Tell me About Wright and Ditson

[ScooterMcTavish]

Hey guys,

 

Went to a new dump yesterday (by a new property we purchased), and on my way out, stopped to chat with the gatekeeper. I asked him if he ever sees complete sets of old clubs come in, as I do collect and play them. He said "I've got something for you right here", and pulled out an old Spalding canvas bag with a set of older Wilson 4300 laminated woods, and a set of Wright & Ditson irons with "Registered" and "Dyna Swing" marked on them. Free clubs - always good.

 

Regardless, the W&D irons are quite nice - remind me of an older Spalding or Wilson Staff design, and they have leather grips in nice shape, and R flex TT "Rocket" shafts.

 

Can anyone tell me anything about these? I'll post some pics later when I get a chance, but there is very little about W&D online. I wouldn't be surprised if these were one of the last sets made by them.

 

Also some Titleist Tour Balata 100s , Titleist Professional 90s and 100s, and DT Wounds (plus an original DDH with Balata cover) in the bag. Should be fun. I'll post a few pics of these odds and ends later.

[Kirasdad]

Wright and Ditson was a sporting goods company in the US (Boston based, I think) that was the premier supplier of tennis, baseball, and golf equipment to the "hobbyist" as we amateur folk were called in the late 19th century. Later acquired by Spalding, W and D made excellent hickory clubs from the 1880s to, I assumed the mid 30's. I didn't even know they made a steel shafted model. I myself have a Wright and Ditson niblick in my hickory repertoire.

George Wright, the Wright in W and D was arguably the first professional baseball star, and a key component of the Cincinnati Redlegs traveling pro team of the late 1860's that won a ton of games in a row. 60 something, if I remember correctly. A lot of guys that play hickory today are sort of UK/ Scottish snobs when it comes to their equipment (me included) but W and D, Spalding, and in the 20's MacGregor, made really good clubs as well.

How about some pics of your new free blades Scooter. I'm thinking they are from the late 30's, maybe early 40's. I don't think W and D made clubs much later than that, but...I am going to see what I can find out.

Love golf history.

[bullrambler]

I have a couple of Wright and Ditson persimmon woods with steel shafts. They need some work and will become part of my winter projects. I never did know a whole about the company so thanks for posting some background on the company.

[ScooterMcTavish]

Well, if there was a Spalding connection, I can sure see it in the clubs. Look kind of like 60s Kro-Flite blades to me.

 

In fact, everything in this set oozes 60's - the Rocket shafts, the style of leather grips, and the head design. Here's some pics, plus a few of the other odds and sods that came with it, and a Palmer Peerless wedge I got at a thrift for $2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus a wacko putter. Thing has a solid steel shaft that is actually soft of whippy. Very odd item.

 

 

A neat ball marker I found in the bag:

 

 

The Palmer Wedge:

 

 

And the woods - the #2 is a Sam Snead Model:

 

 

 

 

Also picked up an old bag at a garage sale today for $5. A few old wedges in it, a few old putters, a 9i pyratone putter to put with my Honey Boys, and some beat up Walter Hagen laminate woods. But some great balls. Some old Dunlop 65s, a Royal with the hex dimples, a few Arnold Palmers, a Hogan 90+, a Spalding Dot, a Dunlop Warwick (balata and dimples, sorry) and a brand new Spalding Hot Shot. Neat stuff.

[Kirasdad]

Just looking at the pics makes me think 50's. The clubhead on the irons remind me a bit of the late 50's Wilson Staff Dynapower.The script definitely looks Spalding. Had no idea W and D made modern clubs as late as that.

Learn something everyday.

[Bella Woods]

Wright & Ditson and Spalding were the exact same clubs with the different names.

Give Albert Spalding the credit for introducing the marketing idea (deception)
to the public - it lasted for many years.

I think W & D "made" clubs into the late 1970s .....

Spalding made a lot of great clubs back in the day (& so too did W & D) - I have
a very nice full set of Wright & Ditson Kro-Flite hickory Irons circa 1932 - Spalding
put out the same set as well - the difference - the brand name alone......

[Kirasdad]

I have my Grandfather's Spalding Symetric (the model that followed the Kro flites) 2, 4, 5 irons and the 11, which is the putter. The 2 iron (25 degrees, 5 iron these days) is in my hickory tournament bag from time to time. I used the 5 as a mashie for three seasons, until my father in law found a mashie at a flea market, and knowing I played hickory, he gave it to me. I took it out for a spin to be polite, and found to my surprise that I really liked it. That's one of the cool things about hickory...you just never know.

Bella, how are the Kro Flites?

[Wriggles]

Nice free set of clubs. From what I understand, W&D clubs were made by Spalding. A few years ago, I gave a neighbor a set of RTJ clubs from 1957, looked almost identical to the W&D. I believe the RTJ's were Synchro-Stroke irons, woods were solid persimmon, 1, 2 1/2, 3 1/2, and 4 1/2.

My first "real" set of clubs were W&D Beeline pyratone, 3 woods and 4 irons and putter, all in a really heavy canvas Sunday bag. The clubs only had names, no numbers, mashie, etc. My Dad bought them from a co-worker for $3 back around 1968. I was thrilled to get them, cleaned and polished them up. I sold them to a co-worker for $20 in 1976. Wish I had kept them.

Anyhow, I got a hickory Beeline Mashie at an antique store a few years ago. Considered "common" clubs, paid $25 for it. It has a aluminum cap on the butt end, considered by Chuck Furjanic to be a sign of a lesser quality club.

The ball marker is a "Partner's Club." I remember getting many in the mail, touting the benefits of joining. Supposedly, they sent you stuff to demo if you "joined." for a yearly fee. Did anyone ever join? Was it beneficial?

Cheers!

[ScooterMcTavish]

[quote name='Wriggles' timestamp='1409486219' post='10039459']


The ball marker is a "Partner's Club." I remember getting many in the mail, touting the benefits of joining. Supposedly, they sent you stuff to demo if you "joined." for a yearly fee. Did anyone ever join? Was it beneficial?


[/quote]

Cool, thanks!

[Bella Woods]

[quote name='Kirasdad' timestamp='1409464338' post='10039059']
I have my Grandfather's Spalding Symetric (the model that followed the Kro flites) 2, 4, 5 irons and the 11, which is the putter. The 2 iron (25 degrees, 5 iron these days) is in my hickory tournament bag from time to time. I used the 5 as a mashie for three seasons, until my father in law found a mashie at a flea market, and knowing I played hickory, he gave it to me. I took it out for a spin to be polite, and found to my surprise that I really liked it. That's one of the cool things about hickory...you just never know.

Bella, how are the Kro Flites?
[/quote]


The Kro-Filtes are nice old hickory clubs kirasdad

I know a couple of guys that play the Spalding version and they really like them (after loft/lie
adjustments etc).

Probably one of the top few American made products from that period.

[ScooterMcTavish]

Mea culpa.

Also picked up a TM R7 460TP (w/HC) for $20 this weekend.

I'm a ho.

[Scully13]

scooter very nice find.

those w&ds are from 1963. same model as the spalding synchro dyned professionals with the spade faces.

i collect older spalding clubs and they were some of the sweetest clubs ever made.

a loot of touring pros played spalding during this era including bruce devlin, jay / lionel hebert, and the most famous canuck ever -mr. george knudson. sorry weirsy, balding, moe, delaet.

[ScooterMcTavish]

[quote name='gone_golfing' timestamp='1409672799' post='10049919']
scooter very nice find.

those w&ds are from 1963. same model as the spalding synchro dyned professionals with the spade faces.

i collect older spalding clubs and they were some of the sweetest clubs ever made.

a loot of touring pros played spalding during this era including bruce devlin, jay / lionel hebert, and the most famous canuck ever -mr. george knudson. sorry weirsy, balding, moe, delaet.
[/quote]

Thanks GG. Though no Dave Barr reference.

George Knudson worked some awesome hair like nobody's business in the 70's.

Looking on the interwebs of that model though, the W&Ds look like they have more weight massed low than the '63 professionals. Though they do look like kissing cousins.

[Scully13]

[quote name='ScooterMcTavish' timestamp='1409673716' post='10050011']
[quote name='gone_golfing' timestamp='1409672799' post='10049919']
scooter very nice find.

those w&ds are from 1963. same model as the spalding synchro dyned professionals with the spade faces.

i collect older spalding clubs and they were some of the sweetest clubs ever made.

a loot of touring pros played spalding during this era including bruce devlin, jay / lionel hebert, and the most famous canuck ever -mr. george knudson. sorry weirsy, balding, moe, delaet.
[/quote]

Thanks GG. Though no Dave Barr reference.

George Knudson worked some awesome hair like nobody's business in the 70's.

Looking on the interwebs of that model though, the W&Ds look like they have more weight massed low than the '63 professionals. Though they do look like kissing cousins.
[/quote]

my secondary list would include mr. barr, mr halldorson, mr. nelford, mr. zokol , mr. wilf homeniuk, lorie kane, dawn coe jones, gary cowan and the mrs.bobby jones of canada- marlene stewart streit. I saw her play earlier this year at the ladies' golf club in toronto. if you want to learn how a perfectly synchronized golf swing looks and works, i recommend watching her tempo. a thing of beauty. her putting is not bad either.

[Texsport]

Of course, the first clubs bearing a U S company name were Spalding.

There was a golf boom in the 1890s, with Scottish pros imported to design courses, and clubs also imported.

In the late 1890s, The Spalding company, an importer up to that point, decided to manufacture their own clubs.

The Wright brothers of baseball fame, worked for Spalding, Mr Spalding and Harry Wright were nitially the driving forced behind the popularity of baseball after the Civil War - Harry as a player, manager, and organizer - Spalding as an equipment supplier and manufacturer. In the off season, the Harry and George Wright (the greatest player of the time) performed many duties for Spalding, including acting as Sales Managers for the company. ( I have a great Spalding owned bicycle company invoice signed by Harry Wright about a week before he died in 1895 - probably his last known autograph actually).

After Harry's death, his brother George founded Wright & Ditson, and followed Spalding into the golf business.

Texsport

[SfcGator64]

just got a W & D 19 iron steel shaft. im not too knowldgeable on clubs.  any idea what year this is?

Couldn’t load a picture.

 

 

 

[bcstones]

17 hours ago, SfcGator64 said:

just got a W & D 19 iron steel shaft. im not too knowldgeable on clubs.  any idea what year this is?

Couldn’t load a picture.

 

 

 

you are unable to load a picture cuz of you are new to posting & still unconfirmed.....that said - a "19" iron?

[Wham49]

19 is the niblick, Probably around 50 degerees.  wright and D have been making clubs since 1900 at least, many of their sets mirror Spaldings clubs think Chevy Slverado vs. GMC Sierra same everything but the name. The had some good hickory lines especially the one shot line, which has a pretty cool cleek mark of an arm raising a shot glass. Most of there stuff is common fair not bad but much better stuff out there

[sheepdawg]

I always thought that the Wright Ditson line was Spalding's store line at least from the late 40s on.

[pacman16]

I'll post some photos in a bit of my actual set.   I bought a set of 1-4 woods and 2-Sand Wedge irons in the Monogram model.

 

The irons look great and the woods seem cheap compared to other companies.

 

Does the lack of pins (I'd assume they used epoxy) date these to the 1970's?  I'll post some photos of the woods because I can't tell if they are solid persimmon or laminates.  
 

If somebody knows what type of Spalding model these monogram replicated (or pre-dated) please let me know.

Edited January 18 by pacman16