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. OK. Ive got some irons sets you have up (Fila, Cleveland, Slotline, and the Tiger Shark). made it even more interesting and valuable. 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. It was fun to have and I actually hit the thing really really well. I have a set of Spalding exec XE love them- I dont play more than 5-6 rounds a year now, but they are so consistant , I could go a year between swings and still play the same- got them back in 1980- ish. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. lol! Reach and the Wright and Ditson sporting goods companies. I wonder what Jack thought of them. 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. The Titleist were a bit longer lasting but I (a poor college student) could afford the Spaulding balls. 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. You can check it out at http://www.adjustablegolfclub.com. Within weeks, Top-Flite filed Chapter 11. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. Pat Simmons of Tiger Shark fame (and others) is the most underrated club designer of all time! Really solid clubs. Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. 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. "dateModified": "2022-05-12", 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. Brilliant idea? Perhaps they were a little ahead of their time (3-PW). In 1892 Spalding went into acquisition mode, buying up two key competitors: the A.J. Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. marrano patio homes lancaster, ny 9, Juin, 2022. horse property for sale pocatello, idaho; Those are the reasons they work. Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. OVERSIZED Spalding Golf Clubs Lady set Woods Driver 3 5 w New Black Widow Grips $30.00 $15.00 shipping or Best Offer Spalding Executive MV2 2-9 Iron, PW set Bird Over Ball $69.99 $31.53 shipping or Best Offer Spalding Executive XE Irons Set 7-PW Medium Steel Shafts Left Handed LH $95.00 Free shipping or Best Offer I have not 1 but 2 sets of Browning 440 irons. Itd take a week to prepare for.. Jim passed away recentlyhe was a great innovator do you remember the Basakwerd Putter These skids are tapered from the leading edge toward the rear of the club head, raising the sole above the ground without raising the leading edge off the ground. No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. The likes of Callaway, TaylorMade, and PING all enjoyed good commercial success in the late nineties, and Spalding couldnt match the same feats achieved by the biggest brands. Since the Ryder Cup is shortly upon us MyGolfSpy & GolfCircuit.com thought it[]. i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. But under Section 363 of Chapter 11, a seller can sell assets without having to negotiate with its creditors. TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. Within three years, it would be gone for good. It was just crazy how many golf balls we would sell through Wal-Mart in 18-ball pack, adds White Wed get orders on the fax machine for 50,000 18-ball packs, and theyd want them in two weeks.. Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. words that have to do with clay P.O. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. Scott Stallings - WITB - 2023 Genesis Invitational. Ive owned. My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. They introduced the Browning 500 Series to counter that effect.But, they waited too long and by that timethe party was over! Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. Can you come up with any info on these? It is the Super Stick. 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. I would love to have you include my Whole-In-One Adjustable Telescopic Golf Club in your mixdefinitely fits the criteria of unusual clubs. Balata covers. These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. Brilliant writing! How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. Can anyone ballpark an estimate on the value of a set of Samurai clubs? Spalding club-makers paid as much scrutiny to shafts as heads. Really enjoyed them. He struggled quite a bit with the change.. Spalding lost $27 million in 2000 and another $20 million in 2001. Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. spalding golf clubs any good. However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! And in 1930, it hit the jackpot. I have had many pros in proams hit them and fascinated by how the ball comes off the club face so fast,,good distance. Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. Great insight! and I firmly believe the demise of Spalding was because a number of CEOs with little or no knowledge of the golf industry were appointed 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. Some crazy lookin clubs, Why didnt you include the 1st set of Ping 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. About half of our sales are with personal names or corporate logos in the back and given as gifts. Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. lots of memories here. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? 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. 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. Theyre awesome. The Executive clubs are among the finest pure forged blades ever produced and have certainly stood the test of time. Someone suggested to me they were a prototype club for Johnny Miller, but were never marketed. That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, They had a premium Molitor ball at the then scandalous price of $2. Wish the 5 iron would have been there. 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. Went back 10 years and got the 845s used. What was wacky about the Bears? The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. They actually play pretty well. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. Inside cavity: blue/back button; EXECUTIVE x EZ. I just found a set of Slingers at the thrift store for $10. He re-gripped them and beats the Taylormade hand-me-downs of his friends. ), shoplifted about four dozen balls each from a failing department store in New York City. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. The range is for form anyway. It is my Go To clubmy favorite. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ I have no ideabut I sure loved my Tommy Armour silver Scotts. 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. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. Whats troubling to us is the extent to which a reputable company that has its own trademarks and has invested a lot of money and time feels it needs to become a predator on somebody elses goodwill to sell its products, said Callaway chief Don Dye at the time. Tommy Armour TI 100 need to be on the list, they were twice the size of any other iron produced ever. "@type": "Article", Love them oldies. 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. There is nothing crazy about the Slinger! Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? Yes, it did. Therefore, the Top Flite clubs produced in the nineties and early naughts are technically Spalding golf clubs. The shelves are full of the latest and greatest technology (hybrids, woods the size of a frying pan, dozens of shaft offerings), in 20+ years people will be laughing at those funky sticks as well. 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." any info on this garbage?lol. I still have the samurai irons,2-pw and woods,driver,3w,5w,7w,,and still use them. 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. He actually manufactured a set of irons whose heads were literally upside down take an iron, turn in upside down, your top edge now hits the turf, the sole having a hosel. They are a blade from the early 80`s. what is spanish colonial music? Alternatively, you can look on a discount site like Rock Bottom Golf. Got them for $200.00 which was a really great price other pro shops were asking $450.00 for a set. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. Great list! 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. I had some Staff FG-17 and my friends dad had the Executives. 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. APPLY NOW: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! 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. and they placed it in the show. One of the most famous Spalding clubs was the Cran Cleek (club with a narrow face and little loft) for poor fairway lies and even putts. I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. 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. Why are Spalding golf balls called Top Flite? We will miss Jim and his innovation ! A very interesting stroll down golf history. 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. I remember a set called Canon I think, possibly a Spalding brand. Great collection! This new construction was a major technological advancement in golf balls. A request, could you do Sonartec at some point? In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. One day, I was caddying for him and he crushed a drive, but about 100 yards out, it just fell out of the sky. Those Slinger Irons were the brain child of Jim Flood. The top of the club head is horisontal and is easy to set up perpendical to the target. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. I accidentally broke it in the late 1970s the shaft was installed over a milled section of the hosel! he is a cleveland iron man now, but he still owns the spalding executives. 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. Right now Ive been with the Execs 2 then 5 SW, Ram 64 wedge, 1 & 3 wood, both hybrids and putter. Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. 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 brand was popular until the late 1990s, but Spalding opted for a new direction at the turn of the century and focused on other sports instead of golf. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. Just remember, Its always the indian and not the arrow. 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). Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. I learned the game on a set of used Spalding Execs-still have them today. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. Are these considered weird? Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. In 1984, Questor sold off Spalding/Evenflo to a Venezuelan group headed by Gustavo and Ricardo Cisneros. Colgate-Palmolive bought RAM and Penfold in the mid-70s to sell more toothpaste but gave up after only five years. More than 50 percent of that total came from golf ball sales. Thanks. He also had a head for business and knew a good opportunity when he saw one. 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. I still think I deserve to be recognized as the leader in this category and will be appealing your decision. } 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). I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. "@type": "ImageObject", 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. 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. Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Well then so did everyone else. Steve Almo It overpaid for Spalding and borrowed heavily to do it. 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. I look forward to your future deeper dive into the history of the Hogan company. But since the early 2000s, Spalding has practically disappeared from the golf landscape. There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 *chuckles* Maybe its a good thing I took a 30 year golf hiatus. They produced more premium balls, but we used to make 25-, 26-million dozen a year.. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons. Make Request. Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. Does Spalding make golf balls? But, they were NOS (New Old Stock) and with Ohio State grips and headcovers; so a diehard Buckeye fan. They are also said to be legendary Canadian player Moe Normans favorite clubs of all time. Geek Golf Driver to 15 wood. I think Browning was leaving the golf business then and they were discounted last set in the store. 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 the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. Still use them. "https://twitter.com/_swingyard_", If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Is my equipment holding me back? 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. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. In 1895, Spalding started making golf balls. * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. I see that a few from my list made it. I have a set of Browning 440s and a set of Browning 500s I was in the midst of restoring them but Browning would not sell me original grips! To maintain the limit of 14 clubs in the bag, I change off now and then. Still have the XL-4s in the garage. The VAS are ugly, but they work. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By The Top-Flite line was to feature investment-cast irons and Strata balls sold through pro shops and off-course retailers, while Spalding was to be the value/recreational line sold pretty much everywhere. And if you did not have the exact lie to match your swing could cause issues with the toe or heel diving down at impact. Jones famously retired from golf after winning the 1930 version of the Grand Slam. Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! 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. Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek. SPALDING EXECUTIVE 3-PW Iron Set Golf Clubs R/H Jet Step Stiff Flex Steel. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. Almost , http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. }. TaylorMade, now owned by adidas, was rising, and Callaway was a major force. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. I speak with Nat Rosassco, former owner, of NorthWestern golf at least every 7 to 10 days and he holds Pat Simmons as one of the best club designers of all time as well. Great stuff. 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. Started Thursday at 03:24 PM, Please put and questions or comments here, Please put any questions or comments here, Please put any questions of comments here. Model: Tour Pro Offset (ENTER TO WIN) Super cool contest we have for you fellow GolfSpies today! Might need to get a full set of Tiger Shark irons to match the wedge!! Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. unbelieveably so..!! Take the Spalding Executive line. If you are a beginner and are looking for a . Great set. General Albums. It adjusts to every loft in a full bag, plus half lofts. I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. By then the Cisneros brothers had taken the money and ran. By 2002, players such as Hal Sutton, Bernhard Langer, and Luke Donald were playing the Hogan Apex ball. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! 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. Today, Spalding focuses nearly all of its commercial interests on basketball, producing balls, hoops, rims, and nets. The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight. - BenHogan. "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" Thanks for doing the digging! Heres one for the booksTommy Armour EQL one length irons. Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. i just hit a 8 iron in that series last night. . One with the sticker decal and one without. Im from SD, so I had a set. Anyone ever hear of anything like that? I shoot mid-80s like OP. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. They also said this, Because titanium is 40% lighter than steel, yet incredibly strong, the Ray Cook design team was able to create club heads substantially larger than standard oversize irons and add significantly more mass in the heel and toe. We had hybrids back in the 80s. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. 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. 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 In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. #15 - Stan Thompson Ginty Irons You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. I might suggest you also include input from Tom Stites who worked for Hogan in the 1980s before heading up Nikes golf (mis)adventure. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Amazing how so of the old stuff works better than the hyped up new stuff! 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. It became the most consistent and durable golf ball ever made. My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! Never get tired of reading these types of articles. The company was founded in 1973 and today produces high-quality golf clubs using the . I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? Swing Yard is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca, amazon.co.uk and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. The Ping Zings were the worst! I had released it into the foreign market through a network of distributors mid in 1978, where it was well received. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! 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. Bought a set for $25 as to help out a young lady with cancer. The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? Terrific article as usual Mr. Barra. And continuity, leadership, and smart decisions matter. but worth a kings ransom, Great post thanks mgs but i agree with dj ,The doctor rx has to be on the list. Spalding did have high hopes for the Hogan brand. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! Anybody know anything about them? I think all the readers as well as the golfspies would love to learn as much about these past designs as possible. In addition to being a prolific golf club designer and inventor of innumerable gadgets and gizmos, I have led a fascinating life, as you can see by a brief look at a summary of my biography.. 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. 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. Much cheaper than renting. They are nearly in perfect condition. Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. He traded a set of classic Burke PunchIrons to get the Lynx. White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! Pretty or not (thats the clubs), I have played Fila Latitude irons since they came out. With a few months of work and some radical design modifications it was turned into the first modern Metalwood. These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Spalding manufactured golf clubs for some of the leading players in the game, including the legendary American player Bobby Jones. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. 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. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. But the funky look kept me from ever thinking about buying a whole set. Played dots a bit but later played a lot of Top Flites because I was a teenager, and the balls did not cut (this was back in the days of balata balls that cut if you looked at them hard). I tried to restore them by getting some original Browning grips (brown rubber with the Browning deer logo in gold) and exchanged several e-mails with Browning in Belgium would not sell me any. President 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. This one in particular was interesting to me because I grew up in a Spalding family of sorts. werent as good. Men's Right Handed.

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