when were spalding executive golf clubs made

i was pretty impressed with the club. 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 An excellent article well researched Right now Ive been with the Execs 2 then 5 SW, Ram 64 wedge, 1 & 3 wood, both hybrids and putter. Promoting both sports and sports equipment, the lineup featured titles such as How To Play Second Base by Hall of Famer Johnny Evers, Boxing: A Guide to the Manly Art of Self Defense, and How to Play Golf by Harry Vardon and James Braid. The 500s have less offset than the 440s. Im from SD, so I had a set. I love these old clubs. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. What a mess that design was! Paste as plain text instead, Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. Kind of reminds one of the Hogan radial but not near as wide on the soul. It is my Go To clubmy favorite. I will admit to having a hankering for those slick lookin Zevo Lobs tho. Jones famously retired from golf after winning the 1930 version of the Grand Slam. 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. Image: Central Press/Hulton Archive via Getty Images. GolfCartReport.com, Golf Undershirts (20 To Try On The Market Today), Do I Need Longer Golf Clubs? Great set. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. Wed have monthly meetings at their West 57th Street offices in New York. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. He also worked at Zevo when the LoB Irons were developed. 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). Autore dell'articolo: Articolo pubblicato: 16/06/2022 Categoria dell'articolo: fixed gantry vs moving gantry cnc Commenti dell'articolo: andy's dopey transposition cipher andy's dopey transposition cipher 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. i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. Within three years, it would be gone for good. 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. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. The Pyramid Rubber Company, a maker of baby bottles, strollers, and other infant products, bought a controlling interest. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? 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. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. 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!) My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? Purespin (diamond face)? 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. Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. I don't mind the executives though, don't really know much about them either. My first clubs were Spalding top flites. Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! 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. I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. Say what you will but I own a set of Ray Cook Titanic irons. Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. "image": { TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. But, in the rough the club went right underneath the ball. 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. #PowerToThePlayer. While theyre old-school, Spalding clubs are made to high standards and are built to last, making them a great option if youre looking for a cheap and cheerful set of clubs. The Browning 440 was a marvelous clubas you say off the fairway!!! I have a 3-15 wood set that are fun to play with. Not sure if the Black Knight, Gary Players endorsement sucked allot of buyers into buying.LOL. Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. "width": "645", Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. 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. There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. 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. Today its hard to fine a wooden golf club in a bag!!!! MyGolfSpy is jumping into the DeLorean and taking a 1.21 jiggawatt-fueled look at the long life and quick death of Spalding Golf. 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. That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", Throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s, Spalding and Titleist were running neck and neck in golf ball production. At the time of the sale, it was considered the lowest cost and most efficient operation in the industry. Nabbed them just for the pure ugliness. Spalding lost $27 million in 2000 and another $20 million in 2001. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. 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. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. I also had a set of Ping Zings too.. My partner had that set of Cleveland VAS and believe it or not we had a partner that bought a used set of Slingers Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. In 2001 Spalding launched a $17 million ad campaign for Hogan and Strata. But the funky look kept me from ever thinking about buying a whole set. Why are Spalding golf balls called Top Flite? Now I need some crazy Loudmouth pants and a pink ball. I would like to repay you with mine. is fantastic, but the club is as stiff as an old water pipe and is accordingly harsh. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. Box 4666, Ventura, CA 93007 Request a Quote: comelec district 5 quezon city CSDA Santa Barbara County Chapter's General Contractor of the Year 2014! The Spalding brand, however, is still alive under the Russell Athletic umbrella, making basketballs and apparel. With new sexy companies like Titleist, Callaway, and TaylorMade, and golfers like Tiger and Phil, the new aged golfer wasnt interested in playing their grandpas golf clubs. Sales declined into the 2000s, and Spalding made their last club in 2002. Bought the Slotlines new. Jerry Barber Golden Touch shank-proof irons (BeCu, ideally), Powerbilt TPS with the Goalpost Alignment System, And I agree with a previous posters suggestion of the Spalding Cannon ADVANCE. 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! 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? It was made by Salt Lake City Specialties. but worth a kings ransom, Great post thanks mgs but i agree with dj ,The doctor rx has to be on the list. Im surprised that nobody has mentioned the Wilson Fat Shaft irons for ugliness. Great list! OK. Ive got some irons sets you have up (Fila, Cleveland, Slotline, and the Tiger Shark). I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). But more trouble was coming for Spalding. In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. Golfers may also like: PGX Offset Golf Driver Review: is it any Good? In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. Perhaps they were a little ahead of their time (3-PW). 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. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. You had to turn those over to see the ugly, but the cone in the bottom was down right wacky! And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. One day, I was caddying for him and he crushed a drive, but about 100 yards out, it just fell out of the sky. They also made a set made entirely of woods. I was wondering if anyone had ever tried Slotline Classic Copper golf clubs. I want to say they were called Ironwoods but I cant find them on the internet maybe they were just in one of my wild dreams!! Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. I remember a set called Canon I think, possibly a Spalding brand. By the Roaring '20s, A.G. Spalding & Brothers was using the process of "drop forging" to manufacture metal club-heads. His stuff was marvelous and all original. Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. The 1999 Hogan Apex, forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan, remains a sought-after collectible, and a very playable blade, to this day. or Best Offer. TaylorMade, now owned by adidas, was rising, and Callaway was a major force. 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. There are a couple different models of this iron. 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. Steve Almo I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). Might need to get a full set of Tiger Shark irons to match the wedge!! I was the person responsible for introducing urethane prepolymers to Dr Shen Shen Wu, Titleist R&D chemist. 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. You find them on eBay Gary? 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. As a former professional player, Spalding recognized the need of enlisting the assistance of experts to promote both the game and his merchandise. I see that a few from my list made it. Itd take a week to prepare for.. Can you come up with any info on these? Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. I became a +2 handicap using those irons, and a lot of people scoffed at them early ontill they saw me hit them. The 300XXL Driver was so lightawesome clubhead speed ! lol! This stuff is really interesting.. No sir, they are in my bag and are still being used after all these years. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. By the early 1920s, Spalding began using a mechanical hammer to drop-forge heads in an assembly line, making the process faster, more consistent, and considerably less expensive. I had a VAS 5 iron. I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. Bought a set for $25 as to help out a young lady with cancer. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls. They say you learn from your mistakes. He struggled quite a bit with the change.. Well today is going to be a little bit different. KKR was established in 1976 by partners Jerome Kohlberg, Henry Kravis, and George Roberts. They produced more premium balls, but we used to make 25-, 26-million dozen a year.. ], Can you help me find the history of the club? But $1 billion is a lot of cabbage, and KKR borrowed heavily to make the deal. Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? Copyright 2023. Do You have any idea? I still think I deserve to be recognized as the leader in this category and will be appealing your decision. By then the Cisneros brothers had taken the money and ran. Read on to learn more about the history of Spalding clubs and what you can expect from various models. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. Great research John with some very interesting history facts about the company and its equipment. I know that this is a very late reply but I actually knew the designer of these irons and spent time speaking with him. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. "https://www.instagram.com/_swingyard_/", With a few months of work and some radical design modifications it was turned into the first modern Metalwood. Just make sure to mix in a few lessons with your local PGA pro, and you'll progress nicely. While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. I have no ideabut I sure loved my Tommy Armour silver Scotts. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. Different, yes, but they are the only ones where you can really aim at the target! I shoot mid-80s like OP. It adjusts to every loft in a full bag, plus half lofts. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spalding's most easily recognizable clubs. I might suggest you also include input from Tom Stites who worked for Hogan in the 1980s before heading up Nikes golf (mis)adventure. Brings back great memories! I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. Corey Pavin won the 1996 US Open Shinnecock with a purple set. lots of memories here. Almost , http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html. APPLY NOW: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! New entries such as Nike and Adams were turning heads as well. . Today, Spalding focuses nearly all of its commercial interests on basketball, producing balls, hoops, rims, and nets. The Ping Zings were the worst! And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. I cannot find any information on this club, maybe they were a golfsmith thing from early 2000s?? General Albums. Shallow faces (not as shallow as the 440 of course) and less offset than many of the long irons they replace. Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. !but they had a very proprietary, strange-sized grip. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. Great list of wild clubs. 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. 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. "@type": "Organization", pend. beneath. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. 1 Iron Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. What about Goldwin?? Sold them to a guy 30 years younger who also loved them. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. i just hit a 8 iron in that series last night. Ive owned. He also was one of the best designers in the golf biz. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. Jackie Gleason also owned a set. 6. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! We are here to help educate and empower golfers. 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. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #3. Spalding did have high hopes for the Hogan brand. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. So I sent it in and got the iron. 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. I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. 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. With Spalding's mass-market success breeding scores of imitators, players could pick and choose from countless club lines. That year Albert and his brothers opened the A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods company and started making baseballs. Those and the Ram Tour Grinds that Watson played were my bucket list irons, but never could afford them. Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. Whats more, KKR continued adding to its golf empire, buying Etonic in 1996 and Ben Hogan a year later. I have had many pros in proams hit them and fascinated by how the ball comes off the club face so fast,,good distance. Pasted as rich text. Spalding quickly grew, making baseball gloves and uniforms and the first modern baseball bat. 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. Spalding is a big name in American sports, having manufactured equipment for basketball, American football, and golf over the years. In the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! Another really well done article. I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. I just searched eBay right now and saw a set for $139. Thank you for your research efforts. 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. Remember all the other clubs, good to read. Both are really great. } It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. I wonder how much influence he had on those? The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. Made from 1989-1994 and originally sold for $680. One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. If so send them to contact(at)mygolfspy.com. It is the Super Stick. After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. }, Laugh if you must, but the design works. A request, could you do Sonartec at some point? MacGregor Doctor X. I had the Bears. Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. Love to see them. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. Brilliant writing! Still have the XL-4s in the garage. 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,,,. Much cheaper than renting. Well then so did everyone else. Back in the day (early-60s), I caddied at a CC in so. As weve discussed before, its extremely difficult for legacy brands to remain relevant, especially when new, fresh brands get aggressive. I play them still and love them. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. These were great clubs. The Start Of Spalding Golf Clubs In 1905, a sporting goods company saw that golf was starting to become quite popular in the United States. Not to belittle them because KKR is incredibly successful, but they didnt know the golf business the way we did, says White. What a great list! Great insight! He was a pro at having fun when he played golf! Leather Golf Grips Review: Should I Use Them? I think I actually played one of them 150 holes before I gave up. Is my equipment holding me back? John, These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. Its on the list! When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. 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). But, you raised an interesting question: If Top-Flite Elite Professional irons with the Bird on Ball logoare rated by the MyGolfSpy Forums resident vintage club expert Big Stu as the third greatest pure forged blade of all time. Then what irons are #1 and #2 best ever forged blades? That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. Decent? what is spanish colonial music? Thanks for the history lesson, truly amazing how fast Spalding unraveled. The company stayed the course, and the result is a thriving, profitable company. There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. Our friends[], Amazing Ryder Cup Contest! Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. Great collection! They dropped the Tour Edition moniker and focused on the expansion of their touring staff on the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA tours. 5 Testers Needed! 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. Take the Spalding Executive line. Thanks for the memories, John Barba. Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By The Early Years of Spalding Golf 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. We want your input before testing begins. I am the person that brought the first Metalwoods to the market. You cannot do that with any other club. But under Section 363 of Chapter 11, a seller can sell assets without having to negotiate with its creditors. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", About; Blog; Service; Contacts Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. It was first shown at the PGA dealers show at Disney World, Orlando, Florida 1979. maybe EVER. But since the early 2000s, Spalding has practically disappeared from the golf landscape. Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. Clare. Spalding, like its old school brethren Wilson and MacGregor, simply wasnt sexy to a new generation of golfers. 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. Colgate-Palmolive bought RAM and Penfold in the mid-70s to sell more toothpaste but gave up after only five years. Clear editor. But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. I think this is the web site for me . $77.83. ), Undersize Golf Grips Explained (8 Key Facts!). Now, like Henry Ford's assembly-line Model T's, Spalding craftsmen used a mechanical hammer to craft club-heads, drill sockets in them to attach the shaft and then polish the heads, all of which allowed Spalding to mass produce matching club sets. Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). Haha my dad had a set of these and I ended up bagging the 3 and 4 irons as I hated the hybrids that came with my new set. 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. Therefore, the Top Flite clubs produced in the nineties and early naughts are technically Spalding golf clubs. and they wonder why they went out of business. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. 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. Nice article John! 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. The BIG BOYS missed on this one. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. It kept some of those out of my bag Im sure. I can't imagine them being worth a shit.

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