They all looked like mini woods. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. 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. I see that a few from my list made it. 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. Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. Great insight! Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. "width": "645", Wanted them when I was in college but couldnt afford them then. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Top-Flite acquisition made it a player. My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. I play them still and love them. 0 bids. Lots of wackiness. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. 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. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. I had never seen the Fila irons before now. Youve forgotten the worst offender. Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. The Black Dots and Red Dots were equivalent to the Titleist black numerals and red numerals. 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!! Those and the Ram Tour Grinds that Watson played were my bucket list irons, but never could afford them. There are still folks around from when Mr. Hogan ran the company and I am sure you can get some keen insights not only of the company but of Mr. Hogan himself. Ugly. I just love them! Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com, Maxfli Tour, Tour X and Tour S Golf Balls, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Topgolf Callaway 2022 Financials: $4 Billion? By this time, Spalding was making everything from barbells, dumbells, punching bags, and rowing machines to fencing blades, whistles, shot puts, javelins, and golf clubs. Tommy Armour TI 100 need to be on the list, they were twice the size of any other iron produced ever. Its a great story that needs to be told. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. 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. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", I have the entire set of samurai woods and irons,,,driver,3wood,5wood,7wood,,irons,,2-pw,dont believe they ever made a sw,,,,and I still use them,,,my fellow golfers are still amazed at the distance I get,,if you want a picture of the set,,let me know,,ill take one and send to you,,, I have the whole set of samurai irons,2-pw and woods1,3,5,7,,still use them,,i have had pros hit them,,and be amazed at the distances over their irons,,,i would like to find another 5wood,if anyone knows where or who has 1,,i, neil,,do you have a samuarai 5 wood,,,hard to find,,,id like one. On top line: OVERSIZE. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. A very interesting stroll down golf history. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. He re-gripped them and beats the Taylormade hand-me-downs of his friends. Although they wont win any awards for innovation, Spaldings Molitor clubs are a decent game improvement set and a good option for beginners. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! Spalding was the big name in women's golf clubs by 1950. MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. Theres even premium urethane cover options (Pro V1 and X styles) for ~$15 a dozen. I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Thats great. But, in the rough the club went right underneath the ball. They are also perfect in a steep slope due to the curved bottom of the club head. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. From 1932 until 1973 two years after Jones death Spalding sold over 15 different models and two million sets of Bobby Jones clubs. My first set of irons were the Tiger Sharks.The ball seemed to jump off the face.I still have them.My second set,still in play,are the Vas+.I love them.I hit them a mile high and they feel great.When I hear them calledthe worst irons ever it makes me wonder what the heck Im missing out on. when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. 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. Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. Until the USGA banned deep-grooved irons, Spalding's Stop 'Em and Dedstop clubs brought a smile to countless players' faces. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. Of course, it is the Indian not the arrow to some extent, but he does well. I had read your original 2018 article about why Hogan still mattered. Thanks for the history lesson, truly amazing how fast Spalding unraveled. 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. WITB Albums. Thanks for the memories, John Barba. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! Never get tired of reading these types of articles. SPALDING EXECUTIVE 3-PW Iron Set Golf Clubs R/H Jet Step Stiff Flex Steel. So for those of you who own a set and are fellow collectors of the ridiculoustoday is your day to shine. 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.. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. 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. 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 The Honda Classic - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Genesis Invitational - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - Discussion and Links to all photos. Clare. Ive got a set of graphite Samurai ironwoods years ahead of their time lying around in the basement, I think. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), CONTEST Adams Pro Black Giveaway! I didnt know until I read this article that evidently FILA was the designer of the original face forward iron design; speaking of which, I wouldve thought the F2 Face Forward Irons wouldve made the list (http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html). Currently play AP2s coming out of the bag for a few rounds and if the linear dynamics keep performing like they did in Vegas the AP2s will be taking a long rest. But more trouble was coming for Spalding. Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. They are for sale. 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. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. 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. The primary reason why Spalding halted the production of golf clubs was that they couldnt keep up with the competition. 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. $77.83. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. All are memory refreshing .. have been in golf clubhead design , manufacturing 25 years , familiar with the designs ! An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. 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! does ohma have a child [email protected] buy all 6 get free shipping) Let me know by ebay . Basically, the new irons are all the same cavity backed design tweaked for the metal content and painted pretty for your golf bag. 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). * Note: These irons were designed by Duke Duclos. Spalding no longer makes golf clubs, and hasnt for some time now. 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. 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. Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. Are these considered weird? Make Request. Their president at the time said this about the newly released irons, Titanic irons are the first long irons even God and you can hit. Now that is a bold statement that should of had you guys flocking to purchase these beauties. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. Still have the XL-4s in the garage. Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. 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. Did KKR overpay? Not quite Bryson-like, but innovative for the day. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), Acushnet 2022 Financials: $2.27 Billion and Counting, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Four Testers Wanted Inesis Spikeless Shoe. Do You have any idea? Bought a set for $25 as to help out a young lady with cancer. If it works for you use it. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. I surely do remember those Dot balls that my brother and I would find on OFCC in south suburbs of Chicago because we couldnt afford them but you really had to pay attention to look at those balls before you grounded your club or you would put a significant cut in them. To maintain the limit of 14 clubs in the bag, I change off now and then. MacGregors ownership carousel started in 1978 when it was sold to lumber conglomerate Wickes. It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. Remember all the other clubs, good to read. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. * Note: These irons were designed by Dave (cant remember last name) which was considered a very good designer by others in the business at the time and one that some felt did not get as much credit as he deserved. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? The Strata, however, proved to be a gold mine for Spalding. They are nearly in perfect condition. You find them on eBay Gary? Callaway wound up suing Spalding for using its imagery on Spalding packaging. Great list of wild clubs. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? 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. 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. Taylor Made Golf was my Distributor for the U.S. and Canadian market. BogeyPro Golf (T-Shirt Design Contest), RYDER CUP CONTEST! These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. he is a cleveland iron man now, but he still owns the spalding executives. They produced more premium balls, but we used to make 25-, 26-million dozen a year.. When I was first introduced to golf in the mid 70s, spoiling was still a player in the recreational market. Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! Get10% offat Global Golf with Code:SwingYard. All that creativity has led to the great clubs we have today. I have been playing golf over 40 years and have owned many brands of clubs. His stuff was marvelous and all original. and had a driving range there for many years. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? GolfCartReport.com, Golf Undershirts (20 To Try On The Market Today), Do I Need Longer Golf Clubs? By 2002, players such as Hal Sutton, Bernhard Langer, and Luke Donald were playing the Hogan Apex ball. 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. http://www.geekgolf.com. I really enjoy reading your articles, John. By 1970, the ownership group morphed into the Questor Corporation, and Pyramid Rubber was rechristened Evenflo. I wonder what Jack thought of them. You had to turn those over to see the ugly, but the cone in the bottom was down right wacky! But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. 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. Great article takes me back to nostalgia. My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. Spalding is a big name in American sports, having manufactured equipment for basketball, American football, and golf over the years. Men's Right Handed. Right now Ive been with the Execs 2 then 5 SW, Ram 64 wedge, 1 & 3 wood, both hybrids and putter. Spalding Executive Registered 3 4 5 Driver Wedge P Golf Clubs Set Made In USA $26.21 Local Pickup or Best Offer SPONSORED Vintage lot of 3 Woods Top Flite Spalding Model 133 Professional 1 3 4 golf Club $29.95 $17.95 shipping or Best Offer SPONSORED PERSIMMON Spalding Robert Jones Jr Percussion Woods Set Golf Clubs Driver & 3 $60.00 $15.00 shipping * Note: These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. Well done. Fantastic article John! 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. or Best Offer. Spalding took off with sales and production with Bobby Jones joining the team. We are here to help educate and empower golfers. The Browning 440 was a marvelous clubas you say off the fairway!!! 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. Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? Still use them. Matched them to Wilson Pro Staff low compressions and I was a happy camper. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! Thanks. I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. Spalding, like its old school brethren Wilson and MacGregor, simply wasnt sexy to a new generation of golfers. I have one of those! I played a set of Mags for years until I got to where I could not swing fast enough to bend the stiff shafts. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. I have had many pros in proams hit them and fascinated by how the ball comes off the club face so fast,,good distance. Really a zany=looking set of irons. If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . 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. the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. Pretty or not (thats the clubs), I have played Fila Latitude irons since they came out. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. Finally, I think a distinction needs to be made between the wackiest looking and worst irons made. Model Summary Color chart indicates best . But $1 billion is a lot of cabbage, and KKR borrowed heavily to make the deal. Their original design was a smaller headed Tony Penna model Innovator, they became the n1 and then the Bears came out when oversize irons hit the market. My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. A request, could you do Sonartec at some point? spalding executive golf clubs please read DESCRIPTION BEFORE BUYING . Thanks. Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. 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. Windtree Golf is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. They had fantastic fairway woods that I still take out for a spin every once in a while. I actually have a set of 440s I bring them out every year or two when I am hitting the ball poorly. Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. my 5w distance matches my friends new drivers in distance off tee,,they are amazed. Just remember, Its always the indian and not the arrow. Just terribleand never sold thruas well it shouldnt. 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. Buyers can still find Spalding clubs on some secondary sites. I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls.