Trevino's clubs

[dlygrisse]

During his prime years

Anyone know what clubs Trevino played during his prime years? I know he was famous for having a beat up, lead tape covered well used set of implements but I have no idea what he used during the late 60's through the 70's.

The clubs he played were pretty well documented during his senior career, mostly Top Flite, I actually looked in his bag once up close at an event, they looked like someone had run over them with a car and dragged them through the parking lot, with some old maroon leather grips and lead tape a-plenty, but man did he hit it pure!

[farmer]

I saw him play a couple of times in the mid-70's, and he was playing Faultless irons and a Faultless driver. In the equipment dept, both he and Sam Snead were disappointing. I wanted to see jewels, and instead found them playing clubs, as you say, that looked like they had fallen out of the back of a car.

[Big_Smooth]

IIRC, 8802 or Anser, Wilson R-90 Sand Wedge and a mix of Hogan Apexes and Ram Tour Grinds for irons. I don't know about woods.

[rod1]

Didn't he play Rawlings irons? I remember him with a Rawlings bag.

[dlygrisse]

[quote name='Big Smooth' timestamp='1308766956' post='3327462']
IIRC, 8802 or Anser, Wilson R-90 Sand Wedge and a mix of Hogan Apexes and Ram Tour Grinds for irons. I don't know about woods.
[/quote]

He definitely used an 8802 style for a while and there is the famous picture of him kissing the Ping putter, but I don't think it stayed in the bag long. I also remember him talking about using a 6-wood on occasion, which would probably be equivalent to about 25 degrees loft in the persimmon era. I would be curious if anyone had any pics or more detail.

[whateverworks]

[quote name='farmer' timestamp='1308760485' post='3327162']
I saw him play a couple of times in the mid-70's, and he was playing Faultless irons and a Faultless driver. In the equipment dept, both he and Sam Snead were disappointing. I wanted to see jewels, and instead found them playing clubs, as you say, that looked like they had fallen out of the back of a car.
[/quote]

I have a set of Faultess Trevino irons and they are sweet forgings.

[Guia]

I only recall him using Faultless irons and a Top Flite ball. In the back of my head I recall him using Ram for a while.

[Honman]

When Trevino used to play in Europe he would use John letters equipment. Trevino won the open using super Mex irons.

[jmvargas]

.........seems he could play with almost any clubs.....just goes to show how good an "indian" he was!!!

.......any arrow would do!!!

[elwhippy]

He used Honma persimmon woods when he won the British Open. I think Jacklin did as well. They were awesome quality and more than a match for MacGregor or Penna. He defo used John Letter's forged irons which were very good quality in the 70s and 80s. I alo recall him saying he carried 2 pitching wedges, one with a ladies flex shaft for feel shots and other stiffer version for his famous low spinning and grab approaches.

[Shallowface]

[quote name='farmer' timestamp='1308760485' post='3327162']
I saw him play a couple of times in the mid-70's, and he was playing Faultless irons and a Faultless driver. In the equipment dept, both he and Sam Snead were disappointing. I wanted to see jewels, and instead found them playing clubs, as you say, that looked like they had fallen out of the back of a car.
[/quote]

IIRC, the Faultless driver was a MacGregor EOM 60 that had been retrofitted with a Faultless soleplate.

[Shallowface]

[quote name='dlygrisse' timestamp='1308768447' post='3327532']
[quote name='Big Smooth' timestamp='1308766956' post='3327462']
IIRC, 8802 or Anser, Wilson R-90 Sand Wedge and a mix of Hogan Apexes and Ram Tour Grinds for irons. I don't know about woods.
[/quote]

He definitely used an 8802 style for a while and there is the famous picture of him kissing the Ping putter, but I don't think it stayed in the bag long. I also remember him talking about using a 6-wood on occasion, which would probably be equivalent to about 25 degrees loft in the persimmon era. I would be curious if anyone had any pics or more detail.
[/quote]

I remember reading about that 6 wood. He had it made by Bert Dargie in Memphis. Lee had Bert take a 3 wood block and "cut the loft back into the head." Never saw the club, but it almost sounds like they were trying to create a club that had a 6 wood loft but didn't have as much face progression as a normal high lofted wood typically had. It must have been a look Lee liked, as years later I heard that when he was using the high lofted Taylor Made Tour Cleeks, he had the necks bent on those to take away some of that face progression.

Also, the shaft in that 6 Wood was extremely stiff, as Lee said he wanted the feel of his wedge when hitting that wood.

Combine all of that, and it sounds like Lee Trevino should be credited with inventing the Hybrid Club!

[Mitchell]

Recall seeing him play in Greensboro Open in early 80's and distinctly remember him playing some incredible shots with a Wilson Staff JpII sandwedge that he stated was a "little strong" and the Wilson r90 that I recall hearing him say was set at 59* loft and was "almost like cheating out of the sand". He at that time was playing mix of two different models of Ram tour grinds and a Faultless pitching wedge, also remember a Taylormade tour spoon, and an old 8802, don't recall the driver at that event, but do recall that all his full shots had a sound that I only recall hearing from one other player, Nick Price in '94.

[dlygrisse]

[quote name='Shallowface' timestamp='1308828641' post='3329234']
[quote name='dlygrisse' timestamp='1308768447' post='3327532']
[quote name='Big Smooth' timestamp='1308766956' post='3327462']
IIRC, 8802 or Anser, Wilson R-90 Sand Wedge and a mix of Hogan Apexes and Ram Tour Grinds for irons. I don't know about woods.
[/quote]

He definitely used an 8802 style for a while and there is the famous picture of him kissing the Ping putter, but I don't think it stayed in the bag long. I also remember him talking about using a 6-wood on occasion, which would probably be equivalent to about 25 degrees loft in the persimmon era. I would be curious if anyone had any pics or more detail.
[/quote]

I remember reading about that 6 wood. He had it made by Bert Dargie in Memphis. Lee had Bert take a 3 wood block and "cut the loft back into the head." Never saw the club, but it almost sounds like they were trying to create a club that had a 6 wood loft but didn't have as much face progression as a normal high lofted wood typically had. It must have been a look Lee liked, as years later I heard that when he was using the high lofted Taylor Made Tour Cleeks, he had the necks bent on those to take away some of that face progression.

Also, the shaft in that 6 Wood was extremely stiff, as Lee said he wanted the feel of his wedge when hitting that wood.

Combine all of that, and it sounds like Lee Trevino should be credited with inventing the Hybrid Club!
[/quote]
Yeah, I remember during the early days of his senior career he had what I think was one of those old TM cleeks that probably had about 24* of loft on it, I still have one in my basement, very similar to what a hybrid is today but with a slightly longer shaft. very easy to elevate.

[Jmick26]

Saw him last year and he had big berthas and Callaway all around. Stil could hit the fade and draw on command with an eight iron while talking. He is an overall great person.

[DougnDallas]

I've been fortunate enough to watch him hit balls a few times- just incredible!

It's worth noting he doesn't use a 60* - he has 2 56's one with 0* bounce.

And I'll never forget that Top Flite 7 wood he used for many years!

[rex235]

Speaking of not forgetting-

If my memory serves me -

Lee Buck Trevino was using a Wilson Helen Hicks National Champion Dot Punch Face Sand Wedge("which he referred to as Miss Helen")
The Ping Putter he was kissing when he won the 1984 PGA at Shoal Creek over Gary Player was an A Blade-

As to his career-
The only major he didn't win was the Masters, where he uncharacteristicly gave Nicklaus 2 shots a round... (and Jack certainly didn't mind)
He has at least two of the other three-all during Nicklaus' prime.
Those 3 National Championships in the same month (US Open, British Open, and Canadian Open) a few years after Hogan, and before somebody named Woods......
And that '72 British Open stops Jack from the third leg of the Slam....when ABC broke into it's live programming (then tape delayed telecasts were the norm) to say "Lee Trevino had finished 6 under, and Jack Nicklaus was 5 under..."

And who kept Jack from that 1990 US Senior Open after he turned 50 at Ridgewood?

It's some of the best 30 seconds of TV player commentary ever... (sorry Johnny).......

Trevino describes in depth how Jack Nicklaus "has been peeking on this length putt...not keeping his head down"
and as if on cue, Nicklaus peeks....and ....lips out !

Trevino then exclaimed...."Gimme the Trophy"

I later saw Trevino with Herman Mitchell in MI at the Champions Tour Stop-
He was all Spalding Top Flite, with lead tape in some of those cavity back irons-

If Trevino says he can fix Tiger ......

[Night train]

When Hogan says you're a hell of a ball striker.......then you got some game.

Hogan said it and Trevino had it!

[Marty B]

He used top flite, ram tour and of course Bridgestone baby!

[brianf]

At the 1979 Canadian open his irons were Ram Tour Grinds. His 3 wood was a Spalding Top Flite, his sand wedge was a Wilson DynaPower. I think the putter was a Wilson 8802 and I forget what the driver was. Oh how do I know this. I was the sign boy in his group in round 2 or 3.

brianf

[rex235]

brianf-

Thanks for the input on Trevino's bag for the '79 Canadian Open...

That was at Glen Abbey...right?

[brianf]

[quote name='rex235' timestamp='1311485480' post='3418328']
brianf-

Thanks for the input on Trevino's bag for the '79 Canadian Open...

That was at Glen Abbey...right?
[/quote]

Correct!!!!

brianf

[MCoz]

[quote name='Shallowface' timestamp='1308828230' post='3329225']
[quote name='farmer' timestamp='1308760485' post='3327162']
I saw him play a couple of times in the mid-70's, and he was playing Faultless irons and a Faultless driver. In the equipment dept, both he and Sam Snead were disappointing. I wanted to see jewels, and instead found them playing clubs, as you say, that looked like they had fallen out of the back of a car.
[/quote]

IIRC, the Faultless driver was a MacGregor EOM 60 that had been retrofitted with a Faultless soleplate.
[/quote]
Interesting because, numerous MacGregor and Wilson key players used to bring Lou Ortiz at (the original) Orlimar sole plates and decals for him to make their persimmons!! It was considered among the top players that Orlimar had the best hand selected persimmon and Lou had the best hands in wood clubmaking. Not too different than MacGregor making blades for the top players and stamping them with the company name that the player was endorsing. Its not done anymore but it went on regularly in the 60's, 70's and the 80's!

[rgk5]

The Golden Ram blades he used were a gift from his friend Cesar Sanudo, a great player from Mexico. At one time, his SW was a Ben Hogan Special SI, like the one I still have.

From time to time he used a Power-Bilt persimmon driver. Lee's 8802 style putter was about 5* flatter than normal.

Wrap leather grips were his preference.

[tembolo1284]

what a freaking wizard this guy was with clubs.

[spooky]

He was pretty sharp with a taped up coke bottle as well.

[rex235]

[i]And Dr Pepper bottles too....

[/i]Lee Trevino made a chorus line commercial for Dr. Pepper, if memory serves me correctly.... [i] "Dr Pepper.....so misunderstood..."[/i]

[johnnypro]

[quote name='rgk5' timestamp='1311765695' post='3427894']
The Golden Ram blades he used were a gift from his friend Cesar Sanudo, a great player from Mexico. At one time, his SW was a Ben Hogan Special SI, like the one I still have.

From time to time he used a Power-Bilt persimmon driver. Lee's 8802 style putter was about 5* flatter than normal.

Wrap leather grips were his preference.
[/quote]


In his prime years, his driver was a MacGregor / Toney Penna EOM 60 with an aluminum pin in the insert surrounded by four screws.

[Doublebuck]

Anyone know what he plays today?

[mac94]

[quote name='Jmick26' timestamp='1308866883' post='3330870']
Saw him last year and he had big berthas and Callaway all around. Stil could hit the fade and draw on command with an eight iron while talking. He is an overall great person.
[/quote]
Not sure all his kids would agree.