Show off your most "well loved" clubs

[cold_war_era_golfer]

I have a tendency to collect old golf clubs as I'm sure many of you do here as well.  I also tend to show off my more pristine looking sets.  I'm a sucker for unused or near mint looking vintage clubs.  I love those barn finds but every once in awhile I come across a well used set.  Playing these I don't really worry too much about throwing the around in my Jones bag.  I guess I do hit a limit when a club is too used up to become a part of my collection.  These FC4000s are just at that line but I'm enjoying them right now.  

 

What about you?

 

[Robert L.]

I only have one club I can call my most well-loved club, and that is my Ginty. No other club I own can get me out of trouble better than my Ginty. It will slash through all kinds of rough and problematic lies.

[kwcsports]

Ping Eye 2 SW I've had since 1986, pretty worn on the bottom but I use it every round, great wedge from the sand.

 

Edited September 1, 2021 by kwcsports
mistake

[raggal62]

1 hour ago, Robert L. said:

I only have one club I can call my most well-loved club, and that is my Ginty. No other club I own can get me out of trouble better than my Ginty. It will slash through all kinds of rough and problematic lies.

What's going on with the neck of your Ginty?

[Fellaheen51]

With the way I wielded them today, there is no love for any of them.  Only contempt.  No pics.  

[Robert L.]

5 hours ago, raggal62 said:

What's going on with the neck of your Ginty?

The whipping was unraveling, so I wrapped some electrical tape to keep it in place. A few days ago I removed the tape and epoxied the whipping end in place so it won't unravel. The neck looks a little thick but it's a trick of the camera. It doesn't look like that for real.

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

3 hours ago, Robert L. said:

The whipping was unraveling, so I wrapped some electrical tape to keep it in place. A few days ago I removed the tape and epoxied the whipping end in place so it won't unravel. The neck looks a little thick but it's a trick of the camera. It doesn't look like that for real.

The whipping is there to support the structure of the neck. If the winding of the whipping is not tight then support will be compromised, epoxying loose whipping is only cosmetic. I advise re-whipping.

[weakputt]

On 8/31/2021 at 11:44 AM, cold_war_era_golfer said:

I have a tendency to collect old golf clubs as I'm sure many of you do here as well.  I also tend to show off my more pristine looking sets.  I'm a sucker for unused or near mint looking vintage clubs.  I love those barn finds but every once in awhile I come across a well used set.  Playing these I don't really worry too much about throwing the around in my Jones bag.  I guess I do hit a limit when a club is too used up to become a part of my collection.  These FC4000s are just at that line but I'm enjoying them right now.  

 

What about you?

 

I love the 1980's era Hogan Apex / Percussions.

And the 1980's era Wilson Staff Tour Fluid Feel Blades.

[Woodridge]

Great idea for a thread. I have some new to me FC4000 that are becoming well loved. Also, my hickory clubs, especially my Niblick.

 

 

[Foozle]

I have posted these before, but these Ram Tour Grinds certainly qualify as "well loved"! 

I adored these irons and whilst playing them never imagined ever being unfaithful to them. Sadly I wore them out and they had to be retired. I should take a picture of the faces, or what is left of them! The wear on the toes give a good idea.

Promiscuity has subsequently set in and I switch irons regularly, but the Tour Grinds will remain in my affections as my first true love.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

2 hours ago, Foozle said:

I have posted these before, but these Ram Tour Grinds certainly qualify as "well loved"! 

I adored these irons and whilst playing them never imagined ever being unfaithful to them. Sadly I wore them out and they had to be retired. I should take a picture of the faces, or what is left of them! The wear on the toes give a good idea.

Promiscuity has subsequently set in and I switch irons regularly, but the Tour Grinds will remain in my affections as my first true love.

The back of the head look great tho!  Would love to see the faces.

[Robert L.]

On 9/2/2021 at 3:35 AM, The Aspidistra in the Hall said:

The whipping is there to support the structure of the neck. If the winding of the whipping is not tight then support will be compromised, epoxying loose whipping is only cosmetic. I advise re-whipping.

It's on pretty tight. I applied just a dab of epoxy to keep it from unraveling. I've looked around the internet for a spool of whipping, and all I could find was $20 for a spool, which I thought was a bit steep. I've already hit my Ginty in game conditions, and it looks like it's holding up all right.

[Stephen8802]

These are my two...my first loves.

 

The 8802 was first, summer of 1982. I played with a guy at a local course and he had this in his bag. It was his uncles, who died in 1965, and eventually his clubs came to this guy because he was the only other person in the family who played. It was the first time he ever took it on the course and had no attachment to it. I pulled out $150 in cash and offered it all, he declined the money and gave it to me for free. 

 

The driver came the next year. The pro I worked for had one in his staff bag on the floor of the shop and I waggled it every day. I loved that club and was on the lookout for my own, but they were hard to find; when a member sent his through to get refinished, I made an offer. He too declined to take money and gave it to me because most of the members liked to take care of the poor kid who worked in the shop.

 

I played my high school and college golf with these two clubs. The Hogan stayed in the bag until 1997 when I bought a TaylorMade and the 8802 was in the bag until I found an 8813 a few years ago, which has recently had a break while a Bobby Grace Fat Man gets a turn. If you love classic clubs, you need one of each because none better were ever made.

 

Bonus, the head cover was a Christmas present from my mom when I was in college. I had it so long it completely wore out. Its a Daphne, and she has a lifetime repair guarantee, so I sent it back to her. The note that came back with it said it was the most worn headcover they ever had sent back and she should have just sent me a new one, but any headcover that was that well loved needed to be saved. I take it out a few times a year, but mostly keep it safe.

 

Putters, drivers, even headcovers, first loves are the most loved.

 

 

[Foozle]

2 hours ago, cold_war_era_golfer said:

The back of the head look great tho!  Would love to see the faces.

I will try and dig them out and take a picture. But don't expect any micro dot wear patterns, I am a mean Scot who likes to make things last so I use all the face and wear them out evenly! That's my excuse and I am sticking to it!😁

[Foozle]

50 minutes ago, Stephen8802 said:

These are my two...my first loves.

 

The 8802 was first, summer of 1982. I played with a guy at a local course and he had this in his bag. It was his uncles, who died in 1965, and eventually his clubs came to this guy because he was the only other person in the family who played. It was the first time he ever took it on the course and had no attachment to it. I pulled out $150 in cash and offered it all, he declined the money and gave it to me for free. 

 

The driver came the next year. The pro I worked for had one in his staff bag on the floor of the shop and I waggled it every day. I loved that club and was on the lookout for my own, but they were hard to find; when a member sent his through to get refinished, I made an offer. He too declined to take money and gave it to me because most of the members liked to take care of the poor kid who worked in the shop.

 

I played my high school and college golf with these two clubs. The Hogan stayed in the bag until 1997 when I bought a TaylorMade and the 8802 was in the bag until I found an 8813 a few years ago, which has recently had a break while a Bobby Grace Fat Man gets a turn. If you love classic clubs, you need one of each because none better were ever made.

 

Bonus, the head cover was a Christmas present from my mom when I was in college. I had it so long it completely wore out. Its a Daphne, and she has a lifetime repair guarantee, so I sent it back to her. The note that came back with it said it was the most worn headcover they ever had sent back and she should have just sent me a new one, but any headcover that was that well loved needed to be saved. I take it out a few times a year, but mostly keep it safe.

 

Putters, drivers, even headcovers, first loves are the most loved.

 

 

I will throw another in.

In 1985 (or '86) I won a prize at college  - best attendance or some such consolation prize! I think the idea was I should buy something useful for my future career but instead I converted the cash into a Mac SEOM driver. I bought the headcover at the same time, many years before someone else made the trademark famous! 

I gather his career has been rather more successful than mine!😁

[OldTom]

I have about 27 sets of irons. These are my favourites due to the pristine condition. They were made for Ronan Rafferty in Japan in the late 1980's. 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I think I'd count my set of Titleist Tour Models as "well loved." I've had them since 1989 or 90 (bought used), and played them for several years, getting down to single figures with them, before injury and other circumstances took me away from golf. I still have them back in the UK, and play them whenever I go back. I might take them back to Japan with me in the future, though. The rounded shape of the short irons has particularly affected what I look for in a set of irons. Pictured here is the 5i. Access to the set is a little problematic right now....

 

I'll also include this Ping BeCu L-wedge, which was given to me back in 1989 by a golf-mad friend of my Dad. Didn't like it at the time because of the offset, but rediscovered it years later and ended up taking it back to Japan with me. I don't play it that often, but it's always fun to take out and see what I can do with it.

Edited September 22, 2021 by No_Catchy_Nickname

[Forged Hack]

I’ll second you on the Titleist Tour Model’s. My Bullet Backs circa 1986.

And for woods, my absolute favorite always in the bag….Cleveland TC 15’s. 
Driver and 3 wood S400 shafts.

[boggyman]

Hands down,  mine are my beloved FG17s. Have a spare set as well, plus a 2 iron. Nothing has ever replaced these. No matter what I try, the 17s ALWAYS wind up back in the bag. They’re there to stay. 

[Forged Hack]

9 hours ago, boggyman said:

Hands down,  mine are my beloved FG17s. Have a spare set as well, plus a 2 iron. Nothing has ever replaced these. No matter what I try, the 17s ALWAYS wind up back in the bag. They’re there to stay. 

Sweet blades!

 I’m actually looking at adding a classic set of Wilson’s….would you have any input on the difference between your FG’s and the other Staff blades such as  the models with Red Dot shaft bore through on the soles?

 

[RobotDoctor]

Some of mine .... 🥰

[boggyman]

2 hours ago, Forged Hack said:

Sweet blades!

 I’m actually looking at adding a classic set of Wilson’s….would you have any input on the difference between your FG’s and the other Staff blades such as  the models with Red Dot shaft bore through on the soles?

 

Never played any other than the 17s. Sorry I can’t provide any more info. The 17s are soft and sweet! 

[Stephen8802]

RobotDoctor, that M43 is beautiful. The M43/M33 is one of the most under-appreciated clubs Mac ever made. I got my M33 as a free throw in to a deal because the guy didn't think it was worth saving. I little bit of TLC in the refinish and it is the most solid driver I've ever hit. I'll let everyone else chase M85s, I'm on the look out for another original.

[RobotDoctor]

1 hour ago, Stephen8802 said:

RobotDoctor, that M43 is beautiful. The M43/M33 is one of the most under-appreciated clubs Mac ever made. I got my M33 as a free throw in to a deal because the guy didn't think it was worth saving. I little bit of TLC in the refinish and it is the most solid driver I've ever hit. I'll let everyone else chase M85s, I'm on the look out for another original.

 

This M43T is definitely one of my very favorites, one of the best woods I have in my collection.  It is super solid and really feels great.  I took it out for a spin last week in Loveland at The Olde Course with a sleeve of Titleist 384 Tour 100 Balatas.  Bobby Grace told be a couple of months ago he could have sold this one to Greg Norman back in the 80s for $$$$.  😀

[Forged Hack]

On 10/6/2021 at 10:22 AM, boggyman said:

Never played any other than the 17s. Sorry I can’t provide any more info. The 17s are soft and sweet! 

Thanks…. I have a set of FG’s on the way. 2 thru Pw stiff flex. When I was starting out playing in the mid eighties my golfing mentor had Staff blades and absolutely hammered everything with them. He was the first to tell me “if you don’t want to screw around and be a sloppy golfer, learn to hit these”. Looking forward to playing with them.