A PGA Merchandise Show Pre-Show Primer

For those in the golf industry an introduction to the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando is not necessary.  However, for those outside the industry I’ll provide you with a short overview and what I anticipate seeing at this year’s show. Why? Because, unfortunately, the public is not invited and security is tight.

Staged at the end of January at the Orlando Orange County Convention Center, the PGA Merchandise Show attracts more than 40,000 movers and shakers, PGA Professionals, manufacturing executives, retailers and a few wannabes who want to get into the golf business.

Next week, right here on this blog, I’ll provide you with an in-depth look at what’s new in golf in 2010.

Now, back to the show.

There are 10 miles of show aisles with every thing from the latest forged irons and titanium head drivers to ancillary golf industry products like cigars, single malt whiskeys, wine produced by PGA Tour pros, wacky headcovers and golf range tractors. The bottom line is, if you’ve got a golf product and you’re not represented some way at the PGA Merchandise Show, you haven’t got much of a golf product. Some 1,000 golf manufacturers have a booth or exhibit space at the show. In addition, there’s an outdoor Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Center where retailers and media types can try out new equipment that will begin appearing at stores in late February and early March, a variety of education conferences, a career fair, a concert featuring the rock group “Kansas”, a PGA Forum Stage, a new product center and other activities.

Among the celebrities scheduled to appear at this year's show are Annika Sorenstam, Justin Leonard, Paula Creamer, Tony Jacklin, Hank Haney and Natalie Gulbis.

This is my 13^th year to attend the PGA Merchandise Show and I look forward every year to renewing acquaintances with other writers, public relations pros and other golf industry people I've met along the way.

Here are some of the new products I’m looking forward to seeing this year:

Drivers: The new TaylorMade Burner 2010, which will appear in shops in February, the Speedline Fast 10 driver by Adams and the Ping G15 driver.

Irons: For low- to- mid-swing golfers, Wilson Golf has come up with the new D-FY iron, an iron and hybrid combination that features at half steel/half graphite shaft. It’s different and I’m like to see if it really works.

Fairway Woods: Do you consistently hit the ball to the right? If you’re a hacker like me, you probably do. Apparently Nike is doing something about the problem with their new adjustable VR Fairways woods, which allow you do dial the face slightly to the left.

Putters: Odyssey and Callaway are introducing three new putters in line named Backstryke, which feature a shaft angled severely rearward near the putter head.

Teaching aid: The product sent me a pre-show press release that promises to take 5 strokes off everybody’s golf score. Accuputt is an indoor golf putting system involving some sort of invisible laser line. In their media release they state “95% of golf testers reported lowering their average putts per round by 5, in actual golf course play, after using Accuputt for just 15 minutes daily for 30 days. This I gotta see.

The Wacky: Every year there are a host of companies hoping to capitalize on niche markets. Here are a few of booths I look forward to visiting:

Tattoo Golf-Debuting at the show, they boast “a unique line of aggressive golf clothing”. Their logo is a skull with crossed clubs and I’m assuming they’re hoping a lot of Black Sabbath, Van Halen and White Snake fans play golf.

Golf Genie-An iPhone application designed by PGA instructors for on-course use and off-course preparation. It has advice on golf shot club selection, setup and execution and helps to fix problem swings. According to the company’s pre-show release, the Golf Genie sold out its first run in less than two months.

Creative Covers—The company boasts that “Superheroes are coming to your local golf course.” They’re introducing headcovers with Warner Bros. designs that include Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Scooby Doo, the Flintstones and Tom & Jerry.

 

 

 

Tiger's Absence Good for Golf

Saying Tiger’s self-imposed exile from the PGA Tour is good for golf is blasphemous, I know.

Let me explain.

First, I think his temporary absence not his permanent departure will help the game.

The PGA Tour and the golf industry in general have been riding the Tiger Woods gravy train far too long. Let’s face it, everybody in the golf business has gotten a bit lazy as Tiger literally carried the Tour, television and the media and Nike Golf on his broad shoulders.

The Tiger Woods gravy train has rewarded the PGA Tour with purses that have increased nearly 300 percent since Tiger’s arrival in the late 1990s. Say what you will about Tiger’s personal failures, but nobody can criticize the impact he has had on the golf business.

Tiger’s gone for now and oh how reality bites. The PGA Tour will suffer much the same way the NBA did after Michael Jordan retired. During Jordan’s heyday, he and the Chicago Bulls were relentlessly promoted to the detriment of other teams. If the Bulls and Jordan weren’t playing, rest assured, NBA fans weren’t going to tune in to see a Sacramento Kings vs. Washington Wizards game. Jordan had set the standard for performance and celebrity much higher than any other player or team could reach. Today’s NBA has expanded to include a galaxy of stars like Lebron, Kobe, Shaq, Dirk and Carmelo. Now, a Cavaliers vs. Mavericks game is a tough ticket.

Tiger had a similar impact on the PGA Tour. If Woods was not teeing up, tournaments didn’t lose some luster they almost lost legitimacy. Tournaments like the Reno-Tahoe Open or Turning Stone Resort Championship were relegated to afterthought status. Not because they weren’t good tournaments but because Tiger wasn’t playing and, consequently, they lacked validation from the game’s greatest player.

The preoccupation with Tiger will subside temporarily with the PGA Tour, sponsors and the media. Surprisingly, Nike, the company more closely associated with Tiger than any other, is leading the way. In many of their current marketing materials promoting their equipment they’re using other members of their tour staff like major champions Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Justin Leonard and players like Anthony Kim and Trevor Immelman.

I believe this period of “tough love” will help the PGA Tour become more diversified and less reliant on one overwhelming personality. It’ll force the Tour to promote young players. When Tiger does return, the Tour will be stronger and more interesting because fans will have more to cheer about.

The Tiger Woods gravy train has pulled into the station. Hopefully the Tour will respond with a great year in 2010 and players like Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Nick Watney will establish themselves as the next galaxy of stars.

If these youngsters deliver this year, who knows, we might even start looking forward to the Reno-Tahoe Open.

I hope so.

 

 

 

My Most Memorable Golf Experiences Part I

Before I get started, please understand this list is NOT a golf ranking, which is a staple with many blogs, websites, magazines and newsletters. I consider most rankings too unscientific and marketing driven and essentially worthless.

Months or years after a round, however, most players remember the total experience, not just the course. Oftentimes, friendly starters and rangers, ice cold beer on the beverage cart, well-maintained course conditions, an exotic setting, phenomenal weather, scoring low, camaraderie and other factors are main contributors to the total golf experience.

That said, here are my most memorable golf experiences:

Kingsbarns Golf Links, Kingsbarns, Fife, Scotland

Located 15 minutes from St. Andrews, Kingsbarns is Scotland’s answer to Pebble Beach. What do I remember: Wide fairways, fantastic greens with great movement and contours, the smell of the sea air and the sound of the waves on the rocks and beach. A man-made links course designed by Mark Parsinnen and Kyle Phillips in 2000, Kingsbarns has a special place in my heart. I’ll always remember standing on the 2^nd hole, a 190-yard par-3, and high-fiving my playing partners: my teenage son and 11-year old daughter. We were all thinking the same thing: Can you believe we’re standing here? Are we lucky or what?

Mission Hills Resort Course, Shenzhen, China

I scored a hole-in-one on no. 13 on the Olazabal course. Or at least I think it was the Olazabal course. Geez, this sprawling, mega golf complex has twelve golf courses so it’s hard to keep up with all of them. Yes, I just checked my hole-in-one certificate and it was the Olazabal. It was at the end of a long day and we were playing in the dark and could barely see the flag. While my playing partners insist a player from the group ahead dropped one through his pant leg into the hole, I strongly dispute that story as they were under the influence of a few too many Tsingtao Chinese beers. Regardless, the resort rewarded me and my group with a fabulous bottle of champagne after the round and every time I see Jose Maria on T.V. I make a silent toast and thank him for designing the course that has made me infamous with several other golf writers.

Eden Course, St. Andrews, Scotland

What about the Old Course? The truth is I’ve been to St. Andrews three times in my life and I’ve never played the Old Course. On previous trips, a series of schedule changes and snafus have denied me the opportunity to play what many rate as the best course in the world.  I’ll never forget the misty morning my son and I played the Eden Course, however. While most golfers pay passing interest to the Eden because of its short yardages (only 6,250 yards), it was a thoroughly enjoyable links golf experience. I’m a struggling mid-handicapper and I had a great round by staying in play and putting well. My son, who was 17 at the time and an accomplished junior player, absolutely loved all the shotmaking opportunities. If you can’t play the Old, play the Eden for a fun challenge where you can score well on this par 70 gem. It’s more forgiving than the three courses on the seaward side. It opened for play in 1914 and was designed by Harry S. Colt and later received some alterations by Donald Steele