How old is Classic

[Divot License]

Spent the weekend helping my mother clear out her garage. 

 

Stuffed in an old wardrobe I found these beauties. My old Taylormade Burner Tours, that I used to get down to +1 and turned pro with in a period between 1998 and 2001. 

 

Although an awesome set of clubs do 20 years old count as classic in the world of golf when so many deem classic as something from the 60's/70's. 

 

I suppose I just wanted to show off my little rediscovery and also ask the question of "at what age do clubs become classic?"

[BIG STU]

You are going to find a variety of opinions on that question even within our tight knit little community. IMHO they are classic and you should be proud to play them especially with what you accomplished with them. LOL go over to the main equipment forums and anything over 6 months old if that is considered obsolete. I know certain vintage groups put limits on years to play and no CBs or Ping putters. Far as me if you and I were going to play vintage golf I say bring them on along with the metal woods of that era. Does not matter to me if I am playing some of my beloved Macgregor blades and persimmon woods. Play what makes you happy

[Jiggered]

Classic is a much used term and means different things to different people, I don't think there is a strict definition in golf clubs but it's often used to refer to the period between the end of WWII and the end of wooden woods, 1945 to around the mid to late 1980s.

 

Having said that there are clubs that are considered classic as they were such iconic or innovative designs, and at that point you're getting into personal opinions!

 

Welcome to the forum by the way.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

Hence my name.  Classic is Cold War Era.  1946-198?  Vintage is the hickory stuff.

[BIG STU]

9 hours ago, coldwareragolfer said:

Hence my name.  Classic is Cold War Era.  1946-198?  Vintage is the hickory stuff.

Like I said hence another opinion. Which BTW I have absolutely no problem with

[Fellaheen51]

In agreement with what's already been mentioned.  Would add that affixing definitions as to what constitutes "classic" is dependent on the age of the individual.  For someone who is 30, classic implements may very well be ones that are ~25 years old.   For someone such as myself (nearing 70), 25 year old clubs seem like yesterday.  A matter of relative perspectives.  

 

In the end, what possible difference does it make.  Classic, vintage, whatever. They are what you want them to be.  Not how another categorizes them.  The one stickler I do apply, don't call implements antique unless they meet the 100 year rule. In the antiques market, reputable purveyors do not label an item "antique" unless it meets the 100 year criteria.  Golf clubs are no different.  

Edited November 16, 2020 by Fellaheen51

[scomac2002]

There are plenty of clubs of modern design that I would consider classics from the Ping Eye 2 to Big Bertha original metal woods to Hogan Apex II to a Titleist 975D which all fall within the mid 80's to late 90's time frame.

 

My blades and persimmon players aren't much different in age as they are Golden Ram Axial Tour Grinds (Frequency Matched) and Powerbilt Citations from the 80's.

 

It's all a bit of a mish mash especially when you see guys sporting brand new sets of hickories that qualifies them to play in SoHG events.  Let's be realistic:  I would probably be inclined to go the new route with hickories considering the scarcity and price of playable original clubs.  Hardly vintage, but they qualify.

 

As others have said:  play what you like.  Too many restrictions just keeps people from the enjoyment of playing old school implements.

[Stephen8802]

I agree that there really isn't one definition and your own take depends on a few things, including how old you are. For me, clubs I'm interested in fall into two categories, classics and great clubs.  In my head, it breaks down as :

 

Woods: Classics, persimmon with fiber inserts. Great clubs, persimmon with plastic inserts

 

Putters: Classic, before the Answer. Great clubs, before MOI putters

 

Irons: Classics, blades without perimeter weighting. Great clubs, forged irons with perimeter weighting features

 

I collect and play with both categories and enjoy both equally. I'd say it's your thing, do what you wanna do.

 

[BIG STU]

3 hours ago, scomac2002 said:

There are plenty of clubs of modern design that I would consider classics from the Ping Eye 2 to Big Bertha original metal woods to Hogan Apex II to a Titleist 975D which all fall within the mid 80's to late 90's time frame.

 

My blades and persimmon players aren't much different in age as they are Golden Ram Axial Tour Grinds (Frequency Matched) and Powerbilt Citations from the 80's.

 

It's all a bit of a mish mash especially when you see guys sporting brand new sets of hickories that qualifies them to play in SoHG events.  Let's be realistic:  I would probably be inclined to go the new route with hickories considering the scarcity and price of playable original clubs.  Hardly vintage, but they qualify.

 

As others have said:  play what you like.  Too many restrictions just keeps people from the enjoyment of playing old school implements.

I was going to pursue the SOHG route for a while but this club was non conforming etc. IMHO worse than the USGA and a new set of conforming hickories way out of my price range. I just decided to do my own thing and am having fun doing so

[russad]

Good on you Stu, well said!

Edited November 17, 2020 by russad
Correcting predictive text

[Divot License]

Thanks for the answers guys, personally I wouldn't classify the Burner Tours as "classic" but but older and in that in between stage. 

They are a great club though and although they won't replace my modern (although old by WRX standards) AP2's in any competitions they will be getting some love in mid week evening 9 hole rounds come spring time. 

 

Discovering that my late father had kept these clubs from my past was a nice surprise and made me go routing through my own garage for a set I "treated" my wife too a few years back. I saw them in a store while visiting her family in California and shipped them back to myself in the UK. 

 

These I would most certainly call classic.