Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. We had small layoffs on an ongoing basis, and people kept looking over their shoulder. Ive got other odd clubs, a clear/see thru 5W, 68 & 73 degree wedge (of course, they may not be considered crazy. remove head from shaft? 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. i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. They play as well as any other set 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. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? In 1893, Spalding bought the Lamb Knitting Machine Company in Chicopee, Mass which made, obviously, knitting machines and, less obviously, eggbeaters, bicycle wheels, and rifles. Previously, they manufactured equipment for golf, American football, and baseball, but they have downsized considerably in recent years. But unfortunately for the VASs they were dethroned from their long held position. He also had a head for business and knew a good opportunity when he saw one. I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. maybe EVER. } "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" 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 owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. Starting in 1900, Spalding opened club-making factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. when were spalding executive golf clubs made You can post now and register later. Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. The RB880 s by Northwestern are also knockoffs of the Browning 440 s. It was first shown at the PGA dealers show at Disney World, Orlando, Florida 1979. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. Great stuff. Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Driver Review, Best Womens Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players, Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professional. "@context": "http://schema.org/", It was fun to have and I actually hit the thing really really well. We want you to get the most out of your If you have any you think we should include or have any additional info about the clubs listed feel free to post your comments. In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. 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. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. Different, yes, but they are the only ones where you can really aim at the target! Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); MyGolfSpy is gearing up to conduct the second edition of our groundbreaking ball test. 1 Iron (18) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE. Copyright 2023. History's Mysteries: Spalding Golf's Final Countdown Almost , http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html. Im sure Scott White would love to contribute. C $75.53. we closed and then were just screwing around with some of the rental clubs. 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. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. They are also said to be legendary Canadian player Moe Normans favorite clubs of all time. 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 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. All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. Like many of his other unconventional looking but super functional designs for the time this one flew off the shelves. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? 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. This new construction was a major technological advancement in golf balls. KKR had been trying to dump Spalding as early as 2000, but no one would take on the debt burden. My first clubs were Spalding top flites. ), Finn Scooter Golf Reviews (Are These the Real Deal? 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. He struggled quite a bit with the change.. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! 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,,,. The products soon disappeared from shelves. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. when were spalding executive golf clubs made - reklamcnr.com Those Slinger Irons were the brain child of Jim Flood. Yes, it sold a ton of golf balls, but as one former employee told us, the brand was decidedly blue-collar and not focused on the golf professional. So we thought if it was as crazy looking as the original it had to be on the list but a little further down. 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. * Note: These irons were designed by Pat Simmons and ex-pilot and engineer which also had a part in the Zebra putter design. I play them still and love them. My Nike Slingshots is the best set I have ever used. To maintain the limit of 14 clubs in the bag, I change off now and then. Back in the day (early-60s), I caddied at a CC in so. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). Itd take a week to prepare for.. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-1.svg" I still have the irons to this day! the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. They say you learn from your mistakes. The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. I may be way off they had a a plain face -but the back was a series of round holes -like a honey comb design does any one remember these what were they called and who made themmy friend died so I cant ask himanyway thanks. 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. The Top-Flite acquisition made it a player. The 1999 Hogan Apex, forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan, remains a sought-after collectible, and a very playable blade, to this day. [email protected] Can anyone ballpark an estimate on the value of a set of Samurai clubs? The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. spalding golf clubs any good. He also was one of the best designers in the golf biz. John, Leather Golf Grips Review: Should I Use Them? when were spalding executive golf clubs made Each has a special place in my personal golf journey and is still some of the best equipment Ive ever used. 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. What a mess that design was! Well done. The History of Spalding Golf Clubs - Hickory Golfers Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. Written by June 5, 2022 . Callaway had been making balls but never turned a profit. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. In one sense, Spalding suffered the same fate irrelevance as did fellow legacy golf brands Wilson Staff and MacGregor. In 1938, the USGA passed an edict limiting players to 14 clubs. With KKR, it was a 180-degree turnaround. Spalding introduced the Vardon Flyer, a golf ball that was popularized by Harry Vardon. "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. Acushnet has been sold twice since the 1970s, and each time the buyer took the same approach: be profitable, and well leave you alone. What about the old Bullet Driver that was hollow in the center (like an inverted U shape)? Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. They produced more premium balls, but we used to make 25-, 26-million dozen a year.. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. The Black Dots were longest (for me) but that cover would smile back at you with the slightest mishit. My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. Thanks for the history lesson, truly amazing how fast Spalding unraveled. With a few months of work and some radical design modifications it was turned into the first modern Metalwood. Cleveland was giving them away for free if you send in some coupon from golf digest. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. I see that a few from my list made it. There was a time that Spalding golf clubs were among the best in the business. Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. They introduced the Browning 500 Series to counter that effect.But, they waited too long and by that timethe party was over! The Spaulding Executive was just too far ahead of its timegreat club! Mr. Adams had just formed Taylor Made Golf in late 1978 and this was their first showing in the market. Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. During his time with Spalding, Stewart dropped from 6th to 123rd on the money list, with his only win coming at the 1995 Houston Open. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. I had a few customers back in the 1970s who ordered custom irons and would request the same number on the sole of their heads. Im surprised that nobody has mentioned the Wilson Fat Shaft irons for ugliness. I think a list of the craziest irons made should definitely include the Jerry Barber Golden Touch irons made over 40 years ago. 1977 Spalding Executive Irons - The Vintage Golfers - YouTube Im from SD, so I had a set. Here Im going to date myself a bitBack in the late 70s there was a company called Unique..The iron set design was oversized head with a deep cavity that was covered with a hard plastic. In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. 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. The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905, it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. I accidentally broke it in the late 1970s the shaft was installed over a milled section of the hosel! Can you help me find the history of the club? And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Cliffy2020 Still use them. Unfortunately, Spalding has fallen a long way down the pecking order in terms of their sporting equipment, and it has been a long time since they manufactured a new set of golf clubs. But $1 billion is a lot of cabbage, and KKR borrowed heavily to make the deal. I use them in Central Texas when the fairways are hard and the greens harder (late summer and all winter). Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. Another really well done article. Spalding Irons By Year - Swing Yard "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", Both are really great. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! Just saw a full set of them again today. Overall, Spalding clubs arent worth a great deal of money today, but theyre a good option if youre hoping to pick up an affordable set of clubs to get started with. Therefore, the Top Flite clubs produced in the nineties and early naughts are technically Spalding golf clubs. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. Spalding got so inventive with their clubmaking, they had golf bags around America sporting 20-30 clubs.