The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. Its on the list! Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. 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. "https://www.instagram.com/_swingyard_/", I actually travel with it and use it at the driving range, so I dont have to rent clubs. We stand behind our clubs and want you to be satisfied with them. (8 Ways To Know) . 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. Remember when pros like Norman and Stadler and others with that bright red Spaulding Tour Bag. Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. Anybody know anything about them? What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. However, the name of their popular brand Top Flite was sold to Callaway, and is used for discount clubs and balls. We will miss Jim and his innovation ! They dropped the Tour Edition moniker and focused on the expansion of their touring staff on the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA tours. Still have the clubs in my basement. The market was changing rapidly, as well. Of course, it is the Indian not the arrow to some extent, but he does well. Colgate-Palmolive bought RAM and Penfold in the mid-70s to sell more toothpaste but gave up after only five years. White says the KKR leadership team was much more hands-on than the Cisneros brothers had ever been, which is understandable if you just shelled out a billion simoleons for a sporting goods company. Its a great story that needs to be told. it was at my range's rental bin. made it even more interesting and valuable. The Ping Zings were the worst! I look forward to your future deeper dive into the history of the Hogan company. i think special t golf was the only people dumb enuff to handle these. Now I need some crazy Loudmouth pants and a pink ball. You had to turn those over to see the ugly, but the cone in the bottom was down right wacky! and they placed it in the show. Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. The 1953 Top-Flite Synchro-Dyned irons were particularly innovative, featuring a matched shaft flex and head weight for each iron in the set. I cant believe to Ping Zing 2s are on the list. 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. You can check it out at http://www.adjustablegolfclub.com. I traded in some Titleist Acushnet blades for themI had only paid $99.00 for the set of Acushnets (used)they gave me $139.00 in trade value, and wanted another $100 for the UniquesThey were some of the easiest to hit irons I have ever ownedout of the 40 50 different sets I have had. KKR had been trying to dump Spalding as early as 2000, but no one would take on the debt burden. The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. Matched them to Wilson Pro Staff low compressions and I was a happy camper. 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 was the person responsible for introducing urethane prepolymers to Dr Shen Shen Wu, Titleist R&D chemist. Right now Ive been with the Execs 2 then 5 SW, Ram 64 wedge, 1 & 3 wood, both hybrids and putter. They preceded hybrid irons by 20 years or so. He changed from forged blades and balata balls to cavity back, investment cast irons and sold core balls, White tells MyGolfSpy. 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." Thanks! Norman credited the extra spin of the Tour Edition for winning the 1986 British Open. Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls. OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! Spalding also started the Spalding Athletic Library; a series of sports and exercise books published from 1892 through 1941. Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). What about the old Bullet Driver that was hollow in the center (like an inverted U shape)? 2 Iron (21) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE . Great nostalgia with the article. Different, yes, but they are the only ones where you can really aim at the target! 1 Iron Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball . is fantastic, but the club is as stiff as an old water pipe and is accordingly harsh. I see that a few from my list made it. I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. Theres even premium urethane cover options (Pro V1 and X styles) for ~$15 a dozen. One of my buddies gave me a Tiger Shark wedge the one with 3 different alignment lines, concave dimples on the face instead of grooves, and a funky dual bounce sole configuration. My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. 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!! The Sounder irons could be on the list-and are the best irons I ever had (have). 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. Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. Just got Calloway X20s last week. However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! *We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. On sole: club# + SPALDING. * Note: These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. Duclos, a former flight engineer worked on the Skylab and S-IVB (third stage of the Saturn V rocket, responsible for getting the Apollo module from the Earth to the moon). They got so popular at the time that it scared club makers badly (Every set was pretty much custom built then), and Golfing associations banned the club from play. In the 1920s, Spalding started making irons and innovated an assembly line style forging process that was much cheaper, faster, and more precise than the ole hammer and anvil. An excellent article well researched I actually like the looks of those babies! He re-gripped them and beats the Taylormade hand-me-downs of his friends. Until the USGA banned deep-grooved irons, Spalding's Stop 'Em and Dedstop clubs brought a smile to countless players' faces. 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. 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. About; Blog; Service; Contacts My first clubs were Spalding top flites. It became the most consistent and durable golf ball ever made. 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. Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. "datePublished": "2022-05-12", Clear editor. Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. Spalding manufactured golf clubs for some of the leading players in the game, including the legendary American player Bobby Jones. Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? Basically, the new irons are all the same cavity backed design tweaked for the metal content and painted pretty for your golf bag. $77.83. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. Thanks for you4 diligence and reporting. KKR was established in 1976 by partners Jerome Kohlberg, Henry Kravis, and George Roberts. There are worse things. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. 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). Jim also marketed the first Graphite Shafts sold under the Aldila name. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. 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. Its impossible to overstate Albert Spaldings vision and ambition. Tommy Armours ownership circus eventually turned it into the Sports Authority (and now DICKS) house brand. These were great clubs. TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. But $1 billion is a lot of cabbage, and KKR borrowed heavily to make the deal. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. You might be wondering how the hell did a Ping iron make the listbut look againthis one definitely deserves to be on the list for Wackiest Irons. !but they had a very proprietary, strange-sized grip. Clare. It was an excellent article and some of the follow-on comments from industry stalwarts like Jack Wullkotte, David Hueber, Tom Wishon, etc. I love these old clubs. Upload or insert images from URL. White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. 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. But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. And although Spalding would show operational profits, debt service kept turning those profits into losses. Got them for $200.00 which was a really great price other pro shops were asking $450.00 for a set. Buyers can still find Spalding clubs on some secondary sites. Spalding, however, never dominated the pro game as Wilson and MacGregor did. I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. Theyre awesome. i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. This one in particular was interesting to me because I grew up in a Spalding family of sorts. Since the Ryder Cup is shortly upon us MyGolfSpy & GolfCircuit.com thought it[]. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. Spalding quickly grew, making baseball gloves and uniforms and the first modern baseball bat. Read on to learn more about the history of Spalding clubs and what you can expect from various models. But just because it was wacky did not mean it was not a hellova seller. But under Section 363 of Chapter 11, a seller can sell assets without having to negotiate with its creditors. 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,,,. One with the sticker decal and one without. Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. I just found a set of 10 plops slotz. Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. 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. And if the Nicklaus Bear irons were used to win the US Amateur, they shouldnt be on a worst irons list either. Great insight! It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. Im sure Scott White would love to contribute. I just love them! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. 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. 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. MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. I think I actually played one of them 150 holes before I gave up. Europe was a bit ahead of the United States when it came to golf, and the sport had only just started to explode in the United States. This stuff is really interesting.. 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. Ugly. Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! 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? document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Do you remember what golf websites you were shopping on back in 1995? 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. 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! But since the early 2000s, Spalding has practically disappeared from the golf landscape. The company was founded in 1973 and today produces high-quality golf clubs using the . . 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. Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek. 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. 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. Still, the Uniques are the best irons I have ever hit! After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. I demand a re-count!, He went on to say, and as owner of MyGolfSpy you should feel ashamed since you were given a set as a gift 15 years ago and I remember you putting me in play for a few rounds, how could you do this to me?, Slotline had a hit on their hands with their Slotline Inertial puttersthey sold over 2 Million of those flatsticks. "@context": "http://schema.org/", Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? He also worked at Zevo when the LoB Irons were developed. Not to belittle them because KKR is incredibly successful, but they didnt know the golf business the way we did, says White. 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). 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. Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. what is spanish colonial music? Back in the day (early-60s), I caddied at a CC in so. 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. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Extra weight added to the toe keeps the center of gravity where needed and also keeps the club head square at impact, resulting in straighter shots.. I know this is coming way after the article was published but I have a set of irons that are branded Fairway and the model I believe is Spider. * Note: These irons were designed by Duke Duclos. Pretty sure that was the first major won for a solid core ball. I had released it into the foreign market through a network of distributors mid in 1978, where it was well received. ENTER NOW! 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. It was made by Salt Lake City Specialties. 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. Brilliant writing! Balata covers. 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. And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. Those were first made around the end of the 19th century during the hickory era. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? Still bagging their wedges. Previously, they manufactured equipment for golf, American football, and baseball, but they have downsized considerably in recent years. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon.