Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. 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. Inventory available of individual, single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons. Its a great story that needs to be told. Golfers have always known that deep-grooved irons produce better control and spin. Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. What about Giant Irons, I remember seeing those on an infomercial a few times. Man crush on Nicklaus led to this purchase. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! Can you help me find the history of the club? 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. 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. If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . 0 bids. No copy for them. I agree, though it does deserve a deep dive. 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. 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. Thanks for the article. does ohma have a child [email protected] buy all 6 get free shipping) Let me know by ebay . You cannot do that with any other club. By 1970, the ownership group morphed into the Questor Corporation, and Pyramid Rubber was rechristened Evenflo. "width": "645", In 1962, Pyramid merged with Dunhill International and the AP Parts Corporation. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. * Note: These irons were designed by Don Wood remember the Plop putterswell they are back at it againyou can check them out here. 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! Corey Pavin won the 1996 US Open Shinnecock with a purple set. I cant believe to Ping Zing 2s are on the list. 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. 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. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). Weird thing was I could hit the XL-4 long irons better and the Executives better from 7-PW. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Great looking blade and the low COG really lets one hit it high. I recently tried an old Jack Nicklaus 7 iron made by MacGregor many years ago. they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. 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. Theres even premium urethane cover options (Pro V1 and X styles) for ~$15 a dozen. With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. Maybe it is a good idea or maybe it is not. Spalding, like its old school brethren Wilson and MacGregor, simply wasnt sexy to a new generation of golfers. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. 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! Another really well done article. This new construction was a major technological advancement in golf balls. I have no ideabut I sure loved my Tommy Armour silver Scotts. I collect odd golf items. Say what you will but I own a set of Ray Cook Titanic irons. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. Norman credited the extra spin of the Tour Edition for winning the 1986 British Open. Hope you find this one interesting!!!! The Early Years Starting in 1900, Spalding opened clubmaking factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the U.K. and U.S. You had to turn those over to see the ugly, but the cone in the bottom was down right wacky! I don't mind the executives though, don't really know much about them either. Thanks for you4 diligence and reporting. Got them for $200.00 which was a really great price other pro shops were asking $450.00 for a set. The Browning 440 was a marvelous clubas you say off the fairway!!! Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. 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. Forward-face progression creates a hitting surface 20 percent larger than standard and 5 percent larger than over-sized irons. But, in the rough the club went right underneath the ball. 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,,. Spalding manufactured golf clubs for some of the leading players in the game, including the legendary American player Bobby Jones. With Spalding's mass-market success breeding scores of imitators, players could pick and choose from countless club lines. Spalding Executive Golf Clubs for sale | eBay I am the person that brought the first Metalwoods to the market. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. What is it for weight transfer? It felt like a rock but flew like a rocket and weekend warriors bought them by the bushel. 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. "keywords": ["spalding irons by year","when did spalding stop making golf clubs","does spalding still make golf clubs","spalding golf clubs history","spalding executive golf clubs history"], 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 had a friend who worked for Gary Player and he sent me his brand called iGNITORS Those were fairly strange and not particular long! My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. http://www.geekgolf.com. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2. I have a med flex shaft, 1 inch extension on each Exec club, and Golf Pride Velvet jumbo grips. marrano patio homes lancaster, ny 9, Juin, 2022. horse property for sale pocatello, idaho; There are a couple different models of this iron. Albert Spalding died in 1915, but his company continued to flourish. The Ginty, fueron palos adelantados a su poca, las maderas Ginty parecen las antecesoras de las big bertha de callaway, el material del que estaban hechas no poda aguantar las inercias, pero el diseo ya era adelantado a su tiempo. when were spalding executive golf clubs made All Irons for men were 37. White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. Love them oldies. Just remember, Its always the indian and not the arrow. ], I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. 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. The ball was introduced in 1900. He has provided some keen insights from his time with Mr. Hogan in other articles and podcasts. The Pyramid Rubber Company, a maker of baby bottles, strollers, and other infant products, bought a controlling interest. I also have a set of Browning TR600s. However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! Make Request. Really solid clubs. While the Top Flite was initially scorned by better players as the rock flight, it probably caused a rule change. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #1. 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. In that year, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) took shape, and many of the fledgling tour's stars already had endorsement deals with Spalding. I have had many pros in proams hit them and fascinated by how the ball comes off the club face so fast,,good distance. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. 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. This stuff is really interesting.. "author": "Ned Howard", Jim passed away recentlyhe was a great innovator do you remember the Basakwerd Putter The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. The pro-shop who had them could not find a buyer. I have a left handed set that I got from a guy on the senior tour, Bob Carson, who also owned a golf course in Titusville FLA. In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ Acushnet has been sold twice since the 1970s, and each time the buyer took the same approach: be profitable, and well leave you alone. Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. I play them still and love them. Youve forgotten the worst offender. 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.. Steve Almo Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. What are the Most Forgiving Forged Irons? It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. Wright was the driving force behind Bostons Franklin Park golf course, the first municipal course in the U.S. Bostons other muni is named after Wright, who donated the land for the Donald Ross design. The VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! Although from a phone-in interview Mr. VAS told us, I feel robbed. Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. Spalding Executive Golf Clubs for sale | eBay Great collection! Decent? What can you find out about Wilson x 70 irons. My high school graduation present from my parents back in 1973 was a set of Executive clubs (back when the irons were forged before they were cast). How about the Spalding Exec SE. They are similar to the Nike slingshots as they have a powerbow looking thing on the back of them. when were spalding executive golf clubs made 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 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. In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. I remembered them from this article. ), Finn Scooter Golf Reviews (Are These the Real Deal? Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By I actually like the looks of those babies! If so, are they any good? i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! Some of the most popular Spalding Club models were: At one time, Greg Norman used the Spalding Tour Edition irons, now a collectors item, on Tour. I still think I deserve to be recognized as the leader in this category and will be appealing your decision. Perhaps they were a little ahead of their time (3-PW). Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. 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. I wonder how much influence he had on those? 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), CONTEST Adams Pro Black Giveaway! No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. Scott was a highly respected individual in the golf industry during this period and he had the respect of both his staff and golf professionals There was a time that Spalding golf clubs were among the best in the business. Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. Again THANK YOU FOR THE GOLF LESSON!!!!! Laugh if you must, but the design works. The design gave the clubs an exotic bamboo look; the underlying message being that these clubs offered players bamboo's legendary flexibility and whip-like strength. Those are the reasons they work. spalding executive golf clubs please read DESCRIPTION BEFORE BUYING . My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. Thanks. The 300XXL Driver was so lightawesome clubhead speed ! 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. lol! (Everything To Know). 1 Iron Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize. Kind of reminds one of the Hogan radial but not near as wide on the soul. The Executives were the bomb back in the day. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", Spalding Ladies Golf Club History | Golflink.com Someone suggested to me they were a prototype club for Johnny Miller, but were never marketed. 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. 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. I bought them new. It was made by Salt Lake City Specialties. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. Wide sole. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. 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. I was the Sales Manager of Stan Thompson golf company for several years and worked very close with Stan. 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. In an effort to keep golf a game of skill, the USGA implemented the 14 club rule that we see today. All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. 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. They are for sale. "dateModified": "2022-05-12", We had small layoffs on an ongoing basis, and people kept looking over their shoulder. 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. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. Goldwin was a San Diego company, years ahead of its time. You can still buy Top-Flite and Strata branded balls at DICKS and Golf Galaxy. The Browning 440s took my game from the 150s (Wilson clubs) to the low 70s. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. PING was still PING, and Tiger was becoming Tiger. The Sounder irons could be on the list-and are the best irons I ever had (have). This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. In 1984, Questor sold off Spalding/Evenflo to a Venezuelan group headed by Gustavo and Ricardo Cisneros. Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. Get10% offat Global Golf with Code:SwingYard. It is called a hollow wedge, but you can putt with it as well. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. MacGregors ownership carousel started in 1978 when it was sold to lumber conglomerate Wickes. It was if I walked into the store from a time machine. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Spalding-Irons-by-Year.jpg" I really enjoy reading your articles, John. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. What about Goldwin?? Spalding Driver Golf Clubs for sale | eBay Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. { Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. 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. APPLY NOW: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. I was interested in golf until around 2001 and soon discovered spoiling was on anachronism at that point. C $75.53. But they seem to work though. Thats great. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you have any you think we should include or have any additional info about the clubs listed feel free to post your comments. My first clubs were Spalding top flites. Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set. Met a friend in Costa Mesa at Mile Square Golf Club back in the early 1970s and he was with Duke Duclos., a friend from their McDonald-Douglas days. Well they made execs for over 20 yearswhich ones do you have? My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. Well then so did everyone else. words that have to do with clay P.O. Too bad. 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. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. The Top Flite name lives on, however, thanks to the purchase of its namesake via Callaway in the early 2000s. Make Request. Although the Inertial irons werent so lucky. Great article takes me back to nostalgia. Make sense as I do have a Johnny Miller PW which looks just like an X 70. i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. They are a blade from the early 80`s. I would like to repay you with mine. Tom Farrell. Yes it has some smoother lines compared to some of the other clubs on the listbut you put that PowerBow as Nike says on any of those other irons and it is a dead ringer for this list of crazies. The strangest set I play with at the moment is a matching set of 3 through 15 fairway woods made by Protactic Golf in Chicago (part of the remains of Northwestern Golf, I think). 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. Spalding sponsored Vardons 1900 tour of America, culminating in Vardon winning the U.S. Open in Chicago. lol..!! No sir, they are in my bag and are still being used after all these years. President 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. info@pgatradein.com Mon-Fri: 9AM - 5PM EST . Jeff Sheets - Spalding - Past Designs Of course Drivers and putters are like women. my 5w distance matches my friends new drivers in distance off tee,,they are amazed. On sole: club# + SPALDING. Swing Yard is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca, amazon.co.uk and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. This is because Spalding stopped manufacturing golf clubs in 2002, and most of the clubs available online today are vintage sets. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. The market was changing rapidly, as well. Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. Dreadful golf balls! Thanks for the history lesson, truly amazing how fast Spalding unraveled. A very interesting stroll down golf history. I dont want to pay the asking prices for individual 440 Plus irons on eBay, so Ill keep my eye out for them at the thrift shops and G-W. Andyou see the Spaulding Executive irons at the Goodwill stores all the time. My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. There are worse things. He was a pro at having fun when he played golf! In 1993 Payne Stewart signed a multi-million-dollar deal to go full Top-Flite, a move that sidetracked Stewarts career. Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was. Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. I would appreciate any help you could offer! We had hybrids back in the 80s. You can check it out at http://www.adjustablegolfclub.com. The Top-Flite acquisition made it a player. Brings back great memories! They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. Display as a link instead, 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?