, 1 & 3 wood, both hybrids and putter. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. I cannot find any information on this club, maybe they were a golfsmith thing from early 2000s?? The History of Spalding Golf Clubs - Hickory Golfers Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. You can still buy Top-Flite and Strata branded balls at DICKS and Golf Galaxy. 1 Iron Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize. Jackie Gleason also owned a set. In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. 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 stuff is really interesting.. All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. unbelieveably so..!! 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. when were spalding executive golf clubs made Quite honestly, we werent ready for that.. 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. As weve discussed before, its extremely difficult for legacy brands to remain relevant, especially when new, fresh brands get aggressive. Yes. By 2002, players such as Hal Sutton, Bernhard Langer, and Luke Donald were playing the Hogan Apex ball. TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. [email protected] I am on my 2nd set.I used to lovem and had friends that bought as they loved the ball flight and were also a great set of chippers. 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 introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. These irons which I dont know who actually designed were called the Ray Cook Titanic irons and were made back when Scotty Cameron was a putter designer for the company. Over two million Bobby Jones sets were sold in America. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. "https://www.instagram.com/_swingyard_/", I would love to have you include my Whole-In-One Adjustable Telescopic Golf Club in your mixdefinitely fits the criteria of unusual clubs. Play to a 4 6 cap. Of course Drivers and putters are like women. 6. Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set - PGA I dont know how people could justify any of the others. Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. Spalding Golf Clubs: Do Still Make Them & How Much? - Windtree Golf The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. Well they made execs for over 20 yearswhich ones do you have? The 15 wood is only a little longer than an 8 iron (in my 70 yr old hands) so I put a 9 iron through sand wedge in the bag and away we go They are straight and land incredibly soft. And Spaldings ace in the hole Strata was old news by the time the Pro V1 and Nike Tour Accuracy hit the scene. Bought a set for $25 as to help out a young lady with cancer. Too bad. I play with several timesa year. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. It means the Son of a Scottish brood that keeps getting into trouble only to easily find his way out of trouble! For more info on Stan Thompson click here. There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. Those Slinger Irons were the brain child of Jim Flood. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Still playing my cook titanics with the 1 iron. Find golf club trade-in and re-sales values for over 4,000 models of used golf clubs at the PGA Value Guide, from leading manufacturers such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping, Odyssey, Nike, Cleveland, Mizuno, Cobra, Adams, Wilson.