Trevino clubs

[jonnygrouville]

Forty-two years later, and I can still remember the clubs I used that week. I had a Hogan Special sand wedge, the kind with the green paintfill in the Hogan signature. It was the best sand wedge anyone ever made. I used a Wilson 8802 putter, one of many I had during my career. My driver was a gorgeous Powerbilt persimmon model; I didn't miss a fairway with it. I carried a 2 wood that week, a MacGregor eye-o-matic with a metallic-looking insert about the size of a dime. And I had a Tommy Armour 4 wood.

 

[jonnygrouville]

The set of irons I used at Merion, best I ever had. When I went to Australia in 1969, David Graham, who won the Open at Merion 10 years after I did, told me about a great clubmaker, a man named Sandy. I found Sandy sitting in his workshop, smoking a cigarette, surrounded by barrels of iron clubheads and discouraged beyond words. "My work has been reduced to rubbish!" he said, gesturing towards the barrels. "I'm a craftsman. I've spent my life making these clubheads by hand, and nobody sees value in them. They're forging clubheads by the hundreds now, and these fine clubheads I've made -they're seen as rubbish."

 

I wasn't so sure about that. I took a bare shaft and went into the barrels looking for the best clubheads. I'd stick a shaft into one, set it on the ground and choose or reject it based on the grind. Eventually I had a whole set. This was on the Monday. I asked Sandy if he could install the shafts I liked and leather grips by Wednesday, which he did. I proceeded to shoot 16 under in a tournament there and lost in a playoff. These irons were unbelievable. I won the US Open at Merion, my British Opens and my PGAs with them.

 

[jonnygrouville]

One day during a streak when I wasn't playing well, I drilled holes in them to take some weight out - and ruined them. I still have them and when I look at them I could cry. If I hadn't tried to fix them they might be in my bag to this day.

 

[augustgolf]

?????

[oz dee cee]

Ha ha ha

[jonnygrouville]

Thought I had done quotation marks and must have messed that up. Also too nervous about typing the whole thing into one window as I often lose stuff I am going to post. Fortunately. Would probably end up being sectioned if I posted everything I wanted to.

 

Trevino talking about his clubs if you hadn't worked that out.

 

 

[Ironmaster Oddities]

great stuff, JohnnyG.

thank you for posting

[Juice__25]

I've never been tempted to drill. Lol. Lead tape maybe but not drill.

[SteveNZ]

The set of irons I used at Merion, best I ever had. When I went to Australia in 1969, David Graham, who won the Open at Merion 10 years after I did, told me about a great clubmaker, a man named Sandy. I found Sandy sitting in his workshop, smoking a cigarette, surrounded by barrels of iron clubheads and discouraged beyond words. "My work has been reduced to rubbish!" he said, gesturing towards the barrels. "I'm a craftsman. I've spent my life making these clubheads by hand, and nobody sees value in them. They're forging clubheads by the hundreds now, and these fine clubheads I've made -they're seen as rubbish."

 

I wasn't so sure about that. I took a bare shaft and went into the barrels looking for the best clubheads. I'd stick a shaft into one, set it on the ground and choose or reject it based on the grind. Eventually I had a whole set. This was on the Monday. I asked Sandy if he could install the shafts I liked and leather grips by Wednesday, which he did. I proceeded to shoot 16 under in a tournament there and lost in a playoff. These irons were unbelievable. I won the US Open at Merion, my British Opens and my PGAs with them.

 

These must have been Slazengers, right? I've seen a number of references to the quality of clubs that came out of Slazenger in Sydney in the 60s and 70s.

[jonnygrouville]

You're right...

 

https://www.australiangolfdigest.com.au/made-in-australia/

 

Does this link Slazenger, Dunlop and Maxfli? The path to the Australian blades? Much like many great brands, all now producing tat of the highest order. The only place you will now see Slazenger is on the sides of prison-white trainers. Shame.

 

Good cross-reference to the oldest club on tour thread. Lots more fun over-stamping and covering up other manufacturer names in the past.

 

Australians love the word "bloody". Great stuff.

 

Protectionsim?! Will Trump's tariffs drive the Chinese crap from your courses and bring back the domestic golf club industry? I wonder what clubs he uses. I don't actually. Couldn't give a toss.

 

[stixman]

Very good piece, thanks for unearthing.

 

The shame of it is that generations of golfers, knowing no better, condemn classic Slazenger equipment based on the low value tat in discount stores today.

Wilson has the same problem.

 

It's the old,old story. It takes tiem and care to build a reputation and a moment's inattention to destroy it, utterly, and not just in the golf industry either!.

[jonnygrouville]

Agreed. It is not as if they beat up a customer and dragged them bleeding from a shop; they are more victims of a complete change in the game. Saying that, there are more niche players in the market like Miura or PXG (somewhat inexplicably due to the current economic circumstances), but not even the Hogan name could sell high end irons.

 

[mahonie]

Very good piece, thanks for unearthing.

 

The shame of it is that generations of golfers, knowing no better, condemn classic Slazenger equipment based on the low value tat in discount stores today.

Wilson has the same problem.

 

It's the old,old story. It takes tiem and care to build a reputation and a moment's inattention to destroy it, utterly, and not just in the golf industry either!.

 

Glad to see a resurgence in Wilson Staff clubs. My club Pro Shop has just started selling Wilson and Ping with some Titleist equipment. Talking to the pro yesterday, W/S is selling twice as much as the Ping and Titleist stuff. I walked out with some W/S PMP wedges and they are top quality.

[stixman]

Very good piece, thanks for unearthing.

 

The shame of it is that generations of golfers, knowing no better, condemn classic Slazenger equipment based on the low value tat in discount stores today.

Wilson has the same problem.

 

It's the old,old story. It takes tiem and care to build a reputation and a moment's inattention to destroy it, utterly, and not just in the golf industry either!.

 

Glad to see a resurgence in Wilson Staff clubs. My club Pro Shop has just started selling Wilson and Ping with some Titleist equipment. Talking to the pro yesterday, W/S is selling twice as much as the Ping and Titleist stuff. I walked out with some W/S PMP wedges and they are top quality.

 

Quite a few pros on the European Tour use Wilson. I think Paul Waring is one of the newer guys with a strong game.

[mahonie]

Very good piece, thanks for unearthing.

 

The shame of it is that generations of golfers, knowing no better, condemn classic Slazenger equipment based on the low value tat in discount stores today.

Wilson has the same problem.

 

It's the old,old story. It takes tiem and care to build a reputation and a moment's inattention to destroy it, utterly, and not just in the golf industry either!.

 

Glad to see a resurgence in Wilson Staff clubs. My club Pro Shop has just started selling Wilson and Ping with some Titleist equipment. Talking to the pro yesterday, W/S is selling twice as much as the Ping and Titleist stuff. I walked out with some W/S PMP wedges and they are top quality.

 

Quite a few pros on the European Tour use Wilson. I think Paul Waring is one of the newer guys with a strong game.

 

Shame he missed out in Morocco at the weekend.