Spalding Tour Editions ....

Well I've got the Spalding bug bad since I've been playing my Top Flite Lt Grinds, but I still cant help myself lusting after a set of Tour Editions.

Any way I need some info to help me make a more informed decision on what I'll end up getting.

Does any body know what the differences are between the Tour Edition, Tour Edition Custom Crafted & Tour Edition Custom Crafted S22?

As from what little pictures I've seen of them they all appear quite similar in design.

If anybody's had experience with them, played them or has pictures, let me know what you think!

Thanks.

J

I have no real experience with them either but I have always wanted a set as well. They "waggle" very nicely!

I just picked up a set of Tour Editions 1-sw last week on CL with matching driver and 5 wood for $20. (sorry, had to brag) I don't know the differences between the other models but if you're after a classic looking blade with clean lines I can't imagine you being disappointed with the Tour Editions.

Hi Fluffy,

I played the original Tour Editions when they first came out around 1985-86. They still are IMO some of the best looking iron heads ever! The Tour Editions had a deeper more rounded top line. The "custom crafted" if I remember had more of a square toe, and the S22 had the similar square toe and progressive offset. I hope this helps!

Here is a set of Tour Edition 3-pw s300 shafts and Persimmon woods 1,3,5 in a Spalding Tour Edition Bird on Ball bag.

Wow Tim! That's a terrific setup there.

Thanks, Its a keeper,... I hope

Very nice! Is the the putter a Spalding as well?

[quote name='Caddie4JT' timestamp='1367439547' post='6952919']
Hi Fluffy,

I played the original Tour Editions when they first came out around 1985-86. They still are IMO some of the best looking iron heads ever! The Tour Editions had a deeper more rounded top line. The "custom crafted" if I remember had more of a square toe, and the S22 had the similar square toe and progressive offset. I hope this helps!
[/quote]

Thanks! That's exactly the sort of info I'm after. Do you recall if there was any difference in the sole grinds? As I tend to prefer a little camber.

Nice pics Teev's, I've been real tempted to pick up an old Spalding staff bag too as there seems to be plenty around in my neck of the woods.
Now lets see more Spalding pics every one!!

J

That bag needs a good ole Spalding TP MIlls putter in it!

Just an open question re. Spalding or Spaulding, which is correct? I have seen both used interchangeably and reputably, although the latter spelling seems to be mostly from US golfing authorities. Maybe this was an earlier version?

The putter is a Spalding Cash In

Re: stixman's question

per Wikipedia:
Spalding is an American sporting goods company founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago, Illinois, in 1876 and now headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company specializes in the production of balls for many sports, but is most-known for its basketballs. Spalding also makes a range of products for baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball, and American football.

[quote name='teevons' timestamp='1367506485' post='6957467']
The putter is a Spalding Cash In
[/quote]

That works. It should teach a MacGregor not not to comment on Spalding gear.:-)

[quote name='NRJyzr' timestamp='1367517868' post='6958859']
Re: stixman's question

per Wikipedia:
Spalding is an American sporting goods company founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago, Illinois, in 1876 and now headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company specializes in the production of balls for many sports, but is most-known for its basketballs. Spalding also makes a range of products for baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball, and American football.
[/quote]

Thanks for your info. It doesn't quite touch on the question asked, so if anyone knows, it would be good.

I have many Spaldings in my hickory players. The two best are a smooth faced cleek from Harry Vardon's tour of the USA to promote Spaldings 'Vardon Flyer' gutty just before the rubber core Haskell was invented, and a very fine brassie from their Autograph line much loved by Bobby Jones and represented in his set as Jeannie Deans. The hickory shaft on this is pencil thin and as stiff as steel, as different from regular hickory as chalk is from cheese.
Stixman (because my first love was sticks, not spanners)

[quote name='stixman' timestamp='1367571401' post='6962712']
[quote name='NRJyzr' timestamp='1367517868' post='6958859']
Re: stixman's question

per Wikipedia:
Spalding is an American sporting goods company founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago, Illinois, in 1876 and now headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company specializes in the production of balls for many sports, but is most-known for its basketballs. Spalding also makes a range of products for baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball, and American football.
[/quote]

Thanks for your info. It doesn't quite touch on the question asked, so if anyone knows, it would be good.

I have many Spaldings in my hickory players. The two best are a smooth faced cleek from Harry Vardon's tour of the USA to promote Spaldings 'Vardon Flyer' gutty just before the rubber core Haskell was invented, and a very fine brassie from their Autograph line much loved by Bobby Jones and represented in his set as Jeannie Deans. The hickory shaft on this is pencil thin and as stiff as steel, as different from regular hickory as chalk is from cheese.
Stixman (because my first love was sticks, not spanners)
[/quote]

Spalding has been a major equipment brand for so many sports for quite a long time now, and I can't recall ever seeing it misspelled as "Spaulding." Stixman, maybe those you've seen over the years have been unduly influenced by the Marx Brothers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BMtqqHRvB8

[quote name='stixman' timestamp='1367571401' post='6962712']
[quote name='NRJyzr' timestamp='1367517868' post='6958859']
Re: stixman's question

per Wikipedia:
Spalding is an American sporting goods company founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago, Illinois, in 1876 and now headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company specializes in the production of balls for many sports, but is most-known for its basketballs. Spalding also makes a range of products for baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball, and American football.
[/quote]

Thanks for your info. It doesn't quite touch on the question asked, so if anyone knows, it would be good.

I have many Spaldings in my hickory players. The two best are a smooth faced cleek from Harry Vardon's tour of the USA to promote Spaldings 'Vardon Flyer' gutty just before the rubber core Haskell was invented, and a very fine brassie from their Autograph line much loved by Bobby Jones and represented in his set as Jeannie Deans. The hickory shaft on this is pencil thin and as stiff as steel, as different from regular hickory as chalk is from cheese.
Stixman (because my first love was sticks, not spanners)
[/quote]

The Spalding company mentioned in the wikipedia page is the same as the company that produced golf clubs. The wiki doesn't mention their golf division, possibly because it's not active in the way it once was, if at all.

I can't remember if all of Spalding's golf division was included in the sale of Top Flite to Callaway.

[quote name='NRJyzr' timestamp='1367674040' post='6969148']
[quote name='stixman' timestamp='1367571401' post='6962712']
[quote name='NRJyzr' timestamp='1367517868' post='6958859']
Re: stixman's question

per Wikipedia:
Spalding is an American sporting goods company founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago, Illinois, in 1876 and now headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company specializes in the production of balls for many sports, but is most-known for its basketballs. Spalding also makes a range of products for baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball, and American football.
[/quote]

Thanks for your info. It doesn't quite touch on the question asked, so if anyone knows, it would be good.

I have many Spaldings in my hickory players. The two best are a smooth faced cleek from Harry Vardon's tour of the USA to promote Spaldings 'Vardon Flyer' gutty just before the rubber core Haskell was invented, and a very fine brassie from their Autograph line much loved by Bobby Jones and represented in his set as Jeannie Deans. The hickory shaft on this is pencil thin and as stiff as steel, as different from regular hickory as chalk is from cheese.
Stixman (because my first love was sticks, not spanners)
[/quote]

The Spalding company mentioned in the wikipedia page is the same as the company that produced golf clubs. The wiki doesn't mention their golf division, possibly because it's not active in the way it once was, if at all.

I can't remember if all of Spalding's golf division was included in the sale of Top Flite to Callaway.
[/quote]

Spalding is completely out of the golf business these days.

Which I find sad.

VERY sad! I played in a ton of jr golf tournaments with Tour Edition golf balls. I used to tell my buddies 'zinthane cover is insane'. That ball was, for me, 1-1.5 clubs shorter per iron. But I LOVED it! Didn't hurt that Norman played it. He made everything cool in my mind.

just gorgeous!!!

Yup, I had a set back in the 1980's. Stiff 300s and could hit em well. I hit them a tad better the MP 14s which I played later. THe only reason I parted with them was because a golf buddy wanted them bad... Crome started flaking off the 5 iron and I sent it back to Spalding and they re-cromed it at no cost. I've seen them in two sizes and the ones I had were slightly more compact then another set I've seen played by a golfer I knew. Spalding made some decent equipment and it's too bad they went down the tubes.

I have played and collected a few sets of Tour Editions over the years, and still find them one of the best looking sets ever produced. I think it is the arced top line that makes them different from most other forged clubs. Typically forged sets have an arced top line on 8, 9, and PW but are flat on 7-2.

I much prefer the '82 TEs to the later Custom Crafteds or the "Shark" version. I played a set for five years, hard to imagine being so dedicated to just one set, which I had replaced the DG S300s with tipped Apollo AP-44s. Still take them out occasionally. Good looking they are, but they don't match MacGregors from the 50's or Wilson's from the 60's for soft, solid feel. They are a bit hard and sharp feeling to me.

[quote name='chet schwalm' timestamp='1368759563' post='7051396']
VERY sad! I played in a ton of jr golf tournaments with Tour Edition golf balls. I used to tell my buddies 'zinthane cover is insane'. That ball was, for me, 1-1.5 clubs shorter per iron. But I LOVED it! Didn't hurt that Norman played it. He made everything cool in my mind.
[/quote]
I loved that ball too. I actually play the Srixon Z-Star simply because it has the same "feel" in my hand and look to my eye. If it said Tour Edition I would swear it was the same ball. I can't say it quite as spinny but its been a long time ago. Maybe the one Inbee Park is playing is even better... it has "SPIN SKIN" technology. Not sure what that is but I like the name:)

I am looking for a Tour Edition Custom Crafted S22 6-iron if anyone has one that is surplus to requirements. A 2-iron would be a nice addition to my set of 345789PS as well

Well I thought ya all might like to know I picked up a set of Tour Edition heads 2-PW not long after starting this thread.( Thanks Guys!) I dropped Brunswick FCM 7.3s in them. They're showing a lot of potential so far. I'm enjoying the control of trajectory I have with these. I still need to build up the static weight more before I can game them seriously (I like heavy). The rounded leading edges while not problematic at all, are taking some getting used to as I've always played with sharp leading edges.

J

P.s. I haven't posted any pics as they're all lead taped up at the moment!

I have a full set of the S22 custom crafted models that I picked up in 1992 from the local pro at my club. I remember him telling me the S22 custom crafted model was designed by Johnny Miller with progressive offset.

[quote name='teevons' timestamp='1367450276' post='6953861']
Here is a set of Tour Edition 3-pw s300 shafts and Persimmon woods 1,3,5 in a Spalding Tour Edition Bird on Ball bag.
[/quote]

Tim-

Such a nice set of Spaldings....Woods and Irons...and they practically scream -"Right Hand Only"

It was a shame LH Spalding forged clubs practically vanished when these "Tour Edition" woods and irons were spotted in those
Spalding Red "Birdie on Ball" bags.

In August, 1987 Golf World had a story that focused on Bob Charles' equipment- His woods were "Spalding Custom Persimmon" and
their Swingweight was in the E-5 range.

Let me know if you ever come across a LH Spalding HBA (Hollow Back Armour) putter...

Yes, before Tommy Armour was with MacGregor, he had a contract with Spalding.

Can some please put me out of my misery and buy these... [url="http://www.ebay.com/itm/371236594353"]http://www.ebay.com/itm/371236594353[/url] other wise if I look at them too much longer I will buy them, and my wallet can't cope with any new acquisitions right now.
It looks like there's 2, 4-9 new S22 Tour Editions heads!

J

[quote name='fluffy265' timestamp='1422594872' post='10846785']
Can some please put me out of my misery and buy these... [url="http://www.ebay.com/itm/371236594353"]http://www.ebay.com/itm/371236594353[/url] other wise if I look at them too much longer I will buy them, and my wallet can't cope with any new acquisitions right now.
It looks like there's 2, 4-9 new S22 Tour Editions heads!

J
[/quote]

As per post#24 in this thread ... I was missing a 6-iron for my S22 set .. so the 6-iron head has now been purchasd to put your mind at ease! Unless you still want a set of 2-4-5-7-8-9 of course

Many thanks indeed for the steer to the auction.

[quote name='Blade Junkie' timestamp='1422601328' post='10847081']
[quote name='fluffy265' timestamp='1422594872' post='10846785']
Can some please put me out of my misery and buy these... [url="http://www.ebay.com/itm/371236594353"]http://www.ebay.com/itm/371236594353[/url] other wise if I look at them too much longer I will buy them, and my wallet can't cope with any new acquisitions right now.
It looks like there's 2, 4-9 new S22 Tour Editions heads!

J
[/quote]

As per post#24 in this thread ... I was missing a 6-iron for my S22 set .. so the 6-iron head has now been purchasd to put your mind at ease! Unless you still want a set of 2-4-5-7-8-9 of course

Many thanks indeed for the steer to the auction.
[/quote]

Great, now there's no way I'll be buying a split set!

J