1960-70s Clubs with 1970s balls...

[onthehunt526]

Has anyone been through maybe their dads or grandpa's garage, and found a set of old golf clubs (you know the kind with actual WOODS, and weird looking muscle backed irons, and that Spalding Cash-in putter, with an old sealed box of Titleist Tour Balata 90? I wonder what it would be like to play Clubs older than me... So the question is: Has anyone played Clubs like these in recent years, just to screw around? Or has anyone found a set-up like this?

[boogielicious]

Has anyone been through maybe their dads or grandpa's garage, and found a set of old golf clubs (you know the kind with actual WOODS, and weird looking muscle backed irons, and that Spalding Cash-in putter, with an old sealed box of Titleist Tour Balata 90?

I wonder what it would be like to play Clubs older than me...

So the question is: Has anyone played Clubs like these in recent years, just to screw around? Or has anyone found a set-up like this?

I have a few of my late father-in-laws clubs from the 1930s.  They are not in good enough shape to play though.  I did refinish the putter head as a gift for my wife.

[Ernest Jones]

I've hit balls with some old Spaldings. I also have some old clubs with steel shafts painted to look like wood, real leather wraps and the thinnest blades ever. I've only hit them a handful of times as I'm afraid to trash them.

[Mac62]

Has anyone been through maybe their dads or grandpa's garage, and found a set of old golf clubs (you know the kind with actual WOODS, and weird looking muscle backed irons, and that Spalding Cash-in putter, with an old sealed box of Titleist Tour Balata 90?

I wonder what it would be like to play Clubs older than me...

So the question is: Has anyone played Clubs like these in recent years, just to screw around? Or has anyone found a set-up like this?

I'm afraid it would bring back bad memories of my first set of clubs (purchased circa 1985) - muscleback irons, persimmon driver/fairway woods and a Bullseye-style putter....all in a cheap brown imitation leather golf bag, with a bunch of old balata balls.  For a beginning golfer, mishits with those irons would just about knock your teeth loose, and often cut a wicked "smiley" in those balata balls.

It would be fun to try hitting them now, just to see if they feel any better than they did back then - but I doubt I'd find myself longing for the "good old days".

[Jeremie Boop]

I actually have an almost complete set of old Titleist Lite 100 irons. I messed about with a couple last year on the range and even put the 2 iron in my bag before I bought my hybrid. Nothing gave me quite as much pleasure, in regards to hitting golf balls, as hitting those clubs pure. Unfortunately it didn't happen nearly enough and those range balls are rocks so a mis hit was super painful.

[danL]

I have a set of Wilson staff blades from the 60s, they're loads of fun to take to the range. If the shafts weren't boat anchors I'd take them on the course every now and then.

[SavvySwede]

I have an old Ping Eye wood set 1,3, and 5 that I will break out on occasion with good results but I never added the balls for the full experience. I know I have a couple of old wound balls floating around in the barrels of balls in the basement. I need to fish them all out one of these days and give it a go.

[dbuck]

Look at my signature. These are the clubs I most often play.

The PING woods are actually fairly easy to hit. Most modern balls are fine with the older clubs, but I do have a preference for the softer ones. I use Titleist DT Solo, Callaway Supersoft, and Wilson Duo.

I do break out the more modern stuff if I play in a scramble or the like, but playing for enjoyment, I have a blast with the older stuff. The irons will make you aware of a mis-hit!!

[vangator]

Has anyone been through maybe their dads or grandpa's garage , and found a set of old golf clubs (you know the kind with actual WOODS, and weird looking muscle backed irons, and that Spalding Cash-in putter, with an old sealed box of Titleist Tour Balata 90? I wonder what it would be like to play Clubs older than me... So the question is: Has anyone played Clubs like these in recent years, just to screw around? Or has anyone found a set-up like this?

What do you mean "dads or grandpa's garage"? I have some in my garage! I started out with a set of Mason Rudolph blades. Used to love those Maxfli Blue Dots.

[onthehunt526]

What do you mean "dads or grandpa's garage"? I have some in my garage! I started out with a set of Mason Rudolph blades. Used to love those Maxfli Blue Dots.

I realize that there are several generations on TST, I forgot about our more experienced group that may personally have these clubs... I've tossed around the idea of getting a vintage set of clubs and balls and playing 18 holes with 2 balls one with the old clubs and balls, and one ball with my Exotics clubs and balls

[RayG]

The irons- shouldn't have any issues playing with modern balls. Other than being severely LESS forgiving and teaching you how to find the sweet spot... and quick, no worries. However... the "wood" woods will be an issue. As I've mentioned in other similar threads, the old laminates and persimmons were designed to smash the carp out of the old harder 90 or 100 compression balls. There was no "MOI", "trampoline effect", etc... with those plastic inserts. With the newer 'soft' balls down to around 30 or 40 (Chrome Soft, et al) you get a rather unsatisfying strike and a kind of mush sounding hit. The ball will go out and appear to just kind of fall out of the sky. I've tried a few different models of 'older drivers' with some newer balls, Persimmon, Laminate, and an early steel driver. Same thing almost every time. There might be a distance ball out there that is much harder and will give a slightly better result off the driver, but you will lose control in the short game for the most part. And even if you HAD a few dozen balls from the 70's or 80's, the shelf life is well past it and the results wouldn't be any comparison to playing them in the 70's when they both were new. They might look fine on the outside, but the interiors would have deteriorated by now and performance would be pretty bad, I would guess.

[JerryTimes]

I just played around with a set of Gorman clubs last week. It took about 50 balls at the range until I finally started hitting anything well and straight. The weight of the clubs made me struggle.

[RayG]

I just played around with a set of Gorman clubs last week. It took about 50 balls at the range until I finally started hitting anything well and straight. The weight of the clubs made me struggle.

"Gorman"? that's my surname... where did you come across these?