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. That year Albert and his brothers opened the A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods company and started making baseballs. The set I found is 2-9, but the 5 iron is gone. ), Takomo Golf Clubs Review: (As Good as Expected? BombTech Golf Reviews (These Golf Clubs Any Good? 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. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! . 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. Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was. 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.. Anyone hear of them? Some deserve to be on the former, but definitely not the latter! The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. The market was changing rapidly, as well. He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. I became a +2 handicap using those irons, and a lot of people scoffed at them early ontill they saw me hit them. Like many of his other unconventional looking but super functional designs for the time this one flew off the shelves. Spalding introduced the Vardon Flyer, a golf ball that was popularized by Harry Vardon. Hope you find this one interesting!!!! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. They play as well as any other set I got an incomplete set at the Salvation Army for $15. Knowledgable folk say its all in the mind. Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. } I actually have these clubs. Those are the reasons they work. Goldwin was a San Diego company, years ahead of its time. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). Both were smart, competent leaders but had little golf experience. So, if youre looking for a decent set of golf clubs without breaking the bank, theres no reason not to invest in a used set of Spalding clubs if you see a set that you like online. My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. But, they were NOS (New Old Stock) and with Ohio State grips and headcovers; so a diehard Buckeye fan. 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. Can anyone ballpark an estimate on the value of a set of Samurai clubs? I had read your original 2018 article about why Hogan still mattered. $77.83. Spalding took off with sales and production with Bobby Jones joining the team. As weve discussed before, its extremely difficult for legacy brands to remain relevant, especially when new, fresh brands get aggressive. Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? ), Phat Golf Scooters Reviews (Good or Waste of Cash? What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. The Black Dots were longest (for me) but that cover would smile back at you with the slightest mishit. I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Sign In. Spalding stopped producing golf clubs in 2022, focusing on other sports in the years since. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. 1983 Among Jones innovations: the first matched set of steel-shafted irons, the first set of irons with the sweet spot in the center of each club (denoted by a circle of dots on the clubface), and an iron set where the scoring irons were one length, the mid irons were one length, and the long irons were one length. Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. What you like is what you like. Learn how your comment data is processed. Well they made execs for over 20 yearswhich ones do you have? Wish the 5 iron would have been there. The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. The 500s have less offset than the 440s. Your email address will not be published. Brings back great memories! When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. Hope you all enjoyed a look back at some of the craziest irons ever made. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Another great history piece. I would appreciate any help you could offer! Jeff Sheets had been Director of R&D for Top-Flite since 1995, and his first club for Hogan became a legend. Great set. Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. MyGolfSpy is jumping into the DeLorean and taking a 1.21 jiggawatt-fueled look at the long life and quick death of Spalding Golf. They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. 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!!!! Previously, they manufactured equipment for golf, American football, and baseball, but they have downsized considerably in recent years. The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. By 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. Callaway had been making balls but never turned a profit. Box 4666, Ventura, CA 93007 Request a Quote: comelec district 5 quezon city CSDA Santa Barbara County Chapter's General Contractor of the Year 2014! During their time together, Vardon and Spalding agreed the best way to grow the game in the U.S. and grow the market for Spalding golf products was to build more golf courses. I am the person that brought the first Metalwoods to the market. 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. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. Spalding club-makers paid as much scrutiny to shafts as heads. Well today is going to be a little bit different. Thank you for your research efforts. On sole: club# + SPALDING. 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). 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 Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. But the funky look kept me from ever thinking about buying a whole set. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! "author": "Ned Howard", Love to see them. New entries such as Nike and Adams were turning heads as well. lol..!! 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. 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,,,. And Spalding predated Mizuno by at least 60 years with a copper undercoating for its forged blades in the mid-50s. Was: C $107.89. Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. Thanks for doing the digging! The 1999 Hogan Apex, forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan, remains a sought-after collectible, and a very playable blade, to this day. They preceded hybrid irons by 20 years or so. Is my equipment holding me back? 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!! I tried to hit it oncenot a good idea! Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. I would love to have you include my Whole-In-One Adjustable Telescopic Golf Club in your mixdefinitely fits the criteria of unusual clubs. These were great clubs. Great insight! 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. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. 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. The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. 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 dont think I paid more than $300 for all four sets combined- Im a Salvation Army searcher. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. Titleist and PING were established competitors, while TaylorMade and Callaway were flexing their muscles. Much cheaper than renting. 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). spalding executive golf clubs please read DESCRIPTION BEFORE BUYING . Even tho I play with graphic shafts I really like the way those play. The old Spaulding Executive set I had back in the early 1980s. Your previous content has been restored. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. In 1892 Spalding went into acquisition mode, buying up two key competitors: the A.J. Since the Ryder Cup is shortly upon us MyGolfSpy & GolfCircuit.com thought it[]. i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. I wonder how much influence he had on those? In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. I played a set of Mags for years until I got to where I could not swing fast enough to bend the stiff shafts. Brilliant idea? These articles are all outstanding. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! ), Finn Scooter Golf Reviews (Are These the Real Deal? 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. Today, Spalding focuses nearly all of its commercial interests on basketball, producing balls, hoops, rims, and nets. I just found a set of Slingers at the thrift store for $10. *We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). Almost , http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html. $86.40 shipping. }. 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. * 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. Different, yes, but they are the only ones where you can really aim at the target! 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. What the hey. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. #15 - Stan Thompson Ginty Irons You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. The greatest golfer at the time plays Spalding? Just bought a set of Nicklaus Linear Dynamics N1 Golf Irons at a thrift shop in Vegas. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. 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. Promoting both sports and sports equipment, the lineup featured titles such as How To Play Second Base by Hall of Famer Johnny Evers, Boxing: A Guide to the Manly Art of Self Defense, and How to Play Golf by Harry Vardon and James Braid. Tommy Armour TI 100 need to be on the list, they were twice the size of any other iron produced ever. 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. Thanks! Great collection I remember many of them in the past 30 years often thought of buying some of them, but luckily, I didnt, Ive purchased dozens of iron sets in the last few years (Big Bertha,FTI, Taylor Made, Cobra, Nike V series) NOne of these work as well as my Ping Zings, Hey, what about Shakespeare and fiberglass. 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. Did KKR overpay? They are also perfect in a steep slope due to the curved bottom of the club head. He traded a set of classic Burke PunchIrons to get the Lynx. We stand behind our clubs and want you to be satisfied with them. Reach and the Wright and Ditson sporting goods companies. Therefore, the Top Flite clubs produced in the nineties and early naughts are technically Spalding golf clubs. Jim also marketed the first Graphite Shafts sold under the Aldila name. Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. The VAS are ugly, but they work. We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. Pasted as rich text. Norman credited the extra spin of the Tour Edition for winning the 1986 British Open. It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. 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. My Nike Slingshots is the best set I have ever used. i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. Too bad. I have a med flex shaft, 1 inch extension on each Exec club, and Golf Pride Velvet jumbo grips. Perhaps they were a little ahead of their time (3-PW). Don't let scams get away with fraud. 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. unbelieveably so..!! Whats more, Spalding Molitor clubs currently retail at $280 for an entire set, which is a price point that is pretty hard to beat. My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! Jackie Gleason also owned a set. Brilliant writing! You can actually play Spalding golf balls again! All are memory refreshing .. have been in golf clubhead design , manufacturing 25 years , familiar with the designs ! The Ping Zings were the worst! Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game If you have a vintage set of Bobby Jones Spalding irons that are in great shape, you might be able to sell them at a slightly higher price, but theyre not worth a great deal of money in the current market. Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. In 1895, Spalding started making golf balls. 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. Spalding Top-Flite In 1995 Spalding Sporting Goods reorganized its golf club division by forming the Top-Flight golf company as its premium club brand. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. 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 for you4 diligence and reporting. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spalding's most easily recognizable clubs. The Browning 440 was a marvelous clubas you say off the fairway!!! Wanted them when I was in college but couldnt afford them then. Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. They introduced the Browning 500 Series to counter that effect.But, they waited too long and by that timethe party was over! 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. It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. But $1 billion is a lot of cabbage, and KKR borrowed heavily to make the deal. If you have any you think we should include or have any additional info about the clubs listed feel free to post your comments. 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. 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. Again THANK YOU FOR THE GOLF LESSON!!!!! Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. Thanks. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. Thanks for the memories, John Barba. His stuff was marvelous and all original. Jones immediately put his Georgia Tech engineering degree to good use. 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. or Best Offer. What is it for weight transfer? This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. It was made by Salt Lake City Specialties. What a great list! With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. Still use them. Still bagging their wedges. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. So we thought if it was as crazy looking as the original it had to be on the list but a little further down. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. I also had a set of Ping Zings too.. My partner had that set of Cleveland VAS and believe it or not we had a partner that bought a used set of Slingers I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. What you supposed to do, cut your head off!!! Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. FIND A SET! John is an aging, yet avid golfer, writer, 9-point-something handicapper living back home in New England after a 22-year exile in Minnesota. I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. Well then so did everyone else. After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. Those were first made around the end of the 19th century during the hickory era. I just found a set of 10 plops slotz. (8 Ways To Know) . His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. What about the Porsche irons? It was in A Disordly Compendium of Golf I cant find my copy (actually havent seen it in a few months) but I know it was in there. I was told they only made a few hundred sets. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? By 1910, the company was selling aluminum fairway clubs and its Gold Medal series (1910 to 1919) featured aluminum bronze. From the 1950s to the 1990s Spalding was in the bag for many major victories, and was played on municipal courses across the country. The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? 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. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. Various . Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. Id like to include the Wilson Reflex irons and PGF Slammer series. Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. Steve Almo 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. Purespin (diamond face)? KKRs $25 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco was chronicled in the book (and tv movie) Barbarians at the Gate. Long irons with shallow faces, little offset and perhaps slightly softer shafts can be quite playable. If so, are they any good? Kind of reminds one of the Hogan radial but not near as wide on the soul. Make Request. Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. 1 Iron Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball . *chuckles* Maybe its a good thing I took a 30 year golf hiatus. I just searched eBay right now and saw a set for $139. I just love them! Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. We are here to help educate and empower golfers. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. any info on this garbage?lol. 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. In 2001 Spalding launched a $17 million ad campaign for Hogan and Strata. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-1.svg" ), shoplifted about four dozen balls each from a failing department store in New York City. "height": "342", If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . Callaway had long wanted Top-Flites ball factory and patents but didnt want to assume any debt. About half of our sales are with personal names or corporate logos in the back and given as gifts. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", pend. beneath. I bought them new. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? 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. Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. Great stuff. In 1993 Payne Stewart signed a multi-million-dollar deal to go full Top-Flite, a move that sidetracked Stewarts career. Eventually banned because it was too straight. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. "https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", How about the Spalding Exec SE. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. 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. I cant believe to Ping Zing 2s are on the list. Copyright 2023. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spaldings most easily recognizable clubs. So I sent it in and got the iron. OK. Ive got some irons sets you have up (Fila, Cleveland, Slotline, and the Tiger Shark). They actually play pretty well. made it even more interesting and valuable. today. In an effort to keep golf a game of skill, the USGA implemented the 14 club rule that we see today. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. The Spalding brand, however, is still alive under the Russell Athletic umbrella, making basketballs and apparel. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? Upload or insert images from URL. Your link has been automatically embedded. 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. So for those of you who own a set and are fellow collectors of the ridiculoustoday is your day to shine. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight. - BenHogan. 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. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. "publisher": { Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. 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. Decent? Its factory could only make about six million dozen a year, and it was paying patent royalties. "https://www.instagram.com/_swingyard_/", He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. 2 iron sw. Let me know if anyone is interested. "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. The Cobra set left handed golf club set is made of premium products. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. John, Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! . The nineties saw the release of the Top Flite Tour Ti irons, which were among the last clubs that the long-standing brand would manufacture. As the 21st Century dawned, it had impressive sales and deep-pocket owners, but in reality, it was staring down the barrel of a gun. Press J to jump to the feed. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. Albert Spalding was a superstar. With KKR, it was a 180-degree turnaround. 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.