Anybody play old titleist tour irons

[spezza11]

Don't read very much on here about the old titleist tour from late 70's. Anybody have any love for these bad boys

I hit a set of a Freinds set a couple years he had they were from 79-80 vintage

They were shafted and refinished really nice

He sold them though and didn't tell me

I would of bought them from him

[oldschoolrocker]

I had a set a few years ago and was not very fond of them, with regard to the older Wilson's I played at the time.

[spezza11]

interesting. what did you not like about them

[birly-shirly]

Similar to OSR - I had a set of tour blades that I played in my late teens and student days. Once ebay came on line and I got access to Hogans, Macgregors and Wilsons, I never went back. Nothing fundamentally wrong with the Titleists, but subjectively I found lots of clubs that I preferred in terms of looks and feel.

[oldschoolrocker]

Same as BS. I found them too clunky. I liked the Golfcraft designs, and I thought the 690.mbs were a very good design as well.

[Soloman1]

The Titleist Tour Model from about 1986(?) were better and more popular.

[resnor]

I have a set of the Model 100s that I learned to play with. Need to get them regripped...plus lost the PW from the set 15 or so years ago.

[Titleist87]

[quote name='Soloman1' timestamp='1439996899' post='12169240']
The Titleist Tour Model from about 1986(?) were better and more popular.
[/quote]

I played my circa 1987 Tour Models 50/50 with my other set. Scored some of my lowest rounds with those irons.

[bladehunter]

86-90 bullet backs are when they started getting good. Then the 91-97 are ever bit as good as the infamous 681 and the shape is a dead ringer for the 681. I have a 88 set of chrome and a 89 that's satin. Then a 92 chrome and 3 sets of 96-97 ish custom grinds. The custom grinds are some of the best irons I ever hit.

[sbboudreau]

My second full set of Irons where the 1991 Tour Models. I loved hitting them, when I was close to the center of the head at impact, great feel. But they were unforgiving on off center hits. My norm for impact. I had them until early this year and sold them, while missing the pitching wedge for $125.00. Now I play original PING ZING Green Dot Irons. So much easier to hit, OMG!

[Ping Player]

Not to start a flame war here. But.... The Titleist of that era was nothing what you see today. Back in the 70s and 80s their golf balls were THE ball. Anyone remember the 384 tour? Anyway, no one I knew played those irons and I was around some of the best juniors and collegiate players of the time. One of my childhood friends was a US Am Champion. In college Wilson, Hogan, and Ping were the big names in irons. Titleist golf clubs just weren't on anyone's radar, period. In my experience I see them more now than I ever did when they were new. Then the 975/ 976 drivers came out and slowly Titlest[size=4] became the clubs we know today. While, no doubt, they are fine irons the "Golf WRX Players" of the time did not play them. [/size]

[MoaningM]

Agree completely with ping player back in the mid 80's even titleist golf equipment was regarded as a bit mickey mouse, and was very rarely used by anyone. Other top brands back in the day were mizuno, ram and maxfli who made some great irons.

[birly-shirly]

I'd say that was maybe a wee bit harsh M.

Back in the 80s, I remember a few pretty accomplished amateurs using the Titleists. You're right of course about Mizuno and Maxfli as alternatives. The market was very different back then though. Remember how much cheaper golf gear appeared to be if you could buy it in the states? Imported stuff was expensive. Wilson and Ping were popular top end clubs - but they both had UK bases. Maxfli/Dunlop were british and there were some good domestic alternatives, such as Slazenger, Letters and Sayers. The other big American brands were pretty exotic as I recall.

Mizuno were imported obviously, but I get the impression that they cracked the market in Europe before they broke America. I saw more sets of Titleist irons than I ever saw of high end MacGregor or Hogan

[NRJyzr]

In the nature of a FWIW moment....

When I was making my transition to blades, the general consensus among the golf nerd forum crowd was the Titleist Tour Models were not particularly well regarded. Hogan, Wilson Staff, Ram MacGregor, and Mizuno were the companies to check out, with Palmer also getting some mention.

which is part of how I wound up in the Ram universe

[Titleist87]

[quote name='MoaningM' timestamp='1441664027' post='12277342']
Agree completely with ping player back in the mid 80's even titleist golf equipment was regarded as a bit mickey mouse, and was very rarely used by anyone. Other top brands back in the day were mizuno, ram and maxfli who made some great irons.
[/quote]

Ping was very popular in the late 80s in my HS golf team. Staff and MacGregor had some representation, too. I think I was the only one with Titleist irons. The Tour Model 86-90 is a great club. Before I bought the irons at the course I worked at, I was also considering (for a very brief moment) the Titleist DTR. Glad I did not go that route. I really wanted the Spalding Tour Edition but they were not for sale at the course. My pro was Titleist staff, too.

[rex235]

Dr-

[i]Think you could find a LH set of Titleist Tour Model irons from the period you describe? [/i]

[majic]

Remember there were not club contracts for most players in 70-early 80's and it was not until the 90's did we see club deals being pushed. Even then they were not for many clubs. Guys played pretty much what they wanted.
When I first brought out the TM Aussie blades in 1991 I had several Titelist Ball players using them.

[rex235]

Tad-

"Guys played pretty much what they wanted"

+1

[i]There wasn't an American company offering a LH forged model of their top sets. Mizuno made some, but Hogan? MacGregor? H/B PowerBilt? Dunlop/Maxfli? [/i]
[i]Am excluding Wilson from this list, because the "W/S" logo stamp present on all it's RH models does is not found on the LH ones, and NO LH Remakes.[/i]

[i]Now Titleist makes LH Tour Model irons . Back then, they like mostly everyone else, did not.[/i]

[i]Yes, Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir were like most LH golfers....they played PING.[/i]

[Blues Golfer]

I still have my Pro100's 2-pw. Lovedthem because they taught me to hit it square and shape the ball.

[Buzzkill]

[quote name='spezza11' timestamp='1439982496' post='12167864']
Don't read very much on here about the old titleist tour from late 70's. Anybody have any love for these bad boys
I hit a set of a Freinds set a couple years he had they were from 79-80 vintage
They were shafted and refinished really nice
He sold them though and didn't tell me
I would of bought them from him
[/quote]

I'd definitely would play a set of these:

[attachment=2966954:$_1.JPG]

[spezza11]

[quote name='Buzzkill' timestamp='1443062934' post='12359918']
[quote name='spezza11' timestamp='1439982496' post='12167864']
Don't read very much on here about the old titleist tour from late 70's. Anybody have any love for these bad boys
I hit a set of a Freinds set a couple years he had they were from 79-80 vintage
They were shafted and refinished really nice
He sold them though and didn't tell me
I would of bought them from him
[/quote]

I'd definitely would play a set of these:

[attachment=2966954:$_1.JPG]
[/quote]

i want a set of the these!!!!! it has to be a set with the vintage style "E" and old titleist script...........who's gotta them???!!!!

[bladehunter]

Take my advise. I'm a long time Titleist blade whore. Lol. Buy a set of 86-90 bullet backs or 91-94 MB and be happy. The 79-83 ish ones pictured are lovey to look at. But the sweet spot is literally left out. I can hit mine but they feel harsh on every strike and just are Worlds behind other irons of their time. The 86 bullet back is the best bang for your buck. A clean set can be had for $100 ( give or take ) and they are as good or better then any Titleist MB to present day. Not trying to be a party pooper. Just giving the heads up.

[Mitchell]

The previous poster knows of what he speaks! Some of the Custom Grind models (with stamped grind number on hosel) are rather good as well I would caution most players before going down that rabbit hole to do a search here on posts by AadamSmith (sp?) and bladehunter.

Aloha,
Mitch

[AceCatKY]

[quote name='Buzzkill' timestamp='1443062934' post='12359918']
[quote name='spezza11' timestamp='1439982496' post='12167864']
Don't read very much on here about the old titleist tour from late 70's. Anybody have any love for these bad boys
I hit a set of a Freinds set a couple years he had they were from 79-80 vintage
They were shafted and refinished really nice
He sold them though and didn't tell me
I would of bought them from him
[/quote]

I'd definitely would play a set of these:

[attachment=2966954:$_1.JPG]
[/quote]

those are beautiful, look kind of like the new 716 MB

[Hatchmanss76]

Not a fan of the bullet back shape. Much prefer the cleaner lines of my Tour Models.

 

 

[birly-shirly]

[quote name='bladehunter' timestamp='1444265774' post='12425122']
Take my advise. I'm a long time Titleist blade whore. Lol. Buy a set of 86-90 bullet backs or 91-94 MB and be happy. The 79-83 ish ones pictured are lovey to look at. But the sweet spot is literally left out. I can hit mine but they feel harsh on every strike and just are Worlds behind other irons of their time. The 86 bullet back is the best bang for your buck. A clean set can be had for $100 ( give or take ) and they are as good or better then any Titleist MB to present day. Not trying to be a party pooper. Just giving the heads up.
[/quote]

I do like the bullet backs - but I also think they are distinctive for having a very flat sole grind and sharp leading edge, quite different to the other Tour Blades of the 80s that I've seen. Not bad in itself - just different.

[Titleist87]

[quote name='bladehunter' timestamp='1444265774' post='12425122']
Take my advise. I'm a long time Titleist blade whore. Lol. Buy a set of 86-90 bullet backs or 91-94 MB and be happy. The 79-83 ish ones pictured are lovey to look at. But the sweet spot is literally left out. I can hit mine but they feel harsh on every strike and just are Worlds behind other irons of their time. The 86 bullet back is the best bang for your buck. A clean set can be had for $100 ( give or take ) and they are as good or better then any Titleist MB to present day. Not trying to be a party pooper. Just giving the heads up.
[/quote]

I have a set of the 86-90 and approve this post.

[size=1]Paid for by The Committee to Play Old Titleist Irons[/size]

[Hatchmanss76]

Gamed my 1985 Tour Models for the first time since buying a year ago and they were sweeeeeet.
They were easily 1 club shorter than my 712 AP2's. The 2 5irons I flushed were some of the most pure ball strikes I've hit in a long time. One was from a deep fairway trap with water carry in front of the green. I got wood øŸ˜€