October 2006

I just read a repot that said that Greg Norman is about to become the controlling interest in MacGregor Golf. What’s that mean for us golfers ? I wish I knew, but I’ll bet on several things.

1) They be a player in the golfosphere in 3 years.

3) It’ll be a helluva ride in between.

Here’s some of the highlights of the news article I saw :

” Greg Norman’s business empire continues to expand with the news that he has acquired a controlling interest in a famous golf equipment company.

Australia’s richest sportsman will hold a press conference on Friday at which he will discuss his deal with MacGregor Golf, and sources say that he has gained control of 51 per cent of the company.

In return, MacGregor will acquire the Greg Norman Collection clothing line, which comprises a significant chunk of Norman’s company, Great White Shark Enterprises, generating sales of nearly $US200 million ($A263.35 million) annually, according to BusinessWeek magazine. “

Do they think they can get a foothold in the apparel market with his name recognition ? I’d say so. And he’s a helluva businessman and a smart marketer.

” MacGregor, based Georgia, is not a major player in the modern professional game, with just a handful of touring pros using its clubs, most notably Norman, fellow Australians Steve Elkington and Aaron Baddeley and Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal. “

Will we be seeing more pros playing their clubs ? I’d say their irons are about to take off, sales wise. Their irons have always been at the tops of the blade market.

” This is not Norman’s first big deal with an equipment company. In the early 1990s he made a lucrative investment in Cobra Golf that eventually returned more than $US40 million. “

And when he sold out, they dropped out of sight. Will the same thing happen to MacGregor ?

I certainly don’t know, but I do know this : If they’re looking for a place to advertise, we’re here for them. And I’d love a new set of irons to try and am always glad to wear new golf shirts that promote my favorite golf eqipment and clothing company !

Good luck to macGregor and Greg Norman. I’m looking forward to seeing how they market themselves. I’ll bet the stock takes off, too.

Did anyone else see the news snippet that said that there was advertising on the flagsticks during the Pro-Am part of the Administaff Small Business Classic ?

Has anyone ever seen this on a course they’ve played ?

Would you be for or against it ?

Would you bother to try and see who was doing the advertising ?

Want to find out more ? Here’s a link to one website with more info.

It’s getting closer and closer to Christmas time and the golfers on you list are going to need a few things to keep them satisfied til next spring, so I’ve found a golf gift article to share with you today.

Before we get to Gordon Petten’s article, I want to remind you of my favorite golf gift … Card Golf !

Gifts, as is known are matter of expressing intimacy and are exchanged without price. Golf gifts are no exception. Being a golfer when you think of gifting something to anyone the first thing which will come to your mind will surely be the golf gift. Usually golf gifts are given to potential young golfers to encourage them to play more and more golf.

You have to choose perfect golf gifts for these young beginners considering their style. You have plenty of golf articles and accessories to choose from. To name some of golf gifts they are golf clubs, golf irons, golf bags, golf knickers, classic ball case etc. In the succeeding paragraphs we will elaborate on importance of each golf gift.

In my opinion golf books are the best golf gifts for beginners. A beginner learns lot of things about game and adds to his/her knowledge of the game by reading golf books.

Next come golf lessons. These lessons help potential beginners to decide whether he/she really wants to take the game or he/she likes the golf or not. Golf lessons, golf books and CDs/DVDs are excellent golf gifts for beginners.

Many beginners start playing golf with hired or borrowed golf clubs. Usually, golf clubs are considered as matter of personal choice. However, one may not be willing to purchase expensive golf clubs at the beginning. For such people first set of golf club is considered as best gift amongst other golf gifts. Remember to present these golf clubs in a golf bag.

There are number of golf accessories available in markets which as categorized as golf gifts. Golf gloves, ball markers and tees, though some what expensive, are nice golf gifts. Depending to you affordability and intimacy to the person you are going to present golf gifts you may like to present a full set of golf starter kit to a potential beginner.

Golf balls are also the popular articles for presenting as golf gifts. Beginners are not concerned about the type, compression and construction of these golf balls. You can choose golf balls personalizing with nickname, name or customs logo of the beginner. Only disadvantage of gifting such golf balls is that if the ball is lost the person to whom you have gifted it may get upset.

Golf shoes are other option from the golf gifts. Golf shoes are basic requirement for playing golf. Choosing a right shoe that will be fitting and providing comfort to the person you are gifting is not an easy task. Remember you have alternate option of gift certificate. Instead of presenting golf shoes as golf gifts, present a gift certificate and allow him/her to purchase shoes of his/her choice.

Golf courses are considered to be one of the expensive ventures of sports due to their fees structure. To avoid such expensive venture, driving ranges are considered to be best alternative. Presenting a membership of driving range may be the best among golf gifts for a beginner.

Ball tokens, golf gift certificates and 10 bucket pass are the other golf gifts available. Golf gifts are considered to be a motivating factor for beginners.

Golf Grip kits are a common phenomenon amongst golfers. Golfers are always choosy about their golf grip kits. Golf grip kits consist of tape, instruction book and a CD or DVD containing photos about use of golf equipments. Usually, golf grip kits are provided with golf irons and golf grips. Golf grip kits provide you all information like specification, maintenance guide and instruction about the handling of the equipment. Golf grip kits are of utmost importance for the beginners are they get the required information of golf equipments through these golf grip kits.

Thanks to Gordon and if you have a golf related article that you’d like to share, feel free to email me here at this domain and I’ll be happy to share it with the readers.

The image above is part of the golf gift packages available here.

Mitchell Publishing Company has launched its new Internet publication Club Repair News.

This monthly publication is a new voice for club performance repair. The golf industry has fully embraced repair upgrades that enhance club performance to improve scoring for golfers of all handicaps.

This service has become popular at retail stores, with golf professionals and by club makers worldwide. They are providing tour quality performance upgrades like tour professionals receive each week on tour from club manufacturers’ repair vans.

Golfers are seeking out and want this service from the golf industry. Club performance repair shops have become a profitable operation at most major retail golf stores. Golf professionals are either adding repair shops to their existing pro shop or building learning centers on the range with state-of-the-art repair shops to provide complete club performance upgrades.

Ed Mitchell, President of Mitchell Publishing Company states, ” There has long been a void in communications between industry professionals and golfers regarding retrofitting clubs for better performance. Club Repair News will be a voice that brings current and new information to both segments of golf. Club repair is not about broken clubs; it is about improving the performance of clubs for lower scores. ”

Club Repair News will be published monthly with technical and other interesting articles related to club performance upgrades including a featured “Recognized” Mitchell Club Repair Shop.

Industry professionals and other experts on club performance are welcome to submit articles for consideration of publishing.

If you have information to share and want it published to the golf industry contact Ed Mitchell, ed@clubrepairnews.com.

It seems that due to some forward thinking and the drive to manufacture the best golf bags on the market, Burton Golf has introduced the latest technology in golf stand bags - Monoshock. The patent-pending shock spring system is the culmination of extensive golfer surveys, exhaustive computer simulation and two years of development.

The Monoshock system uses springs to quickly and consistently deploy and retract stand legs to a repeatable stand width. The system also includes a cart/carry switch that allows the user to lock stand legs in place for transport or cart use.

The Monoshock system is available in a new series of bags from Burton. Each bag also includes the company’s X-FIT Sling System for unsurpassed functionality and comfort. The X-FIT’s reverse scissor action prevents straps from sliding off the user’s shoulders and is easily used with one or both straps. The Microbead strap material conforms and distributes weight, offering cushion and comfort for a completely custom fit.

Three sleek bag designs have been introduced as part of the Monoshock series. The Monoshock 300, Monoshock 200 and Monoshock 100 have suggested retail prices of $169, $149 and $139, respectively.

I just read that IZZO Golf, the well-known designer and manufacturer of the original Dual Strap golf bags has recently released two new training aids.

About the Backyard Driving Range™, they say it’s the perfect training aid to improve your accuracy and distance control. A great gift idea and perfect for golfers who want more challenge than hitting into a net, the Backyard Driving Range comes with three targets and three flags that can be placed at varying yardages and is meant to replicate the look and feel of a driving range.

The Transfer Wedge™ is the perfect tool for adding power to the golf swing. By improving weight transfer and eliminating sway, the Transfer Wedge can improve all golfers ability to make a full rotation towards the target. By improving these aspects the results are a more powerful, repeatable golf swing.

Drop by their website for a look at their golf bags, golf training aids and golf clubs.

I recently had the great pleasure to revisit the golf links at Cambridge Golf Course just north of Evansville, Indiana.

The wind was blowing VERY strong, maybe 20-25 MPH and it was bright and sunny.

The greens were in tremendous shape after their recent aerification, which I could only guess at, not see.

Tony has the zoysia fairways in perfect shape, the rough, which I only heard about, never really saw, must have gone south for the year.

The tee boxes are as good as some greens I’ve played this year.

The maintenance staff was very friendly and never interferred with our play. I can’t blame the piss-poor 80 I shot on them. My friend Rob Condo, from Louisville, shot a smooth 73.

The best part of the day was catching up to Ray Wright, the owner, in the grill room. Mr. Wright is as gracious as any southern gentleman I’ve ever met and his ownership and guidance these last 3 years ( or so ) have taken this course off life support and put it at the top of my favorite courses to play.

Heath and his staff in the pro shop are very friendly and they even remembered my name from my last visit.

The new clubhouse is as impressive as the great ones like at Muirfield Village and Troon.

The views from up high, of the southern Indiana countryside are regal and relaxing.

If you get anywhere near Evanville and need a player, email me and I’ll be glad to join you for one of the tri-state’s best golf experiences.

Thanks to everyone that made mine and Rob’s day.

I just read another great review of Card Golf.

Over at primary rough, Nick gives you a detailed look at the first time he played Pebble Beach … Card Golf style.

It’s about to get cold and nasty in some parts of the world and this is one great way to stay connected to the game of golf and learn a little course management in the process.

Click thru and read Nick’s post and subscribe to his RSS feed while you’re there.

Thanks go out to CBS for giving Lanny Wadkins a chance to back up all those comments he made that alluded to his golfing ability. Yes, he was a pretty good golfer for a short time, but I doubt he’ll make any big noise on the Champions Tour.

CBS went from bad to worse when they replaced Ken Venturi with Lanny Wadkins. Now we’ll get to listen to Faldo’s acerbic comments and glean the thoughts of a six-time Major championship winner. I think it’ll work.

Will he do a better job than Lanny ? You’d have to think so. Can even the great Nick Faldo cover up the fact that Jim Nantz is as bad as we all believe ? Not a freakin’ chance.

Wouldn’t you hate to play a round with someone (Nantz) that syrupy ? I would.

They’ll never get rid of him (Nantz), so we’ll have to just make the best of the situation.

Faldo will be the man for 3 of the four majors. He’ll do The Open Championship for ABC, The Masters and The PGA Championship for CBS and we’ll get Johnny Miller for the U.S. Open.

Hopefully Paul Azinger will take this as a hint to go back to playing golf for a living, as he ain’t what we’re looking for behind the mic either. But he is a helluva gritty and talented player who’s fun to watch.

Maybe more involvement by the Golf Channel will help the broadcast’s of PGA Tour events.

One thing I can suggest that would help all the broadcasters on every network - get the muckety mucks to forget about their silly policy requiring jackets on the analysts.

Why in the heck would golf broadcasts not be done by people in golf attire ?

The Club at Olde Stone, the world’s most expensive golf course that doesn’t have a website, conceived to boldly go where no development had gone before, officially got there on June 1, 2006, when it opened for member play here just outside of Bowling Green, Kentucky.

“It’ll take time for all the course-raters and pundits to see what’s been created here, but we’re confident they’ll be blown away by what they find,” said Club at Olde Stone owner Jim Scott, who estimates that $13 million was spent on the golf course alone.

My favorite golf course designer just happened to be the architect here.

“The layout Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates have designed here is second to none — not just in Kentucky but this entire region. What we’ve done is take that quality foundation and built on it, by daring to do what others had not.”

The Club at Old Stone does indeed show what’s possible when spectacular terrain is exposed to expert course architecture, cutting-edge agronomics and innovative land-planning tenets.

Designed by Toledo, Ohio-based Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates, Olde Stone’s 7,372 yard layout is distinguished immediately by its playing conditions: bentgrass greens, tees and fairways in a southerly region — the infamous Transition Zone — where wall-to-wall bentgrass wasn’t thought possible. Working closely with Hills/Forrest and Olde Stone superintendent Wyatt Warfel, Oliphant Golf Construction built each fairways in the fashion of a putting surface: creating extensive subsurface drainage, then capping each fairway with an 8- to 10-inch layer of sand. This extraordinary measure added six weeks and $1 million to the construction process, but it enabled the wicking away of moisture that normally dooms bentgrass during steamy summer months in the Transition Zone.

“Anytime you can get the moisture out of that plant through these hot spells, you’re better off,” said Drew Rogers, the Hills/Forrest partner who directed the Olde Stone project. “To this point, it’s been nothing short of amazing. Wyatt has had no disease. No pythium on tees and fairways because they drain so well. And little to no poa annua infestation.”

Bentgrass fairways in particular also allowed Rogers to design a firm-and-fast course that emphasizes the ground game. The 15th, a 472-yard par-4 called “Symphony”, illustrates the dynamic: A cross-bunker sits 20 yards short of the green, daring players to simply clear the hazard and roll the ball onto a narrow, undulating putting surface that would repel most aerial approaches. “without the bounce and firmness provided by the bentgrass and subsurface conditions, you would not tend to arrange a green complex like that,” Rogers explained. “Those types of greens are more apt to be found on some of our older, classic courses from the 1920s, or in the British Isles where the ground is inherently firm and well-drained.”

The Club at Olde Stone is also unique for its overall master plan, a New Urbanist approach that called for the development of an actual village center amenitized with public space and light retail. This village is stocked with an array of smaller housing units (cottages, duplexes, even lofts located upstairs from shops) and surrounded by solely residential neighborhoods where, in transect planning fashion, lot sizes tend to get larger the further they sit from the village green, which spreads out before an opulent stone clubhouse. Automotive use within the community is discouraged in favor of foot and bicycle paths.

This novel development tactic allowed more lots than a traditional scheme would have (to date, 69 of the 384 lots have been sold; less than 100 of a targeted 350 golf memberships remain available). Just as important, this concentrated, New Urbanist approach allowed Rogers and Hills/Forrest to create a core golf course unimpeded by home sites and road crossings.

“The strongest element of this project was the land itself — it features a stunning diversity of terrain,” Rogers explained. “The land-planning methodology here allowed us to maximize use of that terrain without having to account for excessive housing lots and other trappings of traditional subdivisions, which is very rare these days.”

Holes 2 through 7 at Olde Stone are located in the expansive floodplain of Drake’s Creek, allowing holes like the double-fairwayed, par-5 7th (”Wishbone”). The remaining holes sit higher on the property, where dramatic elevation change, accents of golden fescue and vintage design strategies provide a wholly different feel and challenge.

While most premium course designs today feature a driveable par-4, Olde Stone has one on each side — and they couldn’t be more different. With its super-wide fairway snaking around a gaping cross-bunker at right, the level 6th, called “Oxbow”, invites a half-dozen options off the tee; only when standing on the riverside green — an elegant, almost triangular plateau with a brontosaurus tail slithering back toward the fairway — does the player realize it can be driven. At “Vesuvius”, the steeply downhill 14th, a question-mark fairway fairly well begs players to eschew the lay-up and drive the volcano putting surface, over a pond.

“I think Jim Scott and his team are to be congratulated for really seizing the opportunity at Olde Stone,” Rogers said. “They knew they had a spectacular piece of land and, for someone else, maybe it would have been enough to build a first-rate golf course and some nice housing. But this place breaks the mold.”

EDIT - 11/12/06 I’ve been informed of the addy to their website thru a comment, as you can see bleow. Thanks to Greg Slaughter !