I was at an auction once where on a table outside, about six to eight golf bags all had Ping putters, along with a few other brands. Several of us – the male buyers, especially – went through the bags admiring each one.
What a find! That many in one place. All vintage.
When the auctioneer finally got around to the bags, another female buyer had taken all the putters from the bags and combined them. She had decided that she only wanted the putters (as if she’d be the only bidder). We were all disgusted, including the auctioneer. He scolded her, noting that she does that all the time with auction items.
She started the bid, a few others bidded against her, and when the bidding slowed, I jumped in. And went tic-for-tac with her. I got the clubs – 10 of them for about $5 each. That’s why I love auctions and flea markets. Where else can you get a bargain like that?
Here are photos of some of the heads of the Pings I got.
Even the weekend golfer knows about Ping. The clubs get their name from the sound they make when they strike a golf ball. The company was founded in 1959 by Karsten Solheim in his Redwood, Calif., garage, according to the company’s website. His frustration with his putting compelled him to design his own putter. Two years later, he moved to Phoenix and continued to improve on the design. He created the Anser putter in 1966, which is one of the most successful, according to the website.
I’m a golfer, more of a once-or-twice-a-month golfer. I love the game, which is surprising to me because I always thought golfing was one of the most boring of sports. Until I started taking lessons and got out on the greens. Well-tended greens are breathtaking. Trying to master the game is challenging. Hitting that little white ball and having it land exactly where you want is thrilling (even though it doesn’t land in the precise spot most of the time).
I play with one of the putters, the Rite-In. It is bent on a slight angle near the head; I’m assuming the previous owner wanted to re-shape it. I’m a lousy putter, but I’m hoping that this club will help me improve. Wish me luck.
A little history: The PGA of America will bestow posthumous membership to three black golfers who were barred from the organization years ago when they played. The PGA announced that Ted Rhodes, who died in 1969; Bill Spiller, who died in1988, and John Shippen Jr., who is believed to be the first golf professional born in the U.S., will become members during the PGA annual meeting in New Orleans in November. Black golfers were barred from the PGA tournaments from 1943-1961. Shippen was born in 1879 and played in the U.S. Open in 1896 in New York.
