He re-gripped them and beats the Taylormade hand-me-downs of his friends. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. Another really well done article. What about Goldwin?? The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Ive seen several of those uglies up close over the years so this was fun to view. #PowerToThePlayer. Well they made execs for over 20 yearswhich ones do you have? But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. Design the future of bad golf! With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. . but fairly forgiving. We had hybrids back in the 80s. On sole: club# + SPALDING. I learned the game on a set of used Spalding Execs-still have them today. So, while Spalding is nowhere near as prevalent as it once was in the world of golf, you can still pick up a set of Molitor clubs for a very reasonable price online. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. marrano patio homes lancaster, ny 9, Juin, 2022. horse property for sale pocatello, idaho; Just saw a full set of them again today. Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. Executives were my first real set of golf clubs. Laugh if you must, but the design works. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. The Kro-Flite in 1930 was golfs first liquid center golf ball, while the Spalding DOT was a mid-century icon. Cliffy2020 Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. In the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. I had read your original 2018 article about why Hogan still mattered. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). We want your input before testing begins. In 1895, Spalding started making golf balls. Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. [email protected] I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. Perhaps they were a little ahead of their time (3-PW). Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set - PGA Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. I finally gave it to a friend of mine who is a beginner and he says it is the only club he can hit reliably. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! Anybody know anything about them? Heres one for the booksTommy Armour EQL one length irons. If it works for you use it. 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. We want you to get the most out of your It kept some of those out of my bag Im sure. TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. 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. One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. Eventually banned because it was too straight. This is because Spalding stopped manufacturing golf clubs in 2002, and most of the clubs available online today are vintage sets. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. ), Phat Golf Scooters Reviews (Good or Waste of Cash? Latitude Irons also give the golfer an added patented design feature of dual skids on the sole. Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. An excellent article well researched BombTech Golf Reviews (These Golf Clubs Any Good? I collect odd golf items. Alternatively, you can look on a discount site like Rock Bottom Golf. He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. I know that this is a very late reply but I actually knew the designer of these irons and spent time speaking with him. My Nike Slingshots is the best set I have ever used. Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. 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. I was wondering if anyone had ever tried Slotline Classic Copper golf clubs. $86.40 shipping. These articles are all outstanding. Copyright 2023. Within three years, it would be gone for good. They definitely arent the prettiest of clubs but I did enjoy playing them. I accidentally broke it in the late 1970s the shaft was installed over a milled section of the hosel! In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. The RB880 s by Northwestern are also knockoffs of the Browning 440 s. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. About half of our sales are with personal names or corporate logos in the back and given as gifts. So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. No. Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. 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! 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.. Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. Inventory available of individual, single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons. 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. I just found a set of Slingers at the thrift store for $10. Long irons with shallow faces, little offset and perhaps slightly softer shafts can be quite playable. Please put any questions or comments here. 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).. Spalding stopped producing golf clubs in 2022, focusing on other sports in the years since. pend. beneath. The company stayed the course, and the result is a thriving, profitable company. Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! 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! We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! Getting sold doesnt have to be the end of the world, but it can be if the buyer doesnt do their homework and pays too much. They are for sale. Albert Spalding died in 1915, but his company continued to flourish. With this in mind, this article looks at why Spalding golf clubs are no longer popular and how much some of their most popular sets are worth. They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. money, time and performance. Callaway had long wanted Top-Flites ball factory and patents but didnt want to assume any debt. Spalding did have high hopes for the Hogan brand. Today, Spalding focuses nearly all of its commercial interests on basketball, producing balls, hoops, rims, and nets. The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. Lots of wackiness. New entries such as Nike and Adams were turning heads as well. 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. 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. As weve discussed before, its extremely difficult for legacy brands to remain relevant, especially when new, fresh brands get aggressive. Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. 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!! Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. I think Browning was leaving the golf business then and they were discounted last set in the store. Wish the 5 iron would have been there. http://www.geekgolf.com. As a former professional player, Spalding recognized the need of enlisting the assistance of experts to promote both the game and his merchandise. 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. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. At the time of the sale, it was considered the lowest cost and most efficient operation in the industry. when were spalding executive golf clubs made 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. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", The 1999 Hogan Apex, forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan, remains a sought-after collectible, and a very playable blade, to this day. I saw the Cisneros brothers maybe once in my time there, he says. When I was starting golf, I went to the shop and these were the clubs that I hit the best (compared to cavity backs) and bought them. 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 Top-Flite acquisition made it a player. I still have the samurai irons,2-pw and woods,driver,3w,5w,7w,,and still use them. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Itd take a week to prepare for.. Author: Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professionalif(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'swingyard_com-box-3','ezslot_6',194,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-swingyard_com-box-3-0'); Spalding has one of the most storied histories in sports, and a major impact on golf. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. * Note: These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. The reason why Spalding clubs arent particularly valuable is that they have been widely available for so many years. I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. 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). made it even more interesting and valuable. He traded a set of classic Burke PunchIrons to get the Lynx. 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. Shallow faces (not as shallow as the 440 of course) and less offset than many of the long irons they replace. It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. Is that so? Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons - Ironfinder It was in A Disordly Compendium of Golf I cant find my copy (actually havent seen it in a few months) but I know it was in there. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Goldwin was a San Diego company, years ahead of its time. #15 - Stan Thompson Ginty Irons You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. But the funky look kept me from ever thinking about buying a whole set. Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. Great collection I remember many of them in the past 30 years often thought of buying some of them, but luckily, I didnt, Ive purchased dozens of iron sets in the last few years (Big Bertha,FTI, Taylor Made, Cobra, Nike V series) NOne of these work as well as my Ping Zings, Hey, what about Shakespeare and fiberglass.