when were spalding executive golf clubs made when were spalding executive golf clubs made

they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. 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. They are similar to the Nike slingshots as they have a powerbow looking thing on the back of them. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! Was: C $107.89. Model Summary Color chart indicates best . Buyers can still find Spalding clubs on some secondary sites. My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! and had a driving range there for many years. Wish the 5 iron would have been there. Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. By then the Cisneros brothers had taken the money and ran. From 1932 until 1973 two years after Jones death Spalding sold over 15 different models and two million sets of Bobby Jones clubs. New entries such as Nike and Adams were turning heads as well. I might suggest you also include input from Tom Stites who worked for Hogan in the 1980s before heading up Nikes golf (mis)adventure. Just remember, Its always the indian and not the arrow. About; Blog; Service; Contacts I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. What was wacky about the Bears? Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. And Spaldings ace in the hole Strata was old news by the time the Pro V1 and Nike Tour Accuracy hit the scene. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. Throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s, Spalding and Titleist were running neck and neck in golf ball production. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. They are also perfect in a steep slope due to the curved bottom of the club head. Man, some of my favorites on this list. 6. Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? "width": "645", A very interesting stroll down golf history. In 1892 Spalding went into acquisition mode, buying up two key competitors: the A.J. Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. Model: Tour Pro Offset The products soon disappeared from shelves. Back in the day (early-60s), I caddied at a CC in so. It is called a hollow wedge, but you can putt with it as well. However my 6 iron had twice as much offset as any other iron in the set. Can you help me find the history of the club? Went to graphite (Vulcan Backfire hollow irons). He struggled quite a bit with the change.. Latitude Irons also give the golfer an added patented design feature of dual skids on the sole. The BIG BOYS missed on this one. Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. Amazing how so of the old stuff works better than the hyped up new stuff! But the funky look kept me from ever thinking about buying a whole set. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. I still have the samurai irons,2-pw and woods,driver,3w,5w,7w,,and still use them. 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. any info on this garbage?lol. No copy for them. Even tho I play with graphic shafts I really like the way those play. The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. I still think I deserve to be recognized as the leader in this category and will be appealing your decision. lol! as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. However, the name of their popular brand Top Flite was sold to Callaway, and is used for discount clubs and balls. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. 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!! "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. info@pgatradein.com Mon-Fri: 9AM - 5PM EST . 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. By the Roaring '20s, A.G. Spalding & Brothers was using the process of "drop forging" to manufacture metal club-heads. I have a old slotline cigar putter I still use,,no loift at all,looks like a big tootsie roll,but puts great,,friends still get amazed at how it puts,,. * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. Pat Simmons first wanted to say thanks and also that, You may not know the Pat Simmons name, but if youre a golfer, you know of several of my inventions. I had read your original 2018 article about why Hogan still mattered. Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. 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. 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). The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. The Executive clubs are among the finest pure forged blades ever produced and have certainly stood the test of time. Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. Sold them to a guy 30 years younger who also loved them. I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. I see that a few from my list made it. Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! 1 Iron Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball . Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Id like to include the Wilson Reflex irons and PGF Slammer series. In one sense, Spalding suffered the same fate irrelevance as did fellow legacy golf brands Wilson Staff and MacGregor. My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. 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. { I recently tried an old Jack Nicklaus 7 iron made by MacGregor many years ago. When were Spalding executive clubs made? - Trentonsocial.com 1983 All Irons for men were 37. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, Tuesday at 04:47 PM, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 20, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 6, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, January 31, By Titleist has been the Ball King for so long, its hard to remember a time when it wasnt. 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. Your link has been automatically embedded. Love to see them. Spalding Executive Golf Clubs for sale | eBay 1977 Spalding Executive Irons - The Vintage Golfers - YouTube 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). Those are the reasons they work. The chrome I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. The greatest golfer at the time plays Spalding? My first set of irons were the Tiger Sharks.The ball seemed to jump off the face.I still have them.My second set,still in play,are the Vas+.I love them.I hit them a mile high and they feel great.When I hear them calledthe worst irons ever it makes me wonder what the heck Im missing out on. On top line: OVERSIZE. The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. Jones famously retired from golf after winning the 1930 version of the Grand Slam. 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. Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! I remembered them from this article. 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. Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. 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. Taylor Made Golf was my Distributor for the U.S. and Canadian market. What you like is what you like. 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.. I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. I love it but was told it is no a legal putter. I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls. It was an excellent article and some of the follow-on comments from industry stalwarts like Jack Wullkotte, David Hueber, Tom Wishon, etc. I have a 3-15 wood set that are fun to play with. MyGolfSpy is usually a place you guys come to see the latest and greatest equipment the golf industry has to offer. More on the tr600!!!! Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. when were spalding executive golf clubs made Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. I would love to have you include my Whole-In-One Adjustable Telescopic Golf Club in your mixdefinitely fits the criteria of unusual clubs. While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. ), shoplifted about four dozen balls each from a failing department store in New York City. Bought the Slotlines new. Corey Pavin won the 1996 US Open Shinnecock with a purple set. 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! Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! I just love them! I don't mind the executives though, don't really know much about them either. Again THANK YOU FOR THE GOLF LESSON!!!!! Really a zany=looking set of irons. spalding golf clubs any good. Are Spaulding good golf clubs? - Wise-Answer So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. } 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. Get10% offat Global Golf with Code:SwingYard. It was fun to have and I actually hit the thing really really well. Over two million Bobby Jones sets were sold in America. words that have to do with clay P.O. I had a VAS 5 iron. 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. my 5w distance matches my friends new drivers in distance off tee,,they are amazed. 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. Steve Almo I actually have a set of 440s I bring them out every year or two when I am hitting the ball poorly. Great list of wild clubs. But unfortunately for the VASs they were dethroned from their long held position. I have not 1 but 2 sets of Browning 440 irons. The Browning 440s took my game from the 150s (Wilson clubs) to the low 70s. OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! The 500s have less offset than the 440s. John, I got an incomplete set at the Salvation Army for $15. He re-gripped them and beats the Taylormade hand-me-downs of his friends. }, 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. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. Love it or hate it the Nike Slingshot irons made the list. 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . NOW AVAILABLE: GolfWRX G/Fore Hats and Holderness & Bourne Polos! "https://twitter.com/_swingyard_", 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. Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. I also have a set of Browning TR600s. Various . Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. I still have the irons to this day! Alternatively, you can look on a discount site like Rock Bottom Golf. today. #PowerToThePlayer. In 1880, Spaldings League Ball became the official baseball of the National League (and later of the American League), a position it held until 1976. The Top Flite name lives on, however, thanks to the purchase of its namesake via Callaway in the early 2000s. In the late 70s I also had a set of Unique irons which were great apart from the plastic covers covering the cavity back constantly falling out. Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. Spalding Driver Golf Clubs for sale | eBay There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. 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. Great looking blade and the low COG really lets one hit it high. Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. Just saw a full set of them again today. There are worse things. unbelieveably so..!! The Spalding brand, however, is still alive under the Russell Athletic umbrella, making basketballs and apparel. I think this is the web site for me . Play to a 4 6 cap. Fila Golf has developed this new iron using a patented design feature. But they seem to work though. spalding executive golf clubs please read DESCRIPTION BEFORE BUYING . Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. Yes, it did. "https://www.instagram.com/_swingyard_/", 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! Thanks. 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? (Cavity back blades???) The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. or Best Offer. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Design the future of bad golf! ], Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. An excellent article well researched 1-949-642-6484 . I asked him about it and he said he had shown it to Spaulding, Wilson and MacGregor and their response was It will never sell!!!! I bought them new. These irons actually performed quite well and had many copy cats of it down the road to prove itincluding another iron that made the list at #12 Slotline Lowpro iron and the Titleist Super Slim irons. Havent been able to give them up since my Dad died in 99, Does anyone remember a set of irons made in the 80s (I think) that were actually a bunch of small woods, even the PW was made from wood. Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. And although Spalding would show operational profits, debt service kept turning those profits into losses. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! remove head from shaft? 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,,,. Sign In. I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. And Jim Furyk won the 2003 U.S. Open with the new Strata Ace, which featured playing card suits (a la Penfold) instead of numbers. Still bagging their wedges. Really solid clubs. Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. It is my Go To clubmy favorite. It overpaid for Spalding and borrowed heavily to do it. After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-1.svg" I have two sets of Browning 440 Gold clubs (including the driver, 3 and 5 woods), and a set of Browning 500s. MyGolfSpy is jumping into the DeLorean and taking a 1.21 jiggawatt-fueled look at the long life and quick death of Spalding Golf. To maintain the limit of 14 clubs in the bag, I change off now and then. 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. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. 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. "name": "Swing Yard", when were spalding executive golf clubs made. They dropped the Tour Edition moniker and focused on the expansion of their touring staff on the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA tours. 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. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", $89.99. I accidentally broke it in the late 1970s the shaft was installed over a milled section of the hosel! Still playing my cook titanics with the 1 iron. The Executives were the bomb back in the day. With KKR, it was a 180-degree turnaround. Great research John with some very interesting history facts about the company and its equipment. 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). Recently I bought another set (I keep an eye on E-Bay for them) so I could have extras & other club sets for friends that come into town. Just terribleand never sold thruas well it shouldnt. But, they were NOS (New Old Stock) and with Ohio State grips and headcovers; so a diehard Buckeye fan. Placing the hosel behind the face eliminates the occasional `shank, creating forward-face progression. White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. General Albums. I played a set of Mags for years until I got to where I could not swing fast enough to bend the stiff shafts. 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. Just got Calloway X20s last week. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? Anybody know anything about them? In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. My first clubs were Spalding top flites. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." Sold millions of those over the years. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. When I was first introduced to golf in the mid 70s, spoiling was still a player in the recreational market. What a mess that design was! 2 iron sw. Let me know if anyone is interested. Great set. 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. 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. In the mid-80s, Spalding introduced the solid core Tour Edition, and in 1996 it came out with Strata, a true game-changer for Spalding and the first multi-layer solid core ball used on Tour. The player would then conveniently cover the top of his bag with a towel so that no one would see the length of the irons. BombTech Golf Reviews (These Golf Clubs Any Good? ), Undersize Golf Grips Explained (8 Key Facts!). Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. Finally, I think a distinction needs to be made between the wackiest looking and worst irons made. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. and they wonder why they went out of business. It wasnt very sophisticated back then, and they wanted to add layers of sophistication that they had in their other businesses. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. The company was founded in 1973 and today produces high-quality golf clubs using the . * Note: These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. Current owner FILA Korea Ltd took Acushnet public, and the company has thrived ever since. Its obvious that the maker of the Slingers spent SO much money on R&D that he had to use STICKERS instead of stamped lettering. I still have a set of samurai woods and irons,,and still use them,,had a pro hit my 7 iron once,,it flew his 7iron,,he was amazed,they hit great,,but graphite wears down over years and breaks,and when that happens,,its hard to find a replacement,,,. Ive owned a set of VAS, Zings, Slingshots and the Spaulding Execs (for vintage golf days). and they placed it in the show. Right now Ive been with the Execs 2 then 5 SW, Ram 64 wedge, 1 & 3 wood, both hybrids and putter. Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. Thanks for doing the digging! 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 think special t golf was the only people dumb enuff to handle these. Is my equipment holding me back? I remember a set called Canon I think, possibly a Spalding brand. 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. 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. . My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. Turns out it was just 20 years ago. 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. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Do you remember what golf websites you were shopping on back in 1995?