What happened to Greg MacGregor's Golf Clubs?
The clubs were nicknamed Mac-Cobras.) “This is by far the biggest business deal I have ever made,” Norman said when he purchased an undisclosed stake in MacGregor in November 2006. Norman told Golfweek May 20 that he is fully divested from MacGregor and stepping away from the golf equipment business.
What is the history of MacGregor Golf?
MacGregor Golf Company's origins date to the end of the 19th century and a company called Crawford, MacGregor and Canby, which manufactured wooden shoe lasts in Dayton, Ohio. The firm, which had been founded in 1822 as the Dayton Last Company, was co-owned by the Crawford brothers, John MacGregor, and Edward Canby.
What happened to the MacGregor ball at the USGA test center?
When Thomas put the Tourney through its paces on “Iron Byron†at the USGA's test center in New Jersey, he said the MacGregor ball veered 2-3 yards to the left; the next one turned a little more; and some moved as much as 15 yards off target. Having never before seen such an inconsistent ball flight, Thomas stopped the test.
Which pro golfers have played on MacGregor clubs?
Tommy Armour was the game’s top-selling pro club while Nelson, Hogan, Demaret and LPGA original Louise Suggs all had their names on MacGregor clubs. From 1947 through 1960, more touring pros used MacGregor clubs and balls than all others combined.
Is MacGregor Golf still in business?
CEO Barry Schneider's Parkside Group now owns the company, and he has pledged a return to form during his tenure. MacGregor Golf Company's origins date to the end of the 19th century and a company called Crawford, MacGregor and Canby, which manufactured wooden shoe lasts in Dayton, Ohio.
What happened to MacGregor clubs?
Yet golf's second-oldest brand in the U.S. – after Spalding – is gone as we've known it. A year ago, MacGregor mothballed plans to reintroduce a line of VIP irons, began a fire sale of its inventory and sold its intellectual property to Golfsmith in May for $1.75 million.
Is MacGregor a good golf make?
We found them to launch high and were impressed with the forgiveness on offer. They look absolutely fine too and the feel is not too bad considering we were testing them up against forged musclebacks. They go the distance you'd expect them to go and work well with MacGregor's lightweight graphite shafts.
Are MacGregor drivers any good?
MacGregor V Foil Speed Driver Verdict On the whole, yes. Ok, the numbers I produced aren't quite as good as with my own driver, and the look and sound of the driver may not suit 'better players', but in my eyes it pretty much does exactly as it's designed to do.
Who owns McGregor?
Twelve Irish Whiskey. Proximo Spirits acquiring a majority stake in the brand has resulted in Conor McGregor, his manager Audie Attar (Paradigm Sports Management), and their partner Ken Austin receiving a sum of $600 million. McGregor founded the brand in 2018, with Attar and Austin as his business partners.
Who stopped making golf clubs?
NikeNike have announced that they will no longer make golf clubs, as well as golf balls and bags. They will, instead, focus on golf shoes and apparel, with the aim to partner up with more tour pros around the world.
Do any pros use MacGregor?
In addition to its long association with Jack Nicklaus, MacGregor has had endorsement deals with many top professional golfers including José María Olazábal and Lee Janzen.
Are MacGregor putters good?
macgregor mactec. This stunning finish not only enhances the timeless beauty of each model, but is extremely durable and glare-resistant, ultimately optimizing visual cues on the greens to give a confidence-inspiring appearance at every crucial putt.
Does Spalding still make golf clubs?
Does Spalding Still Make Golf Clubs? Spalding no longer makes golf clubs, and hasn't for some time now. However, the name of their popular brand “Top Flite” was sold to Callaway, and is used for discount clubs and balls.
Is an expensive golf driver worth it?
For people who are just starting to learn the game of golf, expensive clubs probably are not worth it. They should be more interested in learning what is the best golf club to learn with. If you're just learning to swing the club, the technology won't make much of a difference and neither will be getting fitted.
Does a better golf driver make a difference?
As a general rule, expensive drivers are of high quality than cheaper drivers and can add distance and provide a better connection with the ball, but they may not make a huge difference to your game. They often come with adjustable weight settings that help add a natural draw or fade to your shots.
Why are some drivers so expensive?
Titanium is the most common type of metal often used in drivers, and is the reason why golf drivers are so expensive. While Titanium is stronger and lighter than steel, it's higher cost is the main reason why we don't see titanium being used in irons and other clubs.
When did MacGregor Golf start making clubs?
MacGregor Golf, which began making clubs in 1897, pioneered many of the advances in golf equipment. Lest anyone forget MacGregor’s prowess as a maker of forged blades, the company passed down from one generation of its heralded craftsmen to the next the proper technique for grinding irons.
What was the MacGregor tee shot?
For years, whenever he opened a golf course, he hit his ceremonial tee shot with a persimmon driver, autographed the club’s crown and had it mounted in the clubhouse. The gesture showed his sentimental side for when woods were made of wood and the expression “hitting it on the screws” meant something. And it harkened back to his MacGregor days when he underscored the company’s slogan, “The greatest name in golf.” His weapon of choice: the MacGregor Tommy Armour 945.
Why did MacGregor resisted the new production method?
MacGregor resisted the new production method because it was bent on retaining tradition in design and materials. It took MacGregor until 1974 to finally introduce a cast set, five years after Ping debuted its K-1 irons and after every other major company had produced a cast model.
How long was MacGregor a company?
MacGregor was a name and a company that was at the head of the industry for 40 or 50 years. Then things changed.”. In the years that followed, MacGregor chased dollars by selling clubs more suited for value-priced retailers, relinquishing its premium-brand stature.
How many stages of sculpting did the MacGregor head go through?
Starting as a round billet of soft carbon steel, a raw forged iron head went through nearly 50 stages of sculpting before it was crowned with the MacGregor stamp. <!—->. There was a time when the MacGregor name carried clout. It said, Byron Nelson once won 11 tournaments in a row with me.
What was Penna's MT iron?
Some of his innovations became industry standards. For instance, Penna’s MT irons from 1950 were compact blades with an unusually wide top line that were shallow from top to bottom. Penna lowered the center of gravity and put 1 degree less loft on each club, predating by some 30 years what would become common practice.
How did Schneider rebuild MacGregor?
Schneider tried to rebuild MacGregor by returning it to its forged-blade roots. At the time, he said repeatedly: “I don’t want to be the biggest, just the best.”
From Shoes to Golf
The Crawford heirs eventually brought in two new partners to their company: John McGregor (note the spelling) in 1875 and Edward Canby in 1886 to eventually form the Crawford, McGregor and Canby Company. McGregor was a Scottish immigrant from St Andrews and a hardcore golfer. He eventually got Canby hooked on the game, setting the wheels in motion.
The Market Changes
By 1927, retail golf sales exceeded pro shop sales for the very first time. Crawford, McGregor and Canby went all in, mass-producing low-cost, high-profit clubs. Record sales and profits followed and everything was looking rosy.
MacGregor Goes KA-BOOM!
With Armour and his assistant, Toney Penna, onboard, MacGregor soon exploded. Penna played MacGregor clubs on the PGA TOUR and recruited other Tour players to join him. He hit the jackpot in 1939 when he signed Jimmy Demaret, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan.
Brunswick, Jack and the Beginning of the End
In 1958, MacGregor was sold to bowling giant Brunswick. Owner Ted Bensginer made a killing when he developed the first automatic pinsetter and started buying up companies to grow his empire.
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The Ownership Carousel
In 1978, Brunswick sold MacGregor to the Wickes Corporation. Wickes was a world leader in lumber sales and owned Snyder Drug and Red Owl supermarkets. Several of Wickes’s top brass were golf nuts so MacGregor seemed like the perfect toy.
Amer and Irrelevance
MacGregor was making money again but Jack’s golf course business was in a jam. Specifically, the St. Andrews project in New York was becoming a money pit and Jack needed cash fast. So, in 1988, he sold 80 percent of MacGregor to the Amer Group from Finland for $8 million—the same Amer that would also buy Wilson Sporting Goods.
Who owns MacGregor Golf?
In May 2009, MacGregor was acquired by Golfsmith International and Norman stepped down as chairman. Golfsmith owned the company until it fell into bankruptcy in 2016. At the time of its demise, Golfsmith was the largest golf retailer in the world.
Where is MacGregor Golf made?
MacGregor Golf is a sports equipment manufacturing company based in Albany, Georgia, which specializes in golf. MacGregor currently produces a wide range of golf clubs, bags, and accessories. The company roots can be traced to 1829, with the establishment of "Dayton Last Company", a maker of hand-carved wooden lasts for footwear.
Who bought McGregor and Canby?
During the 1930s Crawford, McGregor & Canby was acquired by the Goldsmith Company to form MacGregor-Goldsmith. The new owners found the name "MacGregor" to be stronger than "Goldsmith" in the marketplace and subsequently changed the name of the firm to MacGregor.
When did MacGregor Golf start making clubs?
MacGregor Golf, which began making clubs in 1897, pioneered many of the advances in golf equipment. Lest anyone forget MacGregor's prowess as a maker of forged blades, the company passed down from one generation of its heralded craftsmen to the next the proper technique for grinding irons.
When was MacGregor's pinnacle period?
Here are some woods from MacGregor's pinnacle period (early to mid 50s). It was a matter of great pride to own and game one of these beauties.
What was Hogan's driving machine called?
Hogan wasn't easily swayed. He cooperated and observed a variety of tests. A mechanical driving machine called “Iron Byron†blasted shots with the top-of-the-line MacGregor Tourney as well as Hogan's preferred Titleist model. On the last day, MacGregor's president pressed Hogan for an answer and asked if the driving machine had persuaded him that the Tourney was suitable for his use in tournament play.
Did Hogan play the MacGregor ball?
Hogan wouldn't stoop to using the MacGregor ball even that long. The company gave him permission to play another ball until MacGregor felt that its ball was at least equal to the competition, according to Bob Rickey, MacGregor's vice president of marketing and a company employee from 1946 until 1974, in his manuscript “History of MacGregor.â€
Did MacGregor make his own golf ball?
MacGregor began selling a golf ball under its name, but produced by a third-party prior to World War II. After the war, MacGregor adapted a machine devised to automatically wind baseballs to begin manufacturing its own golf ball.
Where did Nicklaus and Wullkotte go for surgery?
Their pairing now is a part of lore: Nicklaus' pilot flew the club to MacGregor's custom shop in Cincinnati for emergency surgery, but it was closed for the week. Wullkotte was the only employee who hadn't yet left for vacation, and he negotiated a full day's pay for an hour's worth of work.
Who was the sweet swinger in golf?
It was Penna, a Tour winner known as “the sweet swinger,†who recruited the greatest names in golf to play under the MacGregor banner. The advisory staff also included future Hall of Fame members Jack Burke Jr., Craig Wood and Louise Suggs. By the 1950s, Penna had risen to chief designer.
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Where did MacGregor Golf start?
MacGregor Golf Company's origins date to the end of the 19th century and a company called Crawford, MacGregor and Canby, which manufactured wooden shoe lasts in Dayton, Ohio.
Who bought MacGregor Golf?
In 1967 the Rickey family sold MacGregor to Brunswick Corporation. The sporting goods firm held onto the company until 1979, when it was sold to retailer Wickes Corporation of San Diego, whose chairman, E.L. McNeely, was reportedly an avid golfer. In 1982, with Wickes strapped for cash, Jack Nicklaus and a MacGregor executive led a group that bought controlling interest in the company for $17 million. Nicklaus was one of the game's legends, and had endorsed MacGregor for nearly 20 years.
What was the first golf club made of?
That decade saw a number of innovations under the leadership of Toney Penna, who worked with such legendary players as Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson to create new club designs. Successes of the era included the "Neutralizer," a wooden dowel of spring hickory that was inserted in the shaft where it joined the head of the club, and a grip made of rubber and cord--previous ones had been made of leather. This "All-Weather" grip was soon adopted by most of the game's top players. MacGregor later created a soft rubber grip called the "Tri-Tac," which went on to be even more popular. Another innovation of the period, the "Four-Way Roll," improved the performance of wooden clubs by softening the edges of the club face, yielding a better result from off-center shots.
When did Jack Nicklaus sell his MacGregor stake?
Nicklaus Sells Stake in 1992. In January 1992 Jack Nicklaus sold his remaining 20 percent stake in MacGregor to Amer Sport. He was reportedly frustrated with the direction the company had been taking, and announced plans to form a club manufacturer of his own through his Golden Bear International firm.
Why is the MacGregor brand called MacGregor?
Because much of the firm's output would initially be shipped to Great Britain, the brand was given the Scottish-sounding name "J. MacGregor," after Canby's partner. At a time when most club heads were carved by hand, the company took advantage of the lathe copying process with which it made shoe lasts, where a replica of a metal original was mechanically carved in wood, and within a few years the firm was producing 100,000 clubs per year. Over time, Canby became sole owner of the company.
What is MacGregor's collective priority?
Such leadership and commitment is MacGregor's collective priority for 2004 and beyond. Not just with big customers, not just on important occasions ... MacGregor strives to exemplify this type of inspired leadership every single day in everything that we do, large and small. In practical terms, this means we will continue to innovate with ideas that are new and different. We will continue to develop patented technologies and equipment that is easy-to-hit, forgiving and high performing. We will strive to deliver to golfers of every level handicap tangible performance and forgiveness advantages, not marketing hype. And we will only make equipment for which we are unbelievably proud.
When did MacGregor sell his company?
Sale to Parkside Group in 1998. In August 1998, however, MacGregor was again sold, this time for a reported $42 million. The buyer was The Parkside Group, a newly-formed investment firm headed by Barry Schneider, who took the position of MacGregor's chairman.
Who made Lynx golf clubs?
Eventually, the brand was sold to Golfsmith, which created new designs and offered Lynx as their premium component line to club builders. In a weird coincidence, the lead designer at Golfsmith at the time was Jeff Sheets and in the mid-2000s they cranked out some exceptional designs.
Why was Walter Hagen sold off?
Eventually, the brand lost its luster, and the Walter Hagen name was sold off to be used to sell entry-level products through big-box retail chains. But the history still lingers, and if you can find a set of Haig Ultras in good shape, you’ll know you’re are holding what was at the time a very premium product.
Is MacGregor still in the UK?
MacGregor attempted a “relaunch” in the late ’90s with an updated tour roster that included Aaron Baddeley, but after slumping sales and sets of clubs that failed to take off, assets were eventually liquidated in North America. The brand still lives on in the UK and Japan but not with the same presence it once had.
