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Want to Find/Buy: 1980's Golf Set: Living in the past

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Hi all!

So, during the last couple years I have been golfing, I have often thought of what it would be like to have an all "retro" golf set to play around with. Since I wasn't alive in the 80's (born in 1990), I don't know much about the equipment. What I do know is that PING and Wilson were huge. When it comes to what clubs, I have little to no idea. So, I'm hoping some of you will be nice enough to make my 1980's set of clubs, a dream come true.

Now before we start, let me give you some history on why I want to do this. Because I'm sure most if not all of you are saying, "why in the hell would you want that?. With all of the technology advances, and the cool clubs out today, I can't blame you for asking. But, this is why! When I was 5 months old, my Uncle passed away. He loved golf. Everything about the game. From what I hear about him, I follow in his foot steps. He was extremely OCD about his clubs. Would wash them after every round, always had to have everything looking sharp. He was also infatuated with PING and Titleist. This is probably the reason I tend to be attracted to these manufacturers. I have my current set because I love them, but I bought them because I knew he would have loved them. Since I don't remember him, I try to through golf. I have one (of many) of his old PING staff bags. Now, the task is to fill it.

I know some of the clubs my Uncle had. He had, at one time, 4 sets of irons, 9 putters, and several woods. Lol. I know he had a set of old Wilson Staffs, Titleist blades, and PING Eye 2's. The PING set, strangely enough, were my EXACT SAME SPECS! Blue Dot and plus 1/2"!!

What I need from you, are some ideas of a set he would have loved. I have no clue what woods, wedges, putters, and balls were popular in the 80's. So if you could help me out, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you all!
 
I think this is very cool of you to do. I have no idea about clubs from the 80's or how to wrangle some up but man getting a hold of balls from then has got to be impossible. Best of Luck in your endeavor.
 
golfinFF said:
I think this is very cool of you to do. I have no idea about clubs from the 80's or how to wrangle some up but man getting a hold of balls from then has got to be impossible. Best of Luck in your endeavor.
Click to expand...

Thanks man. Ya the ball part is probably going to be the hardest part. I would love to find some old PING Eye or Titleist Acushnet balls. Hopefully it works out. Thanks again!
 
Ebay is your best bet for finding what you are looking for, just a thought, you may want to get a book that will tell you what the "Classics" were from that era and what they are worth so you dont overpay. If you look on ebay and do a search for "Golf Club Identification Guide" you will find posted on there now is a book by Golfworks for $20 that covers clubs from 1950-1993

I myself currently have multiple sets of Forged Blades from 1972-1986 and also collect Heel Shafted Blade Putters (about 20 in the collection) dating from the early 1940's through 2000.

As for golf balls from that era the issue you would have playing with them is that they were almost all wound core balls back then and the windings dont have a long shelf life.
 
Neat concept of seeing how we oldies had to golf our ball around the course .
Ping made woods in the Eye2 , the were laminated maple , I still have a driver and 3 wood , but I would never part with them , just wish I never sold my eye2 irons ! most all these era clubs were all steel shafts , as graphite was just in its infancy .
You can find Balata balls but they wont be cheap plus I wouldn't know how good they would be after sitting around for over 20 years .
Look into Kenneth Smith on ebay they were a Premium golf club maker , they are no longer around but they made woods , irons , wedges and putters .
I still have a custom made set of their irons , its what my avatar is . Went to Shawnee Mission , Kansas to be fitted .
Have fun collecting these clubs of a bygone era !
 
Cool idea. I do remember playing Titleist balls with a surlyn cover in the late 80's. They might have been DT's?
 
Craigslist would certainly be your friend.

I see so many 80's clubs for sale in my area for pennies on the dollar.
 
garage sales? haha. I don't know.
 
What kind of clubs you looking for, my dad gave me a bunch of his old clubs when he moved to St. Cloud, I'll have to go dig them out and see what all is in there, I know there is a set of I think they are northwestern irons, look allot like ping eye 2's , he said back in the day Kmart of all places was the best place to buy golf equipment, way before the big box stores, I'm playing in the am and then I'll swing by the storage unit and get a list, and some pics together.
 
Look for estate sales.

I have my dad's set in the basement. He passed in '89. A staff McGregor bag, persimmon woods Wilson Staff, Walter Hagen irons, and a Spalding Smoothy putter from the '60s. He was deadly with that putter!

It's cool to see the different names that were in the Equipment biz back then.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2
 
You anywhere around Illinois? These look nice!---> http://peoria.craigslist.org/spo/3296673836.html

I just bought a beautiful set of Wilson Staff 88's that were exactly like the first new set I ever bought. In 1988 the irons alone cost me about $700. I just saw them on the used rack at my local shop for $50 and had to buy them. I shot an 83 with 'em the first round out. Gonna put 1" extenders in them and get new grips but they sure played nicely. Below is a pic of them. Good luck in your search.

250526_353552201402744_625550196_n.jpg
 
My dad has a set of Ping BeCu ISIs. They would be on the expensive side as they are more of a collectors club now b/c of the becu finish.
 
neat post, i have been buying "classic" sets for acouple years now.
my best finds have been on craigs list, and thrift stores
i have not paid over 50 dollars for a set,my best sets dunlop , macgregor
were 15 dollars per set .the macregors are 1969 and dont look like they have played more than 20
rounds
just take your time and dont buy an incomplete set ,to hard to find single irons
good luck with your hunting
 
BradMorris64 said:
You anywhere around Illinois? These look nice!---> http://peoria.craigslist.org/spo/3296673836.html

I just bought a beautiful set of Wilson Staff 88's that were exactly like the first new set I ever bought. In 1988 the irons alone cost me about $700. I just saw them on the used rack at my local shop for $50 and had to buy them. I shot an 83 with 'em the first round out. Gonna put 1" extenders in them and get new grips but they sure played nicely. Below is a pic of them. Good luck in your search.

250526_353552201402744_625550196_n.jpg
Click to expand...

Are these the Goose Necks? By the time I was decent enough, my Dad sold his set which in sure I'd still have of her didn't sell. Another set are Ping Eye 2.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
 
I find these at local thrift shops all the time, worth looking at



Tapping & autocorrecting

"Life is short, Drive fast and leave a sexy corpse."
-Stanley Hudson
 
BradMorris64 said:
You anywhere around Illinois? These look nice!---> http://peoria.craigslist.org/spo/3296673836.html

I just bought a beautiful set of Wilson Staff 88's that were exactly like the first new set I ever bought. In 1988 the irons alone cost me about $700. I just saw them on the used rack at my local shop for $50 and had to buy them. I shot an 83 with 'em the first round out. Gonna put 1" extenders in them and get new grips but they sure played nicely. Below is a pic of them. Good luck in your search.

250526_353552201402744_625550196_n.jpg
Click to expand...

I FOUND MY UNCLES SET EXACTLY LIKE THESE!! 2-9 iron with a Wilson Dual Wedge! Of course, in mint condition! He played probably 3 rounds with them before he bought his PING Eye 2's. I want to get them re-gripped, but don't want to ruin them. I want them the way he played them! His old buddy is giving me my uncles PING B-61 putter my uncle sold him. Still looking for woods. After I find them, it will be complete!!
 
That is great man. I'm excited for ya
 
Just ran across this thread. How'd it turn out?
 
My dad has an old set of the Wilson 1200 GE irons Driver, 3W, 3-SW that he's looking to get rid of. I hit them a couple of weeks ago and nearly threw my back, shoulder and elbow out of joint.

I've also got a set of old Northwestern Irons and Golden Bear persimmon woods if anyone is interested in those. Both the irons and woods are in need of some restoration, so I would honestly just give them to anyone who wants them.
 
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I've always toyed with the idea of getting an old set of Wilson or Hogan blades with persimmon woods, just to try it. Maybe someday if I'm bored! I've hit modern blades, but something tells me they're much more forgiving. I've also hit some old persimmon woods one time, and while the driver was pretty unforgiving, I actually liked the fairways.
 
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