Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. 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). 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. During that time, Spalding ownership changed hands a half dozen times, and saw the same fate as MacGregor Irons. These articles are all outstanding. 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. The Top Flite name lives on, however, thanks to the purchase of its namesake via Callaway in the early 2000s. White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. Weve done a mini-history on the Hogan Company, with input from a couple of longtime Hogan employees. Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. words that have to do with clay P.O. Spalding stopped producing golf clubs in 2022, focusing on other sports in the years since. Within three years, it would be gone for good. In the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Great set. They are for sale. Yes. ENTER NOW! Right now Ive been with the Execs 2 then 5 SW, Ram 64 wedge, 1 & 3 wood, both hybrids and putter. and they wonder why they went out of business. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 0 bids. (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! No copy for them. Those are the reasons they work. But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. Dreadful golf balls! They kept slashing the pricing. BombTech Golf Reviews (These Golf Clubs Any Good? Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. Clare. By * Note: These irons were designed by Pat Simmons and ex-pilot and engineer which also had a part in the Zebra putter design. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. I had released it into the foreign market through a network of distributors mid in 1978, where it was well received. Copyright 2023. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. It was if I walked into the store from a time machine. 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 wonder how much influence he had on those? If so, are they any good? They also made a set made entirely of woods. Spalding manufactured golf clubs for some of the leading players in the game, including the legendary American player Bobby Jones. A very interesting stroll down golf history. Heres one for the booksTommy Armour EQL one length irons. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. But more trouble was coming for Spalding. Written by June 5, 2022 . 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. Really solid clubs. But since the early 2000s, Spalding has practically disappeared from the golf landscape. The Titleist were a bit longer lasting but I (a poor college student) could afford the Spaulding balls. He also worked at Zevo when the LoB Irons were developed. As a designer, the design is perfect and although they look funny, they were a great club, ask Cory Pavin. "image": { 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! Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. Decent? With a few months of work and some radical design modifications it was turned into the first modern Metalwood. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. Purespin (diamond face)? The likes of Callaway, TaylorMade, and PING all enjoyed good commercial success in the late nineties, and Spalding couldnt match the same feats achieved by the biggest brands. Anyone hear of them? I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. 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. Really a zany=looking set of irons. Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. Went back 10 years and got the 845s used. 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. ), Finn Scooter Golf Reviews (Are These the Real Deal? Whats more, KKR continued adding to its golf empire, buying Etonic in 1996 and Ben Hogan a year later. 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. 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! The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. Its on the list! is fantastic, but the club is as stiff as an old water pipe and is accordingly harsh. higher loft is really your best bet for getting out of these difficult fairway lies, Top 10 Best Cheap Drivers (Updated 2021 Buying Guide), 5 Advantages of A Strong Golf Grip (Everything To Know), What Is An Overrun Golf Ball? vicunas. The Spalding brand, however, is still alive under the Russell Athletic umbrella, making basketballs and apparel. I have a set of Ben Hogan AHS Hybrids and the SW is even a hybrid! " [We] decided that . Does anyone know anything about them? We want you to get the most out of your 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 I firmly believe the demise of Spalding was because a number of CEOs with little or no knowledge of the golf industry were appointed I really enjoy reading your articles, John. These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek. Here Im going to date myself a bitBack in the late 70s there was a company called Unique..The iron set design was oversized head with a deep cavity that was covered with a hard plastic. 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. 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. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. Just terribleand never sold thruas well it shouldnt. Still use them. * Note: These irons were designed by Don Wood remember the Plop putterswell they are back at it againyou can check them out here. The set I found is 2-9, but the 5 iron is gone. I shoot mid-80s like OP. * Note: These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. An excellent article well researched Although lots of factors influence how much golf clubs are worth, you can typically pick up a set of Spalding golf clubs for less than $100. Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! Golf bags bulged with 20 to 25 clubs, and the USGA, fearing too many specialty clubs had watered down the skill required in golf, took action. Although the Inertial irons werent so lucky. not just the American side , some of Europe and some from Japan makers also wacky !!! I have a med flex shaft, 1 inch extension on each Exec club, and Golf Pride Velvet jumbo grips. In 1906 Bendelow designed the expansion of Atlantas East Lake Club, the eventual home club of one Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. Well spare you the decade-by-decade rundown of Spalding innovations (and there are many). My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. A request, could you do Sonartec at some point? Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. In 2001 Spalding launched a $17 million ad campaign for Hogan and Strata. OVERSIZED Spalding Golf Clubs Lady set Woods Driver 3 5 w New Black Widow Grips $30.00 $15.00 shipping or Best Offer Spalding Executive MV2 2-9 Iron, PW set Bird Over Ball $69.99 $31.53 shipping or Best Offer Spalding Executive XE Irons Set 7-PW Medium Steel Shafts Left Handed LH $95.00 Free shipping or Best Offer So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? They all looked like mini woods. Terrific article as usual Mr. Barra. Shank no more, draw, fade, straight, you name it, my Filas do it. I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. #14 - Spalding Executive Irons These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. GolfWRX_Official Yes, it sold a ton of golf balls, but as one former employee told us, the brand was decidedly blue-collar and not focused on the golf professional. Great collection! Still playing my cook titanics with the 1 iron. Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. The Cobra set left handed golf club set is made of premium products. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. Is my equipment holding me back? Wanted them when I was in college but couldnt afford them then.