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At TZ GOLF we specialize in vintage clubs and golf related items that have a cult like following, may be underrated in some circles, are beautiful to look at, have great performance, give a better value than overpriced new clubs and will help golfers have more fun & style on the golf course.
To know the PGA golf club brand, you have to go back to 1910 Newark, Ohio. A guy named William Burke, who had previously managed MacGregor’s golf club making, was in the business of making hickory shafts for buggy whips, but with the rise of the automobile, he looked to make a pivot. That pivot led to the creation of the Burke Golf Shaft Company and Burke sold hickory golf shafts to club makers both in the US and the UK. This came at an interesting time when the UK was running into a scarcity of good lumber to produce strong hickory golf shafts. As a result, Burke’s hickory shafts became highly desirable overseas.
The next step was entering into the club head making business as well, and Burke golf clubs stayed around until the 1960s. The brand would eventually move a handful of times, including to Morton Grove, IL (just outside of Chicago) before shutting down. This is where it gets interesting. The legendary Tommy Armour was looking for a new “home” following the end of his agreement with MacGregor. He would join up with a golf club company out of Chicago called “PGA” (how that naming worked out, I don’t have all the details). PGA had a lot of Burke roots and much of their manufacturing took place in the old Burke Golf factory in Newark, Ohio after Abbot Labs purchased it in 1970. In 1974, the right to use the PGA name was lost and the company became Tommy Armour Golf.
The reason these PGA Emblem irons caught my eye is simple. They’re a good looking, compact muscle back blade. They’re old, and definitely have a “don’t make ’em like they used to” look. So they are worth at least giving them a shot.
What I’ve learned since having the PGA Emblems in my possession is that they were made from 1967 to 1976 and are a forged carbon head. There were some changes throughout those nine years, but I’m told it was fairly minimal. I won’t claim to know much detail around their evolution. Apparently, early versions had Mercury shafts. The Emblems listed here were from later batches as they have metal shafts.
As far as playability, the Emblems are about everything you should expect from a vintage blade. There is minimal forgiveness with a sweet spot the size of a pea. That sweet spot is definitely heel-biased between the muscle pad and the long hosel. While the leading edge is fairly sharp and the soles are flat, the turf interaction is smoother than expected. In my opinion, these are a little easier to launch than other irons of this era. The weight is definitely lower in the head, with a slightly wider sole, so the center of gravity helps get the ball up. This doesn’t mean the ball balloons, but it isn’t as hard to get the ball in the air. My stock shot was still a pretty piercing flight that was easy to work both ways. Just make sure you have some fresh grips installed!
While I certainly have learned a lot about golf and golf equipment, there’s just so much I can’t even imagine. Stumbling upon that stuff and learning its story is my favorite part of the adventure. If I get to actually hit some balls with the gear, even better. I feel like that’s exactly how it went for me with the PGA Emblem irons. I didn’t know a damn thing about them, but they looked cool, the price was right, and I got a little education out of it. Then when I took them out to the course, I got to step back in time to a different era. And, yes, these PGA Emblem irons certainly delivered on their “don’t make ’em like they used to” appearance!
This vintage set is a quality, top of the line product hidden in sheep's clothing, in exceptional condition, there are minimal scratches and dings, have the original grips, great looking shafts, as well as minimal groove wear.
These irons will be a great set for many years.