Golden Ram Tour Grind iron set. A grind of a thrift find.

[weakputt]

I probably pop into a Goodwill or thrift store may be ten times without coming out with something worth my effort. I'm retired now, but when I was in outside sale, if I had the time and I was passing by a resale shop, I would pop in for a few minuets. For may be 15 years I have found some really good stuff, but it takes hundreds of visits for sure to find exceptional golf related vintage stuff. And I am convinced that most of the good stuff has been donated by family members of golf enthusiast like ourselves who have no idea of the dollar value of golf stuff. And obviously also have no sentimental value as well. I digress. I don't see a scratch on the soles!

 

My latest fine is a 2 iron through pitching wedge set of Ram Golden Ram Tour Grinds with TT Dynamic S flex shafts that I picked up yesterday afternoon. Yes yesterday so I haven't even touched these. No clean up. Nothing. May be the cleanest used set of clubs I have ever run across. The shaft labels, shafts, grips, heads and grooves are like new. I can not see any signed of use! The only marks on them are fingerprints from me, the thrift store people who set them out and the previous owner? Grips are soft, like new, grooves are cool and go almost all the way to the end on the toe. In the picture below the two clubs showing the grooves are representative of the whole set.

 

I believe they are Hoffman forged and came out in 1979 and 1980. (There are a lot of Golden Ram versions though out the 1980's) This set will go nicely with my Original Ram Wizzard 600 putter. Yes also a thrift store find.

 

As coach Valvono (sp.) ... "Don't give up, don't ever give up." 

[cgasucks]

Very nice find!  How much did you get them for?

[weakputt]

They had a sticker of $2.99 on each of them. Then I got surprised again when I was checking out. The sticker color of the week was orange. That means they were 50% off.

I believe I paid $14.45 including taxes.

[Foozle]

2 hours ago, weakputt said:

I probably pop into a Goodwill or thrift store may be ten times without coming out with something worth my effort. I'm retired now, but when I was in outside sale, if I had the time and I was passing by a resale shop, I would pop in for a few minuets. For may be 15 years I have found some really good stuff, but it takes hundreds of visits for sure to find exceptional golf related vintage stuff. And I am convinced that most of the good stuff has been donated by family members of golf enthusiast like ourselves who have no idea of the dollar value of golf stuff. And obviously also have no sentimental value as well. I digress. I don't see a scratch on the soles!

 

My latest fine is a 2 iron through pitching wedge set of Ram Golden Ram Tour Grinds with TT Dynamic S flex shafts that I picked up yesterday afternoon. Yes yesterday so I haven't even touched these. No clean up. Nothing. May be the cleanest used set of clubs I have ever run across. The shaft labels, shafts, grips, heads and grooves are like new. I can not see any signed of use! The only marks on them are fingerprints from me, the thrift store people who set them out and the previous owner? Grips are soft, like new, grooves are cool and go almost all the way to the end on the toe. In the picture below the two clubs showing the grooves are representative of the whole set.

 

I believe they are Hoffman forged and came out in 1979 and 1980. (There are a lot of Golden Ram versions though out the 1980's) This set will go nicely with my Original Ram Wizzard 600 putter. Yes also a thrift store find.

 

As coach Valvono (sp.) ... "Don't give up, don't ever give up." 

These are my grail irons. All the '80's Tour Grinds are good, but for me, these are the best.

At the risk of boring members here through repetition, I played my original set to destruction.

On this side of the pond they are like hens teeth so it took me years to find a replacement set. Those are now in my bag with my original 2 iron.

I have since acquired a further set so I should be good for the rest of my golfing days!

None are as good as yours, simply stunning set and find.

Enjoy! 

[NRJyzr]

Oh my....

 

Boring note first, these are 1980-82 Tour Grinds.  An interesting note, while they've not been tested for conformance, they would pass; they pre-date square grooves. 

 

Their condition is just glorious.  Can't think of a better word that's not hyperbolic.  Then again, with these, perhaps hyperbole is impossible.

 

I am truly impressed.

 

[elwhippy]

Find of the decade. Amazing set of clubs.

[weakputt]

3 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

Oh my....

 

Boring note first, these are 1980-82 Tour Grinds.  An interesting note, while they've not been tested for conformance, they would pass; they pre-date square grooves. 

 

Their condition is just glorious.  Can't think of a better word that's not hyperbolic.  Then again, with these, perhaps hyperbole is impossible.

 

I am truly impressed.

 

Thank you. I'm very fortunate. (No ... lucky)

[weakputt]

3 hours ago, elwhippy said:

Find of the decade. Amazing set of clubs.

Well, I have been lucky this decade. I have also picked up minty serial matching Hogan Decades, Hogan Medallions, PC's, 1990's SW & LW, SI BeCu SW, and a 25th Anniversary 53* wedge. Oh and the display stand pictured below as well. Estate Sale, thrift stores, rummage sales and none from a brick and motor store or on eBay. Very very fortunate, but it also is a grind.

[weakputt]

15 minutes ago, weakputt said:

Well, I have been lucky this decade. I have also picked up minty serial matching Hogan Decades, Hogan Medallions, PC's, 1990's SW & LW, SI BeCu SW, and a 25th Anniversary 53* wedge. Oh and the display stand pictured below as well. Estate Sale, thrift stores, rummage sales and none from a brick and motor store or on eBay. Very very fortunate, but it also is a grind.

Well I guess I have to make a qualifier on the Brick and Mortar Store comment. I do have a good friend that owns a Play it Again store and he does not like taking in trades of vintage golf stuff. He will text me pictures and give me the customers phone number (if they want to sell). 

[bcstones]

5 hours ago, weakputt said:

Well, I have been lucky this decade. I have also picked up minty serial matching Hogan Decades, Hogan Medallions, PC's, 1990's SW & LW, SI BeCu SW, and a 25th Anniversary 53* wedge. Oh and the display stand pictured below as well. Estate Sale, thrift stores, rummage sales and none from a brick and motor store or on eBay. Very very fortunate, but it also is a grind.

Like the picture of Hogan

[smorg]

Great story and very true.  It takes patience and many trips to find the diamonds at GW.  Like you, I scored a beautiful set of Golden Ram Tour Axial Grinds at Goodwill 6 years ago.  One of my favorite set of blades that I've collected.  

[HoganApexBlades]

1 hour ago, smorg said:

Great story and very true.  It takes patience and many trips to find the diamonds at GW.  Like you, I scored a beautiful set of Golden Ram Tour Axial Grinds at Goodwill 6 years ago.  One of my favorite set of blades that I've collected.  

 

Scott,

Tell me about it...It's a hit or miss down here in the Chicago area. I've been lucky many times so far as you know.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

1 hour ago, HoganApexBlades said:

 

Scott,

Tell me about it...It's a hit or miss down here in the Chicago area. I've been lucky many times so far as you know.

We might be haunting the same GWs.  

Awesome fine @weakputt

[HoganApexBlades]

On 4/5/2023 at 9:19 AM, cold_war_era_golfer said:

We might be haunting the same GWs.  

Awesome fine @weakputt

I'm north.

[EmperorPenguin]

I had once owned that set.  I think these were the model just before the Vibration Marched irons, which in my opinion is the best ever.  The toe design is slightly different; the Vibration Matched has a slightly higher toe.  I recall selling them because to me the Vibration Matched simply felt more solid.  No seller's remorse.

[NRJyzr]

1 hour ago, EmperorPenguin said:

I had once owned that set.  I think these were the model just before the Vibration Marched irons, which in my opinion is the best ever.  The toe design is slightly different; the Vibration Matched has a slightly higher toe.  I recall selling them because to me the Vibration Matched simply felt more solid.  No seller's remorse.

 

The other interesting thing about the difference between the Vibration Matched and the 1980 Tour Grinds is the heel.  The 80 set has a sharper "corner" at the heel.  That's been rounded a bit with the Vibration Matched set.

 

In the interest of full disclosure, Ram *did* have a rather active custom shop.  It's quite possible to see something outside the generally accepted norms.  Even now, 20+ years after their demise.

 

[Mike_C]

On 4/2/2023 at 12:26 PM, NRJyzr said:

Oh my....

 

My thoughts exactly......

[weakputt]

I think you guys have inspired me to be on the Look Out for a Ram red, white & gold golf bag to place my Ram Classic Wizard 600 putter and these Ram Tour Grind irons in.

I think years ago I remember a sharp looking red, white and gold Ram cart bag that for some reason I did not snatch. Probably because I did not have any Ram clubs at the time.

[NRJyzr]

Like this?  They're out there, but you might have to hunt around a bit.

 

[EmperorPenguin]

5 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

Like this?  They're out there, but you might have to hunt around a bit.

 

I had this bag, minus the FX logo on the front.  I bouth it from a clearance sale at a local discount club shop way back in 1995.  I stole it for 20 bucks.  I had visions of playing Augusta with it with a caddie carrying it for me, and I would be playing with fellow Ram staffer Nick Price.  However, my game was nowhere near good enough to go anywhere near Georgia, and reality set in. It was just the biggest clutter in my living room, so a couple years later the local newspaper was offering free classified listings for clutter to sell.  I sold it to an older man in his 50's who needed a cart bag, and I sold it to him for $40.  I doubled my money in a couple years.