Golf Club Design
Golf Club Development
Sourcing & Consulting
Founder's Club
Gary Adams, known as the founder of today's modern metalwoods started the Founder's Club golf company after his previous success of launching TaylorMade. Founder's Club had a superb touring staff in the early 1990's with the likes of Lanny Wadkins, Lee Janzen, Fred Funk and Peter Jacobson. In addition, numerous tour veterans played the equipment without being on their staff. Such notables are Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer and Ian Baker-Finch.
Model: Judge Tour CB
Material/Mfg: 1030 Forged Carbon Steel
Introduction: 1994
The Tour CB was the final of three prototypes I had developed for Founders Club’s first cavity back forging. It was preceded by the Series 100 and more popular Series 200 forged blades. Nearly our entire tour staff was using the blades but there was always an inquiry from them about a cavity back forging. The perimeter mass was strategically positioned for a very solid feel on center hits and a tight cavity feel on off-center impacts. Endo Manufacturing in Nigata, Japan produced these very fine forgings which were deemed an “instant classic” by Golf Magazine in their annual equipment review. A second generation of the Tour CB was introduced in 1995 using Lanny Watkin’s personal grind and offset in the production model. Dave Stockton also used these irons to be the PGA Senior Tour’s leading money winner in 1993 and 1994.
Model: Defense Wedges
Material/Mfg: 1030 Forged Carbon Steel
Introductions: 1991 – 1995
The first Defense Wedge forgings were originally co-developed by Bob Vokey (Titleist wedge guru) and Harry Taylor (eventual Mizuno V.P. of Tour Operations). With their departure at the end of 1992 from Founders Club I took over the expansion of the Defense Wedge family for the next three years. The face profiles were a classic shape but slightly oversized compared to the other blade wedges on the market. There was also good tour representation with this model being in the bags of dozens of PGA and Senior PGA players. Forged at the Endo Manufacturing company in Nigata, Japan. Ironically, of the more than 400 clubs I've
designed that have gone to market, this is the only one that has had my initials on it.
Model: DSD1/2 - Lucky Putter
Material/Mfg: Investment Cast Aluminum with Brass Horseshoe Weighting
Introduction: 1995
I share the patent on this design with Bob Vokey. In fact, I believe it was our first patent for both of us. Bob and our CAD engineer Barry Schaeffer created the geometry with staff member Dave Stockton in mind. Thus the DSD name designation (Dave Stockton Design). My contribution was the horse shoe weighting system developed separately from the design. This is a unique putter collectable if one can be found.
Model: Judge Strong Irons
Material/Mfg: Investment Cast 17-4 Stainless Steel
Introduction: 1994
This was a product slightly ahead of its time. The Judge Strong irons were introduced with a progressively wider sole as the set transitioned into the lower lofted longer irons. Many of today’s game improvement models now take this approach but it was a unique feature 15 years ago. As the name states, the Strong irons had strong lofts to hit the ball farther. The unique weighting system got the ball airborne easily. Another Judge Strong innovation was the Nippon steel shafts which were produced in Japan. I used a stepless design which weighed 85-grams for the men’s and only 77-grams for the women’s flexes. This was the same weight of the graphite shafts offered at that time but cutting edge for steel construction.