Both are really great. The Browning 440 was a marvelous clubas you say off the fairway!!! Model Summary Color chart indicates best . GolfWRX_Official They are a blade from the early 80`s. Started Thursday at 03:24 PM, Please put and questions or comments here, Please put any questions or comments here, Please put any questions of comments here. Your previous content has been restored. So for those of you who own a set and are fellow collectors of the ridiculoustoday is your day to shine. It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. What you supposed to do, cut your head off!!! I tried to hit it oncenot a good idea! 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. The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? Wed have monthly meetings at their West 57th Street offices in New York. All are memory refreshing .. have been in golf clubhead design , manufacturing 25 years , familiar with the designs ! The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. APPLY NOW: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! Yes. Pretty or not (thats the clubs), I have played Fila Latitude irons since they came out. Theres even premium urethane cover options (Pro V1 and X styles) for ~$15 a dozen. Spalding, seemingly, was on top of the world. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, Tuesday at 04:47 PM, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 20, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 6, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, January 31, By But as you can see could cause some serious digging issues. I speak with Nat Rosassco, former owner, of NorthWestern golf at least every 7 to 10 days and he holds Pat Simmons as one of the best club designers of all time as well. My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. 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). Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. Basically, the new irons are all the same cavity backed design tweaked for the metal content and painted pretty for your golf bag. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. 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. About; Blog; Service; Contacts GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. 5 Testers Needed! Just saw a full set of them again today. 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'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 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). They are also perfect in a steep slope due to the curved bottom of the club head. As a golfer of a certain age, these history articles are fascinating! Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. Get10% offat Global Golf with Code:SwingYard. You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. 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!! All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. Fascinating how these once great brands essentially disappeared altogether. Press J to jump to the feed. Spalding club-makers paid as much scrutiny to shafts as heads. Almost , http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html. 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. The ball was introduced in 1900. I wonder how much influence he had on those? But the funky look kept me from ever thinking about buying a whole set. Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. 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. Ugly. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. 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). Of course, it is the Indian not the arrow to some extent, but he does well. The Pyramid Rubber Company, a maker of baby bottles, strollers, and other infant products, bought a controlling interest. We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. I know that this is a very late reply but I actually knew the designer of these irons and spent time speaking with him. The market was changing rapidly, as well. Too bad. Jim also marketed the first Graphite Shafts sold under the Aldila name. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. Iomic Golf Grips: 8 Key Facts Before You Buy. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. 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. 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,,. Ive got other odd clubs, a clear/see thru 5W, 68 & 73 degree wedge (of course, they may not be considered crazy. The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 1 Iron Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize. Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. KKRs $25 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco was chronicled in the book (and tv movie) Barbarians at the Gate. It is my Go To clubmy favorite. The BIG BOYS missed on this one. Thanks! Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. NOW AVAILABLE: GolfWRX G/Fore Hats and Holderness & Bourne Polos! 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. Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. Executives were my first real set of golf clubs. By the Roaring '20s, A.G. Spalding & Brothers was using the process of "drop forging" to manufacture metal club-heads. Take the Spalding Executive line. He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. What is it for weight transfer? the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. 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. My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. Hope you find this one interesting!!!! $89.99. What a mess that design was! 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. Although they did have issues with the shafts actually wrinkling due to the configuration of the shape of the toe on this ironcrazy little factoid. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. Eventually banned because it was too straight. It felt like a rock but flew like a rocket and weekend warriors bought them by the bushel. As a former professional player, Spalding recognized the need of enlisting the assistance of experts to promote both the game and his merchandise. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. my Dad is still pulling new 90s & 2000s Top Flights from the closet to play lol. * 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. Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? I just picked up 6 thru 9 of the Browning 440 Plus irons at the Goodwillcant wait to try them out. And Spaldings ace in the hole Strata was old news by the time the Pro V1 and Nike Tour Accuracy hit the scene. I love these old clubs. Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. Still, the Uniques are the best irons I have ever hit! Finally, I think a distinction needs to be made between the wackiest looking and worst irons made. Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. Don Wood has the patent for the Plop Slotz Irons. In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. Play to a 4 6 cap. Keep up the great work. Some deserve to be on the former, but definitely not the latter! Wide sole. Alternatively, you can look on a discount site like Rock Bottom Golf. Whats fun is to find one of those old sets, regrip them and beat your friends with them! i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. I have a full set of Exec XE irons. They dropped the Tour Edition moniker and focused on the expansion of their touring staff on the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA tours. Now I need some crazy Loudmouth pants and a pink ball. In the early days, golf clubs were hand-forged using a hammer and anvil. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), CONTEST Adams Pro Black Giveaway! Lots of wackiness. Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). Scott Stallings - WITB - 2023 Genesis Invitational. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Duke gave me an original solid brass/bronze Greenirons Slotline putter (heel shafted with slot in top line and white dot on lower rear section).. Make Request. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", I was the person responsible for introducing urethane prepolymers to Dr Shen Shen Wu, Titleist R&D chemist. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2. 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. No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", From the 1950s to the 1990s Spalding was in the bag for many major victories, and was played on municipal courses across the country. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. Jim passed away recentlyhe was a great innovator do you remember the Basakwerd Putter maybe EVER. we closed and then were just screwing around with some of the rental clubs. You have any pics of the Samurai irons Neilwould love to see them. In 2001 Spalding launched a $17 million ad campaign for Hogan and Strata. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. Shank no more, draw, fade, straight, you name it, my Filas do it. In 1895, Spalding started making golf balls. The Endo-forged Hogan Apex Plus cavity back irons came soon after, along with a solid-core Hogan Apex ball. Love it or hate it the Nike Slingshot irons made the list. No copy for them. If youre looking to buy or sell vintage Spalding clubs, the best place to do so is on eBay or Craigslist, where you can list the clubs in the condition that they are currently in. Starting in 1900, Spalding opened club-making factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. . when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. . Great collection! If you have any you think we should include or have any additional info about the clubs listed feel free to post your comments. Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. A request, could you do Sonartec at some point? 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. Each has a special place in my personal golf journey and is still some of the best equipment Ive ever used. A very interesting stroll down golf history. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. By 1970, the ownership group morphed into the Questor Corporation, and Pyramid Rubber was rechristened Evenflo. More than 50 percent of that total came from golf ball sales. Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. Various . But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. The Spaulding Executive was just too far ahead of its timegreat club! 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. And Jim Furyk won the 2003 U.S. Open with the new Strata Ace, which featured playing card suits (a la Penfold) instead of numbers. 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. All Irons for men were 37. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. Unfortunately, Spalding has fallen a long way down the pecking order in terms of their sporting equipment, and it has been a long time since they manufactured a new set of golf clubs. The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. Today, Spalding Executive clubs arent worth a great deal of money. TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. 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. And add on Sweet Spot Golf Drivers and the Mac/Burrows Driver. Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. "@context": "http://schema.org/", As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. $86.40 shipping. $77.83. I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. The woods were the strangest looking things. With KKR, it was a 180-degree turnaround. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. All that creativity has led to the great clubs we have today. (Everything To Know). Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. Therefore, the Top Flite clubs produced in the nineties and early naughts are technically Spalding golf clubs. The company experimented throughout the 1920s and 1930s with lathe-turned hickory shafts that featured circular ridges spaced at standard intervals down the entire shaft. made it even more interesting and valuable. I played them for years, they were solid, and they looked really good at address for their time period. Typically about 2 of the three would be OK, but if you hit one thin, you just threw it away on the next tee. 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! I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! "width": "645", Just bought a set of Nicklaus Linear Dynamics N1 Golf Irons at a thrift shop in Vegas. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. 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. Purespin (diamond face)? Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You cannot paste images directly. OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! More on the tr600!!!! Within three years, it would be gone for good. Well they made execs for over 20 yearswhich ones do you have? I would like to repay you with mine. Clare. Thanks for the memories, John Barba. "dateModified": "2022-05-12", That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. 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. Balata covers. The Sounder irons could be on the list-and are the best irons I ever had (have). Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! Recently I bought another set (I keep an eye on E-Bay for them) so I could have extras & other club sets for friends that come into town. 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. "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"], Sign In. Not quite Bryson-like, but innovative for the day. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. Fantastic article John! I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. Display as a link instead, C $75.53. Heres one for the booksTommy Armour EQL one length irons. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. Weird thing was I could hit the XL-4 long irons better and the Executives better from 7-PW. Fugly yes looks kinda like a pancake spatula at address but effective. Is my equipment holding me back? i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. These irons actually performed quite well and had many copy cats of it down the road to prove itincluding another iron that made the list at #12 Slotline Lowpro iron and the Titleist Super Slim irons. Men's Right Handed. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). 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. *We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. lots of memories here. If so send them to contact(at)mygolfspy.com. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? money, time and performance. My Nike Slingshots is the best set I have ever used. Love to see them. 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 have a 3-15 wood set that are fun to play with. In 1993 Payne Stewart signed a multi-million-dollar deal to go full Top-Flite, a move that sidetracked Stewarts career. Titleist and PING were established competitors, while TaylorMade and Callaway were flexing their muscles. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. 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. "logo": { Tommy Armours ownership circus eventually turned it into the Sports Authority (and now DICKS) house brand. He also worked at Zevo when the LoB Irons were developed. White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. Thank you for your research efforts. Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. { 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. Callaway wound up suing Spalding for using its imagery on Spalding packaging. Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. 1 Iron Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball . 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). 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. But under Section 363 of Chapter 11, a seller can sell assets without having to negotiate with its creditors. In the late 70s I also had a set of Unique irons which were great apart from the plastic covers covering the cavity back constantly falling out. Those Slinger Irons were the brain child of Jim Flood. I collect odd golf items. i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. Design the future of bad golf! Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. He actually manufactured a set of irons whose heads were literally upside down take an iron, turn in upside down, your top edge now hits the turf, the sole having a hosel. Used to play traditional blades with the odd shank. In the mid-80s, Spalding introduced the solid core Tour Edition, and in 1996 it came out with Strata, a true game-changer for Spalding and the first multi-layer solid core ball used on Tour. 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. and they placed it in the show. 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. Regardless, both are great sets. I bought them new. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. They are also said to be legendary Canadian player Moe Normans favorite clubs of all time. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Great list of wild clubs. Say what you will but I own a set of Ray Cook Titanic irons. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. As a designer, the design is perfect and although they look funny, they were a great club, ask Cory Pavin. One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. At the turn of the 20th Century, golf had stirred mild interest in the United States, and A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods saw an opportunity. They had a premium Molitor ball at the then scandalous price of $2. 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. "@type": "ImageObject", Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. Again THANK YOU FOR THE GOLF LESSON!!!!! However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! Forward-face progression creates a hitting surface 20 percent larger than standard and 5 percent larger than over-sized irons. pend. beneath. 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. I would appreciate any help you could offer! You can check it out at http://www.adjustablegolfclub.com. What you like is what you like. Great nostalgia with the article. Anybody know anything about them? Remember all the other clubs, good to read. #15 - Stan Thompson Ginty Irons You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. What are the Most Forgiving Forged Irons? As previously mentioned, you can buy Spalding Molitor clubs at Rock Bottom, and theyre a great option for beginner players. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. 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). I really enjoy reading your articles, John. I have a Simmons Great White Shark putter with a 7 blade. John, 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." Much cheaper than renting. The 1999 Hogan Apex, forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan, remains a sought-after collectible, and a very playable blade, to this day. By the early 1920s, Spalding began using a mechanical hammer to drop-forge heads in an assembly line, making the process faster, more consistent, and considerably less expensive. And if the Nicklaus Bear irons were used to win the US Amateur, they shouldnt be on a worst irons list either. So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. So we thought if it was as crazy looking as the original it had to be on the list but a little further down. Albert Spalding died in 1915, but his company continued to flourish. And Spalding predated Mizuno by at least 60 years with a copper undercoating for its forged blades in the mid-50s. It is the Super Stick. They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. But since the early 2000s, Spalding has practically disappeared from the golf landscape. The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. 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.