The Ace of Clubs

Aldila Shafts

2010-06-14T06:49:00.001-07:00

Check out the new website aldilashaft.com featuring all the latest news, information and product updates from Aldila Shafts.

Odyssey to Offer ProType Phil Mickelson Putter

2010-05-04T15:40:00.001-07:00

Limited Edition Debuts Amid Dominant Run for Odyssey on the World's Major Tours

CARLSBAD, Calif., April 26, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY) today announced the introduction of the Odyssey(R) ProType(TM) 82 Putter, a limited edition design inspired by the same model Phil Mickelson used to win his third Green Jacket. Only 82 right-handed and 82 left-handed ProType putters will be available for purchase in the United States. The Callaway golf putter might be available at www.onlygolfthailand.com.

Beginning May 10 at 11:00 AM ET (8:00 AM PT), those interested in owning one of these limited edition putters can sign up to be eligible for purchase on a first-come basis at OdysseyGolf.com. Each of these 164 individually numbered, limited edition putters features a green highlight on the sole, a nod to Mickelson's win at Augusta earlier this month.

Since the year 2000, Odyssey has been the # 1 Putter across the world's major professional tours in wins, usage and top-10 finishes. Throughout 2010, Odyssey putters have performed particularly well on the PGA Tour, already claiming a total of eight victories--the majority of which were captured by models featuring Odyssey's distinctive White Hot and White Ice(R) inserts, which run across the face of the putter. Odyssey's eight PGA Tour wins is more than putters from Ping(R), TaylorMade(R), Nike(R) and Rife(R) have combined in 2010. Callaway Golf Hong Kong might stock it.

The ProType 82 features Odyssey's new White Ice insert, with a Tungsten weight behind it, along with a single white sightline that stretches from the face of the putter down the back flange--a look requested by Mickelson himself. These limited edition PT 82 putters will also come with a Phil Mickelson Limited Edition headcover and a Black Series grip, identical to what the four-time major champion used to win at Augusta.

"I'm very excited that the designers at Odyssey have produced this limited edition putter with the same design as my gamer," Mickelson said. "Tournaments are won and lost on the green, which is why I rely on Odyssey technology. Our design team gives me the best chance to win. Odyssey's winning results on tour are a testament to their engineering capabilities."

"We develop more putters for tour players around the world than any other company," said Austie Rollinson, Principle Designer for Odyssey Golf. "Phil came to us a few years back to develop this particular model and he's obviously had great success with it on the PGA Tour. The ProType 82 Putter was developed due to the large number of requests we receive from people interested in the product that Phil uses on the game's biggest stage."

"There are also a handful of ProType putters like Phil's in development and in play on tours across the world," Rollinson added. "We firmly believe that in order for Odyssey to remain the dominant putter company in the world, it's crucial that we continue to develop and vet our ideas with the best players in the game." Golf Shop Thailand definitely will try to get this Callaway golf putter.

Each of the 164 individually numbered, limited edition ProType 82 putters will be available at an asking price of $500. For more information on this offer and Odyssey's complete lineup, please visit http://www.odysseygolf.com/. High-resolution images of all products are available for immediate download via the Media Center portion of Callaway Golf's website: www.callawaygolf.com/Global/en-US/MediaCenter.html.

Project X Shafts from Golf Shafts Asia

2010-04-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Project X Rifle shafts have been embraced by professional and amateur golfers for their smooth feel and vibration dampening. All Rifle shaft sets are Frequency Matched to ensure identical shaft stiffness from club to club. The Rifle Project X Shaft is the most advanced and most talked about Rifle shaft to date.

What Makes It Work? The Project X shafts feature a constant taper throughout the entire length of the shaft. This constant taper increases the energy transfer to the ball and produces higher, flatter shots. The taper is different in each shaft of the set to produce optimal performance with each club.

The Project X shaft is definitely geared for the stronger player. This is a tour weight shaft that produces a low spinning, penetrating trajectory. This shaft is used by many professional and top amateur players who really attack the ball. These players will benefit from the flatter trajectory and overall stiffness of the Project X shaft. Royal Precision has also introduced a Rifle Project X High Launch version for the mid to high handicap players.

Most players have commented that the Project X gives them more control and a more stable feel compared with Flighted Rifle shafts from Royal Precision. Project X will also feel stiffer than other Rifle shafts. The most common complaint we hear regarding the Project X is that the high balance point puts too much weight in the players hands and not enough in the head. A lot of golfers really like the look of this shaft, stepless with a brushed satin finish.

To buy project x shafts visit www.projectxshafts.com or www.golfshaftsasia.com

Ernie Els Rides New Callaway Driver, Golf Ball & Odyssey Putter to Victory

2010-04-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

FT Tour Driver, Tour i(s) Golf Ball and Odyssey White Ice Putter Pave Way to Big Win at Doral's WGC-CA

CARLSBAD, Calif., March 15, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY) staff professional Ernie Els performed brilliantly over four rounds at the WGC-CA Championships held this past weekend at Doral Golf Resort in Miami. Eventually winning by four strokes over a star-studded field, the "Big Easy" dominated the competition with masterful control over every aspect of his game. After Sunday's victory, Els gave credit to the new Callaway and Odyssey equipment that channeled his triumphant passage through the blustery conditions that made Doral's infamous "Blue Monster" even more monstrous.

"First of all, my equipment is good," Els said. Speaking specifically of his new Callaway FT Tour Driver, he added, "It was great in the wind, wasn't ballooning, and I was hitting it quite long."

Callaway's new FT Tour Driver features a 440 cc multi-material clubhead with a full-length hosel and a slightly open face angle to deliver the look at address preferred by highly skilled players. FT Tour's design combines an ultra lightweight carbon composite body that delivers extraordinary accuracy and workability, with a titanium Hyperbolic clubface that yields incredible ball speeds and increased distance. Originally introduced on the professional tours in 2009 as FT-9 Tour Authentic, the tremendous excitement that was buzzing among the world's best players convinced Callaway officials to commercialize the product in 2010 as FT Tour. Els started off the year playing the new Callaway FT-iZ Driver, but decided to employ FT Tour at Doral. Both FT Tour and FT-iZ arrived at retail this month and feature a new product introduction retail price of $399.

Els' favorite new piece of equipment may in fact be the new Callaway Tour i(s) golf ball, which is the softest tour ball that Callaway has ever developed. Els first fell in love with the Tour i(s) at the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai this past November, an event he came very close to winning before finishing second to fellow Callaway staffer Phil Mickelson.

"The new Tour i(s) golf ball is phenomenal!" said Els in November, and then presciently added, "I'm looking forward to the future now and I think my equipment is spot-on." This past Sunday at Doral after finishing his flawless round, Els continued the praise of Callaway's Tour i(s), which is also Mickelson's current ball of choice. "The golf ball I'm using, the Callaway Tour i(s), it's a softer ball and my short game really came back," said Els, who likens the soft feel of the new Tour i(s) to the balata balls that once dominated play prior to the introduction of today's multi-piece golf balls.

The Callaway Tour i(s) features second-generation Dual Core that delivers outstanding spin separation for lower driver spin off the tee and higher spin within striking distance of the pin. The result is optimized performance throughout the round. Tour i(s)' advanced HEX Aerodynamics deliver a penetrating ball flight in all wind conditions, as evidenced by Ernie's performance in the high gusts that players battled at Doral this past weekend. Now available at retail, Callaway's Tour i(s) golf balls feature a new product introduction retail price of $42.99 a dozen.

Sinking clutch putts is vital to success at any level, and for that Els turned to his new Odyssey White Ice #5 model to win the WGC-CA Championship. Odyssey is the # 1 Putter across the world's major professional tours in wins, usage and top-10 finishes. The new White Ice line features a rich dark nickel finish that was inspired by tour feedback and a new insert that is 19% firmer and 92% stiffer than previous models. The White Ice insert matches well with the softer balls in play on tour this year in response to the new condition of competition regarding grooves. Odyssey's White Ice line features increased feel, responsiveness and distance control, and are available for purchase with a new product introduction retail price of $129 for core models and $179 for progressive shapes.

Buy the Callaway Driver and Odyssey Putters at Only Golf Thailand

Golf Corner Hong Kong

2010-02-03T20:07:00.001-08:00

If you're playing golf in Hong Kong after your Thailand golf trip, stop in and see the guys at Golf Corner, who are located next to Times Square in Causeway Bay. To find out their exact location and more about this Hong Kong Golf Shop, visit their website at www.golfcornerhk.com

COBRA GOLF INTRODUCES THE ZL DRIVER

2010-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Advanced Multi-Material Design with Adjustable Flight Technology Maximizes Distance and Accuracy

CARLSBAD, CA (October 20, 2009) - Cobra Golf unveils their most innovative, highest-performing driver ever, the ZL, which is designed to help all golfers achieve more distance. ZL stands for Zero Limits; which speaks to the mindset Cobra engineers had when they set out to design the longest driver in Cobra’s 36 year history. Its Advanced Multi-Material Construction and Adjustable Flight Technology are complete game-changers. The superior performance of the ZL driver is supported by the fact that Cobra PGA staff players Geoff Ogilvy, J.B. Holmes and Jason Gore have already put the new driver in play.

"Cobra has a history of developing powerful, yet easy-to-hit drivers," says Brian Zender, General Manager of Cobra Golf. "The ZL Driver sets a new standard, in terms of providing maximum distance, forgiveness and control. It combines the best technology, materials and design we’ve ever built into a driver – plus the ZL offers the additional performance benefit of tuned ball flight. With our exclusive Adjustable Flight Technology we help avid golfers achieve maximum distance and accuracy by optimizing their personal ball flight."

ZL DRIVER TECHNOLOGY
The ZL is a high-performance driver with a clubhead that is designed to maximize distance, accuracy and forgiveness. To optimize ball speed and thus distance, Cobra engineers utilized Advanced Multi-Material Construction in which a lightweight, high strength carbon fiber crown and sole insert are integrated into a titanium 6-4 clubhead body and clubface. The titanium clubface utilizes Cobra’s patented Milled Rhombus laser-welded face insert plus a new, thinner perimeter area.

To complement the multi-material construction in the clubhead design, the ZL also features a swingweight screw which helps shift the Center of Gravity (CG) toward the heel, to help provide draw bias ball flight– while maintaining a square clubface alignment. Combine all of these design features with the longer 46" Aldila VooDoo shaft, and golfers will experience increased ball speed and optimum launch across the clubface.

In addition, Cobra’s exclusive Adjustable Flight Technology features an adjustable hosel that golfers can set to one of three face angles (O-open, N-neutral, C-closed) to provide a simple and quick way to optimize their personal ball flight.

"In the past, many club manufacturers chased various USGA limits on clubhead features and dimensions, such as Moment of Inertia (MOI), face height, COR etc," says Tom Preece, Vice President of Research & Development for Cobra Golf. "When you focus on one design variable or a combination of variables, you often give up something else in return. So the mission of our R&D team was to set Zero Limits on engineering superior performance into the ZL driver. As a result, we have created a maximum distance driver. We also focused on making ZL the best sounding driver in the market. Through extensive, sophisticated computer modeling, we achieved superior sound and feel via key frequency improvements which include a more traditional crown design. The result is the best looking and sounding driver we’ve ever produced."

Buy now at www.onlygolfthailand.com

TaylorMade Golf Balls Thailand

2009-12-27T22:21:00.000-08:00

aylorMade golf balls are back. You and I have both seen the commercials on TV. Sergio Garcia is using them and the commercial says 120 tour pros have changed to them. It doesn’t say what tour they were on. I saw Greg Norman using one at the British Open.

There has been a lot of hype about these new TaylorMade golf balls to say the least. They are supposed to take some of the market share away from Titleist. So I bought a sleeve of them the other day. The TaylorMade golf balls I purchased were the TP Black.
TaylorMade Golf Balls get yours here!

I’ve used them for the past few rounds that I have played so I believe I have a pretty good idea of how they perform. First off these new TP Blacks are not longer than the Prov1. If anything I found them to be a little bit shorter than the Prov1, about 5 or 6 yards in fact. (I use a Sky Caddie sg4) They do have a nice boring trajectory off the driver face. I really liked it in the wind.

I found that these new TaylorMade golf balls were very consistent off my irons on longer approach shots. They bored through the wind and landed softly, with minimal roll, so I was able to fire right at the flag.

When I approached the green with a wedge in my hands is where these new TP Blacks impressed me the most. They hit the green took 1 hope and would stop, or come back 2 or 3 feet. In this respect I think they are as good as any brand out there.

I found the new TaylorMade TP Black was also very consistent off the putter. They have a nice feel at impact that sounds good and they roll true. As far as their durability goes, they show the normal wear and tear after 18 holes just like every other brand I use does. So in that respect they are the same as their competition.

Buy TaylorMade Golf Balls at OnlyGolfThailand.com

TaylorMade R9 Irons Thailand

2009-12-27T22:00:00.001-08:00

TaylorMade has introduced the R9™ iron, designed to deliver modern performance and tremendous distance in a more classic package.

Like the Burner irons, the new R9 long-irons and middle-irons were designed separately from the short-irons to optimize performance in each club. The result is that the 3-iron through 6-iron are extremely long and easy to hit, and the short-irons are engineered to promote great feel, control and accuracy.

Velocity-Control Chamber in the Long- and Middle-irons
Each R9 long-iron and middle-iron (3- through 6-) houses a large and fully enclosed compartment positioned behind the clubface, underneath the cavity badge. Called the Velocity-Control Chamber (VCC), it makes it possible for an immense area of the ultra-thin (2.0 mm) clubface to exist unsupported.

TaylorMade calls it a wrap-around clubface because it acts like a face that wraps around the top-line and the leading edge, which gives the face more freedom to flex and reflex at impact, much like a thin-faced driver.

Inverted Cone Technology
The VCC makes it easier to launch the ball with the long- and middle-irons, yet TaylorMade engineers have gone to great lengths to ensure that the R9 irons deliver controlled power by incorporating Inverted Cone Technology on the inner side of the clubface. In addition to promoting higher ball speed on off-center hits, the Inverted Cone has been carefully calibrated to eliminate “hot spots” so that ball speed is consistent across the clubface, resulting in keen and consistent distance control in all of the R9 irons.

Perimeter Weighting
Although the R9 long- and middle-irons don’t immediately appear to be perimeter-weighted they are, given that the VCC is occupied by a nearly weightless foam, as well as a silicone shock absorber positioned directly behind the center of the face; both serve to absorb unwanted impact vibration. The foam starts as a powder sealed within the VCC; heating the clubhead turns the powder to foam that expands to completely fill all open areas of the chamber, ensuring that the sound and feel at impact is soft, agreeable and consistent across the face.

R9 Short Irons
R9 short-irons are engineered to deliver increased playability, control and feel in the scoring zone. The simple, straightforward teardrop shape and clearly delineated leading edge make it easy for any player to aim these irons target-ward and fire the ball at the flag.

R9 short-irons also incorporate a vibration-quieting layer sandwiched between the backside of the clubface and the thin, protective black badge in the cavity. The vibration-quieting is a visco-elastic adhesive made by 3M that also absorbs unwanted vibration and sound

Additionally, at the bottom of each short-iron cavity (hidden behind the badge), more weight has been concentrated at the heel and toe to more stability and forgiveness on mis-hits.

Beveled Sole in Every Iron Promotes Solid Contact and Playability

New and Conforming Grooves for 2010
The R9 irons incorporate a new groove design that conforms to the USGA and R&A ruling that goes into affect in 2010 for high-level competition.

KBS Steel Shafts
R9 irons come equipped with KBS 90-gram steel shafts, available in S and R flexes.

The standard set of R9 irons includes 3-iron through pitching wedge at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $999 steel and $1,249 graphite. An attack wedge and sand wedge are available separately. R9 irons become available starting on November 1, 2009.

Visit Onlygolfthailand.com for more information.

Tiger Woods Fan Site Reaches 18,000 Visitors

2009-12-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

The Tiger Woods fan site www.tigergivesmewood.com now has over 18,000 monthly visitors making it one of the most visited Tiger Woods fan sites on the web.

Stay up to date with all the latest Tiger Woods videos and news including Tiger Woods on SNL, Tiger Woods mistress count and everything on the Tiger Woods Scandal!

Q. What's the difference between Tiger Woods and Santa?
A. Santa only had three ho's

Q. What's the difference between a car and a golf ball?
A. Tiger can drive a ball 400 yards

Q. What were Tiger Woods and his wife doing out at 2.30 in the morning?
A. They went clubbing.

Scotty Cameron California Putters Thailand

2009-12-13T15:59:00.000-08:00

CHASKA, Minn. — Putter guru Scotty Cameron is set to release a new line of Titleist putters, the California Series, at the end of September. On Tuesday at the PGA Championship, many pros got their first look at the new flatsticks. Rod Pampling and Darren Clarke immediately requested that models be made to their specifications and planned to try one on the practice green here at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

There are four models of California putters, each named for a town. From the top, they are Coronado, Monterey, Sonoma and Del Mar. Each are available at Only Golf Thailand and Golf Shop Hong Kong

The most noticeable feature is the new finish. Cameron refers to it as "Honey Dipped." The gold tone is created when the stainless steel heads go through a special heating process. Depending on the light, the California putters show flashes of pink and purple too.

When I spoke with Cameron on the range at Hazeltine Tuesday, he made it very clear that the look of the putters was very important. "I want it [the look at address] to be flowing, because if anything gets stuck or looks sharp, your eye goes to it," he said. "That makes the putter look like a brick on the ground."

Two other subtle things help to keep the look of the putters clean. First, there are no steps in the shaft of the California putters. Second, the decorative shaft band has been placed on the back of the shaft near the handle. These details are designed to make it easier for your eyes to concentrate on the ball and your line at address.

While he refers to the putters as "old world classic," there is at least one modern feature built into the new putters. On the sole of each California model are two 10-gram weight screws. Like the screws used in the Studio Select putters, these screws are not designed to be removed or adjusted by the golfer. However, via custom order, they can be changed to create heavier versions of the putter using the same head.

The Coronado is a classic blade putter with two steps in the back flange area. It features a single alignment dot on the top and a round neck. The Monterey is a classic heel-toe weighted, Anser-style blade with a plumber's neck and a single-line alignment aid. The Sonoma also features a plumber's neck and a single alignment line, but it has a rounded back flange and slightly longer face. The Del Mar has a larger, circular back flange with a high toe area.

When they are released in late September, the California Series putters will retail for about $299.

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/equipment/2009/08/scotty-cameron-releasing-new-california-series-of-putters.html#ixzz0ZcHaT5UR

Titleist Golf News

2009-12-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

Titleist Brand Ambassador Adam Scott has experienced a return to form of late with four top-ten finishes in his last four events, including a victory at last week’s Australian Open Championship. Coinciding with this torrid stretch is an equipment tweak Adam recently made to his iron set. Titleist Tour Representative Rick Nelson shares the story.

“At the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational earlier this year, Adam was introduced to the new MB irons and made the switch instantly. The set we built for him were to his existing specs and included Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts.

“Adam has always been a low spin player, and long irons and partial-shot short irons sometimes fall out of the air and come up short. This was notably evident after the switch from his previous AP2s to the MBs. Adam likes the classic forged blade looks and increased workability of the MBs, though, so we built him an additional set with KBS Tour shafts to try out following the Presidents Cup.

“While experimenting at home in Australia, he felt that the MBs with the KBS Tour shafts stayed in the air much better and, with the added spin, were easier to work and shape a variety of shots.”

Since making the switch in tournament play at the Barclays Singapore Open, Adam has finished T-3rd, T-6th, T-7th and 1st.

TaylorMade Help Your Thailand Golf Short Game

2009-12-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

If you have grown tired of the circus like attention devoted to Tiger Woods, then here is some real news. If your still consumed with speculation centered around the world's #1 player's personal life, shame on you. Ordinarily with the holiday season fast approaching, this would be the time of year when many turn towards reflection. But with a new year quickly on the horizon, it doesn’t allow much time to think about the past. It’s been a brutal year for golf outside of the PGA Tour, which saw its prize fund somewhat insulated from the recession. Time will tell how long it will be able to fend off the real world that may likely still be awaiting it.

Next year it would seem has more questions than answers at this point. The economy hasn’t worsened but it hasn’t improved either in the US. Unemployment levels are higher than a year ago at this time and it remains to be seen whether any level of divine intervention may provide a spark to an otherwise sagging economy.
One segment within the golf industry that may have a modest up tick going for it would be the wedge category. 2010 will be the last year that manufacturers can make U or square grooves, as they are sometimes referred to, based on the USGA and R&A rules. Any wedges featuring this groove configuration can be sold at retail after 2010, but they can no longer be manufactured. Meanwhile, for the recreational golfer around the world, the product is conforming for handicap purposes until 2024. The hope, in a sense, is that avid to casual players will stock up on wedges with U grooves while they remain available. One company has introduced a unique strategy towards wedges that is certain to capture some attention with many weekend warriors.
TaylorMade Golf, which has made a reputation for itself with adjustable features, specifically in drivers, has extended this to include wedges. The company has created the TP wedge with xFT (Exchangeable Face Technology), which allows players to easily remove a clubface and replace it with a new one to maintain performance in terms of spin and control. You may have already guessed it, but the company is offering two types of xFT wedge faces for purchase. Consumers can choose from TaylorMade’s new ZTP groove design that conforms to the USGA's new rules change, or the company’s current Z groove that conforms to the pre-2010 rule on groove design.
"In a nutshell, the rules change stipulates that new groove designs must have less cross-sectional area and their edges must be less sharp," said Bret Wahl, senior director of iron, wedge and putter development. Two types of xFT wedge faces will be available for purchase. Consumers can choose from TaylorMade’s new ZTP groove design that conforms to the USGA's new rules change, or the company’s current Z groove that conforms to the pre-2010 rule on groove design.

"Most players won't experience a dramatic reduction in spin from dry fairway lies, but will see a decrease in spin by up to 50% from the rough. All the more reason to keep the clubface of your wedge fresh and at peak performance. Our new ZTP groove is the most aggressive, spin-inducing design we have that conforms to the new USGA rule."
While most of the attention is centered on the groove configuration changes, TaylorMade is the first company that lets players hang on to their wedges and change out a part that is worn through usage. Previously, grips were the only component.
"Though the face of a typical iron is sturdy, it isn't impervious to wear," said Wahl. "A wedge's face wears from contact with the ball and from the dirt and sand that's often sandwiched between the ball and the face at impact. Every time you explode from sand with your wedge it's like rubbing a piece of sand paper on your clubface. Over time the face wears down and the edge-radius of the grooves becomes dull. In addition to the normal wear and tear a face suffers from normal play, it can be nicked and damaged in a variety of other ways such as when club heads bang together when you put your bag down or when you walk or drive your cart, or when you hit out of waste areas, or when you unintentionally scrape the clubface against debris when hitting the ball from poor lies off the fairway."

How quickly does the face of the average wedge show signs of wear? TaylorMade studies indicate that after about 1,000 shots the edge-radius of each individual groove changes and the roughness of the face surface are worn away. For players who play with reasonable frequency or practice between rounds, 1,000 shots can add up pretty quickly.
The xFT face is held in place with two screws located on the back of the club head that can be loosened and tightened with a white TaylorMade R9 torque wrench. Each TP xFT wedge will sell at a street price of $129 per club and will come equipped with a Z groove face (conforming to the pre-2010 USGA rule). Individual xFT wedge faces with either the Z groove or ZTP groove (conforming to the new 2010 USGA rule) will be sold separately at a street price of $39. Availability in stores and online is set for December 1st with the 56° loft and 12° bounce only, with nine more combinations will follow in mid-February, 2010 -- 50.09, 52.11, 54.12, 56.16, 58.09, 58.12, 60.06, 60.10, 64.06.

Cobra ZL Driver Now at Only Golf Thailand

2009-11-16T01:53:00.000-08:00

CARLSBAD, CA (October 19, 2009) - Cobra Golf Thailand unveils their most innovative, highest-performing driver ever, the ZL, which is designed to help all golfers achieve more distance. ZL stands for Zero Limits; which speaks to the mindset Cobra engineers had when they set out to design the longest driver in Cobra's 36 year history. Its Advanced Multi-Material Construction and Adjustable Flight Technology are complete game-changers. The superior performance of the ZL driver is supported by the fact that Cobra PGA staff players Geoff Ogilvy, J.B. Holmes and Jason Gore have already put the new driver in play.

"Cobra has a history of developing powerful, yet easy-to-hit drivers," says Brian Zender, General Manager of Cobra Golf (Not Thailand). "The ZL Driver sets a new standard, in terms of providing maximum distance, forgiveness and control. It combines the best technology, materials and design we've ever built into a driver - plus the ZL offers the additional performance benefit of tuned ball flight. With our exclusive Adjustable Flight Technology we help avid golfers achieve maximum distance and accuracy by optimizing their personal ball flight."

ZL DRIVER TECHNOLOGY
The ZL is a high-performance driver with a clubhead that is designed to maximize distance, accuracy and forgiveness. To optimize ball speed and thus distance, Cobra engineers utilized Advanced Multi-Material Construction in which a lightweight, high strength carbon fiber crown and sole insert are integrated into a titanium 6-4 clubhead body and clubface. The titanium clubface utilizes Cobra's patented Milled Rhombus laser-welded face insert plus a new, thinner perimeter area.

To complement the multi-material construction in the clubhead design, the ZL also features a swingweight screw which helps shift the Center of Gravity (CG) toward the heel, to help provide draw bias ball flight- while maintaining a square clubface alignment. Combine all of these design features with the longer 46" Aldila VooDoo shaft, and golfers will experience increased ball speed and optimum launch across the clubface.

In addition, Cobra Golf Thailand's exclusive Adjustable Flight Technology features an adjustable hosel that golfers can set to one of three face angles (O-open, N-neutral, C-closed) to provide a simple and quick way to optimize their personal ball flight.

"In the past, many club manufacturers chased various USGA limits on clubhead features and dimensions, such as Moment of Inertia (MOI), face height, COR etc," says Tom Preece, Vice President of Research & Development for Cobra Golf. "When you focus on one design variable or a combination of variables, you often give up something else in return. So the mission of our R&D team was to set Zero Limits on engineering superior performance into the ZL driver. As a result, we have created a maximum distance driver. We also focused on making ZL the best sounding driver in the market. Through extensive, sophisticated computer modeling, we achieved superior sound and feel via key frequency improvements which include a more traditional crown design. The result is the best looking and sounding driver we've ever produced."

COBRA S2 AND COBRA S2 FORGED IRONS NOW AT ONLY GOLF THAILAND

2009-11-16T01:50:00.000-08:00

Cobra Golf Thailand unveils the new high-performance Cobra S2 Iron series designed for avid golfers. The game-enhancing Cobra S2 Irons offer superior accuracy and distance in a forgiving mid-width sole design. The Cobra S2 Forged Irons offer the unique combination of control, distance and forgiveness with outstanding forged feel.

“The new Cobra S2 Irons provide incredible all-around performance,” says Brian Zender, General Manager of Cobra Golf (Not Thailand). “With these irons we’ve built on our heritage of offering technologically advanced game-enhancing clubs with exceptional value. Golfers of all abilities will be drawn to the Cobra S2 Irons for their accuracy, distance, forgiveness and sleek, confidence inspiring profile. Likewise, the Cobra S2 Forged Irons will attract better players seeking superior control, distance and feel in a Tour-inspired shape.”

COBRA S2 IRONS
The new multi-material Cobra S2 Irons offer improved accuracy, distance and forgiveness in a high-performance package and will appeal to avid golfers of all skill levels due to their superior playability, feel and design

COBRA S2 FORGED IRONS
Better players will appreciate the new Cobra S2 Forged Irons, because they offer superior control and increased distance with outstanding forged feel. In addition, the Cobra S2 Forged Irons feature a Tour-inspired shape and design which appeals to skilled players.

Buy these clubs now from Only Golf Thailand

TaylorMade R9 Irons Thailand

2009-10-27T01:44:00.000-07:00

TaylorMade successfully launched the new Burner irons in early 2009, touting them as the longest, most-powerful irons the company had ever produced.

Those clubs will continue to be available in 2010, but for players who are looking for more workability and control, TaylorMade is releasing the new R9 and R9 TP irons in November.

One of the most unique features of the R9 irons is something you can't see—a chamber behind the face of the club that is filled with an almost-weightless foam and a silicone shock absorber positioned directly behind the center of the face in the 3- through 6-irons (above). While the foam and shock absorber help to soak up unwanted vibration, TaylorMade claims the design also leaves the face more free to flex at impact and rebound—like a thin-faced driver—for added distance.

The heads of the long- and mid-irons are large, with a low center of gravity to help players get more distance and height on shots. The heads of the short irons are slightly smaller to increase playability, but they still have an undercut channel in back to add height and spin.

TaylorMade-R9TP-6Iron_600x450 TaylorMade says the soles of the R9 irons are specially beveled to reduce turf resistance and help the bottom of the club glide through impact.

The R9 TP irons (right) feature the same foam-filled chamber and silicone shock absorber in the 2- through 5-irons, but the heads themselves are smaller through the set. Although the heads are about the same size as TaylorMade's Tour Preferred irons—a popular choice for accomplished players—the company says the R9 TP has a larger hittable face, so they should be more forgiving.

Both the R9 and R9 TP irons will come standard with KBS steel shafts in stiff and regular flexes; the TP version will also be available in an extra-stiff flex. Custom shaft options will be available, but look for the R9 irons (3-PW) to cost around $999 in steel and $1,249 in graphite (Fujikura Motore) when they hit pro shop shelves on Nov. 1. The R9 TP will cost about $1,125.

Buy the new TaylorMade R9 Irons at Only Golf

Golf in Hong Kong

2009-10-21T03:31:00.000-07:00

If you're planning on golfing in Hong Kong or want to find out about playing golf courses in Hong Kong, where the best golf shops are located, need to find a golf professional in Hong Kong or anything else about golf in Hong Kong, check out the webs newest golf website www.golfinhongkong.com

TITLEIST THAILAND INTRODUCES NEW ADVANCED PERFORMANCE IRONS

2009-10-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Titleist AP1 and AP2 Irons Provide Enhanced Performance with Improved Feel
Fairhaven, MA (October 2, 2009) - Building upon the high technology design and resounding success of the original AP irons, Titleist introduces two new high performance iron products for avid golfers. The new Titleist AP1 and AP2 are multi-material, dual cavity irons that take the design mission of “Advanced Performance You Can Feel” to new heights.

“The new AP1 and AP2 irons embody significant improvements in feel, forgiveness and shot control to what had already been recognized as a revolutionary step forward in iron design,” said Steve Pelisek, GM Titleist Golf Clubs. “The new AP1 and AP2 irons offer the most successful marriage of playability and forgiveness, and traditional looks, feel and feedback available in the market today. Along with the introduction of the new MB and CB forged irons, Titleist offers the most comprehensive range of irons to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of serious golfers.”

The concept for the original Advanced Performance irons arose as a result of research that indicated serious golfers want performance with great feel, not performance at the expense of feel. The Titleist R&D team’s advanced research group has been conducting extensive sound and vibration analysis aimed at reducing the harsh lower frequency vibration that causes poor feel in irons. This research led to combining several technologies and materials in the back cavity of the new AP irons resulting in a new Tuned Feel System to take feel to a new level.

“The new AP1 and AP2 irons retain the dual cavity design and multi-material construction that is the key to their advanced performance,” said Dan Stone, Vice President, Research and Development, Titleist Golf Clubs. “However, the designs have been significantly upgraded for feel with the addition of our new Tuned Feel System. Additionally, the structure of the new AP1 provides improved forgiveness, while a modified sole on the new AP2 provides improved ground control”
The new Tuned Feel System is a co-molded medallion of soft elastomer and aluminum plate. This insert has been specifically designed to improve the sound and feel of each new iron. For the thinner face, larger cavity AP1 a hotter, more lively feel has been enhanced. For the new AP2 a softer, more solid feel is achieved.

Extensive improvements to the new AP1 structure include reducing the face thickness to provide enhanced heel, toe, and deep weighting to the frame and moving the tungsten nickel material to the sole resulting in increased stability and forgiveness. Subtle refinements to the new AP2 have created performance gains in feel, sound, and turf interaction.

Buy the new Titleist Irons from Onlygolfthailand.com

Footjoy Golf Thailand

2009-09-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Thai golfers play the game they truly love no matter what the weather in Bangkok, so with that in mind Footjoy Thailand, one of the world's leading manufacturers in golfing equipment with over 50 years of experience have come up with some of the ultimate Thailand golf accessories to handle these weather conditions.

From waterproof Footjoy Thailand golf clothing for all ages in men and women's collections such as the Footjoy Performance Light Rain Jacket which is lighter and more comfortable than ever, backed by a full 2 year Guarantee, and the Footjoy Dryjoys Sport Rain Jacket. Perfect for the modern day Bangkok golfer, designed for the worst weather nature can throw at you, 100% waterproof. Buy now from the comfort of your home or office. And of course there is Footjoy Thailand Dryjoys Performance Light Rain Golf Trousers. Footjoy waterproof trousers are designed for tour players in mind and come with a 2 year guarantee. They are completely breathable and very lightweight. These are ideal for the more miserable weather the golfer has to deal with. But of course there are also the ideal accessories for the better weather as well such as the Footjoy Performance ProDry Pique Short Sleeve Collared Golf Shirt.

Only Golf Thailand now stocks Footjoy. Checkout the full range in the Footjoy Thailand Website section. Fashionable and highly functional the new Performance range from Footjoy Thailand. But it's not just clothing that Footjoy accessorise in. Being a golfer takes you all around the world to and of course if you're travelling you will need the Footjoy Wheeled Holdall Accessories. Great for your golfing holiday. Wheeled design with telescopic handle for winging it around the airport with ease. Buy now ready for the holidays.

Our Bangkok Golf Shop provides you with all these and much more from the Footjoy Thailand range. Just visit us online and you will be amazed at the list of choice available. We have all the golf clothing accessories including golf clothing for men women and juniors as well as hats, umbrellas for those rainy days when golfing in Bangkok and luggage bags for your travelling needs when the game of golf takes you around the world and you can't find a golf shop in Bangkok like Only Golf Thailand. We have everything you will ever need here for your golfing needs in all climates and course conditions. Just ask our Thailand golf equipment specialists and advisors and they will help you chose the ultimate accessories best suited for you and your golf game in Thailand.

Only Golf is Recommended by Thailandgolfdigest.com

Callaway Golf Thailand X22 Irons

2009-09-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Callaway Golf Thailand X22 irons are now available at www.onlygolfthailand.com. Performance irons designed for accomplished Thai golfers seeking premium feel and stability. To improve on the highly successful X-20 Tour Irons, Callaway Golf Thailand engineers added new features that allow the X-22 Tour Irons to play even better and feel even softer. Precision Notch Weighting and a new sleeker hosel combine to raise the moment of inertia (MOI) for better stability and allow the center of gravity (CG) to be moved lower and more in line with the center of the face. This generates ideal trajectories and significantly enhances the level of feel. The head shape has been refined with the thinnest possible topline while still using a 360-Degree Undercut Channel, and the optimized sole width progression provides better turf interaction.

Precision Notch Weighting Precisely positions more weight to the perimeter of the iron to create a higher MOI for greater forgiveness and stability while maintaining the CG position that produces ideal trajectories and feel. Tour-Proven Head Shape Features the thinnest topline possible while still incorporating a 360-Degree Undercut Channel. The blade length is shorter and the CG has been moved lower and in line with the center of the face to provide unparalleled performance with enhanced feel. Thailand Golf Digest recommends Callaway Golf Irons from Only Golf Thailand.

Redesigned Hosel The sleeker design significantly improves feel and allows the hosel to be more easily adjusted to fit a golfer's custom specifications. Sole Width Progression The sole width of each iron has been optimized based on the length and loft to provide better turf interaction through the entire set. Callaway Golf Thailand Core Technologies VFT Technology maximizes ball speed and perimeter weighting for more distance and forgiveness. 360-Degree Undercut Channel maximizes perimeter weighting by moving the CG lower and farther back in the clubhead, enlarging the hitting area and stabilizing the clubhead for more forgiveness.

Buy Callaway Golf Irons Now

Titleist Forged Irons at Only Golf Thailand

2009-09-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

Buying golf clubs in Bangkokand anywhere in Thailand can be a difficult task, which is why Thai golfers, expat golfers living in Bangkok and Thailand golf tourists choose to shop at Only Golf Thailand. Titleist Forged Irons from Only Golf Thailand provide solid shot control and traditional good looks for the skilled and highly skilled golfer. They are constructed of multiple materials, including a carbon steel body, a box constructed of tungsten nickel, and a cavity plate made of aluminum. These and other elements combine to provide outstanding accuracy and a solid feel.

The weight of the club head is focused at its perimeter, while a cushioned central cross member allows the club to connect solidly even while reducing vibration of the face. Other innovative techniques used in building these irons include laser welding to connect the box to the back and sole. This puts the club's center of gravity deep and low, allowing for good launches. The looks of these high-quality irons deserve special mention. The clubs are made to have good appeal both when being used and while in the bag. Even the sound of the club hitting the ball has been considered by Titleist-the clubs have been specially tuned to make a satisfying noise upon impact, something golf tourists wanting to buy golf equipment in Bangkok appreciate.

When you're at the top of your Thailand golf game, you deserve high-quality Titleist Forged Irons. They offer the extreme accuracy which a highly-skilled player can make use of, while allowing their quality to shine out even when in the bag. Just the sight of these irons lets everyone know you have put a lot of practice into your golf and are not a player to be trifled with. The satisfying sound they make as you strike the ball reinforces the impression, and of course, when you send that ball exactly where you want it to go, the picture is complete.

But Titleist forged irons now at Thailand's Number 1 Discount Golf Pro Shop

Titleist Golf Clubs Thailand

2009-09-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

The hardwork and perfection going behind producing Titleist Golf Thailand accessories can be instrumental in providing you an edge over your competitors and can help you hit many winning birdies.

The Golf accessories made by Titleist Thailand are known for their compatibility with any type of conditions. This holds great importance for any golfer as the accessories produced by other companies hold good in some circumstances but are unreliable in others. Golf accessories produced by Titleist pass with flying colors in any form of weather conditions or any type of golf course.

Golf as we have known it has always been a male sport. However, lately, it has been observed that it is becoming quite popular with women as well. Titleist Bangkok has given recognition to this fact and has produced a wide variety of golf accessories keeping in mind the needs of women golfers. In order to make the women golfers experience on the golf course a comfortable one, Titleist Thailand has come up with special travel gear on wheels, gloves, carry bags, customized clubs, cart bags etc. Titleist has also been making fashion statements with good looking practical leisurewear and headwear for every occasion.

Also available are some interesting Golf accessories by Titleist for the young golf enthusiasts who are just getting initiated into the sport. There are excellent looking headwear and leisurewear available for kids, that makes it an inviting proposition for them to get involved in the game. Parents also can cut down on their worries with the reliability tag that comes with all golf accessories produced by Titleist Golf Thailand at www.onlygolfthailand.com.

Logo Golf Balls Thailand

2009-08-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Corporate logo golf balls Bangkokk are a great for trade shows, corporate events and sales incentives. Golf lovers everywhere appreciate imprinted golf balls. Round logos work the best because they maximize the imprint-able area on the ball. A rectangular or horizontal style would be shrunk to fit in the standard logo area.

Brands used for corporate logo golf balls include such well-known names as Nike, Precept, Callaway, Bridgestone, Titleist, Maxfli and Taylor Made. Custom golf balls Thailand can be provided in a clean, sharp and exact color as requested. Most companies that provide these type of golf balls have a minimum order required.

Imagine if your companies name appears on such a popular golf ball as Titleist Logo Golf Balls, Wilson, Spalding or Nike. Your clients and customers will be impressed. Many top corporations and companies use corporate logo golf balls to promote their particular business image. Playing golf is one of the most popular ways for business people to get to know their clients and customers in a more relaxed environment.

Customized golf balls are a great gift to give to your golfing business partners and clients. Each time they use your golf balls your company is being promoted. If your company is sponsoring a tournament then these are a great way to promote the tournament especially if given away as free.

Corporate logo golf balls Bangkok are a great gift idea at company Christmas parties and summer barbeques. They can be used as prizes during contests such as longest drive or closest to the pin. Anyone who plays golf will appreciate a box of free balls.

If your company is considering using corporate logo golf balls for their promotion it is important to consider the quality of golf ball used. You do not want your company associated with a cheap product. That is why it is important to use the best possible ball for your promotion and events. Experienced and knowledgeable golfers will know that you have cut corners and used a cheaper ball. They will wonder if that is the way, your company conducts their business. The same thing occurs that if your company chooses a top brand, people will think your company cares about their product and service.

Mass production of corporate logo golf balls is not the way to go either for golf marketing businesses. You want your company's golf balls to be exclusive items. This enhances a corporate image of quality products and quality people. Using a good marketing and planning campaign will go a long way in promoting your company's products and services.

Corporate logo golf balls Thailand get attention and handing out free golf balls gets your company noticed especially if your company targets the golfing crowd. These types of marketing tools are perfect for giving gifts, excellent for a company or corporate promotion and branding, and plus they perfect for golf events of all kinds. Customized balls are hot in golf, they are in high demand. So get your company involved in this great marketing tool.

Buying Golf Shoes in Thailand

2009-08-16T01:24:00.000-07:00

Thai golfers buy Golf equipment from www.onlygolfthailand.com; everything from full sets of golf clubs, golf balls, golf bags, and golf apparel. Even buying golf shoes in Thailand on line is becoming more popular.

Some people, though, like to physically touch or try the products before buying. They argue that, especially with shoes, they need to try them on first and walk about the store to see if they are a good fit and comfortable.

One way to overcome this hurdle is to go to your local golf equipment store and try on a few of the brands that you are interested in buying. Once you know the brand, style, and size of the shoes you can then compare prices on line.

I think that you will find that when buying shoes on line you will be able to save money and you will probably find more choice in colors and styles. You will probably find that, if you want to buy Footjoy womens golf shoes, you will need the same size whether you choose Custom DryJoys, LoPro Active, MyJoys Custom Contour, GreenJoys, or Reelfit.

All of the on line golf stores will stock the most popular shoes, including; Adidas, Bite, Callaway Golf, Dexter, Ecco, Etonic, Footjoy, Nike, and Oakley. Also, I have seen on line stores that stock up to 500 styles of shoes and as many closeout models.

Other on line stores stock harder to find brands like; Cotswold, Cougar, Golfstream, Sandbaggers, Tehama, Dunlop, Helle Comfort, Stuburt, and Lady Fairway golf shoes. Even Swedish fashion designer, J. Lindeberg has a collection of exclusive shoes developed in collaboration with Puma.

Another benefit of buying shoes on line is that, apart from the choice in brands and styles, you will find almost every size available. You can buy odd size golf shoes, sizes from 4 up to 18, and different widths. You have to shop around though; some brands specialize in the lower number sizes while others have more choice in the higher sizes.

If you are looking for cheap golf shoes, you will find most on line stores have a collection of closeout, on sale or clearance shoes, sometimes for under $50 for top brand names. Mostly all the on line stores have discounts on every shoe they sell - a lot of them can do this because they don't have to maintain physical stores and so there costs are cheaper.

On line golf stores sometimes have free shipping on orders over $50 or $100; ample return policies, 100% customer satisfaction guarantees, and great customer service. So, there really is no excuse not to give them a try.

So, I am sure if you are looking to buy shoes on line, you will find what you are looking for at the price you are willing to pay. Whether you prefer Adidas Traxion, Tour 360, Powerband, or maybe Nike Air Max, Challenge, or SP-8 golf shoes size 13; you are sure to find them on line.

Buy golf shoes in Bangkok at Only Golf's discount golf shoe pro shop.

Scott Cameron Putters Bangkok

2009-08-16T01:08:00.000-07:00

Only Golf sells Scotty Cameron Putters in our Bangkok Golf Discount Pro Shop, but are they any good?

I've seen the fancy ads, I've read the golf magazines, I've even gone into the sporting goods store and played around on the little putting green with all of the shiny new putters. For some reason though, I still wasn't buying into the idea that a putter could make that much difference in my golf game. I, like most golfers, would go to the driving range and practice my drive for hours per week, thinking that if I could drive as far as Tiger Woods, then my handicap would lower for sure. Little did I know that Tiger Woods had a secret weapon hiding in his golf bag.

Scotty Cameron had made clubs in his mother-in-law's garage for years when he opened Cameron Golf International to little fanfare. There was a lot of competition in the industry, and golf companies like Titleist, Nike, and Callaway were the big names in town (and still are today). Scotty Cameron took a different approach to making golf clubs. Because of his limited resources, he did a large part of the crafting of his clubs by hand, which gave his putters a finish rivaling those of his big-name competitors.

Then, in 1993, lightning struck for Scotty Cameron Thailand. One of his putters was used to win The Masters. Things moved quickly for Scotty after that, the putters were flying out of the door as fast as he could create them. But things really picked up a year later, in 1994, when Scotty Cameron was approached by Peter Kostis and told that Titleist was interested in his company to design putters for them.

Fast forward to 2008, and Scotty Cameron putters have been used to win more than 500 worldwide tournaments. A sterling track record, to say the least, but I was still not convinced. Surely it had to be the players and their personal touch with those putters that turned them into gold on the green. After hearing so much, I decided to try out a Scotty Cameron putter for myself.

I decided to try out a Scotty Cameron Newport, the same putter that Tiger Woods plays. A few buddies and I headed out to the country club on a sunny Saturday afternoon in October, and I did not tell anyone that I was trying out a new putter. The first two holes went as can be expected, I got a bogey on the first hole and a double bogey on the second hole. Nothing too impressive. But then, on the third hole, I took it to the green in 3 strokes, and had to sink a forty foot putt for par. I pulled the Scotty Cameron Newport putter out of my bag, took a deep breath, and swung away. I could scarcely believe my eyes as the ball rolled up the green in a straight line, then circled around to the left and into the cup.

Since that first October day that I tested out the Scotty Cameron putter, I have purchased three of them for my collection. They aren't a magic bullet, they won't turn you into Tiger Woods overnight. But my friends still swear that I've never been as good of a golfer as I am when I'm playing a putter made by Scotty Cameron.

Cobra Golf Equipment Thailand

2009-08-16T00:59:00.001-07:00

Only Golf Thailand has the latest Cobra golf clubs to improve your game. The Cobra F Fairway Metal Wood S9.1 is the latest offering from this golf powerhouse designed to make hitting the ball easier than ever for everyone. The major factor involved in creating this ultimate metal wood is Cobra's "Hotter9 Points" technology that is designed to provide the player with more coefficient of restitution across the whole clubface, ensuring your Cobra golf Thailand game is in good shape,. To put it in simpler terms the COR is the spring like effect of the materials used to create the face of today's clubs and measures how efficiently the transfer of energy happens between the face of the club and your ball.

The "Hotter 9 Points" technology used for the Cobra F Fairway Metal Wood S9.1 is used to give the ball a much higher speed resulting in a more consistent flight overall no matter where the ball contacts the face of the club. This gives the club a much more forgiving nature and makes it a good choice for all players no matter what skill level.

Other elements such as the shallow face design help to keep the center of gravity low and keep the MOI high helping to increase the launch speed and add to the clubs built in level of forgiveness and making you confident you purchased your cobra golf clubs from Bangkoks largest discount golf shop - Only Golf Thailand. The traditional head style was kept to help instill confidence in the player while addressing the ball and adding to clubface efficiency by putting more energy directly behind the ball at the moment of impact

The overall larger footprint and internal weighting make the Cobra F Fairway Metal Wood S9.1 one of the best choices for use on the course whether you are standing on the tee or halfway down the fairway. This is one powerhouse of a club designed for the hard hitter that hides inside of every golfer from the professional greats all the way to the regular guy who just plays on his days off for fun.

Buy Callaway Golf in Bangkok

2009-08-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

Buying Callaway golf club in Thailand is never better than now with Only Golf, a leading and authorized distributor of Callaway Golf Clubs in Bangkok and throughout Thailand.

The most dependable and popular types of golf clubs in recent times is Callaway golf club. Now-a-days a lot of people are attracted towards golf and this is the reason behind the success of Callaway golf clubs Thailand.

Ely Callaway is the one who heads Callaway golf clubs, not sure who in Thailand. Ely Callaway purchased fifty percent of the Hickory Stick, United States of America and it was renamed as Callaway Hickory Stick, United States of America. On completing the purchase, he resolved to look for the best people who would support him in fulfilling his dream of starting a Callaway golf club. While doing this process he hired one Richard C. Helmstetter who was appointed as chief club designer. The Callaway is said to be unique of its kind and is said to possess high performing golf equipments which is the result of the revolutionary and innovative designs there. Later Ely Callaway renamed the club as Callaway golf Thailand and it was moved to a sleepy town, Carlsbad, north of San Diego from Cathedral city which is at California

The club created stainless steel drivers with larger and better forgiving heads than the previously used ones. This was one of the innovative designs created by Callaway golf club and the chief executive officer of Callaway called it "Big Bertha", a term that was used for the German cannon backs used in WWI and known for its efficiency in long distance shooting. This innovation resulted in increased sales and brought reputation to Callaway Golf Thailand. The introduction of Big Bertha type made Callaway the best manufacturer in the golf club markets all over the world. This also shows the popularity of golf in the world as well.

Callaway golf club has six sub divisions. The first is the two models of drivers-the former being, Big Bertha Fusion FT4 and the latter being Big Bertha Titanium 454. The second subdivision of Callaway golf Thailand is the Fairway Woods. This has three types of golf clubs. They are Big Bertha Fusion Fairway Woods, Fairway woods and Titanium Fairway Woods. The third classification of the club is a mixture which was named big bertha Heavenwood Hybrids and this designed for long distance shooting. The next subdivision called irons has been classified into 5 types, their names being Big Bertha, X-tour, Big Bertha Fusion, The X-18 and the last being X-18 Pro. The last but one classification is called the Forged+ Wedges and this would comprise wedges. The final classification of the golf club is the Putters and this has two models called Callaway I-Trax Golf Putter and The Tour Blue.

Buy Callaway Golf Thailand at Only Golf Thailand - Bangkok's Largest Discount Golf Pro Shop

Callaway Golf Thailand

2009-08-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

Bangkok Golf Shop News: The motto of Callaway Golf Thailand is to help golfers achieve the best they can whether they are novices or advanced players at the game of golf in Thailand. They research their products constantly and spend a lot of money to make sure that a Thai golfers golf gamme is what they would like it to be. They also make a whole line of Callaway golf accessories Thailand to add to the player's enjoyment of the game.

Callaway Golf Thailand does some very innovative things when making their golf equipment and accessories. This includes the technology to be able to help them design the newest and best products in the world of this sport. One of the interesting and innovative things that they do involves Callaway golf balls Bangkok. These golf balls are made with hexagonal and pentagonal patterns added to the surface. This gives them the ability to fly straighter than a normal ball.

Callaway golf balls are made to fly right from any position they are in or whatever conditions a person is playing in. They achieve this by designing their products around all kinds of players. Ely Callaway, their owner, wants to make sure you can tee off on any course.

Callaway Golf has a magazine that is meant to guide you in your game. They have articles that help in improving your game, as well as about professionals who can guide you through whatever you need to know about the game of golf. You can get golf apparel too, to keep you looking good and to keep you cool while playing.

Technology also plays a major role in the designing of the apparel along with everything made by Callaway Golf Thailand. They have won 24 victories in the professional tours by having designed their equipment to standards that are patented by their engineers. Visit Callawaygolf and read the magazine online.

Only Golf Thailand, a leading distributor of Callaway Golf Products A company that researches their products and the game of golf as well as Callaway Golf Thailand does is sure to make their mark in the business, just as this company has. This company has gone above and beyond in their quest to make the game of golf even better and to help improve the games of individuals. This can be seen in their golf clubs and their other accessories.

At this company, an individual can even have their equipment customized to suit their game and their needs. What could be more user friendly than that? Whether you are a novice or a professional golfer, you can definitely find the type of equipment that you are longing for in Callaway Golf Drivers in Thailand.

Only Golf Thailand can help you buy the best Callaway Golf Clubs and Equipment in Thailand.

Ping Golf Thailand

2009-08-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

Bangkok Golf Equipment Shop News: How did the PING Golf Clubs Thailand come to being? Mr. Karsten Solheim, was a mechanical engineer working at General Electric. He was working predominantly in the aerospace and computer industries. He was also an amateur golfer who was not satisfied with his putting skills. So, he designed his own putter.

Golf Shop Bangkok Today, the PING Golf Thailand makes a full line of premier golf clubs and a host other golf improvement products. PING continues to operate as a family owned company. Their products are sold worldwide in over 70 countries. Today, golf professionals frequently use PING golf drivers in tournament play sometimes bought at Bangkoks leasing golf shop - Only Golf Thailand.

Where did the name come from? The name PING comes from the pinging tones that you can hear when the PING golf club hits the golf ball. PING putters helped to dramatically alter the golf putter market with their heel-to-toe weighting design. Sports Illustrated magazine called the PING 1A putter, the musical putter from the sweet sound that it emitted. Buy PIng golf putters in Thailand.

After creating a new putter, in 1961 Solheim designed and built his first set of irons. He called the irons 69. He felt that a score of 69 was a good round of golf. He made further modifications to the heel-toe weightings. A cavity was placed in the back portion of the irons to help improve shots. You can buy Ping Golf irons in Bangkok Thailand at www.onlygolfthailand..com

A long time ago before Bangkok Golf Shop were around, In 1966, the USGA decided that nearly all of the PING putters were disallowed from tournament play. The only PING putter that would still be allowed for tournament play was the recently design Anser putter. The Anser would revolutionize the putter in golf. It had a cavity back and low center of gravity. It offered a superior feeling for golfers of all abilities. It set the mark for what is now considered the conventional putter. PING clubs have over 500 professional tournament victories to their name. The PING Anser putter has more tournament wins than any other.

Only Golf Thailand is your leasing supplier of Ping Golf in Thailand.

Buying Golf Equipment in Bangkok

2009-08-06T23:58:00.000-07:00

There are Thailand golf equipment needs that a serious Bangkok golfer cannot ignore. Playing golf in Thailand requires that you have the right golf equipment at hand so you can play the golf game properly and not get frustrated at your recent purchase from Only Golf Thailand. You can only measure your skills and improve on it if you have the golf equipment that can support properly your moves. You need the right Bangkok golf equipment to help you achieve your goals and expectations.

Finding the right golf equipment in Bangkok is very important. There are many things that you will be putting in your golf bag as you play. You have the golf club, golf ball, gloves and tee among many others. All these will determine to a large extent on how well you will perform on your game. You will find many of these golf equipments on the market. However, you have to learn how to determine the right item to pick.

Advice in Choosing the Right Golf Equipment at your Bangkok Golf Shop

Ask for Help at The Bangkok Golf Pro Shop
You can try asking friends and relatives who play golf for their help or advice on what kind of golf equipment in Bangkok you must buy. They can give recommendations as to reliable brands and types of equipments that are must-haves. You can also try to walk inside a sports shop and ask the assistants for some ideas on golf equipment. At Only Golf we have golf professionals who can help you select the best equipment

Know Your Budget Before Calling or Visiting the Bangkok Golf Shop
You also need to be honest with yourself on how much of your budget can be allotted to buying golf equipment in Thailand. Golf is a very expensive game but Only Golf will make it cheaper. Thus, you have to consider seriously how you will cope with getting quality golf equipment with your limited allowance. Thus, this is where you may want to consider buying second-hand or discounted golf equipment. This way, you can still let yourself enjoy golf in Bangkok.

Determine Your Skill Level
Golf equipment is designed and constructed to fit the various skill levels of players. They have distinct styles that only a particular skilled golfer can appreciate and maximize. As such, it is best to determine your skill level. At this point, you have to be honest with yourself in admitting your golf skills. Your golf equipment in Thailand doesnt have to be expensive. Let Only Golf be your golf equipment guide.

Be Sure of Your Goals
Another crucial point to keep in mind is to know your goals when you play golf. You have to determine how dedicated you are going to be to this sport. For example, if you are simply going to give golf a try for a day, then it is best that you just borrow or rent the golf equipment. However, if you are certain in making golf your sport, then you need not hesitate when you go out to purchase costly golf equipment with good quality.

Golf Balls and Golf Clubs
Of course, as you search the market for various golf equipments, there are certain items that you cannot live without if you are going to the golf course. The golf balls and the golf clubs are two essential components of your golfing adventure.

You need to carry a good stock of golf balls with you in the course. With the golf ball at hand, you can always start a game. The golf clubs are your tools for making the swing. Make sure that you have the right golf clubs for each different course that you will tread upon. You cannot fail if you have these two essential equipments at hand. The rest of the items in your golf bag will just be extras to add spice to your game.

Finding the right golf equipment is essential to your game. It can give you the advantages and edge to make a winning game. Just be sure that you play with all your hand and the golf equipment at your hand will surely be put into good use.

Visit www.onlygolfthailand.com

Taylormade Golf Drivers Thailand

2009-07-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

TaylorMade Golf Thailand introduced FCT ("Flight Control Technology") with its initial R9 and R9 TP drivers in March 2009. The FCT tech gives the Thai golfer the ability to change the face angle, loft, and lie angle of the driver by loosening a bolt in the bottom of the clubhead and rotating the head into a new position.

The TaylorMade R9 and R9 TP drivers came on the market priced at $500 and $600, respectively. Check Only Golf, Bangkoks best discount pro golf shop for prices in Thai baht

Now, TaylorMade is ready with the R9 460 driver, priced lower and geared for a wider variety of golfers. The TaylorMade R9 460 has a 460cc clubhead, more forgiveness, and a longer and lighter shaft to help golfers increase swing speed.

The FCT is still there, and can promote a side-to-side trajectory change of up to 40 yards (compared to 75 in the initial - and more expensive - R9 offerings). Buy TaylorMade R9 at www.onlygolfthailand.com

When looking for cheap golf clubs in Bangkok, Only Golf also has some great Cobra Golf Drivers, and Titleist Golf Equipment.

Visit www.onlygolfthailand.com for more info

Callaway Golf Thailand Specials

2009-07-19T04:26:00.000-07:00

The latest Callaway Golf Thailand golf equipment specials:

http://www.onlygolfthailand.com/newsletter/july2009.html

Bobby Grace Putters announces that Bobby Grace is BACK!

2009-07-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

St. Petersburg, Fl- Bobby Grace is BACK and BETTER than ever! The Bobby Grace Company announces today that world-renowned putter designer Bobby Grace is back in the business of making the most innovative putters in the world.

After leaving his last position in June of 2008, Bobby Grace and his team of engineers, designers, and craftsmen have been working on the next generation of Bobby Grace putters that will arrive in retail stores in the fall of 2009.

“Our new line focuses on our proprietary insert material called HSM which stands for Hole Seeking Material” said Brian Mikosz, who is back with Bobby as his Chief of Engineering and R&D. Bobby Grace added “HSM is the most forgiving insert on earth”. When you combine the new HSM inserts with the extremely high MOI properties that Bobby Grace has been famous for, the new line-up of Bobby Grace Putters is sure to be a hit with Tour Players and golfers of all skill levels.

Dwight Hansen, who is serving as the new company’s VP of Sales, noted that the new company will have both the Classic Series with retail pricing expected to be $129 and the AMG Series which is expected to be retailed at $250. Both series will be available later this year. Bobby Grace Putters will also be launching The Handmade Collection in Spring 2010 with a very limited series of personal handmade putters.

For more information on Bobby Grace Putters, visit our website at www.bobbygraceputters.com

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Looking for Bobby Grace putters in Bangkok? Give Onlygolfthailand.com a call - the leaders in name brand golf equipment in Bangkok.

Thailand Extends Royal Golf Invitation

2009-07-09T23:07:00.000-07:00

With Golf in a Kingdom, premier courses and luxury hotels aim to put country on world golf map.

Bangkok (PRWEB) June 27, 2009 -- In a bid to tell world golfers what Asian golfers already know, the golf establishment in Thailand has launched 'Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience', a cooperative itinerary that matches the country's top courses with its most desirable hotels.

The Kingdom of Thailand has for decades been the destination of choice for Asian golfers, thanks to its stellar courses, superb year-round climate and welcoming culture. By banding together to form 'Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience' (www.golfinakingdom.com), these courses and hotels mean to cement a place for Thailand alongside the world's premier golf destinations.

"I think golfers in North America have an inkling that golf is played in Thailand; Europeans have slightly more of an inkling, but I don't think golfers on either continent fully realize that this is a country with more than 250 courses, many of them as good as you'll find anywhere in the world," said Mark Siegel, president of Bangkok-based Golf tour operator Golfasian. The Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) has partnered with eight premium golf properties, Golfasian and six of the country's premier hotels to form 'Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience'.

The cooperative effort has been in the planning since 2007, but its launch this month is timely. According to TAT, some 3.2 million visitors arrived in Thailand the first quarter of 2009 - a 19 percent decrease from the previous year. It's unclear whether this drop is attributable to the peaceful-but-ongoing political disquiet in Thailand or the worldwide economic slump.
"I live here and the reality is, the political issues in Thailand haven't had any effect on the day-to-day lives of citizens or tourists - but the economic slowdown has surely affected tourists: prices have dropped across the board," Siegel asserted. "I don't think there's ever been a more economical time to visit here. That's not hype; it's a fact. Launching 'Golf in a Kingdom' now has allowed us to offer value we could not have offered in 2008."

In May 2009, a CNN International tourism poll asserted that Thailand, among first-world nations, represents the best value for travelers in the entire Asia Pacific region. Conducted across CNN English websites, the survey had more than 5,000 respondents globally.

"The world gets a bit smaller every day," Siegel continued. "We hope to shrink it just enough with 'Golf in a Kingdom' to give North American and European golfers a taste of Thai culture and hospitality, because one visit is normally all it takes. The number of golfers who try Thailand then return for a second and third helping is pretty extraordinary."

From the mystical hill country of Chiang Rai in the northwest corner to the breathtaking beaches of Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, 'Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience' takes in some of the most lush and varied terrain on the planet. That sort of real estate - linked by Thailand's enviably modern transportation infrastructure - translates into the Kingdom's stunning golf properties, including:

- Banyan Golf Club, a new hillside course just outside the charming coastal town of Hua Hin, preferred holiday retreat of the Thai Royal Family for almost a century.
- Chiang Mai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort, an inventive Schmidt/Curley design 1,000 feet above sea level in the cool, northern region.
- Muang Kaew Golf Club, the closest course to bustling Bangkok, with sterling greens and a par 3 that looks eerily similar to the 12th at Augusta National.
- Santiburi Chiang Rai Country Club, where Robert Trent Jones II crafted 18 dramatic holes that either skirt a chain of lakes or flow over the low hills of Bang Bor.
- Santiburi Samui Country Club, site of the newest Asian Tour event, the Queen's Cup, and traversing a jungle of towering coconut trees at the foot of Khao Pom Mountain.
- Siam Country Club, Plantation Course, this 27-hole Schmidt-Curley design played host to the 2009 Honda LPGA Thailand just two years after opening
- Siam Country Club, Old Course, always immaculately maintained, it hosted the 2007 Honda LPGA event and features perhaps the toughest closing stretch in the country.
- Thai Country Club, site of Tiger Woods's 1997 Asia Honda Classic victory and the 'Best Championship Course in Asia', as voted by Asian Golf Monthly readers in 2008.

Thailand also harbors the Asia's newest and broadest collection of 5-star accommodations - at prices North Americans and Europeans may not believe at first. 'Golf in a Kingdom' embraces that development by bridging rounds of golf with nights at posh, brand-name resorts, including:

-Anantara Phuket, a collection of 83 private pool villas set within indigenous gardens of jasmine, orchids and birds of paradise. Conde Nast Traveller magazine just named this property to its coveted worldwide "Hot List" for 2009.
Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa, located across the Chao Phraya River from the city center but with all the tranquility and kick-back appeal a traveler could wish for in an urban setting.
-Anantara Golden Triangle, a luxury nature retreat set amid 160 acres of tropical jungle, all of it hewing to the winding Mekong River and a border dividing three countries.
-Anantara Hua Hin, nestled in 14 acres of luxuriant tropical gardens along the white sand beaches on the Gulf of Thailand.
-Anantara Koh Samui, serenely perched above a quiet stretch of sand, and just steps from the shimmering waters that lap Samui Island.
-Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa, whose architecture combines space, color and natural light with traditional Thai design themes to create a sense of harmony and grandeur.

"The beauty of this marked shift toward high-quality lodging, which has been taking place here for 20 years actually, is that Thailand remains affordable," said Boyd Barker, Hua Hin Marriott's general manager. "If there's a positive to the hit tourism has taken here, of late, it's that prices reflect this drop in demand. There's no better place to go on holiday, and there's no better time than right now."

The attraction extends beyond golf and resorts. Never colonized by foreign powers and known as Siam until 1939, Thailand remains a constitutional monarchy. But during the past half century it has managed to seamlessly blend Western influences and Buddhist beliefs, producing a first-world destination with an Old World feel.

Six distinct geographical regions - ranging from 8,000-foot-high mountains in the north to a maze of limestone islands rising out of the Andaman Sea in the south - only add to the country's diverse allure.

"Of all the countries in Southeast Asia, Thailand provides the greatest value," said Santi Chudintra, Director of TAT Los Angeles. "The people are welcoming, the culture is unique and the scenery is spectacular. Thai food, which everyone wants to talk about, is just a small part of the menu."

For more information on 'Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience', or to make golf travel plans in Thailand, visit http://www.golfinakingdom.com

Camilo's New Clothing Line Video

2009-06-20T04:07:00.001-07:00

And here's the video from PGAtour.com

Camilo Villegas to launch the new "J.Lindeberg Art Polo / Camilo Villegas Collection" at the US Open

2009-06-20T03:37:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles - 06/08/09 /PRNewswire/ — High-end fashion and sportswear brand J.Lindeberg is announcing the consumer launch of the new "J.Lindeberg Art Polo / Camilo Villegas Collection" at the US Open. The US Open will be played at the Bethpage Black course in New York from June 18th-21st. The brand's ambassador, Camilo Villegas, will be wearing the launch collection that will be available at an exclusive list of launch partners starting mid June.

J.Lindeberg recently re-signed leading PGA Tour player Camilo Villegas, and extended their already strong relationship, by collaboratively developing this new product offering of special edition collection pieces, promoted and worn by Villegas under the J.Lindeberg brand. The collection centers around innovative technical shirts, with unique art-work screen-printed on the garments. The result is something completely new and unique to the golf world, and reflects the J.Lindeberg tradition of combining performance and fashion in golf apparel.

The collection, which was successfully launched at the '09 Orlando PGA Show in January, received strong reviews by both leading retailers and golf industry press, and was quickly sold out to the top accounts in the US, who will start selling the collection in mid June.

Chris Waddell, Director of Retail at the PGA National Resort And Spa, says "JL is an essential factor to the success of our professional Golf Shop. Their line provides a diversity and uniqueness not offered by any other vendor in the industry and we constantly replenish our inventory. They created an entire new category in golf apparel. When you think golf fashion, JL is the first company that comes to mind and we can't wait to see the impact the new Camilo Villegas Collection will have."

The Fall '09 J.Lindeberg collections are available for wholesale in the New York and Los Angeles showrooms. Please contact Gary Sims, 213.745.2123, gsims@jlindebergusa.com.

Since its foundation in 1996 by creative director Johan Lindeberg, J. Lindeberg has successfully combined fashion and sportswear. The Company's premium men's fashion collection and golf apparel is sold worldwide in more than 25 countries including the U.S., U.K., Scandinavia and Japan. In addition to J.Lindeberg flagship stores that can be found in New York, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Tokyo and Hong Kong, retailers carrying J. Lindeberg branded apparel include leading independent boutiques, upscale departments stores and some of the world's most exclusive golf course pro shops. Headquartered in Stockholm, the Company's annual revenue is approximately EUR 30 million. Since 2007, its principal owner is the investment firm Proventus together with CEO Stefan Engström.

For press related enquiries please contact Nicks Ericsson at PPLB 213.745.2123

Buy J Lindeberg in Thailand at Only Golf

Taylormade Thailand R9 Max Driver

2009-06-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

Taylormade Thailand launches the new R9 driver for 2009 in Japan with two models. The standard 420cc R9 and the Japan market only, USGA conforming 460cc R9 Max, available at onlygolfthailand.com.

The new R9 Max Driver from Taylormade Thailand features Flight Control Technology (FCT) which lets the player adjust, face angle, loft and lie. The R9 also has one back weight port with a 4g weight (MWT) to promote a deeper CG and increase MOI for forgiveness and optimal trajectory. Classic club head shape with high MOI for easy launch and maximum performance. The R9 Max also features TM's Inverted Cone Technology milled directly to the inner side of the face which creates an expanded COR zone. The R9 Max also uses Ultra Thin Wall technology allowing for thinner club head walls for weight savings. Buy this club at Thailand's leading TaylorMade shop

The R9 Max is also available from Taylormade Thailand with top of the line Japanese Market shafts including the Fujikura Japan Motore Speeder VC6.0, Graphite Design Tour AD EV-6 and Diamana Kai'li 60 at an additional charge. These are considered the hottest shafts in Japan and ordering these gets you the actual shaft, not TM branded and colored shafts. All three shafts are strong kicking peformance control shafts. The Kai'li is the lowest launching of the bunch and amazing at taking the right side out of play. The EV and Speeder are mid to high launch max carry shafts. The EV spins low and carries far and the Motore Speeder is the worlds first 7 axis shaft with superb control.

Ask our TaylorMade Golf experts at our Bangkok Discount Pro Shop for more info on all TaylorMade golf equipment in Bangkok Thailand.

Original at From Tourspecgolf.com

TAYLORMADE'S R9 460 DRIVER THAILAND

2009-06-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- In February, TaylorMade Golf Thailand introduced the R9 driver, which today is the No. 1 driver model on the PGA Tour. Now, TaylorMade is introducing the R9 460 driver in Bangkok Golf Shop, which combines TaylorMade's Flight Control Technology (FCT) with the forgiveness and power of a 460cc titanium clubhead and the speed-promoting properties of a longer length and extremely lightweight graphite shaft.

FCT gives the golfer the power to easily change the club's face angle, loft and lie angle simply by loosening a bolt in the sole, rotating the shaft into the designated position, then tightening the bolt. FCT makes it so easy to adjust the angle of the clubface into a position that suits your eye and your swing, helping you hit the ball straighter and longer.

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It also promotes a side-to-side change in trajectory of up to 40 yards, helping golfers to promote a draw or fade, or diminish a hook or slice. The R9 460 includes a white FCT wrench that delivers the 40 inch-pounds of torque necessary to adequately tighten the FCT bolt.

"FCT proved itself to be a major, major metalwood innovation immediately after we launched the R9 driver earlier this year," said Sean Toulon, TaylorMade executive vice president of innovation. "Tour pros took to it right away, and it quickly became the No. 1 driver model on the PGA Tour. Amateur golfers also embraced it quickly, as sales have been fantastic around the world, especially in the United States, Europe and Japan."

Compared to the R9 driver, the R9 460 driver has a larger head, deeper clubface and lower and deeper-back center of gravity (CG), qualities that deliver a higher moment of inertia (MOI) for greater forgiveness and a higher spin rate, helping low-spin players keep the ball in the air longer for increased carry and distance.

The R9 460's new classic shape offers three distinct advantages, company officials said. It allows for a deep back, far-from-the-face CG location that makes it easier to launch the ball; it contributes to a higher MOI for greater stability on off-center hits; and it allows for an exceptionally low CG location.

The R9 460's clubhead is constructed with the aid of TaylorMade's Ultra-Thin Wall (UTW) technology, which allows for clubhead walls measuring as thin as 0.6 millimeters, with the saved weight redistributed to help make the low and-deep-back CG possible.

The R9 460 driver is long in length -- 45.75 inches -- and equipped with an Aldila RE*AX 60-gram tip-soft shaft, available in L, M, R, S and X flexes. The characteristics of the shaft and the club's added length together promote increased clubhead speed and distance.

The R9 460 driver also incorporates TaylorMade's renowned Inverted Cone clubface technology, which expands the area of the clubface that delivers high ball speed.

Characterized by an inverted cone that's milled directly onto the inner side of the clubface, Inverted Cone Technology increases the club's forgiveness on mis-hits. Together, the combination of the R9 460's Inverted Cone Technology, high MOI and exceedingly low CG makes it incredibly easy to hit.

For tour pros and skilled players, the R9 460 TP is also being introduced. It features the same clubhead as the R9 460, but is equipped with a Fujikura Motore F1 65 graphite shaft with a .335" tip. The R9 460 TP is also available with the several custom shaft offerings in X, S and R flexes, including the Fujikura Motore F1 75, Fujikura Motore F1 85, Fujikura Motore F1 55, Aldila® Voodoo VS6, Aldila Voodoo NV6, Mitsubishi Fubuki 63, Mitsubishi Fubuki 73, Matrix Ozik X-CON 5 and Matrix HD 6.

Available lofts for the R9 460 and R9 460 TP drivers include 8.5 degrees, 9.5 degrees, 10.5 degrees and 11.5 degrees in right-handed, 9.5 degrees and 10.5 degrees in left-handed.

Check it out at Only Golf Thailand, Bangkok's favourite golf discount store for golfers looking to buy golf clubs in Bangkok.

Callaway Golf Thailand at Only Golf

2009-06-11T04:41:00.000-07:00

CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan 14, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) once again took top honors within Golf Digest's annual "Hot List" issue. The Hot List is a comprehensive golf equipment evaluation conducted by Golf Digest Publications' team of equipment editors, a board of scientists, 20 player panelists and a group of prominent retailers.

Together they examined 471 separate entries for the 2009 Hot List, and when the results were posted, Callaway Golf Thailand earned more medals than any other golf equipment manufacturer for the third straight year.

Leading the charge were Callaway Golf's new multi-material Fusion platform drivers, FT-iQ and FT-9, as well as the new all-titanium Big Bertha Diablo driver-- all three of which earned Gold medals. This marks the first time that a single manufacturer has captured three Gold medals in the driver category since Callaway first won a trifecta in 2007 Buy Callaway golf clubs in Bangkok.

In the Irons category, Callaway's latest edition of X-Series irons, the new X-22 and X-22 Tour irons, each took home Gold medals. One tester said of the X-22s: "I could hit these blindfolded. Sign me up right now." Other Callaway irons Bangkok Thailand at www.onlygolfthailand.com distinguished with 2009 Hot List medals include Callaway's X-Forged, FT, Big Bertha and FT i-brid irons.

Odyssey once again took home more medals than any other putter brand. The Odyssey Black Series i #6 and the White Hot Tour #1 each won a Gold medal for blade putters. Within the mallet division, the Odyssey Black Series i 2-Ball Putter won a Gold medal, as did the White Hot XG 330. Other Odyssey putters recognized for excellence include the White Hot XG 2-Ball F7, White Hot XG Sabertooth and the White Hot XG Teron.

Overall, Callaway Golf and Odyssey won 21 Golf Digest Hot List medals, five more than the closest competitor. The full list of distinguished products can be bought at Thailand's leading online golf shop, www.onlygolfthailand.com

Buy Logo Golf Balls Bangkok Thailand

2009-06-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

In Thailand golf one great marketing strategy you can count on is giving away corporate logo golf balls in Bangkok to potential customers. All over the world corporate logo golf balls from onlygolfthailand.com are a great marketing tool. Logo Golf balls from www.logogolfballpro.com are a great place to put your corporate image and information as they will give you years of putting your name in front of clients. The messages you put out on television are radio are quickly gone, if they are seen or heard at all.

Bangkok golf shop brochures and other print media is soon thrown away. No one is going to throw away a high quality Thailand golf ball from bangkoks best golf shop. Your Thailand golf company logo will be seen by your potential customer each time they get something from their golf bag from the discount golf shop Only Golf Bangkok. To make corporate logo golf balls your corporate name or logo is printed onto a top name golf ball. There are many top brands of golf ball available for printing including Nike Golf Thailand, Callaway Thailand, Bridgestone Golf Thailand, Titleist Thailand and TaylorMade Golf Thailand, all sold at ONly Golf

Created with a wide choices of colors: Your Thailand golf logo or company name can be printed in a variety of colors so that it is similar to your other marketing materials. The printing area is usually no greater than one inch in diameter. Remember the small surface area of a golf ball when determining what you want to be printed. More and more companies have begun buying corporate logo golf balls as a part of their marketing strategy.

You will have total control of the message that gets printed. There are many Bangkok golf companies that simply print their corporate logo while others will choose to put their unique branding slogan. There are also business that want to choose the corporate website and telephone number to print on the golf ball. These types of golf balls are great for handing out at trade shows, conferences and other corporate events. One great idea it to donate them for use at charity golf tournaments where they will be seen by many different people.

For the cheapest prices on logo golf balls in Bangkok and Thailand, and for anybody looking for discount logo screen golf balls, make sure to check out logogolfballpro.com

Callaway and Cobra Golf Thailand

2009-06-03T02:15:00.000-07:00

Callaway Golf Thailand Announces Return of Big Bertha
What’s New: Callaway Golf Thailand at www.onlygolfthailand.com Company has introduced a new family of drivers and fairway woods carrying the beloved Big Bertha name. The Big Bertha Titanium Driver and Big Bertha Stainless Steel Fairway Woods mark the first time Callaway has paired a titanium driver with stainless steel fairway woods in a product family.

The Buzz: The company used a decade of titanium driver design to create a forgiving 360cc Big Bertha Titanium Driver sold at a stainless-steel price. The driver head is slightly longer from heel to toe, producing a wide hitting area that promotes confidence at address and stability on off-center hits. Precise internal weighting is achieved by adjusting the thickness of the ribbon around the club’s perimeter, pinpointing the center of gravity to help golfers gain distance. The new Big Bertha Fairway Woods sold at onlygolfthailand.com have a refined version of the three-piece construction used in the company’s Steelhead series of fairway woods, which combines a heavy steel body and face area with a relatively light crown area. The club-head design also features a precision-crafted internal weight chip welded inside each Big Bertha Fairway Wood. These ingredients work together to lower the center of gravity, helping Thailand golfers get the ball airborne more easily with a high, strong trajectory.

Why Buy Callaway Golf at ONly Golf: The Big Bertha Titanium Driver retails for $315 with either an RCH 65w graphite shaft or a Gems 55w graphite shaft. The Big Bertha Stainless Steel Fairway Woods retail for $285 with an RCH 75w graphite shaft or a Gems 55w graphite shaft, or $225 with a uniflex steel shaft. For more information, visit www.onlygolfthailand.com

Cobra Golf Thailand at www.onlygolfthailand.com Launches King Cobra SZ Fairway Metals
What’s New: Cobra has introduced a new family of King Cobra SZ fairway metals to accompany its recent launch of the King Cobra SZ driver line. Like the driver, SZ is short for “Sweet Zone,” an area Cobra has improved with nine hot points across the clubface for improved distance, high trajectory and accuracy.

The Buzz: Compared to previous Cobra Golf Thailand offerings, the larger head size and face area of the new straight-neck King Cobra SZ fairway metals promote greater distance, forgiveness and consistency. A rhombus-shaped center and thinner perimeter offer a tremendous response across the entire club face and promote maximum ball speed. A dual weighting system placed low in the back of the club head helps create a deeper center of gravity, promoting a longer, higher ball flight. Each shaft has been custom designed to each club head to produce higher swing speeds for greater distance.

Why Buy: The King Cobra Golf Thailand SZ Fairway Metals line is available from a Strong 3-wood through 9-wood in six different lofts. King Cobra SZ 3, 5, 7 and 9 metals are also offered in slice-reducing men’s, seniors’ and women’s offset models. They retail for $185. For more information, visit www.onlygofthailand.com

Nike Golf Thailand

2009-06-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Nike Golf formally unveiled the expansion of its full service, state-of-the-art research and design (R&D) facility known as "The Oven," in Fort Worth, Texas. The newly enhanced 49,100 square foot facility, which originally broke ground in October 2002, has increased its total square footage by 17,600.

This is Nike Golf's second R&D expansion in just three years. The Nike Golf Thailand Oven is dedicated to research and design for the development of performance golf clubs, testing of both clubs and golf balls, as well as collaborating with and providing superior service for Nike Golf Tour athletes. Hand in hand with the creation of new products, the facility is an essential component for Nike Golf's talented tour athletes, who depend on "The Oven" for testing and fitting to ensure that they are personally equipped to perform at their very best.

"The Nike brand is globally synonymous with innovation, performance and the pursuit of athletic excellence," said Cindy Davis, President of Nike Golf buy NIke Golf Balls in Bangkok. "The expansion of "The Oven" is an indication of Nike Golf's commitment to our athletes, as well as to solidifying our role as an undisputed leader in the research, design and development of clubs and balls."
The most significant component of the expansion is the addition of a 129,000 square-foot short game area that includes three synthetic greens, one natural grass green, bunkers and practice holes. The practice holes and hitting areas are designed for the purpose of providing various distances for short irons so that iron and ball testing is both extensive and constructive for Nike engineers and Nike athletes. The short game area also is enhanced by a water feature that runs through the middle of the short game course.

The other standout enhancement to "The Oven" is Nike Golf's research building which has almost doubled in size and houses offices and a new large auditorium for meetings and presentations. Only Golf Thailand Carries Nike Golf Balls and Equipment

"The Oven" is the idea tank where Tom Stites, Nike Golf's Director of Product Creation for Clubs, and his staff of engineers and technicians develop, research and test the innovative technology that has helped Nike Golf to become one of the fastest growing companies in the history of the golf industry. Rock Ishii, Nike Golf's Product Director for golf balls and his staff of engineers and technicians also utilize the facility as the primary location for ball testing. In conjunction with club testing, the ball team obtains launch parameters, track trajectory and measures actual carry, roll and dispersion.

The Nike Oven features technologically advanced equipment that takes Nike Golf's research to the next level. This equipment includes a computer controlled mechanic golfer, state-of-the-art putting lab, track man, launch monitors, assembly room, club milling and grinding laboratory as well as other test areas for conducting:

- Numerous proprietary instruments for golf club analysis.
- Shaft testing for flex, frequency, torque and durability.
- Cannon testing for durability and COR compliance.
- COR Pendulum for metal wood COR compliance and performance.
- Mass moment of inertia testing process and center of gravity measurement process.

Located in Beaverton, Oregon, Nike Golf Thailand designs and markets golf equipment, apparel, balls, footwear, bags and accessories worldwide. Nike Golf is passionately dedicated to ushering in the future of this great game by developing ground-breaking innovations that enable athletes to perform at their physical and mental peak. For more information on Nike Golf Bankgok, visit our Web site at www.nikegolf.com . Editors and journalists in the U.S. seeking editorial information and downloadable images, visit www.nikegolf.com/presscenter . For international journalists, please contact Nike Golf Thailand public relations representative in respective countries for information.

For the best prices on Nike Golf Thailand, contact www.onlygolfthailand.com - the leading golf discount pro shop for Thailand golfers.

Taylormade Golf Thailand

2009-05-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- In February, TaylorMade Golf Thailand introduced the R9™ driver, which today is the No. 1 driver model on the PGA Tour. Now, TaylorMade is introducing the R9 460 driver, which combines TaylorMade's renowned Flight Control Technology (FCT) with the forgiveness and power of a 460cc titanium clubhead and the speed-promoting properties of a longer length and extremely lightweight graphite shaft. All at the remarkable street price of $299.

FCT gives the golfer the power to easily change the club's face angle, loft and lie angle simply by loosening a bolt in the sole, rotating the shaft into the designated position, then tightening the bolt. FCT makes it so easy to adjust the angle of the clubface into a position that suits your eye and your swing, helping you hit the ball straighter and longer. It also promotes a side-to-side change in trajectory of up to 40 yards, helping golfers to promote a draw or fade, or diminish a hook or slice. The R9 460 includes a white FCT wrench that delivers the 40 inch-pounds of torque necessary to adequately tighten the FCT bolt.
"FCT proved itself to be a major, major metalwood innovation immediately after we launched the R9 driver earlier this year," said Sean Toulon, TaylorMade Golf Thailand sold at Only Golf Thailand executive vice president of innovation. "Tour pros took to it right away, and it quickly became the No. 1 driver model on the PGA Tour. Amateur golfers also embraced it quickly, as sales have been fantastic around the world, especially in the United States, Europe and Japan."

Compared to the R9 driver, the R9 460 driver has a larger head, deeper clubface and lower and deeper-back center of gravity (CG), qualities that deliver a higher MOI for greater forgiveness and a higher spin-rate, helping low-spin players keep the ball in the air longer for increased carry and distance.

Powerful 460cc Clubhead featuring TaylorMade's New Classic Shape "In addition to the advantages of FCT in a 460cc clubhead, the R9 460 also delivers the kind of shape, feel and sound that TaylorMade drivers are famous for, and which our competitors can't come close to matching," said Harry Arnett, TaylorMade Golf Bangkok senior category director for metalwoods. The shape is what TaylorMade calls "new classic" because it is at once modern and traditional. The R9 460's new classic shape offers three distinct advantages: 1) it allows for a deep back, far-from-the-face CG location that makes it easier to launch the ball; 2) it contributes to a higher MOI for greater stability on off-center hits; 3) it allows for an exceptionally low CG location.
The R9 460's clubhead is constructed with the aid of TaylorMade's Ultra-Thin Wall (UTW) technology, which allows for clubhead walls measuring as thin as 0.6 millimeters, with the saved weight redistributed to help make the low and-deep-back CG possible.

Longer Club-length; Aldila RE*AX® 60-gram tip-soft shaft
The R9 460 driver is long in length - 45.75" - and equipped with an Aldila RE*AX® 60-gram tip-soft shaft, available in L, M, R, S and X flexes. The characteristics of the shaft and the club's added length together promote increased clubhead speed and distance. "Players who put a premium on distance are going to want to put the R9 460 in play," said Arnett. "It features a variety of characteristics designed to work together to promote faster ball speed and distance-enhancing launch conditions, while FCT technology will help them achieve the shot-shape they want to help keep the ball in the short grass."
Inverted Cone Technology

The R9 460 driver also incorporates TaylorMade's renowned Inverted Cone clubface technology, which expands the area of the clubface that delivers high ball speed. Characterized by an inverted cone that's milled directly onto the inner side of the clubface, Inverted Cone Technology increases the club's forgiveness on mis-hits. Together, the combination of the R9 460's Inverted Cone Technology, high MOI and exceedingly low CG makes it incredibly easy to hit.

On Tour with TaylorMade Golf Thailand
"Tour pros always want their drivers bent in some way, usually to change the face angle or to add or subtract loft," said Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade vice president of tour operations. It's so easy to do that with FCT. Instead of taking the club to our tour trailer and putting it in a bending block, we can adjust it quickly and cleanly, right on the spot, either at the practice range or the first tee. And now all golfers have the option to adjust their face angle, loft and lie angle, like tour pros do."
Tour professionals who have put the R9 driver in play include Sean O'Hair, Kenny Perry, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Darren Clark and Andres Romero. The R9 460 is expected to attract similar interest among tour pros. "A lot of tour pros have been asking if we could incorporate FCT into a driver with a 460cc head, so we're expecting a lot of R9 460 drivers to go into play, which will further increase R9 dominance on tour."

R9 460 TP
For tour pros and skilled players, the R9 460 TP is also being introduced. It features the same identical clubhead as the R9 460, but is equipped with a Fujikura Motore F1 65 graphite shaft with a .335" tip. The R9 460 TP is also available with the following custom shaft offerings in X, S and R flexes: Fujikura Motore F1 75, Fujikura Motore F1 85, Fujikura Motore F1 55, Aldila® Voodoo VS6, Aldila Voodoo NV6, Mitsubishi® Fubuki 63, Mitsubishi Fubuki 73, Matrix Ozik X-CON 5 and Matrix HD 6.

Availability
Available lofts for the R9 460 and R9 460 TP drivers include 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 11.5° in right-handed, 9.5° and 10.5° in left-handed. Availability at retail begins May 16.

About TaylorMade Golf Thailand Company, Inc. dba TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company

TaylorMade Golf Thailand has led the golf industry's technological revolution since the company was founded in 1979. TaylorMade metalwoods, irons and putters have been used to win hundreds of professional golf tournaments around the world. In 1998, TaylorMade became a wholly owned subsidiary of the adidas Group. adidas Golf creates high-performance, technology-infused golf apparel and footwear worn by hundreds of professional golfers around the world. Ashworth, which became a brand of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company in 2008, creates relaxed, lifestyle-oriented golf apparel synonymous with authenticity and quality. Learn more about TaylorMade-adidas Golf and its brands at (866) 530-TMAG (8624) or www.onlygolfthailand or www.golfshopthailand.com or www.logogolfballpro.com

Callaway Golf Thailand

2009-05-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

Callaway Golf Thailand Company designs develops manufactures and markets high quality innovative golf clubs. The Company's golf clubs are sold at premium prices to both average and skilled golfers on the basis of performance ease of use and appearance. Callaway Golf Company has a market cap of $544.05 million; its shares were traded at around $8.44 with a P/E ratio of 20.1 and P/S ratio of 0.49. The dividend yield of Callaway Golf equipment Bangkok Company stocks is 3.32%.

Highlight of Business Operations:
As a result of the weak economic conditions and unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates discussed above (collectively, the “unfavorable economic conditions”), net sales decreased $94.5 million (26%) to $271.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2009 as compared to $366.4 million for the comparable period in the prior year. This decrease reflects a $83.5 million decline in net sales of Callaway golf Thailand's golf clubs segment and a $11.0 million decline in net sales of the Company’s golf balls segment as set forth below (dollars in millions):

For the first quarter of 2009, gross profit decreased $59.3 million to $116.2 million from $175.5 million in the first quarter of 2008. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales (“gross margin”) decreased to 43% in the first quarter of 2009 compared to 48% in the first quarter of 2008. This decline in gross margin is primarily attributable to the unfavorable economic conditions and the resulting reduction in sales volume as well as the impact of unfavorable changes in foreign currency rates. In addition, gross margin was affected by price reductions taken during the first quarter in 2009 on older golf clubs products combined with a shift in product mix within the golf club operating segment as a result of sales of lower priced callaway golf clubs in Bangkok Thailand products during the first quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2008. This decline in gross margin was partially offset by cost reductions on golf club component costs as well as an overall improvement in manufacturing efficiencies as a result of the Company’s gross margin improvement initiatives. See “Segment Profitability” below for further discussion of gross margins. Gross profit for the first quarter of 2009 was negatively affected by charges of $1.6 million related to the Company’s gross margin improvement initiatives compared to $1.1 million for the comparable period in 2008.

Selling expenses decreased $5.5 million (7%) to $74.7 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to $80.2 million in the same period of 2008. As a percentage of net sales, selling expenses increased to 27% in the first quarter of 2009 compared to 22% in the first quarter of 2008. The dollar decrease in selling expenses was primarily due a decrease of $1.7 million in employee incentive compensation expense as well as cost reductions taken by Callaway golf Thailand during the first quarter in 2009, which included decreases of $0.9 million in employee costs, $1.3 million in travel and entertainment and $0.9 million in advertising and promotional activities. In addition, sales commissions decreased by $0.9 million as a result of the decline in net sales during the first three months in 2009 compared to the same time period in the prior year.

Buy Callaway Golf Clubs in Thailand

Callaway Golf Thailand: FT-iQ Driver

2009-05-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

Ely Reeves Callaway, Jr., the president of Burlington Textile, was an avid golfer. When he player, Callaway always used wooden golf clubs manufactured by a company called Hickory Sticks. Like many of the old wooden club manufacturers, Hickory Sticks was in financial difficulty and began looking for investors to bail them out. One of the people they approached was Callaway. He had just sold his wine vineyards for a nice profit and was looking for a new investment. Why not, he thought, combine business with pleasure.

In 1982, Ely Callaway purchased 50% of Hickory Sticks and changed the company's name to Callaway Hickory Sticks, USA. Six years later the Hickory Sticks name was dropped all together.

Realizing that golf club manufacturing was on the brink of a technical explosion, Callaway golf thailand knew the company needed a new direction. In 1986 he asked Richard Helmstetter, of all things a billiard cue designer, to consult with the company about better club design and the new technology in materials and manufacturing. His ideas were well received and he soon became the Callaway Golf's chief club designer.

Under Helmstetter, Callaway Golf soon introduced computerized club manufacturing and their first major success was the indomitable Big Bertha driver. The original Big Bertha had a very large steel club head that measured 190 cubic centimeters. A later version, introduced in 1997, grew to 290 cc's. Big Bertha revolutionized the golf driver and became the cornerstone of Callaway Golf Thailand.

Roger Cleveland, founder of Cleveland Golf, joined Callaway in 1996 as chief club designer and soon the company was working to develop cutting edge Fusion irons.

Six years later, Callaway Golf introduced its forged wedges. Constructed with carbon steel, the golf wedges featured a club face that contained special U shaped grooves. Soon Callaway was offering a complete line of high tech golf woods, irons, wedges and putters. Many of these are featured in our Golf Equipment and Tips articles and videos.

Also in 2002, Callaway Golf introduced the Callaway Golf ball. Their engineers used sophisticated computer programs to analyze and evaluate hundreds of dimple patterns and over 1,000 golf ball cores and cover materials. The result was the Rule 35 ball that combined distance, control, spin and durability into one golf ball.

Today Callaway Golf, through its acquisitions and internal development, sells golf clubs and accessories under the Callaway Golf, Ben Hogan and Top-Flight Brands. Once the home of only Big Bertha, now every golfer, from amateur to PGA professional can carry a complete set of Callaway golf clubs.

Ely Callaway, who took Callaway Golf in Bangkok from those old hickory sticks to one of golf's great innovative companies, resigned as Chief Executive Officer in 1996. Two years later he returned to again run the company, but sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2001.

Callaway Golf's goal is to design and manufacture golf equipment that will make every golfer a better golfer. Golf clubs and accessories from their many brands are frequent visitors to significant publications like the Golf Digest "Hot List" and Editor's Choices.

Find out more about this exciting company and its cutting edge golf clubs and equipment by visiting the Callaway Golf Thailand

Tourstage Golf Thailand

2009-05-12T02:57:00.000-07:00

Precept Golf Thailand is going global with a new brand of equipment called Tourstage. The brand already exists in Japan, where most of parent Bridgestone Sports' tour staff players use Tourstage Thailand product, but the brand is making its official U.S. debut this spring.

TourStage golf Thailand clubs, according to Precept Director of Marketing Stephen Graham, are designed for low handicap players. Bridgestone engineers used input from PGA Tour players Matt Kuchar and Stuart Appleby to develop the TourStage clubs in Bangkok line, which consists of the Z350 and Z375 drivers; Z150, Z140 and Z130 fairway woods; Z101 irons; and Z-Series wedges. Kuchar and Appleby are playing TourStage golf clubs in Thailand on the PGA Tour in 2003.

"What we really wanted to do is create a flagship global brand and bring it to the U.S.," Graham said. "We're going to take it to Australia and Europe, too, and create a high-end global brand."

TourStage, according to Graham, does not replace Precept's established equipment line.

"We're going after two different price points," Graham said, with Precept being the lower of the two but still a premium brand.

The TourStage Z350 and Z375 drivers, according to Graham, feature a three-piece titanium body for maximum energy transfer at impact, and a forged titanium clubface that provides increased initial velocity for added distance while delivering excellent feel and playability.

The TourStage golf Thailand Z350, Graham said, is for the player looking to combine distance and control, while the TourStage Z375 offers more directional stability and ease in getting the ball airborne.

The TourStage fairway woods -- Z150 (3-wood), TourStage Z140 (5-wood) and the TourStage Z130 (7-wood) -- utilize 17-4 stainless steel and feature a tungsten weight screw technology that Graham said creates ideal balance and proper swingweight in every club.

The TourStage Z101 irons are forged from mild carbon steel. The long irons (2-5) contain tungsten inserts in the trailing edge, according to Graham, to create a low and deep center of gravity for ease in getting the ball in the air.

The short irons are engineered with a higher center of gravity to enhance control on scoring shots. In addition, Graham said progressive cavity depths throughout the set provide more feel in the short irons and added forgiveness in the long irons.

The TourStage Z-Series Wedges are forged from mild carbon steel for feel and consistency and are available in 52, 56 and 60 degrees.

Graham said all of the TourStage Golf clubs in Thailand Z-Series clubs have custom fitting options, and TourStage will have a custom fitting van -- equipped with a club-fitting system called the Golfer's Dock -- traveling around the United States throughout the year.

Buy Tourstage golf equipment from www.onlygolfthailand.com

Tourstage Golf Thailand

2009-05-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

Chie Arimura and Tetsuji Hiratsuka, both are Bridgestone Sports’ Tour Stage Thailand Staffs, marked the victory by Tour Stage last week.

Chie Arimura claimed the second victory of her career of the Japan LPGA tour on the Crystal Geyser Ladies Golf Tournament at Keiyo Country Club, Chiba, held between May 1st and 3rd. This is the three consecutive wins of Tour Stage Thailand following to Lee Ji Hee on the Life Card Ladies Tournament 2009 and Tamie Durdin on the Fujisankei Ladies Classic.

The Followings are in the bag of Chie Arimura:
Balls: Tour Stage X-01G+
Driver: Tour Stage New X-Drive 701R 9.5°R1 45.0 in
Fairway Woods: Tour Stage X-Drive FW #5, 7 and 9
Irons: Tour Stage New X-Blade GR C-1 #5 to PW
Wedges: Tour Stage New X-Wedge 101LB 50 °& / Tour Stage X-Wedge 2006 ver. 58°
Bag: Tour Stage CBTX91/WP Proto Type
Visor:: Tour Stage CPT952
Glove: Tour Stage GLTX80 Proto Type

Tetsuji Hiratsuka, a Bridgestone Sports’ Tour Stage Staff, also marked the first victory of this season and the fifth of his career of the Japan PGA tour on the Chunichi Crowns, at the Nagoya Golf Club, Aichi, held between April 30th and May 3rd.

The Followings are in the bag of Tetsuji Hiratsuka:
Balls: Tour Stage X-01B＋
Driver: Tour Stage X-Drive Proto Type 9.5°X 44.25 in
Irons: Tour Stage Proto Type #3 to PW
Bag: Tour Stage CBTX90/BR Proto Type
Shoes: Tour Stage SHX800/BK
Visor:: Tour Stage CPT912
Glove: Tour Stage GLTX82 Proto Type

Buy Tourstage golf clubs and equipment in Bangkok with www.onlygolfthailand.com

Minogue splashes £40,000 on golf equipment

2009-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Read the original article at:http://www.golfonline.co.uk/golf-news/golf-equipment-news/minogue-splashes-40000-golf-equipment-nd-19149994.html

Kylie Minogue's new found love of golf equipment in Thailand in has led the pop princess and her boyfriend Andres Velencoso to spend £40,000 on new equipment, it has been revealed.

The pair recently flew in by helicopter to the English town of Gainsborough, where they had a ball being fitted with made to measure golf clubs before playing a few holes at a local club.

According to the Sun, a source at golf club manufacturer Ping in Gainsborough said: "Our top range of golf clubs in Bangkok works out at about £1,000 per set.

"She has homes all over the world and wanted a set for each place. By the time they had done buying stuff like golf bags in Thailand, between them they had got through £40,000."

The source added that the 40-year-old Aussie opted to choose clubs from Ping's Rhapsody range for women, with the clubs costing around £100 each.

It is believed that Minogue, whose top hits include Can't Get you Out of My Head and I Should Be So Lucky, started her love affair with golf after beginning to date Spanish model Velencoso.

TaylorMadeproperties bulk up tour staff

2009-04-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

GOLFWEEK STAFF

www.golfweek.com

TaylorMade Thailand and its latest acquisition, Ashworth, have bolstered their tour staff.

As first reported in Golfweek, Greg Norman joined TaylorMade, the company announced March 31. Then, two days later, the Carlsbad, Calif., equipment company reported the signing of four-time PGA Tour winner Rory Sabbatini.

In related news, Ashworth unveiled April 6 its tour team: Fred Couples, Chris DiMarco, Steve Flesch and Carlos Franco – plus newcomers Sean O’Hair, Charles Howell III, and Ryan Palmer.

The signing of Norman – who is in the Masters field this week – likely will produce the most immediate exposure for TaylorMade.

Norman qualified for a return to Augusta, where he has never won and not competed since 2002, with a T-3 at last year’s British Open. Norman, though not compensated by TaylorMade at the Open, played TaylorMade’s TP Red ball during his surprising title pursuit.

“It started with the TP ball, which I played at the Open Championship last year,” Norman said through a TaylorMade news release. “I’m pleased that the discussions have evolved to the extent that I am now a member of the TaylorMade staff. TaylorMade’s approach to the game and equipment design is very similar to my own.”

Norman, 54, will play TaylorMade clubs, a TaylorMade Thailand TP golf ball, use a TaylorMade staff bag and display the TaylorMade logo on the side of his headwear.

Norman, who spent 331 weeks as the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer during the 1980s and ’90s, has won 90 times worldwide, including 20 victories on the PGA Tour, notably the 1986 and ’92 British Opens.

“Our relationship with Greg Norman is really a throwback to the way business was done when I started my career,” said Mark King, TaylorMade-Adidas Golf’s chief executive officer and president. “Greg let us know prior to last year’s Open Championship that he was going to play our TP Red ball. From our perspective, it is exciting to be working with Greg and seeing him go out there and give these guys all they can handle.”

Be like The Shark and buy TaylorMade golf clubs and golf equipment at www.onlygolfthailand.com, The Sharks favourite Bangkok discount golf shop for Thailand golfers.

Only Golf Thailand Introduces Club 59

2009-04-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Thailand's undisputed leader in multi-lingual golf equipment sales, www.onlygolfthailand.com has launched Club 59, a truly exclusive golfer member club where serious golfers enjoy unmatched discounts, benefits, freebies and service from Only Golf Thailand. Details of the program are being kept from the general public to enhance the truly exclusive nature of this program, which is promising low prices on golf equipment in Bangkok, free delivery, free golf and a host of other exciting benefits that are sure to gain the interest of Thai golfers.

Club 59 replaces the existing VIP Program, which boasted over 500 members within six months. Only Golf Web Developer and Online Marketing Consultant Kim Inglis of Back9clicks.com said "Our goal is to have Thai golfers knocking down our doors trying to gain entry into the "club". Almost every company has tried or is trying some kind of member program, with little success, and Club 59 is our attempt to completely redefine the way golfers are going to look at being a customer of a golf shop".

More details will be available over the coming weeks. Check out the online teaser at www.onlygolfthailand.com/club59.php

New Tourstage Golf Equipment

2009-04-14T00:54:00.000-07:00

Onlygolfthailand is please to announce the addition of the latest golf clubs from Tourstage Golf Japan. Included are the following products:

Buy the new GR 2009 from Tourstage golf at Only Golf Thailand, Bangkok's discount golf shop for Thai golfers. The new X-Drive GR at 450cc has the largest head of the new models at address, providing a sense of confidence and security. The CG is placed furthest back for a high trajectory draw weighted launch. The X-Drive GR is for those mid to low handicappers looking for maximum forgiveness. Available with 9.5 and 10.5 lofts and stock with Tourstage Tour Design graphite which ranges from 54-63g depending on flex. The Tour Design is mid torque mid kick and is aimed at the smoother swinger. High end upgrades featuring the newest shafts are available including new Tour AD EV-6, Diamana Kai'li 60 and Rombax 6F09. The upgrades are considered special order and may take longer than a standard order. The Tour AD EV shaft is a low torque mid to high launch shaft. The new Kai'li is a low torque low-mid launch shaft. The new Rombax F is low torque mid to high launch.

Tourstage introduces it's all new X-Drive 701FW for the better player. A mid-compact head with a square face, the 701FW is made of SUS630 with a hyper stainless 455 face for a solid feel. The new 701FW has a non ridged sole for better contact and versatility in any lie. A tunsgen weight in the sole pushes back CG and helps get the ball up in the air in any lie. Available with DG SL S300, or Tour Design graphite and the new Tour AD EV series shaft as an upgrade. The new Tour AD EV is a mid to high launching low torue shaft. Available in 4 lofts. Buy this Tourstage golf fairway wood at www.onlygolfthailand.com, the number 1 source for Tourstage golf clubs in Bangkok Thailand.

Tourstage introduces its all new X-Blade 701 for the 2009 season. The X-Blade 701 is a compact premium forged cavity back with minimal offset for the scratch and low handicap golfer. Their main strengths are control and workability with a touch of forgiveness over the 901 Blades. A magnesium insert was added to the back cavity to enhance soft feel and provide vibration dampening. Like the 901 Blade, the 701 CB has great spin control around the greens. Available with NS Pro or DG Steel with 3 and 4 irons available at an additional cost (3 iron is a special order). Buy now at Bangkoks #1 Golf Pro shop for Tourstage golf irons and clubs - Only Golf

Check out all the latest Tourstage Products at Thailand's Leading Tourstage Golf Shop

Cobra Golf announces unveiling its new '09 King Cobra SZ Irons

2009-04-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Cobra Golf unveils technologically advanced tools for game improvement in the new 2009 King Cobra SZ Irons, or "Sweet Zone" Irons. The irons' low-and-wide design is defined by key components: Their sleek, low-profile clubhead design and shortened hosel result in a low-and-back Center of Gravity (CG), while a wide sole and heel-toe weighting system helps achieve maximum Moment of Inertia (MOI). These attributes create forgiving irons that help golfers launch the ball higher and achieve pinpoint accuracy on their shots.

"The SZ iron offers patented technology and winning performance at an affordable price," said Brian Zender, General Manager for Cobra Golf. "The SZ is an award winner prior to our March launch and has impressed test panels with golfers of various abilities for its high trajectory, forgiveness, distance and feel."

The irons feature a best-of-all-worlds approach, when it comes to design features. "The SZ is designed from the ground up to deliver maximum forgiveness, consistency, and feel," said Tom Preece, Vice President of Cobra Club Research and Development. "The wide sole, low profile, offset clubhead design creates a low-back CG location for high, draw-bias trajectory. The heel-toe perimeter weighting increases inertia for maximum clubhead stability on off-center hits. Plus the SZ features a unique patent-pending sole design which keeps the clubhead centered and stable both at address and through contact. The SZ performance design is coupled with a urethane insert, layered across the back side of the entire face, which dampens unwanted vibration and gives great feel."

Buy Cobra at Onlygolfthailand.com, the ultimate source for discount golf equipment in Bangkok

SZ TECHNOLOGY
The all-new SZ irons for 2009 are ideal for golfers seeking superior distance, forgiveness and feel. They feature a progressive offset throughout the set, to make each iron as easy as possible to hit.
Wide Sole, Low-Profile Clubhead Design:
The wide sole - which is rounded from front to back - prevents digging into the turf. Together with the low profile create an extreme low-and-back CG and high MOI, for high launch, more distance and maximum forgiveness.
Heel-Toe Weighting:
Provides higher inertia for greater forgiveness and accuracy.
Full Back Cavity Plate with Urethane-Backed Insert:
Enhances feel.
Premium Aldila DVS-HL or Nippon N.S. 1030H Shafts:
Lightweight shafts generate faster clubhead speeds for higher launch, increased distance and accuracy.
Square-at-Address Set-Up:
Bounce/sole radius design provides a stable, balanced position at address.
King Cobra SZ irons are available in men's graphite and steel shafts (4-GW), and women's and seniors' graphite (5-SW). SZ sets will begin shipping early March with a suggested retail price of $720 (graphite) and $600 (steel) per set.

Callaway Golf Thailand: FT-iQ Driver

2009-03-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

Smart MOI delivers consistently long drives that split the middle of the fairway. Straight distance. That’s what you want from your driver. No need to think. Just pick a target and swing away. Say hello to the FT-iQ Driver, the longest, straightest driver we’ve ever created. Using the coolest, latest technology found in Stealth Bombers and Formula 1 race cars, the brightest minds at Callaway Golf have created a driver with one result in mind: long bombs down the middle. The refined head shape has a sleek look and raises the moment of inertia (MOI) for unprecedented accuracy off the tee. Turbo-charge your tee shots with Hyperbolic Face Technology, which raises ball speeds across the entire face for more distance. The FT-iQ Tour Driver produces a more penetrating ball flight and features a slightly open face angle for a look preferred by accomplished players. The exclusive Fubuki shaft from Mitsubishi Rayon adds to the incredible feel and performance. So pick a target and fire a smart bomb.

Buy this and other Callaway golf clubs at www.onlygolfthailand.com

Buy Cobra Drivers in Bangkok

2009-03-21T20:03:00.001-07:00

COBRA GOLF INTRODUCES KING COBRA S9-1 LINE OF DRIVERS

Hotter 9 Points Technology Maximizes Ball Speed for Consistently Long, Accurate Drives

CARLSBAD, CA (January 23, 2009) – Cobra Golf, the leader in power technology, announces the release of the 2009 King Cobra S9-1 drivers featuring improved “Hotter 9 Points” Technology and enhanced Frequency Tuning. The S9-1 brings a measure of customization to the masses with Speed Tuning Technology through which each model is designed by player type and ball speed, giving golfers a new threshold of power, accuracy, forgiveness and feel.

“The new S9-1 drivers are the best-looking, best-sounding and best-performing drivers Cobra has ever produced,” says Brian Zender, General Manager of Cobra Golf. “There’s a version for every type of player, from amateur to pro. It’s already made a believer of Geoff Ogilvy, who used the S9-1 driver to capture the 2009 PGA Tour’s opening event, the Mercedes-Benz Championship.”

S9-1 DRIVER TECHNOLOGY

S9-1 Drivers are designed to create more powerful, accurate drives for all player types, further elevating Cobra’s Hotter 9 Point clubface and Speed Tuning technologies.

“We started from scratch and developed a completely new outer head shape and internal geometry for the S9-1,” says Scott Rice, Cobra Golf’s Director of Research and Development. “Each model has a distinct Center of Gravity location to provide optimum ball flight conditions needed by different player types and ball speeds. We further adjusted the face geometry for greater efficiency on off-center hits, and paired the heads with a brand new line of proprietary, high performance Aldila DVS-HL and Graphite Design Tour AD shafts.”

S9-1 Driver

The 460cc S9-1 is available in six Speed Tuned models: F, M, M Offset, Senior’s, Women’s and Offset Women’s. It features a large, state-of-the-art clubface sporting Cobra’s patented Milled Dual Rhombus Face Insert Technology. The lightweight, longer 45.5” shaft, and lighter clubhead weight (6 grams lighter) help generate increased ball speed, while the clubhead’s optimized weighting and face curvature optimize accuracy for all player types. New subtle dimples on the crown make for a cleaner, sleek look at address.

Discretionary weight is used to optimize each model’s CG location, which gets progressively more draw-biased from the F model to the M to the M Offset. Thus, the F is square-faced and Speed Tuned to produce a slight draw-bias ball flight, high launch and low-mid spin; the M a draw-bias ball flight, high launch and mid spin; and M Offset a maximum draw-bias ball flight, extra-high launch and mid spin.

Buy these new Cobra drivers at www.onlygolfthailand.com - your online source for the best deals in golf equipment and golf clubs in Bangkok Thailand.

The Ace of Clubs Technorati

2009-03-21T19:39:00.001-07:00

Technorati Profile

The Cobra S9-1

2009-02-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

From http://www.examiner.com/x-1024-Golf-Equipment-Examiner~y2009m1d25-Cobra-Golf-unveils-new-King-Cobra-S91-driver-line

Cobra Golf, will begin shipping its 2009 King Cobra S9-1 drivers next month. The S9-1 line, accordng to the company, features Cobra's improved “Hotter 9 Points” Technology and enhanced Frequency Tuning.
“The new S9-1 drivers are the best-looking, best-sounding and best-performing drivers Cobra has ever produced,” said Brian Zender, general manager of Cobra Golf. “There’s a version for every type of player, from amateur to pro."

Geoff Ogilvy used the S9-1 driver to win the 2009 Mercedes-Benz Championship earlier this month in Hawaii.

The S9-1 drivers, Scott Rice, Cobra Golf’s director of research and developments, are designed to create more powerful, accurate drives for all player types.

"We started from scratch and developed a completely new outer head shape and internal geometry for the S9-1,” Rice said. "Each model has a distinct Center of Gravity location to provide optimum ball flight conditions needed by different player types and ball speeds. We further adjusted the face geometry for greater efficiency on off-center hits, and paired the heads with a brand new line of proprietary, high performance Aldila DVS-HL and Graphite Design Tour AD shafts.”

The 460cc S9-1 (suggested retail price $375) is available in six Speed Tuned models: F, M, M Offset, Senior’s, Women’s and Offset Women’s.

Rice said discretionary weight is used to optimize each model’s CG location, which gets progressively more draw-biased from the F model to the M to the M Offset. Thus, according to Rice, the F is square-faced and Speed Tuned to produce a slight draw-bias ball flight, high launch and low-mid spin; the M a draw-bias ball flight, high launch and mid spin; and M Offset a maximum draw-bias ball flight, extra-high launch and mid spin.

The 460cc S9-1 Pro (SRP $480) comes in two models: Rice said the deep-faced S9-1 Pro D yields a mid-high launch with low spin, for a lower, piercing ball flight, while the shallow-faced S9-1 Pro S generates higher launch with low-to-mid spin to promote higher ball flight. Each S9-1 Pro drivers features a Cobra/Matrix OZIK Xcon 6 shaft.

Buy the Cora S9-1 at Golf Shop Thailand, Thailands cheapest source for discounted golf equipment at Pro Shop in Bangkok. Golfshopthailand.com offers very cheap golf clubs, golf balls and golf equipment for golfers in Thailand wanting to find discount golf shops.

Visit www.golfshopthailand.com

TaylorMade R9

2009-01-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

By TG Equipment Editor
Gear News
21 January 2009 14:00

http://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/Golf/News/Taylormade-R9-Driver/

The Taylormade R9 driver, is to replace the Taylormade R7, one of golf's most iconic drivers in 2009 we can reveal.

The new TaylorMade R9 will be fully adjustable, for the first time ever, and will combine three moveable weights with a new Taylormade technology, called Flight Control Technology.

That may sound like marketing mumbo jumbo, but what it means to you and I is that, unlike its predecessor, the Taylormade R7, the Taylormade R9 golf driver will have a face adjustable by loft and face angle.

The R9 follows other driver manufacturers in making the club head adjustable into eight different positions using a wrench so you can promote a draw or fade, depending on your natural shot shape.

There will still be three moveable weights just as in the Taylormade r7 Limited and the head size is similar in size to the Taylormade r7 SuperQuad but not as large as the cheaper Taylormade Burner.

The stock shaft will be a brand new model from Fujikura's Tour brand, called Motore, although lots of other shafts will be available at the custom fit stage.

According to Taylormade the R9 is 'the best driver' they've ever produced. The jury is still out on that one right now as we have yet to hit it but expect to see an exclusive first hit video of the new Taylormade R9 driver ery shortly right here on www.todaysgolfer.co.uk.

Expect to see the new R9 driver in the shops this March with pricing to be confirmed, although it will be on sale in the USA for $399.

Buy this and other TaylorMade golf clubs and equipment at the Only Golf Thailand Pro Shop.

Asia Wins First Royal Trophy - ESPN.com

2009-01-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Asia clinched its first Royal Trophy match play tournament against Europe on Sunday, winning three of eight singles matches and halving another for a 10-6 victory. Europe could not make up for Asia's dominance in foursomes and fourball, and Asia earned a convincing win after losses in 2006 and 2007.

"For Asia to beat Europe, we can show something to the golfing world as we are always No. 3 behind America and Europe," South Korea's S.K. Ho said. "Now that we've beaten Europe, it's time for us to move up." Europe captain Jose Maria Olazabal -- widely regarded as auditioning for the same role in the Ryder Cup -- said the visitors must "learn their lesson from this week".
"The Asian team have raised the bar and we are going to have to come back angrier and more determined if possible to really beat these guys," he said.

The Europe players partly blamed their defeat on lack of match practice following the offseason.
"That's what we have to be prepared to face when we come up against Asia rusty," Denmark's Soren Hansen said. "We have to be ready and prepared, that's the way it is now." England's Nick Dougherty said Olazabal, who replaced Seve Ballesteros while he recovers from surgery on a brain tumor, should not be blamed for the defeat.

"I feel really sorry for Olly because he has done a great job, phenomenal," Dougherty said. "He is going to be a very worthy Ryder Cup captain one day. Asia captain Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki received the obligatory dousing in a course lake to celebrate the victory, and said the victory helped compensate for the one-sided defeat he suffered as captain in 2007.
"Asia lost the first two matches and I really wanted to win this time," he said.

Europe, trailing 6½ to 1½ entering Sunday's singles, needed a strong start and Scotland's Paul Lawrie delivered an early win when he beat China's WC Liang 3 and 2. However Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng beat Spain's Pablo Larrazabal 5 and 4 in a testy encounter in which the pair argued over an out-of-bounds call on the 11th. Japan's Toru Taniguchi then thrashed Sweden's Niclas Fasth 7 and 6 to clinch the trophy for Asia.

Golf in Thailand With Golfasian

2009-01-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Golf Shop Thailand recently sent a group of 30 avid golfers from the USA on a golf holiday around Thailand with Thailand's largest golf tour operator, Golfasian.com. As we had a number of emails after their tour thanking us, or rather Golfasian.com for the great time and great golf they all enjoyed, thought we'd give them a mention here. Some of the comments that came back were:

"Thanks to you and Golfasian for the best golf holiday I've ever had, I'm coming back to Thailand with my wife in 3 months!"

"I never knew golf in Thailand was so good, the caddies were amazing and everything was well organized. I'm definitely coming back with some mates and will be sure to use Golfasian's tour services"

"Really appreciate the way you looked after me when I was sick. It was nice to have a local accompany me to the hospital and can see why Golfasian has so many customers. I will be recommending Golfasian.com to all my clients, friends and customers if they ever plan on coming to Thailand to play golf"

With comments like these, we're happy we chose Golfasian.com to arrange this group golf tour around Thailand and recommend all visitors to Thailand wanting to play golf to book their golf, hotels and transfers with Golfasian.com.

Golf Shop Thailand currently also has a group in Vietnam golfing and we'll give you a report on that in the next few days.

Callaway Golf

2008-12-13T20:40:00.001-08:00

Let's start with a pair of snapshots for Callaway Golf Co., a prominent golf club maker which was the subject of a Warranty Week article way back on March 24, 2003. At that time, the company had just fired its auditors at KPMG LLP because they refused to go along with the accounting treatment the company preferred to use to report a downward change in its warranty cost estimates.

Back in 2002, Callaway had noticed that claims on a new line of titanium clubs were being paid at a lower rate than it had initially predicted, and so it wanted to take $17 million out of its warranty reserve, pay taxes on it, and report a one-time $10.5 million net boost to profits. KPMG insisted that the excess $17 million be treated as a cumulative error, and that its removal should be reported retroactively, spreading the earnings boost over multiple quarters.

To make a long story short, KPMG got the boot, Callaway got its boost, and Deloitte & Touche LLP got its foot in the door as the company's new auditors. The downward change in estimate resulted in a one-time gain that helped the company avoid back-to-back quarterly losses, but of course that was a secondary effect of the increased product quality that caused it.

None of that controversy is visible in either Figures 1 or 2, but perhaps that's the point? The company got its way, lowered its warranty costs, and business continued as usual. Callaway continued making golf clubs, and continued to pay claims. There was no long-lasting effect, and no shortfall that later needed to be corrected.

However, now that we have five more years of data, it becomes immediately apparent that Callaway could use a few lessons in how to manage warranty costs for such a seasonal product line as golf clubs. Claims always spike in the third quarter and plunge in the first quarter, which of course meshes well with the golf season in its major markets. But they average out over the course of the year to somewhere within the 1.5% to 1.8% range.

If that's the case, the company should be accruing funds at more or less the same rate in every season, flattening out the green line in Figure 1, as many of the farm equipment and homebuilding companies have learned to do. But instead, accruals rise and fall in much the same seasonal pattern as claims, rising as high as 2.4% of sales and plunging as low as 0.9%.

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2008-12-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

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Titleist Appeals Patent Decision

2008-11-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

NEW BEDFORD — The Acushnet Co. has appealed its loss in a patent dispute over its Titleist Pro V1 golf balls to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, according to company officials.

Chairman and CEO Wally Uihlein said that one of the key arguments working in favor of Titleist is the decision reached by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that the four Callaway-owned patents in question should never have been issued in the first place.

As Callaway Golf Co. advanced its lawsuit, the court did not permit the jury to know about the patent office's decision.

"We believe this resulted in the trial court coming to the wrong conclusion," Mr. Uihlein said in a prepared statement.

On Nov. 10, U.S. District Court Judge Sue Robinson issued a permanent injunction to block Acushnet Co. from selling Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls after Jan. 1.

But the company countered by announcing that it has redesigned the balls for the fourth time and the disputed patents are no longer in use in the revised product, which will be rolled out in the first months of the new year. Mr. Uihlein said that the new balls exceed the performance of the previous ones, which are by far the most successful golf ball.

Callaway, which is seeking unspecified damages, itself doesn't use the patents, which it acquired with the purchase of Spalding-Top Flite, which filed them in 2001 and 2003, after the Pro V1 was introduced.

Mr. Uihlein said players on the worldwide professional golf tours can use the new 2009 Pro V1 models when the tour schedules resume in January. "The new 2009 models will feature different side stamps and packaging and appear as different listings on the USGA Conforming Ball List," Mr. Uihlein said.

New Titleist 909 Drivers

2008-11-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Fairhaven, MA (October 3, 2008) – Adding another chapter to its successful history of creating high performance drivers for players competing across the worldwide professional tours, club professionals, better players and aspiring golfers, Titleist introduces the new 909 line of drivers. A three driver family, the 909 DComp, 909D2 and 909D3 models feature a modern high performance chassis with tour approved profiles engineered to meet and exceed the performance requirements of skilled players. Each 909 driver is engineered with its own precisely positioned center of gravity to produce distinct launch conditions and ball flights. The result gives Titleist the ability to offer a new level of precision driver fitting to maximize distance potential and improve overall driving performance.

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“Prior to the 909 driver development project, we conducted extensive testing with tour and club professionals, and better playing amateur golfers,” said Dan Stone, Vice President, Research and Development, Titleist Golf Clubs. “The research showed there is a significant variation in swing speeds and angles of attack when delivering the club to impact. It was clear from this research that different players require different performance characteristics from their driver head in order to maximize distance. Ultimately, we designed three distinct drivers to meet the launch requirements and ball flight preferences across all better player swing variations.”

Titleist 909 drivers deliver superior looks, feel and sound along with the core performance requirements that have made Titleist titanium drivers one of the top choices of tour players, PGA club professionals, and top competitive amateurs for more than a decade. Titleist 909 drivers are designed with center of gravity locations that are deeper and lower than those of any previous generation Titleist driver models. This evolution results in greater club head stability through impact, solid feel, improved initial launch conditions and superior downrange performance.

“Our mission is to provide products that will allow better players to play their best,” said Steve Pelisek, General Manager Titleist Golf Clubs. “In terms of performance, the new 909s are our most technologically advanced for launch, ball flight, sound and solid feel. When you also consider the advancements we continue to make in club fitting expertise with the new SureFit Interchangeable Fitting System, we have the ability to optimize driving performance for virtually every golfer in our target audience.”

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Titleist Gaining

2008-09-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Let’s start with a bit of perspective. First and foremost Titleist is a golf ball company. Its history is seeded in the golf ball. It’s known at the game’s highest level for golf balls and its entire Acushnet business platform is structured around the reputation and timeline of its golf ball success.
That’s remained a constant since the early 1930s.

But after spending time in Carlsbad, Calif., last week at its Oceanside test facility, Loker production operation and at Scotty Cameron’s renowned Putter Studio I’d be willing to bet this: Titleist would still be a top three or four industry ‘equipment’ company even if you took away all those Pro V1’s.

That opinion is based solely on one fundamental business absolute: quality product.

Never have Titleist and its sister brand Cobra been in a better hard goods place than they are currently. The Titleist AP1 and AP2 iron franchise continue to bring back fond memories of those great ol’ Peter Gilbert designed DCI irons — clubs which in my estimation maintain a place with Ping Eye II’s and Tommy Armour 845’s as three of the most desirable irons made of the modern era.

The latest product unveilings Bob Weeks, Brian Bileski and I saw last week at Oceanside — the 909 metal family; new Cobra L5V driver; Transition S irons; forthcoming Scotty Cameron Studio Select putters and the next generation of Bob Vokey designed Spin Milled wedges — leads me to believe that parent company Acushnet is poised for a significant leap not just in worldwide club sales but in global appeal.

Granted the target demographics remain intact: Titleist for lower handicap, club pro and touring professionals, Cobra right across the board from the best PGA Tour players to high-handicap golfers and Cameron and Vokey for all avid golfers.

But what you sense now is Acushnet wants to be equally regarded for its different categories of equipment as it is for its golf ball. It’s a lofty goal but one that’s looking more and more attainable.

Last week we got a first hand look at the kind of quality Loker is putting out. This impressive 130,000 square-foot facility and its 400 employees (210 of whom make clubs) are churning out threemillion pieces a year including some of Scotty Cameron’s putters and all of the Vokey wedges.

It seems as if an appropriate juncture at this point to talk about some of the new stuff Titleist and Cobra will bbring to retail in the weeks ahead. Actually, two interesting notes before we get started. While Titleist and Cobra share the same facilities they are run separatly from one another. TheR&D guys don’t even exchange notes. It’s also Cobra’s 35th Anniversary in 2009, something Todd Colburn, director of global marketing and Tom Preece, director of global consumer connection (how’s that for a title) said would be prominent on their biz platform next season.

Let’s start though with Titleist. The new 909 driver franchise replaces the 907 but there’s more going on. Titleist will bring this out as a series of three drivers — the 909D2, 909D3 and 909DComp. All three have some key features including an internally milled face insert (for max ball speed across the face), titanium blind bore hosel, low and deep centre of gravity and a new SureFit Swingweight Screw (allowing for three factory installed weight options).

What separates the products are three distinct shapes, each producing a specific performance and ball flight profile depending on your game as well as a couple ofother key attributes. Probably the most notable is the smaller 440 cc head size on the deeper face 909 D3 and Titleist’s first ever composite crown on the new 909DComp.

Four stock shafts will complement the 909s. The DComp will be offered in two stock choices from a new product called Matrix Ozik XCon while the D2 and D3 will be served up with a Diamana Blue 65 and Aldila Voodoo. All will be made specific for Titleist.

Canadian Open champ Chez Reavie said I would like the new 909 Fairways and hybrids. The shaping for these new fairways is really the story here. A longer, lower face profile produces mid to high launch with mid spin while the F3s are slightly smaller, more pear shaped and produce more of a mid launch at impact with lower spin.

The profile on the new 909H Hybrids maintains a seamless transition from the fairways. The head size is slightly bigger but they also have a deep CG for stability and high moment of inertia (MOI) capability.

The King Cobra L5V Driver is a technology marvel. It comes with multi-material construction including carbon composite, a milled Dual-Rhombus face insert, ball flight tuning capability (via two different face settings and enhanced SPEED tuning based on shaft profile (Diamama). It is also a touch longer than standard at 45.5 inches and is lighter in overall club weight. The coolest thing about this though is the Interchangeable Hosel Sleeve which allows you, with the help of a wrench, to adjust your face setting from a standard bias to a draw bias by rotating the shaft 180 degrees.

The King Cobra Transition-S was a complete surprise. Based on a transition set design, the new Cobras feature wide sole irons, hybrids and utilities. Frankly, this is going to command a lot of attention from core recreational golfers looking for proper distance gapping between clubs and overall forgiveness.

Next time around we’ll delve into the Vokey Spin Milled wedges and Scotty Cameron’s latest as well as take a closer look inside the vaunted Putter Studio.

Women banned!

2008-06-30T21:17:00.001-07:00

Whoa! Wait a minute. How can that be? Where have I been? I keep thinking I have more freedom of movement about the world than I actually have. Here's one more place I can't go.

I just read that at the Phoenix Country Club women are not allowed in the men's grill room where the serious business deal making and dining occurs. No, the women who want find food to nosh on are pushed off into the women's grill which is smaller and without the buffet, the bar or the lovely view of the golf course. The women's grill has a hotplate.

There's a bit of a fuss going on at the country club since some members want to move on into modern times where a couple can eat eggs together for breakfast, for example. Some of the men are as appalled by living in the days when women weren't allowed in saloons--"respectable" women mind you and are having a time of it for standing up for their wives. This is true. Here's the article that covers the details. The story involves peeing on a pecan tree as well as other juicy grammar school-like tidbits.

But before you go to the article, consider this. Several years ago, and I'm talking many--when I lived in Columbia, South Carolina during middle school, my mom took my brother and me to a roller skating rink. When we found out we had to be members in order to skate, we decided that rink wasn't for us. Why not? Becoming members had to do with religion and skin color. We just happened to be the right religion and and the right skin color, but we didn't like the rules. We thought the rules should change.

Since then, I think, rules have changed. But, I often live in La-La-Land where we all get along, so I can't say if this is 100% so. *Before those of you from the south start sputtering, let me assure you I loved so much about South Carolina. Seventh grade was my Renaissance year and I was sad to move.

But, this story is about men and women and not race and religion--so perhaps, they aren't similar. After all, there are men's clubs and women's clubs--and most people wouldn't argue about that, so what's the difference?

If the women had a grill as good as the men's, and the business deal making happened outside the men's grill so women could participate, I wonder if there would be as much of an issue?

Here's what I mean. When I was in the Peace Corps, I had some friends who lived in my village who were from Pakistan. The women in the family--18 year-old twins and the mother, didn't interact with men other than their dad/husband because he was the only family member who lived in The Gambia.

These were wonderful people who treated me extremely well. Once there were men coming for dinner. Since the dad was to have guests, I was invited to keep them company where they would eat in another room. The food was put in the dining room. While the men filled up their plates, we waited in a bedroom with the door closed.

After the men went to the living room, and the door was closed to the dining room, we got our food. Okay, sure the men at first, but there was plenty left.

But, this isn't the same as the men's grill either. I was told I could go visit with the men if I wanted to. I didn't want to. Probably because I had a choice--and I was already in the best company.

As for the women who are at the Phoenix Country Club looking for some equity, I hope they have a frying pan if they want to cook up those eggs on their own.

And if any of you are heading off to a private club somewhere, check to see who can get in. It might surprise you.

Give the green jacket to Augusta National

2008-05-26T01:21:00.001-07:00

By Bob Spear
Reprinted with permission from The State (Columbia, S.C.)
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Put the textile factory on overtime. Tell the tailor to get his needles sharp, bring in an extra supply of thread and prepare for a rush order. There's work to be done.
Required will be a green jacket, size 365 extra large
What could be more appropriate after this sparkling Sunday in April?
Phil Mickelson gets first call on the treasured coat, symbolic of the Masters' champion, but the course spread over Augusta National Golf Club's 365 acres deserves a piece of the swag.
The layout that some of golf's treasured champions claimed had been ruined with its added length joined the winner in sharing the spotlight in the 70th Masters.
After these past four days, the claims from Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer sound absurd.
Remember the rhetoric? With the changes, thrilling finishes would be passe, run-away winners would be more likely and only the longest hitters need apply for contention.
Those statements sound silly now, in the wake of a Sunday afternoon that featured an all-star leader board, a mixture of bombers and bunter striving for first place and nail-biting battles until the late stages. The struggle did not go to the final green, but the number in the chase and their varying strengths scream for attention.
Historians insist the Masters does not begin until the back nine on Sunday, but they're wrong. The tournament "started" long before - thanks to the changes that both challenged the world's best golfers and also yielded to quality play.
Competition heated up. Mickelson tapped in his final putt from a couple of inches to post a 72nd hole bogey and still won by two strokes. But do not be fooled; this tournament featured everything anyone could want in terms of competition.
Rain that delayed play Saturday and forced the leaders to spend a grueling Sunday in search of the year's first major golf championship did indeed prove to be a blessing. The game's best took their place among the leaders, some feisty upstarts joined the chase and an old-timer named Fred Couples gave them a battle to the very end.
Mark this down: At 4:10 p.m., 17 players stood within three strokes of the lead.
That's not incredible. That's impossible.
Yet there they were, and drama like that does not unfold on just any old golf course. The layout that can produce a bunched field like that is very special.
"Look at the leader board; most of the best players in the world are there," said former Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, now 54 and the tournament's feel-good story for two days. "Every part of your game is examined."
The guy who passed the final exam donned the green jacket for the second time in three years. Before he did, however, the tournament "got pretty exciting out there," Couples said. "For a player to win on this course now, (every part of his game) has to click."
Intentionally or not, he described what a major championship test should be, and perhaps now more than ever, Augusta National fit the definition.
A busy leader board. To understand how special this Sunday afternoon developed, consider the start. Only four strokes separated golf's Big Five - Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els - and four of them finished in the top 10.
Although Els fell back, players within four strokes of the lead at 5:10 p.m. owned 20 major championships. At one point, four golfers shared the lead, before Chad Campbell boosted the number to five.
Eventually, Mickelson pulled away and Couples, his playing partner, said, "I watched a great player win his second Masters."
Still, the theory a lengthened Augusta National would eliminate wild leader board changes took a beating Sunday.
Tournament officials moved some tees forward a bit, and names danced up and down the leaderboard. Mickelson never was worse than tied for first in the afternoon, but Jose Maria Olazabal came from nowhere, then suffered a crippling bogey. Miguel Angel Jimenez soared and sank. Woods never harnessed his putting stroke and a couple of short putts that got away cost Couples.
Every player could point to what might have been. Woods outdrove partner Tim Clark by 30 or more yards on every hole, yet Clark finished second and Woods tied for third.
"You just have to play your own game," said Clark, who, like Olazabal, found ways to offset their lack of distance off the tee.
Playing with the biggest names in golf on one of the game's grandest stages inspired Clark.
"Obviously, people see my name up there and they either think I'm Darren Clarke or, you know, wonder what I'm doing up there," he said laughing.
All afternoon, the course challenged them all - the bombers and bunters, the big names and those not so well known - and competition to appreciate unfolded.
Augusta National has lost its charm? Perish the thought. Sunday emphatically proved otherwise.

The Great Golf Ball Debate

2008-05-26T01:20:00.000-07:00

The Great Golf Ball Debate
By Melanie Hauser
Writer, The GolfObserver.com
You can't open a magazine, you can't turn on a golf telecast, you can't sit down with your golfaholic friends without being subjected to endless stories on it or be asked weigh in with your own opinion on it. And technology. And the rules of golf. And . . . well, you get the picture.

But has anyone stopped to consider this:
Tiger would be kicking butt and taking names with a gutta percha or a featherie. Same goes for Vijay. And Retief. And Ernie. And Annika.

And, well, you get the picture.

It's not just about the ball. It's about players who have pushed themselves farther than technology has taken equipment. It's about the endless hours in the weight room, long runs and stretching. About balance in your diet. About a new generation of focus that's often hard to fathom.

Put persimmon drivers in their bags. Ask them to play with forged blades from the ?40s and '50s. Put a vintage putter and an old Wilson staff in their hands or Gene Sarazen's old cleek or mashie.

Guarantee you they'll still dominate.

These players, after all, are the best in the world. Give them enough time with whatever situation is in front of them and whatever club and ball they're using and they're going to make it happen.

Granted, there will be no gutta perchas pirouetting to a stop on a green, but they'll be in birdie range. And they may not turn drives into rocket launches, but, trust us, the longest hitters in the game will still be the longest.

It's all relative, you see. Put a Nike One or a Titleist Pro V1X in the hands of, say, Byron Nelson or Ben Hogan, and they'd still be doing incredible things just at 21st century driving averages.

You can't roll back technology anymore than you can take golf's majors back to a kinder, gentler time when it was, really, all about the golf. We hear the whining about golf courses becoming obsolete because of technology, but more often it's because it now takes a small village to host a major championship. The smaller, older courses like Merion and Champions just don't have the property to be able to handle the corporate tent demands.

And as for lengthening venerable courses? Don't get us started. We're of the mind that Augusta National, for one, is one hell of a test of golf no matter how far players can drive it. It doesn't matter what's in your hand for the approach there. If you don't know those greens like Jack and Tiger and Ben Crenshaw, you can forget about it.

Honestly, does it really matter that players are averaging three football fields off the tee? Or that balls really do dance and spin?

There's nothing illegal about it. It's advancements. Technology. Congress doesn't get a vote. Not yet, anyway.

Bottom line? What's happening here all fits neatly under the Rules of Golf. What's outside the lines stays there, relegated to advertisements for those who play the gentleman's game, but don't necessarily obey the rules.

Some technology may bump up against the rules testing the faces of drivers but is that really all bad? What we have now is better equipment, designed for the players. You no longer have to pick from a handful of options when you buy clubs. Now they're custom fit. And that balls are designed for different swings and experience levels? That's not all bad, is it?

You can play the same ball as Tiger or Vijay, but that's where it stops. They take it to highest level because they're simply great players. They realized years ago that Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and company had the right idea. Get fit, then get fitter. Understand yourself better than you understand the golf swing. Work hard. Then take dead aim on every shot.

Sure, it would be fun to see what even Norman in his prime would do with today's equipment. He was the best player in the world for 331 weeks with equipment as obsolete today as an old pre-pentium chip Compaq 286 laptop. But it would be fun, too, to see what Sammy Baugh could do on high-tech turf, in today's shoes and pads and jerseys too.

We move forward because that's what generations do. There's now what? a generation and a half of kids who don't know life without cell phones and laptops. They have no frame of reference, even, for the days when gas was 19 cents a gallon and airline travel meant on a DC-7 where windows had curtains and flight attendants stewardesses back then wore white gloves. They don't know Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer used to smoke.

They do know how much time Tiger and Annika put in at the gym and how Vijay has been known to close down more than his share of driving ranges. They watch Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington play incredible golf in the face of tremendous personal strain. They see Annika redefine women's golf.

Nike Ones. Titleist ProV1. Callaway's HX Tour. We really don't have to know which one goes farther, bites harder, flies higher or is the best, period. We can, instead, marvel over what technology has given us in the past few decades and know that, while it always pushes the limit, it doesn't cross it. And, we can drop the debate.

Why? Because after all, golf isn't all about the ball.

It's mostly about the incredible players hitting them.

Pro's Don't Need High Tech Gear

2008-05-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

PHILIP MARTIN NWAnews.com

My geekiness is manifested in an electronic subscription to a weekly bulletin on golf equipment published by an irascible man named Frank Thomas. He regularly answers questions from golfers — most of whom are interested in hitting the ball farther — in his newsletter, in a wry tone that cuts through most of the pseudo-scientific cant that surrounds golf marketing. Thomas believes most golfers are suckers for industry hype and technological “innovation,” and most of us would be better off if we saved the money we spend on new sticks and put it toward lessons.

(His recently published book — Just Hit It: Our Equipment and Our Game — reflects his skepticism of game-changing gear in its title. Unlike a reliable swing, the book can be bought — and Thomas’ newsletter subscribed to — at his Web site www. franklygolf. com. The book is $ 22. 95, the newsletter free. )

Thomas is probably the best credentialed person on the planet to write about such things; he is credited with inventing the graphite shaft and a device called the Stimpmeter that measures the relative speed of putting greens. For 26 years he was the technical director of the United States Golf Association, which means he played a big part in determining which clubs and balls conform to USGA standards. In some ways he reminds me, in attitude and prose style, of Bill James, the baseball statistician who revolutionized the way the game was analyzed and in the process devastated much of baseball’s conventional wisdom.

While Thomas is a similar debunker of wishful myths, he’s different from James in that he’s basically espousing rather than contravening one of golf’s most hallowed tenets, often vocalized by old clubhouse geezers as: “It’s the Indian, not the arrows.” Thomas believes most golfers are selfdeluding hacks looking to buy a game — they’ll pay $ 400 or $ 700 for a driver that promises them 10 more yards. And the sorry truth is despite the annual (or even more often ) upgrading of technology, the average male golfer still hits his drive — according to Thomas’ research — 192 yards. (They consistently estimate they hit it 30 or 40 yards longer than they actually do. )

Though my experience is necessarily skewed — I regularly play with some very good golfers, many of whom are young and strong and hit the ball prodigious distances — I tend to believe Thomas’ research. Especially when you allow for the mis-hits and pop-ups and wormburners the “average” golfer is prone to hit. Golf is such a difficult game that most people who try to learn to play it fail and end up giving up the sport.

People who have a vested interest in golf ought to be looking for ways to make the game easier for the recreational player (as opposed to harder for the best players ). The trend toward longer courses with faster greens is counterproductive for the golf industry, which enjoyed a mini-boom when Tiger Woods rose to prominence, and has slumped in recent years as all those new golfers inspired by Woods gave up the game.

Just because golf is hard, that doesn’t mean technological innovations don’t help. Thomas believes there have been only three genuinely significant advancements in golf club technology since 1970 or so. The first of these was the perimeter weighting on irons — and later metal woods and even putters — pioneered by Karsten Solheim’s Arizona-based golf equipment manufacturer Ping. Distributing weight along the edges of the club helped golfers straighten out mis-hit shots.

The second was the development of graphite shafts, which are lighter than steel but just as strong, allowing golfers to swing them faster, producing — other factors being equal — longer golf shots.

The third innovation was the accidental discovery of a springlike effect in titanium driver heads. Substituting lighter titanium for steel allowed club makers to make bigger club heads (which were more forgiving for average golfers, and eventually limited to 460 cubic centimeters in volume by the USGA ) but an unforeseen consequence of the new designs was a flexing of these thinner titanium faces that caused a kind of trampoline bounce.

For most golfers who swing the club at 80 to 90 mph, the USGA estimated that the greatest possible gain was maybe one or two yards. The average PGA tour player — with a swing speed of about 115 mph with a driver — could realize an extra eight to 10 yards of carry distance from the increased ball velocity. To head off an equipment arms race in which club makers would try to get closer and closer to an ideal “coefficient of restitution” (COR ) — resulting in ever longer tee shots that some thought might alter the character of the game or even render some championship courses obsolete — the USGA stepped in with limits on how springy a club could be.

Now virtually every driver on the market approaches the USGA-established (but otherwise entirely arbitrary ) COR limit of 0. 83. (A coefficient of 1. 0 would mean no energy at all is lost in the collision between club and ball — a physical impossibility. A coefficient of 0. 00 would mean that all the energy is lost — that the ball stuck to the face like a wad of gum. )

It’s primarily for this reason Thomas allows that if your driver is more than a couple of years old, you’d probably be well served by buying a new one — or, he suggests, a year-old one, which will cost half as much and work just as well.

While a longer, straighter drive doesn’t necessarily mean a golfer will play better, there’s no question that in the past few years golf equipment manufacturers have made it easier to hit a golf ball longer and straighter. It’s still not easy, and despite what you hear around the clubhouses, the chances of the average male golfer hitting a 300-yard drive is probably about the same as his dunking a basketball. For most people it’s just not going to happen. On the other hand, the difference between hitting one of today’s high-tech titanium shoe boxes and, say, a mid-1990 s Callaway Great Big Bertha feels like the difference between calculus and business math. To someone who learned to play in the era of persimmon-headed clubs, hitting one of these new drivers feels like cheating.

BALL GO FAR That’s not to say I’m still hitting the caramel-colored wood legendary club maker Irving King built for me when I was in high school; my current driver looks like a fastback computer hard drive on the end of a 44 3 / 4-inch graphite pipe. (It’s an 80 gram Adila VS Proto “By You” in the stiff flex ). And I probably hit it as far or farther than I hit my prized King driver when I was young and strong and hit the ball what, in the 1970 s, was considered prodigious distances. I don’t care if you think it looks silly, I’m not giving it up.

Thomas — who invented the graphite shaft — would probably argue that I’d get just as much out of the club if I was using the stock shaft that comes with the driver. In his newsletter he often points out that original equipment manufacturers (which club geeks like myself refer to as O. E. M. s ) such as TaylorMade, Cobra and Callaway fit their clubs with shafts that perform well for the overwhelming majority of golfers.

Only touring pros — who get their equipment for free — and extremely skilled players looking to tweak their clubs for specific variables probably ought to bother with “exotic” shafts like the Adila VS Proto. Which, at a retail price of about $ 180 uninstalled, is hardly the most expensive option out there. The Ozik TP-7, a version of which is used by K. J. Choi (a Korean player ranked in the world’s Top 10 ), carries a suggested retail price of $ 1, 000.

Choi is one of the few players on the PGA tour to use one of the new square-headed drivers, in his case the recently released Nike SUMO 2 5900 driver. Most of Nike’s tour staff — players (including Tiger Woods and 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman ) paid to use their product and display the trademark swoosh — use the marginally more traditionallooking Nike Tour 460 driver, which allows them to better shape their shots. Ernie Els is probably the biggest name to employ a square-headed driver at this time — he uses a Callaway FT-I LCG, which stands for low center of gravity.

The square shape — the SUMO 2 measures about 5 inches square — seems to be more than a marketing gimmick. After the club manufacturers nuzzled up against the COR limit, making their drivers as long as possible, the next step was to make them as easy to hit as possible. And it turns out that geometry may be the last frontier available to club designers. Almost every major club designer, even conservative Titleist, has a “new geometry” club on the market. Most of them — like the TaylorMade Burner, Titleist D 1 and the Cobra L 4 V series — are bullet-shaped.

Unlike increased COR, which proportionately benefited better golfers (or at least longer hitters ) more than average or struggling players, the new advances in design do nothing to help the pros (who don’t need the kind of help the new clubs provide ) and a lot to help those who have trouble hitting a golf ball in the direction they want to hit it.

It might be that the lousier a golfer you are, the more these new clubs could help you.

Callaway Golf

2008-05-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

June 1, 2008 -- There's no playing through Callaway Golf. Trying to retain its status as one of the golf industry's most innovative manufacturers is driving the company to keep a fast design cycle that introduces seven to eight new products annually. Concepting, designing and launching new products at this pace requires tight coordination between design teams, engineers, marketing staff and, yes, lawyers. These teams need to communicate and quickly and securely exchange critical business information, including the type of large files created with computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software, with partners in China, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Taiwan that manufacture the product components.

Through the use of collaborative technology, Callaway Golf has streamlined workflow processes between highly dispersed teams of employees and manufacturers, ensuring the teams are all working from a single framework. The technology helps make the collaborative process of bringing new products to market much more efficient. It also helps speed access to data and fosters innovation through faster and clearer communication.

The content management capability of Teamcenter Community Collaboration helps Callaway Golf control changes made to product content by providing document and version histories and e-mail alerts.

"We have design teams in California and suppliers in Asia, but everyone is able to collaborate effectively by posting their product content on the portal and keeping track of what's being done on specific projects," says John Loo, senior manager of Design Systems at Callaway Golf. "The technology has allowed us to get away from using e-mail to send thousands of files to hundreds of people, and reduces time, travel and errors."

Information residing on the Callaway Golf portal is accessible 24 hours a day, eliminating the barriers created in the past by time zones and physical barriers. On a typical business day, 200 different users will log on to access documents and collaborate with others.

Scott Wins

2008-05-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Fairhaven, MA (April 28, 2008) - Titleist ambassador Adam Scott captured his sixth career PGA Tournament title with a dramatic playoff victory at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Scott converted a clutch 9-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation to force the playoff, and then drained a winding 48-foot birdie putt on the third extra hole for the win. Both players finished regulation at seven-under 273, and parred the first two playoff holes before Scott's heroics. The win marks the 14th of Scott's career as a professional, including his second of the year. He captured the Qatar Masters on the PGA European Tour in January after firing a final round 11-under 61 in just his second start with his new AP2 irons.

-- Trusting his Titleist equipment from tee-to-green, Scott finished among the Top 10 in Driving Distance (7th/302.6), Putts Per GIR (9th/1.696) and Greens in Regulation (T9/63.9) at the Byron Nelson Championship.
-- The momentum continues for Scott who has finished among the top 25 in each of the five PGA TOUR events in which he has completed this season. He withdrew from the Shell Houston Open due to illness after owning the first round lead with a 63.
--A complete listing of the equipment in Scott's winning bag includes: Pro V1 golf ball, 905R driver (8.5), 906F4 fairway metal (13.5), AP2 irons (2-9), Vokey Design pitching (50) wedge and Spin Milled sand (56) and lob (60) wedges and Scotty Cameron prototype putter.
-- Titleist was the most played golf ball at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship with 107 players, more than five times the nearest competitor with 21. In fact, nine of the 12 players who finished among the top 7 and ties trusted Titleist golf balls for their success. The victory was the 11th by a Titleist golf ball player this year, more than twice the nearest competitor.
-- In addition to being the #1 golf ball at the Byron Nelson Championship, Titleist was the field favorite in iron sets (41), wedges (155) and putters (58), and second in drivers (42).
--The AP2 is one of the four new irons introduced by Titleist for 2008. For more information and downloadable images of the new irons, please visit: http://www.titleist.com/news/newsdetail.asp?id=593&category=equipment

NATIONWIDE TOUR: Greg Chalmers topped Henrik Bjornstad on the second hole of an all-Pro V1x playoff hole at the Henrico County Open. The pair emerged from a crowded leaderboard during the final round and finished regulation play tied at 14-under-par 274. It marks the third straight playoff at the event. The victory vaults Chalmers to No. 2 on the 2008 money list, as the top 25 at the end of the year will move onto the PGA TOUR in 2009.
Chalmers is the fifth Australian to win in eight Nationwide Tour events this season, joining fellow Titleist golf ball loyalists Jarrod Lyle (Pro V1x), Ewan Porter (Pro V1x), Gavin Coles (Pro V1) and Aron Price (Pro V1x). In fact, Titleist golf ball players have won seven of the eight Nationwide Tour events this season. In addition to the Pro V1x golf ball, Chalmers relies upon the 905S driver (9.5), 906F2 fairway metal (15.0), new ZB Forged irons (3-9), Vokey Design pitching wedge (49) and Spin Milled sand (54) and lob (60) wedges for his success.
Titleist was the most played golf ball at the Henrico County Open with 108 players, more than five times the nearest competitor with 19. In addition, Titleist was first in iron sets (50), wedges (144) and putters (62), and second in drivers (36).
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Relying upon the Pro V1 golf ball, Tom Watson and his partner paired up to post a one-shot win at the 54-hole Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf team competition. The two finished with a 31-under 185 total in the two-man better-ball format, which included a record-tying 59 on Friday. For Watson, it marked his second consecutive victory, having captured the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am last week. Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 40 players, compared to 12 for the nearest competitor.
WORLDWIDE TOURS: Tyrone van Aswegen closed his final round with back-to-back birdies for a seven-under 65 to capture his first South Africa Tour victory at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Gauteng. Van Aswegen, who entered the final round trailing by three shots, fired a five-under on the back nine to post a 15-under 201 total and a four shot victory over two players, including fellow Pro V1x player Neil Schietekat. Titleist was the most played golf ball at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Gauteng with 51 players, compared to 18 for the nearest competitor.
In Australia, Heath Reed (Pro V1x) broke through for his first PGA Von Nida Tour victory, winning the OG Roberts South Australian PGA Championship. Reed finished at 20-under, two clear of Aaron Townsend (Pro V1x), Peter Senior (Pro V1) and Tristan Lambert (Pro V1x). Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 100 players, more than five times the nearest competitor with 18.
It was a 1-2 Titleist Pro V1x finish at the Tsuruya Open, where S.K. Ho claimed his seventh career Japan Golf Tour title. Ho fired a final-round 68, which took him to a 12-under 272 total, edging Kim Kyung Tae by one shot following a final round 66. Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 66 players, compared with 29 for the nearest competitor. Titleist was also the top choice in wedges (63).
On the Canadian Tour, Pro V1 loyalist John Ellis birdied the final hole to post a wire-to-wire one-shot win over Pro V1x players Wes Heffernan and Adam Bland at the Mexican PGA Championship. It marked the second consecutive win for Ellis, who finished with a 15-under total. Last week he won the Stockton Sports Commission Classic in a playoff.

Buy Golf Clubs in Bangkok

2008-04-25T22:52:00.000-07:00

The "average golfer" doesn't really prepare properly at the beginning of each season. As a matter of fact, most players find themselves on the golf course not only in poor physical shape but with equipment that is either missing or in need of repair.

Every spring, you need to properly prepare both your body and your equipment for the grueling thousands of swings that you will make this season. The old saying "if you fail to plan, then plan to fail" certainly is true.

Plan on having a checkup with your personal physician. This will not only help to prevent injuries but also to help treat conditions that are associated with the golf swing. Bad backs, shoulders, elbow and hip problems are common concerns with our aging golfer population. Proper diagnosis and treatment for these common ailments will ensure that your performance on the golf course is maintained and that your swings are pain free buy golf clubs thailand Golfers that ignore pain, often find themselves sidelined for the better part of the golf season.

Gradual preparation is the best way to begin any sport activity. I suggest starting off your first couple of practice sessions at the range with only your irons. Make sure to warm up and stretch at the beginning of every practice session. Start off each practice session around the green with short chip and pitch golf shops in bangkok shots and eventually work yourself into your full swings. If you are planning to hit the links this weekend, I recommend that you start by playing 9 holes rather than a full 18. You will enjoy your game more and quickly realize that your swing and short game will need some fine tuning.

It's a good idea to check all your equipment at the beginning of the season. Start by cleaning all your clubs to ensure that the grooves on all your irons are free from grass and soil. If you want to maximize the spin on your ball when you hit your approach shots, then these grooves must be clean.

Also check your golf shoes for missing cleats and replace them with new cleats that match your brand of shoe.

It's also not a bad idea to clean out your entire golf bag from last season. Check to make sure that you have an ample supply of new golf balls and tees and I recommend starting off each season with a new glove when buying golf clubs in bangkok thailand. Lastly, have a look at your grips to see if any are damaged and need replacing. If your grips are shiny and slippery, then it's time to replace them. The cost is marginal compared to buying new clubs. New grips feel better and will help you develop a more fluent and tension- free swing.

Start off this season by allowing more time before you play a round to practise and warm up. Preparing yourself properly before a full round of golf is the key to playing better golf shops thailand. Arriving at the golf club, even 30 minutes before your tee time, will give you sufficient time to stretch, warm up and hit a few balls before you play. Finish up your warm up around the practice green with a few short pitch shots and putts to get your touch around the greens.

Many of our local courses are now open for the season. If you get a chance to play this weekend, then make sure that you are prepared. Have fun, enjoy the fresh air and exercise and most importantly don't take your first rounds of the season too seriously!

TaylorMade Vs Ping

2008-04-09T21:56:00.001-07:00

I was covering a basketball tournament in Winston-Salem last month and had my days free. I also had some new clubs from TaylorMade and PING to test.

I visited a local driving range over three days and whenever there’s a guy with a bunch of new clubs – and no bag to put them in – regulars know the deal: you’re testing out clubs. And regulars always ask to hit them.

So I let them.

I was curious about their feedback.

We hit the TaylorMade CGB Max irons, fairways, hybrids and drivers – the company’s high technology line aimed at high handicappers. Likewise, we hit PING’s G-10 line of drivers, irons, fairways and hybrids that are aimed at the same group.

There were five golfers who had a chance to hit everything during my visit. Three told me they were sub 10 handicaps, and only one of them had a swing that made me question that claim. The other two were high handicappers.

IRONS: In the irons, we hit regular flex steel CGBs from TaylorMade and stiff graphite PINGs. All but one tester preferred the TaylorMades. The PINGS, they complained, had a bit too much offset and wanted to send the ball left. The PINGs we tested came two degrees upright, however, and could add more left bias to those who didn’t need it. Informed of that, the testers still preferred the TaylorMade.

“It provides plenty of help but isn’t bulky,” said Sam Jones, 41, from Kernersville. “It’s a high handicapper club that doesn’t look like one. I could play this easily.”

In all, all but one tester preferred the Taylors.

HYBRIDS: This was 3-2 in favor of TaylorMade but was the closet of all races. Testers worried that the diamond-shaped TaylorMade, which features a 45-gram shaft and lightweight head and lightweight grip was hard to swing fast with confidence. Two high handicappers loved it – for the same reasons. The PING was more traditional in feel and provided more consistent shots, but when hit well, the TaylorMade was longer, which swayed two testers and gave the Taylor its second win.

FAIRWAYS: The TaylorMade, again, was light with a lightweight shaft. The high handicappers loved it. The better players worried about it. The PING provided more reliable results, but like with the hybrids, when you smack the TaylorMade well, it just goes high and straight – and about 10 yards past the PING on average. DRIVERS: The PING was king here. It’s got a 45.5 inch shaft, all burnt orange colored, and a pleasing look. The moon shaped alignment aid is not as pronounced as on past models. And it is the longest stock driver I’ve hit this year. I’ve hit a Nike Sumo 5900 model that has a new Graphite Designs Tour AD YSQ shaft in it that is the current distance king.

But for out of the box, nothing beats this PING.

The Winston-Salem testers agreed, with all but one choosing the PING which also equaled the light weight, light shafted TaylorMade for dispersion. The TaylorMade, however, launches easily and once you get past the dark red coloring, it’s very easy to hit. The better players hit some very very high shots with the TaylorMade, worrying about wind performance.

-- Personally, I enjoyed all these clubs. I think the PING G10 irons had a bit too much offset for some golfers’ eye, but I didn’t find it to be super leftward leaning and with a proper fitting and proper lie angle, these soft-feeling clubs could be money for a lot of golfers.

I preferred the CGB irons because they masked their game improvement mods better, provided more confidence looking down on them and were longer. The woods I felt were a toss-up. If you need help getting it up, try the Taylors. If you want pure distance and consistent performance, try the PINGS.

I don’t think you can wrong either way.
Mickelson expected to play Callaway I-MIX At Masters

Callaway loyalist Phil Mickelson is expected to play the company’s new I-MIX interchangeable driver system at this week’s Masters. Mickelson used the I-MIX Driver in practice rounds last week at the Shell Houston Open.

I-MIX, which will debut in stores soon ($435-$500 clubheads; $185-$435 shafts) pairs interchangeable heads and shafts to provide driver customization and personalization. The new technology, which capitalizes on the U.S. Golf Association and Royal & Ancient’s rule change on club adjustability, allows golfers to reconfigure drivers on the fly. I-MIX combines the features of Callaway Golf’s top-selling FT-5 and FT-i Driver heads with over 70 shafts, offering more than 1,600 clubhead/shaft combinations—more than any other system in the industry.

“No one’s swing is the same from day-to-day – neither are the weather or the course conditions,” said Jeff Colton, Senior Vice President of Research and Development for Callaway Golf. “Our I-MIX technology allows players to quickly and easily customize their equipment, every time they play.”

News N Notes

-- Johnson Wagner, the first Charlotte resident to win on the PGA Tour in 20 years, won the Shell Houston using the Grafalloy ProLaunch Red in his driver all four days last week while earning an automatic last chance invitation to this week’s Master’s. ProLaunch Red features a boring trajectory with optimal feel achieved using proprietary Micro-Mesh Tip technology, which offers a firm shaft without sacrificing feel.

-- Wagner played a bag full of Titelist: Pro V1x golf ball, Titleist 905R (8.5) driver, Titleist 904F (13.0) fairway metal, Titleist ZB Forged (3-9) irons, Vokey Design pitching (47), sand (54) and Spin Milled lob (60) wedges Scotty Cameron by Titleist prototype putter.

-- Titleist was the most played golf ball at the Shell Houston Open with 99 players, compared to 21 for the nearest competitor. In fact, Wagner became the ninth player to win on the 2008 PGA TOUR with a Titleist golf ball, more than all other competitors combined.

-- PING pro Lorena Ochoa’s victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, her third win in four events this season and second straight major dating back to last year’s Women’s British Open, came with 14 PING clubs in her bag.

Ochoa, who signed an endorsement agreement with PING in June of 2007, played a PING Rapture Driver, G10 3-wood, Rapture 5-wood and 21-degree Hybrid, S58 Irons, two Tour Wedges and a Redwood ZB Putter.

-- A new season of Golf Fitness Academy presented by Titleist returned to Golf Channel last week. There will be 10 new episodes to help golfers build a better game through fitness. For air times, visit http://www.mytpi.com/gfa/default.asp

There will be segments on controlling back pain, junior development, beginning a workout program, mobility, returning to golf after an injury, total body workout for golf, manual therapy and flexibility.

Nike Sasquatch Driver

2008-03-28T07:36:00.001-07:00

Nike Golf, which first launched its distinctive Sumo drivers early last year, has now given birth to a second generation of the high-tech clubs.

The original SQ Sumo and SQ Sumo2 (as in squared) were among the first to take dramatic advantage of advances in geometric design and equipment rules allowances. The latest models, called SQ Sumo 5000 and SQ Sumo2 5900, are geared to push the scientific envelope even further -- but within USGA limits.

SQ Sumo2 5900 driver "Last year, in a sense, was just part of the process of investigating the (geometric) limits of what could be done with a driver," said Tom Stites, Nike Golf's director of club creation. "Backed by years of research and trial and development, this is a continuing, evolutionary process. All along, the goal is the same: to help golfers hit the ball straighter and farther ... and to make clubs that are more forgiving, especially on off-center hits."

First, some definitions: In Nike parlance, Sumo stands for SU and MO, as in SUper MOment of Intertia. The MOI of a club is a number derived by a mathematical formula designed to measure stability. For golfers, stability relates primarily to forgiveness on off-center hits, but the MOI of a club also plays into characteristics such as trajectory and distance.

Additionally, for Nike, SQ represents SasQuatch, the mythical Bigfoot creature (spelled Sasquatch). Both new drivers, the 5000 and 5900, have large footprints. They are 460cc by volume, which is the USGA limit for clubs.

The two new drivers, along with reengineered Nike One Platinum and One Black multilayer balls, began shipping to pro shops and golf stores just last month. Also new for this season is Nike's Karma ball, a two-piece product designed for golfers with slower swing speeds.

The drivers and the Nike One balls are already enjoying success among the company's tour pros. Stephen Ames won late last season with the new SQ Sumo2 5900 driver and K.J. Choi won at the beginning of this season using the SQ Sumo 5000. Tiger Woods, incidentally, plays with Nike's original SQ Tour driver. The growing Nike tour roster also includes Paul Azinger, Chad Campbell, Stewart Cink, Paul Casey, Trevor Immelman, Justin Leonard, Grace Park, Suzann Pettersen and others.

Adjustable Clubs Score Big

2008-03-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

When golf's latest technology was unveiled in January at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, no one knew what to expect.
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Then the crowds started to grow. And grow. It wasn't long before people lined up seven deep to get a glimpse of the new adjustable drivers that soon will hit retail shelves.

Michele Szynal, spokeswoman for Callaway Golf and its I-Mix driver system, said what was originally intended for a limited audience has gained momentum and could lead to drastic changes in the industry.

"I think the I-Mix system has the opportunity to revolutionize the way people play golf and the way people buy equipment," Szynal said. "The I-Mix system just gives regular guys the same opportunities that the big tour guys have to adjust their equipment to conditions of the course. What's not to like?"

Well, the price, for starters. All three brands with the interchangeable head-and-shaft system will put a serious dent in your pocket. The suggested retail price of Callaway's I-Mix runs from $620 to $935. TaylorMade's r7 CGB Max Limited system is $999. Nickent's 4DX Evolver initially has two options with estimated retail prices of $399 and $479.

The prices are steeper than the usual $300 to $500 consumers are used to paying for a driver. But the proposed benefit is that golfers will have the option of changing shafts within seconds based on their swing, the weather or turf conditions. That was the thinking behind the U.S. Golf Association's ruling that allows golfers to change shafts before a round and to tinker with equipment in a fashion similar to the way tour professionals do.

Jason Maloney, Nickent's director of marketing, said the idea of interchangeability befits the changing paradigm of choice that consumers now expect in all parts of their lives.

"Take it outside of golf for a second," Maloney said. "Just from a consumer standpoint and the way everything in the world is kind of becoming all about customization, on-demand, everything in the world is 'have it your way.' And this technology lets you, with your golf equipment, construct that equipment exactly how you need it -- and do it fast. You don't have to drop it off at a shop and come back in two or three days when it's ready."

Here's a look at each system.
Callaway I-Mix

All three systems share the basic concept of using a wrench to attach the head to the shaft in less than a minute. But Callaway uses the most unique wrench, uses the fewest pieces, offers the most head and shaft choices, and is the only system with the same 460cc head that can be found in its traditional versions of the clubs.

The I-Mix comes in the FT-5 traditional driver head and the FT-i square-shaped driver head. There will be 24 heads that offer various lofts and trajectory biases. With more than 70 shaft choices, Callaway says more than 1,600 driver-shaft combinations are possible.

The club has received the most attention so far because Ernie Els used the FT-i version of the I-Mix during a live round last month on the European Tour. Right away, chat rooms at GolfWRX.com and BombSquadGolf.com were ablaze with images and salivating posts.

"This club is really for the status-seeker who wants the best, the latest and the greatest," Szynal said. "It is the Ferrari of golf clubs."
Nickent 4DX Evolver

Nickent is the small fish swimming in a small pool with two big sharks, but the company hopes moderate choice and lower prices will keep its product afloat.

The 4DX Evolver comes in two offerings: one 454cc head, a UST V2 shaft, a UST V2 high-launch shaft and a wrench for $479. There's also a $399 option that features one head and one shaft. The driver is assembled by aligning a dot on the shaft with a dot on the clubhead, inserting the shaft, inserting a screw into the sole of the club and screwing it with a special wrench.

Maloney said Nickent is happy to have the company of Callaway and TaylorMade, which he said legitimize the new technology. But he hopes Nickent's lower price appeals to the curious golfer on a budget.

"With Nickent, there's always kind of a value element to it," Maloney said. "So we believe the driver is as high quality a driver as you'll find out there. But at $479, with interchangeable shafts, we think it's the best value you're going to find with this new technology by far out there."
TaylorMade r7 CGB Max Limited

TaylorMade has the most dramatic product, which it bills as a "tour van in a box." The self-contained system comes in a box that includes a 415cc head (45ccs smaller than the normal CGB Max), three shafts (Matrix Xcon-5, Diamana White 65 and Fuji Rombax 75) that have the same flex but different weights, three movable weights, six additional weights and a wrench. It assembles the same way as the Nickent club.

With three shafts and three movable weight positions, TaylorMade touts the system as nine drivers in one. TaylorMade doesn't offer much shaft variety, but the trade-off is a simplified, user-friendly product.

"So for us, to go with just the three shafts in the box, it's pretty simple," said Sean Toulon, TaylorMade's executive vice president of product innovation and creation. "One hits it high, one hits low, one hits it kind of in between. One wants to go a little bit more left, one wants to go a little bit more right. So it's sort of the ultimate toolbox or toy for a golfer who wants to tinker with his equipment. That's a pretty simple solution to a really complex problem."
Retail reality

"Cautiously optimistic" is the mantra two of the largest golf retailers in Michigan are using to describe their sales forecast for the new systems.

"In terms of what's going to happen at retail, I guess we'll have to adopt the wait-and-see, whether the consumer will embrace it," said Pete Line, vice president and general manager at Carl's Golfland in Bloomfield Hills. "It's too new to tell, and it's such a different avenue that we've never seen before that I don't know if you can predict one way or the other what's going to happen."

Line said he should know quickly how well the clubs sell because April, May and June are the peak sales months for drivers.

Casey Baker, vice president of golf shop operations at Miles of Golf in Ypsilanti, said price will play a big role in determining the success of the clubs.

"I think cost will have a lot to do with what happens," he said, "and I say that because the TaylorMade system is going to be $1,000 and the Callaway is going to be a little bit more expensive than it would be to get the club that's glued together. I think price might dictate which systems are popular and which systems aren't."

Bridgestone Golf Balls Interview from Golfwrx

2008-02-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

GolfWRX is proud to present an interview with Bridgestone Golf Ball’s Marketing Managers, Brandon Sowell and Sunsuke Tayama.

00:00 - GolfWRX: Today we are here with Brandon Sowell and Shunsuke Tayama from Bridgestone Golf. Guys it is great to have you here. Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer all of our questions.

00:08 – Brandon Sowell: Most definitely thanks for having us. We certainly appreciate the opportunity to speak to you today and tell you a little bit more about the company.

00:16 – GolfWRX: Now I know we have a lot of big questions to ask you so before we get started we were hoping you could give us a little bit of background info about your histories in golf and the golf business in general.

00:30 – Brandon Sowell: Sure, starting with myself. I kind of grew up around the game of golf. So I was very passionate about the game, and started working at a local golf course growing up. I was able to get a lot of experience there and actually see the day in and day out operations of a golf course facility and pro shop and how things work. Definitely grew a passion for the game there. When I graduated college obviously I had an ideal world of what it is I wanted to pursue would be something in the golf world. And it just so happened when I graduated there was a company in town Dunlop and Maxfli – Slazenger, so I kind of pursued them a little bit and I was able to get my foot in the door and starting working in customer service and worked my way through marketing. Over the years saw opportunities obviously in other areas and an opportunity became available at Bridgestone. So I certainly jumped at that opportunity when it became available and came down to Bridgestone and the rest is history. I have been here now for over three years and now moved into the marketing manager role and the golf ball side of things for the company, involved in everything from product management, advertising and promotions, as well as merchandizing across the line of golf balls that we have with Precept and Bridgestone Golf.

1:51 – GolfWRX: Excellent, Tayama how about yourself?

1:53 – Shunsuke Tayama: Yes, my name is Tayama. I have been with the company about ten years. I’ve been working for the golf ball planning, product planning and also the product evaluation side of with R&D guys. I just moved here to the state three years ago. Start working with Brandon Sowell about the golf ball planning side. That is my back ground. My golf career, my first experience liking golf was the ‘95 British Open. I went to the St. Andrew’s to watch John Daly won and I was so impressed I come into this business.

2:39 – GolfWRX: Excellent, that is quite an introduction to golf, that is a special event so I think that is a great way to be introduced to this game. Now Bridgestone Golf kind of launched with a big splash in the skins game a few years ago when Fred Couples used the original B330. Why do you think Bridgestone’s market share in golf balls has grown so quickly?

3:02 – Brandon Sowell: First of all I would think that our product performance and the technology in our products certainly speak volumes to amateur golfers and skilled golfers of all levels. Definitely feel that is the forefront and beyond that certainly, as you mentioned, making a splash with Freddy at the skins game had a significant impact, as well, kind of hitting the market place with all feet running. Soon after that as well Stuart Appleby won the Mercedes championship twice in a row, so that was two great showings for the brand right out of the gate that helped not only from a tour perspective but from a skilled amateur level to validate the performance of the products we have in place. In addition to that, we think the company’s brand name recognition being that it’s Bridgestone, better players recognize that Bridgestone may have been a little bit of a brand name that has a background before with Precept, we’ve been involved in making golf balls for quite some time and Precept was the forefront brand as well then, but the Bridgestone name carried some kind of side line branding if you will in that packaging. So I think a lot of people realized we weren’t new to the sport and that we had been around and with all the stars aligning with the performance of Fred and Stuart kind of validate the technology of the product and performance characteristics of the product.

4:34 - GolfWRX: Now can you tell us a little bit about Bridgestone’s history in the golf ball business and with the solid core golf ball?

5:37 – Brandon Sowell: Sure, well Bridgestone has been making golf balls for quite a long time now. They actually produced our first golf ball back in 1935. So we’ve been around for quite some time. In terms of solid core golf ball advancements those really started to kind of pick up speed, if you will, in the ‘90s. That kind of got the ball rolling with great performances by Nick Price during that time period. He won the ’94 British and the ’94 PGA championship using a solid core golf ball, a solid core Precept golf ball. And beyond that we had some additional success with Nick Faldo who won the ’96 Masters, who was actually using a Precept Double Cover which was the world’s first four piece golf ball. So the technology has really started to advance and later in the ‘90s we had Lee Janzen who won the ’98 US Open with the Precept MC Double Cover so the success of the product was definitely getting validated. The technology behind it and the performance was validated by the tour success that we had. Then as we moved further on in the ‘90s, actually in 1999, we introduced the world’s first multi-layered three piece urethane covered golf ball, which was the Precept MC Tour Premium. So those advancements in solid core design were certainly key throughout those mid to late ‘90s working a lot with our Tour players, perfecting the design and to see the results of those Tour players and the success that they had was quite phenomenal for us and certainly again we thought that was a huge validation. Still obviously continue to perfect that design and to further advance it with things such as the Seamless Cover Technology which we introduced in 2001 to further enhance the flight characteristics of a golf ball for better consistency. Not only just in multilayered tour number golf balls, we have had great success, many golfers hopefully remember the Precept MC Lady which really took the golf world by storm back in 2001 with its very soft compression. While it was a two piece golf ball still for solid two piece golf ball it offered great performance characteristics for most recreational golfers. They kind of discovered, if you will, even though it had the lady name and was designed for ladies, that most recreational golfers found out that it worked very well for their swing speed and their game.

8:13 – GolfWRX: Perfect, now the Bridgestone Company is a huge, huge worldwide company, and I was wondering what advantage does being under their umbrella provide for Bridgestone Golf? How has it affected golf ball technology?

8:28 – Brandon Sowell: Sure, that is a good question and basically the response that we have is that we think it is a huge advantage for us obviously being an subsidiary of a 25 billion dollar company, the amount of resources that we have available to us it quite extensive, and the fact that being such a large company that the main product consumed and developed by the company is based in rubber materials, whether it be tires or golf balls and floors. So the amount of technological advancements and the advantage we have there we think is quite large and being able to utilize the R&D resources of not only our golf engineer division but as well our tire division. Now working together there is a lot of cross training, if you will, say a R&D tire engineer may come and work on the golf side or vice versa so with those crossovers definitely allows us to have everyone be in tune with the latest technologies and the potential applications to any individual project whether it be on the tire side or the golf side. You know in a way, the way a tire interacts with the road is very similar to the way a golf ball interacts with a club face, so there is definitely some synergies and some knowledge that our R&D team is able to utilize and bounce off each other in the development of both line ups of product. Beyond that it is really just the Bridgestone name itself offers us great resources from a promotion stand point and a branding stand point from a name recognition certainly whether it’s Bridgestone by itself or other activities we are able to do, such as the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational that we sponsor at Firestone Country Club, certainly is a huge benefit for us all the way to other activities that Bridgestone Tire does. They have recently announced a sponsorship of the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show so we definitely feel things like that go a long way in helping us establish ourselves in the marketplace.

10:38 – GolfWRX: Fantastic, I know we’ll all be looking forward to that. I know a lot of people have been seeing the ads for the Bridgestone Golf Ball Challenge, and that is a really neat program that you guys have begun. How has it been working for you?

10:51 – Brandon Sowell: It has been going great. It’s definitely been a large initiative for us this year and we’ve been very excited about the results we’ve seen so far in the events and the fittings that we’ve conducted. I think as you know, and hopefully a lot of your readers and listeners know the premise behind the Bridgestone Challenge is that most players are using a golf ball that doesn’t necessarily fit their game. And we think, obviously, that the golf ball is a hugely important element to someone’s game, it is the only piece of equipment that a player uses on every shot so obviously it is quite important and really the ball fitting comes from trying to find the best optimal launch characteristics for the individual player. Very similar to the way the players get fit for golf clubs, kind of go through the same scenarios to get fit for clubs so applying those same launch characteristics and optimization for the golf ball. Further beyond that it’s really probably the least expensive change a player can make to enhance the performance of their game.

11:57 – GolfWRX: Great, what are the biggest mistakes that you guys have seen when people chose golf balls when they come to you guys at these fitting challenge programs?

12:07 – Brandon Sowell: That’s interesting. It’s funny how it seems like a lot of people are perhaps selecting a golf ball based off of ego instead of their playing ability or their desired performance needs. A lot of guys think that just because it is used out on Tour that it’s automatically the best ball for their game, it’s going to enhance their game the best when it’s not necessarily true. Definitely the most popular ball is not automatically the best fit for anyone’s individual game so kind of selecting off of ego seems to be biggest challenge that we’ve come across in doing the ball fitting. But certainly we are able to prove to the players once they go through the ball fitting challenge that is definitely not the way they need to be selecting their golf ball.

12:55 – GolfWRX: Interesting, that seems to be a common theme throughout most of golf so it’s nice to know it’s consistent. Will we be seeing the golf ball fitting program expanded in the future?

13:06 – Brandon Sowell: Yes, we will. Based off the results we’ve had this year, again we think it has been a very successful initiative for us and it’s something we want to expand going into next year so we do plan to further the amount of teams we have in place to be able to conduct more fittings around the country as well as we are looking at ways to further enhance our fitting experience and offer some more in-depth fitting options whether it be from the driver to the short irons all the way down to the green set performance.

13:40 – GolfWRX: Excellent, that will be great for a lot of people to experience. Now getting into some of the technical questions, how does a two piece golf ball differ from a three piece golf ball performance wise?

13:52 – Brandon Sowell: Well in terms of multilayered golf balls definitely having more pieces in the construction of the ball allows engineers to develop more specific performance characteristics. It depends on the target player of the golf ball very much in terms of the different pieces and how they are designed to work for the player. For instance if you take our E6+ versus our E5+, with the E6+ being a multi-layered golf ball and the E5+ being a two piece golf ball. The E6+ is designed for a player who has excess side spin, difficulty keeping the ball in the fairway, they either have a severe slice or hook and have trouble keeping the ball in play so with the E6+ actually the mantle in the E6+ was specifically designed to help reduce that spin, reduce that access spin to help the player keep the ball in play. Now the flip side the two piece E5+ through its construction it is very unique in the market place in the fact that it’s a two piece urethane cover golf ball. Generally urethane covered golf balls are generally used on Tour level balls, but with the E5+ its urethane cover has a higher spin rate then a Surlyn cover and that is when the recreational golfer hits that its going to generate more spin off the tee which is going to help them get the ball more up in the air. So that golf ball is targeted for the player who is obviously hitting a lower shot, who has trouble getting the ball up the spin generated by the urethane cover is going to allow them to get the ball increase their spin rate and find the optimal peak trajectory rate for an overall greater distance. So there are definitely performance differences as well as it goes back to the target player for a particular golf ball and how those constructions and materials used affect the overall performance for that target player.

16:13 – GolfWRX: Excellent, now the weather is getting a lot colder around the country, I know a lot of people have a trend to go to softer compression golf balls because they feel that it gives them more distance. How should golfers use compression numbers to help them decide what golf ball to play? Is compression still important today for golf balls?

16:32 – Brandon Sowell: Certainly, compression definitely is important among all golf balls. As you mentioned as the temperatures start to get colder, the compression of a ball in its natural state tends to rise so using a softer ball in the colder season months definitely would be a benefit for a lot of players, but beyond that, you know whether it’s through a ball fitting exercise or just getting someone’s swing analyzed at their local course, or off-course specialty shop. We think that it’s important for the recreational or amateur player to understand their swing speed and to get that evaluated, and that will help them in determining what type of compression golf ball that they should be using, whether it’s a lower compression or medium or firmer compression. Slower swingers should definitely look towards softer golf balls, while a faster swing speed player should look towards firmer balls. Basically the difference being the player with the faster swing speed is going to be able to deform a golf ball at impact, versus a slower swing speed who tees up a firm golf ball are not going to be able to deform the golf ball. If you’re not able to deform the golf ball an adequate amount you’re not really igniting the engine of the golf ball which is the core so you need to be able to kind of penetrate to the engine - down to the core of the golf ball, and again if you’re a slow swinger trying a firm golf ball you aren’t able to do that. So that is why a slow to moderate swing speed should gravitate more towards a lower compression golf ball.

22:00 – GolfWRX: Now that urethane golf balls are dominating the industry, can you foresee another material providing even greater performance benefits?

22:10 – Brandon Sowell: We certainly think the opportunity for performance benefits are there. Certainly, our R&D Department is always evaluating new materials. You have to keep an open mind, especially when you’re talking about technology, to any type of advancements that come along. So they’re always looking at new materials to see if there are ways to improve performance. Just as Bridgestone was actually the company who developed the first solid core multi-layer urethane golf ball, we definitely feel that a new material certainly could be a possibility. In fact, we currently have numerous materials we’re working with and studying that are currently being evaluated and tested in our lab to see if there’s any type of potential for performance attributes further down the road.

23:09 – GolfWRX: Excellent, I know we’ll be looking forward to hearing more about that. In the seaming debate, seamless versus seamed golfballs has been raging for a while. A lot of people say that no golf ball can be truly seamless, yet your injection molding technology produces a golf ball that’s constructed differently from others and you can pretty much see it in the cover. Can you clarify the seaming debate for us?

23:36 – Brandon Sowell: Sure, as you mentioned, our manufacturing process of urethane golf balls is an injection molded process versus a traditional casting process which is used by a lot of the other manufacturers to produce a urethane ball. Basically, the difference between the two processes is that injection is a one step process, where the cover is injected all at one time. Whereas casting is a two step process, as one half of the cover is formed the other half of the cover is formed and both of those are fused together to create the golf ball. Some of the benefits of injection molding over the cast process is that it’s a faster manufacturing process, it’s very time efficient. What that means is that we’re able to produce more balls with a fewer number of cavities resulting in a greater manufacturing consistency and quality. The cavities have been designed with the overall dimple pattern of the particular golf ball that’s being made and it’s quite an intricate and precise machining that’s done with those. Obviously the least amount of those you have to produce, the least amount of variances you will have in the cover. With that, it allows us more precise control of the dimple design, which obviously a significant amount of R&D time has gone into perfecting that. On the flip side, the more cavities you need, the greater chance for variances in production. I think that a good example of our quality and consistency in our production line is the fact that you can’t go out in the marketplace and find any Bridgestone B330 X Out’s anywhere. You’re not going to find – whether it’s B330 or B330S – they’re not going to be sitting on the shelves with other manufacturers. So we think that’s a great testament to the quality and manufacturing control we have over our balls. Another benefit of the process is the potential for discoloration of the urethane material is very limited when you do an injection molded process versus a cast. So we only need to put a clear coat on our golf ball versus a casting process which tends to discolor in the sun. The urethane tends to discolor and turn yellow, so as a result casting golf balls require a white coat of paint plus the clear coat. So that additional step in the manufacturing process tends to create variances and applying a coat of white paint, it is very difficult to maintain the thickness consistency over the entire ball surface. Obviously, if there is any type of inconsistencies in the painting with the dimple design, it could potentially affect the aerodynamics that dimple design was designed for and affect in-flight performance.

27:00 – GolfWRX: Now how does each layer of a golf ball contribute to the performance of the overall product?

27:06 – Brandon Sowell: Well, it depends on the particular golf ball construction and the materials used along with the target player the ball is developed for. For golf balls with multi-layers, we design different kinds of materials and assign specific performance functions for each layer, which enables us to produce a wide variety of ball designs. To put it in more of a general summation or analogy would say be a car where the cover of the golf ball is the steering wheel which provides the feel and control of the car and the core of the golf ball is the engine where all your power and speed comes from. Beyond that, say your mantle layer would be very much like a high performance sports car which has been designed for exceptional performance. Say it’s a faster car they’ve added a spoiler too or some other type of aerodynamic changes to the overall design of the car itself to better enhance performance of the ball. That’s kind of my analogy of the different performance characteristics of the golf ball and how each piece works differently.

28:37 – GolfWRX: That definitely helps. Can you talk a little bit about Gradational Compression and how it benefits golf ball performance? Is it in all your golf balls?

28:44 – Brandon Sowell: Sure, that’s a great question. This technology is very important technology to us and it’s something we’ve developed and think that it’s a huge benefit to golf ball performance and basically it is in the core where you have increased gradation of the compression from a very soft inner region of the core, it gradually gets firmer to the outer region of the core. Essentially with the gradation of the core, it is firmer on the outside so it reacts as a firm golf ball right after impact. This firmer outside region generates higher repulsion off the club face and is going to give the player longer distance. However, with the softer inner area of the core, it deforms as a softer ball in the middle of impact because of that softer area. The benefits of that are it deforms more than a non gradational golf ball and generates higher launch with less spin. So you’re basically combining the benefits of a firm core golf ball and a soft core golf ball all into one to get the overall greatest launch characteristics off the club face.

30:08 – GolfWRX: Now why is urethane the preferred material for covers of golf balls? Why is it preferred over Surlyn and other compounds?

30:16 – Brandon Sowell: Polyurethane features higher repulsion than an ionomer resin or Surlyn when it gets softer. As you know, generally Tour level golf balls, highly skilled players are looking for softer feel and spin around the greens. That would be the reason you primarily see urethane on Tour level balls is because it does get softer and offers higher repulsion which gives greater distance. In addition to that, as urethane gets softer, compared to Surlyn or an ionomer, it maintains better durability. Urethane is able to retain and help limit scuffs and abrasions at impact so that’s another benefit of urethane. So the durability as well as the soft feel are generally the reasons why you’re going to see it on Tour level golf balls which is generally what that player is looking for in performance.

31:32 – GolfWRX: That was a perfect segue into the next question which is about durability. I know that’s a big issue for consumers when they’re paying upwards of $3 sometimes $4 for a golf ball. What affects golf ball durability and how can you improve golf ball durability while still maintaining golf ball performance?

31:50 – Brandon Sowell: Definitely, as we talked about in the previous question, material type has a huge impact on the durability of the ball. Beyond that, the firmness of it or the softness of it in addition to the overall construction of the ball is going to affect the durability. Some of the ways cover durability can be improved is through various construction differences. Or even material improvements. In terms of construction, someone hitting a four iron shot with a urethane covered golf ball with a very firm core and firm compression, as the four iron makes contact with the ball, that very soft urethane cover is getting pinched very strongly between that firm core and the clubface so it’s obviously going to create some abrasions on that soft urethane cover. Ways around that are modifying it to help improve the durability would be such things as our technology with the gradational core where you’re combining the best of both worlds with a firm outer area of the core versus the softer inner area. As we mentioned before, that technology allows the golf ball to deform as a softer compression ball which helps eliminate the stress that’s put on the urethane covered ball at impact. Going back to our four iron analogy here, if it’s struck with a softer core golf ball, it’s going to help eliminate or reduce that abrasion at impact and potential for durability issues. In addition, there’s finding new ways of increasing the cross-linking agents that are used in the cover material itself in an effort to create a tighter molecular bond. That’s going to improve cover durability as well.

34:00 – GolfWRX: Interesting, now getting into the previous versions of the B330 and 330S, I know a lot of people had complaints about the durability, but the new version seems vastly improved. How was that product changed to improve the durability?

34:20 – Brandon Sowell: For the new version, it ties in with the previous question, the trick we made there was adding in 40% more cross-linking material which allowed for greater durability. In addition to that, obviously durability was a key focus but by adding more cross-linking agents it actually enabled us to make the cover materials actually softer than the original version which again is going to increase the benefit to the player for added feel and control around the greens.

35:04 – GolfWRX: Which golf ball is most popular among the Tour staff?

35:10 – Brandon Sowell: Among our players, the B330S is definitely a popular model among the staff we have. We have quite a few players playing that one whether it be Appleby, Snedeker, McKenzie and those guys have all played well. Then we’ve got Fred Couples and some power hitters if you will, Fred Couples and Scott Hend are guys who utilize the B330. Really it comes down to choice preference on feel. The B330 is a little bit firmer feeling golf ball than the B330S. So the B330 is for the guy who’s looking for a more solid feel and is really looking to hit a long ways but the soft cover has got the control and spin around the green versus the S. The S comes into play and signifies that it’s a little bit softer feel than the B330. So that type of finesse player who’s looking for great control and feel – a feel player and is looking for still long distance with the S, but the overall feel and control around the greens might be more appealing to the player who’s got a little it more of a feel oriented game.

36:36 – GolfWRX: I know you mentioned a little bit about the higher swing speed player fitting into the B330. I was wondering if you would talk a little bit about why higher swing speed players fit into the B330 and what advantages is has over other comparable golf balls on the market?

36:53 – Brandon Sowell: Sure, as you said, it’s designed for higher swing speed players. The B330 itself is designed generally for a very highly skilled player - a player that’s looking for really long distance but still maintaining spin control around the greens. So it’s definitely a high performance golf ball that requires a very skilled player. What we’ve found in terms of advantages of it over other golf balls on the market is very much related to our ball fitting program. We go out to our Bridgestone Golf Ball Challenge and invite consumers to participate and actually test their current golf ball, whatever that may be and put that up against a Bridgestone model. What we’ve found with the better players who have been fit into the B330 is that after they’ve been fit into a B330 versus a competitor’s product is that we’ve been able to increase their ball speed off the tee. We think that’s the result of our Gradational Compression technology and the benefits of enhancing their launch conditions and initial velocity off the club face. Beyond that, in terms of what we feel are advantages of the B330 over competitors: superior consistency in manufacturing and fight performance with our Seamless Cover technology is very consistent in how it performs even into the wind. I know we started our conversation with Fred Couples making a splash in 2004, that was certainly one of the big benefits he saw when he switched over to our product was how well the aerodynamics were and how well the ball performed even in windy conditions.

38:54 – GolfWRX: How about the B330S? Who would be a good fit for that and what advantages would it have over competitor’s offerings?

39:03 – Brandon Sowell: The B330S is designed for highly skilled tour professionals and better amateurs who have a moderate to higher swing speed. Those that are looking for tour caliber distance but want a soft feel, a finesse player. The benefits to that are very similar to the B330 in terms of the results we’ve seen to consumers in our Ball Fitting Challenge is an increase in ball speed which is part of our Gradational Compression technology and overall consistency and flight characteristics with Seamless Cover technology and our manufacturing as tight as it is produces day in and day out reliable performance players can have confidence in.

40:05 – GolfWRX: Now getting into the newly revamped E5+ and E6+. How was the E5+ improved over the previous version and what improvements in performance can users expect to see?

40:17 – Brandon Sowell: We just introduced the new E5+, it actually just started shipping last month and showing up at retail shelves. The new E5+ differs from the original in that we increased the core size slightly. In addition we modified the dimple pattern. The original had a 432 dimple design but the new E5+ has a seamless 330 dimple design. With those changes made, golfers should notice a higher initial velocity off the face giving them greater distance. With the modification to the dimple design, they can expect to see a little bit higher launch off the tee and a slightly higher trajectory as well. The target consumer for the E5+ is the player who needs to optimize their peak trajectory for added distance. Perhaps they’re not getting the ball up in the air quite as much and need to produce a little bit more spin rate to get that optimum peak trajectory. By doing that it’s going to able to increase their distance off the tee.

41:39 - GolfWRX: What is it about the E5+ that allows you to increase launch angle and spin?

41:45 – Brandon Sowell: With the E5+, a lot of it has to do with the very unique construction the golf ball has. It’s a two piece urethane cover design. We feel it’s the best of both worlds, a lot of people talk about two piece golf balls being the best distance golf balls. Generally, urethane covered golf balls are used more for their feel and control around the greens. So it is combining the best of both worlds there: having a great distance ball with superb spin and control around the greens with the urethane cover. With that unique construction, it works also off the tee as well. The large core and spin of the urethane cover will generate that higher launch. Again, with the spin-type urethane cover on there, it is going to produce a higher spin rate which is going to increase the tee height trajectory for the player to give them longer distance.

42:52 – GolfWRX: How about the E6+?

42:52 – Brandon Sowell: The E6+, just launched that one as well. It differs from the original mainly in the new inner layer material we developed, an anti-spin, extra velocity inner layer. The E6+ compared to the original also has a little bit softer compression. So with the anti-spin extra velocity inner layer (which we’ve shortened to ASEV inner layer), it reduces excess side and backspin which is going to generate extra velocity for longer and straighter shots. With the lower compression it’s going to provide a softer feel and more forgiveness for the player. So the combination of the lower compression and the new ASEV inner layer is going to overall reduce the results of slice or hook spin imparted by the player. With the softer compression, the target is the recreational golfer who doesn’t have a tour level high swing speed. So that softer compression is going to allow them to activate the core to enhance their speed velocity.

44:21 – GolfWRX: I know a lot of people are looking forward to trying that with the colder weather coming I think the E6 will be finding a place in a lot of people’s bags.

44:26 – Brandon Sowell: Definitely, that’s a great ball to use in the winter for sure.

44:32 – GolfWRX: Before we move on, I just want to congratulate you Paula Creamer’s first ever win on the LPGA Tour with a pink golf ball.

44:42 – Brandon Sowell: Absolutely. It was great to watch her run away with the Tournament of Champions event and to top it off using her trademark pink golf ball to make history was very nice for us. We certainly enjoyed watching that for sure.

44:56 – GolfWRX: Now I was wondering how Precept sits in the Bridgestone’s current lineup?

45:00 – Brandon Sowell: Sure, with the Precept models we currently have, we feel it rounds out our golf ball lineup. Again, we don’t feel there’s any one particular ball that fits all players. Coming back to the Bridgestone Challenge, the lineup we have going across the Bridgestone lineup to the Precept lineup, finding the appropriate ball that fits a individual’s swing is crucial. So, Precept, especially our iQ 180 lineup which we just introduced this year, we think it’s a great performance value for a game improver type player, a recreational type player that has a slow to moderate swing speed. The iQ 180 line, we have a ladies version and a men’s version. We have the Lady iQ180 and the Men’s iQ180. Both are designed for a slower to moderate swing speed player who needs a softer compression golf ball to help them deform the golf ball actively. With optimization being activating the core of a golf ball giving speed off the club face for longer distance. Both golf balls offer some of the same technologies we offer on our tour golf balls, both B330s and the E+ series. Both the iQ line offers Gradational Compression technology as well as Seamless Cover Technology. We think that lineup is exceptional value for the price. You can’t miss the ladies lineup with some of the color options we have there – pink and yellow. Obviously the pink used by Paula Creamer brings a fun alternative and we think that’s very fun as well.

47:07 – GolfWRX: We’ll get you out on this note. We realize this whole 45 minutes has been filled with fantastic reasons for why Bridgestone is the best golf ball on the market but if you had to sum up one take home message for why consumers should choose Bridgestone golf balls over all the other choices in a very crowded market, what would you say?

47:29 – Brandon Sowell: That’s a great question. We certainly feel first and foremost our technology is second to none. Technology has been the driving force behind the development of our product line all the way back from the very beginning. The firsts we have been able to bring to the market place, whether it is the first urethane multi-layered golf ball or the first to introduce a multi-layer ball with Seamless Cover technology when we did back in 2001. We think that others have followed those technologies we have introduced certainly validates our ability to develop very significant improvements in golf balls and come up with designs that enhance golf balls to give players an overall better game. Beyond that, that high level of product consistency we have and the quality control. Every one of our golf balls that comes off our production line is 100% hand inspected. It’s not just our tour level balls receiving special treatment, every single one of our balls is hand inspected. So, we think we have the best quality control in the industry. We’ve got a solid lineup from top to bottom, the B330 series, E+ series, iQ series. We’ve got a ball that can fit any golfer’s playing ability or their preference. The technologies we’ve applied to our models are not just in our high end and tour models. They go across our line whether it’s Seamless Cover technology or Gradational Compression technology, you’ll find that from our tour level models to our game improvement performance series. We definitely think we have a model for every player and we stand behind our product as well. We think that with our Bridgestone Golf Ball Challenge, consumers can come up and test their golf ball against ours. We’re not afraid, we think our product performance is superior and we’ll be able to improve the playing performance and enjoyment for any player.

49:47 – GolfWRX: Brandon and Tayama, we really appreciate your time today. We really appreciate you taking time out of your busy days to talk to us. Thanks a lot from all the gusy at GolfWRX.

50:00 – Brandon Sowell: Most definitely, we appreciate you having us and certainly enjoyed the time we had. If you ever have anything else feel free to give us a call and we’d love to join you again.

About Bob Burns Golf

2008-02-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

With its headquarters (pictured above) located just north of Appleton, Wisconsin, Bob Burns Golf is a family owned and operated business founded in 1975 by PGA Master Professional and recognized teacher of the game, Bob Burns. Committed to manufacturing and selling golf equipment that does not infringe on the patents or trademarks of other manufacturers, the company designs and manufactures its own lines of custom-made golf clubs, including its now world-renown No Bananas Line; but the company also sells refurbished clubs—set of irons, in particular, that have been completely refinished, repolished, reshafted, and regripped. The company prides itself on year-round service to the golfing public, personalized lessons for both beginners and advanced players, and individualized attention to custom club-fitting, club-repair, and modification. Our pro shop features a wide variety of golf merchandise—clubs, of course, but also apparel, accessories, training aids, books, videos, and golf club components. Our teaching and club-fitting facilities and practices take advantage of the latest in swing-computer and launch-monitor analysis.

In its early years, Bob Burns Golf was a one-man operation dedicated, in part, to the repair, modification, and restoration of golf clubs—but also to instruction and, most notably, perhaps, to the manufacture of custom-made clubs, including woods cut and handcrafted from unfinished blocks of persimmon or laminated maple.
During the 1980’s, the company’s reputation grew steadily, and its founder was invited to offer courses and seminars on club-design, manufacture, and repair at the likes of Ferris State College, the Tommy Armour Golf Co. (then called the PGA Golf Co.), and the Ben Hogan Co. (then a subsidiary of American Machine Foundry or AMF). By the early 1990s, the company’s business had increased even more appreciably, as fewer and fewer golf-course shops offered services in club-repair and modification or custom club-fitting, and as increasing numbers of sporting goods stores concerned themselves solely with retail sales. As other club-making companies abandoned the production of traditional, wooden clubs, Bob Burns Golf was able to purchase from Wilson Sporting Goods many of the machines Wilson had used in making them. And even today—in this era of mass-produced cast irons and metal woods—Bob Burns Golf uses some of those machines in maintaining its original lines of business, in club-repair and refinishing, and by filling occasional orders for custom-made, traditional clubs from golfing aficionados around the world.
By the late 1990s, the PGA Master Professional and teacher had been joined by his two sons; and by 1999, the family had completed construction of its present headquarters—with extensive outdoor facilities for teaching and practice (a crescent-shaped range with six target greens; a putting green; and a separate, bunkered green for learning and improving the short-game)—and indoors, a full-service pro shop (with numerous models and sets of Bob Burns Custom Woods, Irons, Fairway Metals, Hybrids, Wedges, and Putters on display); an elaborate and complex workshop for club-making, restoration, modification, and repair; and an area for teaching and practicing in inclement weather (a space replete with hitting nets, swing computers, a launch monitor, and many teaching-aids, some of them conventional, others proprietary and ingeniously distinctive).
By the turn of the century, Bob Burns Golf was designing and manufacturing its own lines of metal woods and contemporaneously engineered irons, wedges, and putters. And very shortly, Bob Burns’ life-long interests in custom club-making and teaching would come together in the now famous No Bananas Drivers—the result, in essence, of his sympathetic experiences with the incorrigible outside-in swings of so many of his students.
The success story of the No Bananas Drivers began on a snowy morning early in 2005, when Mike Stachura, the equipment editor of Golf Digest, called Bob to ask if he would be interested in having the No Bananas Drivers tested against other anti-slice and draw-bias drivers at the Digest’s laboratories in San Diego. “Do you think your clubs are up to the test?,” Stachura asked. Bob replied, “Yes, of course”; and immediately shipped off a dozen drivers for testing.
When the results of those tests were published in the June, 2005 issue of Golf Digest, they set off what would soon become a worldwide media-buzz. The Bob Burns No Bananas Drivers had proven best at reducing slices. Golf Digest called them “The Ultimate Fix.” Within months, other major publications were requesting one or another model of the No Bananas Driver for product testing. Fairways and Greens Magazine called it “the real deal”; Luxury Golf and Travel, “A Dynamite Driver.”
Since 2005, it and other clubs in the No Bananas line have been featured in Golf Illustrated, PGA Tour Partners, Avid Golfer, Golf World, Golfing Magazine, Golf Range Magazine, and Florida Golf Magazine. In fairly short order, the buzz occasioned by the No Bananas Driver brought to Bob Burns Golf over twenty accounts worldwide, including those with GolfSmith, the world’s largest online golf retailer, and with the upscale specialty catalogue, Herrington.
In 2006 and early 2007, the company completed its No Bananas line of clubs and accessories—which now includes four sizes of drivers (in seven models), as well as weight-adjustable fairway metals, irons, and hybrid clubs.

www.bobburnsgolf.com

Nike Golf Thailand

2008-02-25T05:26:00.000-08:00

BEAVERTON, OR (January 24, 2008) – From Jan. 17-19, golf professionals and retailers were able to see the latest and greatest in new golf equipment at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. Now, consumers across the country will be able to see and demo the new SasQuatch (SQ) SUMO drivers from Nike Golf.

Golf retailers and facilities across the United States will be hosting special SUMO Saturday events on Feb. 2. This is the first day that Nike Golf's new SQ SUMO 5000 and SQ SUMO(2) 5900 drivers are available in stores. The SQ SUMO 5000 features a traditional rounded club head design providing golfers with added distance while allowing them to shape their shots more. The SQ SUMO(2) 5900 is the next generation of square head drivers that result in longer, straighter shots.

"Our new SQ SUMO drivers represent the most advanced technology in golf equipment and golfers are going to love how they look, feel and, most important, perform," said Stan Grissinger, Category Business Director of Club and Balls for Nike Golf. "With the SQ SUMO(2) 5900, we have ensured that square is here to stay. Since our introduction of the first SQ SUMO driver last year, we have added square technology to an entire family of products: drivers, irons, fairway woods and hybrids."

Named SUMO for the SUPER MOMENT of Inertia created by Nike Golf's geometric designs, the SQ SUMO drivers have the highest MOI (Moment of Inertia) in golf. Nike Golf has evolved the leading innovation of geometric design to bring golfers even more distance, forgiveness and accuracy through new record levels of MOI. These products have proven successful at the highest levels of golf with seven PGA TOUR wins on the PGA TOUR in the past 12 months.

Titleist New Clubs in 2008

2008-02-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Wintertime in the Midwest is probably not the opportune time in which to purchase a brand new driver, especially without any range time. I recently purchased the Titleist 907 D1 Driver with a Graphite Design YS6+ shaft and without range time I might add. I have been somewhat reluctant to get with the times and bag a size 460cc driver. Perhaps I have been very satisfied with my current gamer, a 395cc KZG Gemini with the exact same shaft set up. The D1 is the type of golf club that is intriguing; you want to buy it, but you are not totally sure if the monstrous looking triangular head is really for you. It sure looks bigger than 460 cc, although it's not. It sure looks like it could be really strange to hit, but again, it's really not. It sure looks expensive, and it is, but not really all that much more than my custom built KZG set me back. Your wallet will be lighter, but what the heck, swing away.

Yes, I actually purchased this driver without any range testing. I know, I know, that is a no-no in the here and now. Custom club fitting is all the rage. And, it really is recommended. However, I am more of a feel player and I was already familiar with the Graphite Design YS 6+ shaft. What can I say? In the middle of winter, I took the D1 home with me.

First Impressions:
The first thing I thought of when setting up to my ball was one of two very similar things, Darth Vader's helmet or Spaceballs' Darth Helmet himself. Well, maybe not that big, but this driver looms large. In all seriousness, it really takes very little time to adjust to the triangular head shape and once you do, it's all confidence and no hesitation. It sure looks much more pleasing than anything square. As usual, the quality is top notch, just like you would expect from anything Titleist. Swing away.

Feel/Sound:
You don't actually hear anything really loud with the D1, it has a nice, somewhat muted sound when smashing your drive off the tee. If you are the type of golfer who equates feel with sound, it might take you a little while to get used to the D1, but don't give up on it.

Performance:
The weather broke in January for a day and I took my new driver out for a spin. Without any range time, I was totally unsure of how I, or my rusty swing would react to this golf club. As I was getting ready to tee off with this behemoth, the stone caught my eye. Out of respect, I had to pause for a brief moment. You see, Bobby Jones himself hit the inaugural tee shot right from right where I was standing almost 70 years ago and it is forever etched into a granite block located in the back corner of the 1st tee box at Sharon Woods Golf Course. I wonder what Bobby would say if he saw me standing over my ball, brand new, gigantic sized triangular 460cc driver in hand, ready (somewhat) to hit a drive in the dead of winter. Swing away. I did and the ball went a near perfect 265-270 right smack down the middle. Immediately, I liked it. I liked it a lot. Although I had some difficulty judging this club completely in the mid 40's weather, I can sure say one thing, the D1 is extremely accurate and really wants to go straight. This is a tendency I enjoyed and can use more of in my own game. I can play a fade and I can play a draw. I usually don't play the shape of shot I really want or need at that present time, so this club's tendency to want to travel in straight line was very much welcomed. Off center hits garner decent distance on most tee shots. The D1 is a great all around performer that really inspires confidence on the tee, I wish I had more time with it, but I'll have to wait until Springtime to really run it through its paces. My low to mid 90's swing speed is well suited to the YS6+ shaft, it actually felt a might tip stiffer than the same shaft in my KZG, and I liked that.

Final Opinions:
If you have been reluctant to venture into the high MOI, 460cc driver realm, definitely take the Titleist 907 D1 for a spin. Try it at the range, grab a demo from a green grass golf shop and see what happens. The D1 is definitely a top gun in its class and after a few swings on the golf course, it really doesn't feel as big as it looks. Go ahead, swing away.

J Lindeberg Golf Shoe

2008-02-16T02:33:00.000-08:00

The J.Lindeberg Future Sports Golf Shoe signals a revolutionary new design approach in golf shoes. The design ethos of the Future Sports Golf Shoe follows that of the J.Lindeberg Golf apparel, combining high performance functionality with modern, contemporary design. Key design elements include a squared toe, sculptured heel, the "JL bridge logo" branding on the kiltie, PUMA's signature formstripe, and of course, bright, bold colors. The shoe also offers an exclusive breathable waterproof barrier to keep the feet dry and comfortable in any condition.

Jesper Parnevik, the undisputed style icon of modern golf and the pioneer of the J.Lindeberg Future Sports Golf collection admits, "For years, there has not been much in the way of modern developments in golf shoes. Now, finally there is a shoe that is truly modern and stylish." American Hank Kuehne, who possesses the longest drive on the PGA said, "I love the fact that the shoe is extremely comfortable and is definitely high performance while looking great." Cool new golfer James Heath volunteers, "The look of the J.Lindeberg Future Sports Golf Shoe is a perfect complement for the J.Lindeberg clothing, that is perfect for the modern movement in golf right now."

The shoe will be available to consumers in a limited edition release this holiday season, followed by a larger distribution of two colorways (white/black and white/fluorescent orange) in February 2006. Parnevik, Kuehne and Heath will introduce exciting new promotional colors throughout the remainder of the year.

Creative Director Johan Lindeberg says, "Golf has been so much a part of my life, and my business, that creating a new golf shoe was a natural extension of what I have already done in golfwear. The design process took 18 months, but I really wanted to find the perfect balance between a dimensional and modern design and full performance features. I am proud to have these three great ambassadors - Parvenik, Kuehne and Heath - thoroughly endorse the shoe."

About J.Lindeberg

Established in 1996 by Johan Lindeberg in New York and Stockholm - J.Lindeberg includes J.Lindeberg Concept, Progressive Tailoring, j.lindeberg.denim and Future Sports. With 10 flagship stores and distribution in over 25 countries, Johan's vision to create THE 21st Century lifestyle brand for the modern consumer is fast becoming a reality.

About PUMA

PUMA(R) is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences from sport, lifestyle and fashion. PUMA's unique industry perspective delivers the unexpected in sportlifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, through technical innovation and revolutionary design. Established in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, PUMA distributes products in over 80 countries. For further information please visit http://www.puma.com.

Interchangeable Club Heads

2008-02-07T07:21:00.001-08:00

Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- First came graphite shafts, then club heads the size of grapefruits. Now some equipment manufacturers see a wrench as the next breakthrough for golf geeks.

Players facing narrow fairways, wind or rain soon will be able to change their equipment to match the course and weather as Tiger Woods can, thanks to a rule change and new gear.

As of Jan. 1, golfers are allowed to adjust club heads and shafts on their drivers before a round. The change led some manufacturers to design clubs with interchangeable parts. Callaway Golf Co.'s adjustable entry, the iMix, will cost as much as $1,400 for one driver head and three shafts, about triple the average cost of a top-of-the-line driver.

``For the avid player, price becomes more of a badge than an obstacle,'' said Jeff Colton, Callaway's senior vice president of research and development. ``We're all a little edgy about where we are in our economy, but golfers are a little crazy.''

Callaway, based in Carlsbad, California, spent two years developing the clubs even before the U.S. Golf Association, the arbiter of golf's rules in the U.S. and Mexico, approved the change. The iMix comes with a claw-like wrench to change shafts and will be available in mid-March, Colton said.

Taylor Made Golf Co., also based in Carlsbad, will offer its CGB Max Limited driver along with three shafts, ranging from 55 grams (2 ounces) to 75 grams, for $999. The all-in-one package, dubbed the ``Tour Van in a Box'' includes nine moveable weights that can be screwed into the back of the club head, giving a golfer 1,071 possible combinations, the company said.

Targeting Golf Geeks

Companies entering the adjustable club market are targeting the die-hard golf geek, or ``tinkerer who insists on having the latest and greatest,'' Colton said.

For years, golf's top professionals have had personal club fitters who travel to each event in a custom van. The technicians switch shafts or change the angle of a driver's club face before a round, using glue and a heat gun.

Since the rule change means all players will have access to clubs with easily adjustable parts, the playing field has been leveled, said Dick Rugge, senior technical director of the Far Hills, New Jersey-based USGA.

``This was a case where we felt it was appropriate to relax the rules,'' Rugge said in an interview during last month's annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, where the clubs were introduced. ``It hasn't hurt the game at the highest level, so it shouldn't hurt the game at the lower levels.''

By customizing clubs, players can, for example, use a heavier shaft to produce more accuracy. A lighter shaft can increase swing speed for added distance.

Nike Sits It Out

Companies choosing not to sell adjustable clubs, including Nike Inc. and Huntington Beach, California-based Cleveland Golf Co., say they doubt there is enough demand.

John Rae, Cleveland's manager of performance research, said golfers who bought a driver with moveable weights when they were introduced in 2004 rarely changed the configuration after the novelty wore off.

``People find what works for them, and they stick with it,'' Rae said in a telephone interview. ``I can't see a consumer who doesn't hit his driver perfect every time to begin with wanting to mess with the one that does work for him because it was windy that day, or it rained the night before.''

Because Nike, based in Beaverton, Oregon, already uses adjustable clubs in its personal fitting systems for individual customers, it wouldn't be difficult to put them into production, said Tom Stites, Nike's lead club designer.

``Trust me, we'll be ready,'' Stites said.

Retailers will also be watching.

``How many consumers are going to want to drop a couple hundred dollars on shafts?'' said Scott Warman, manager of hard good sales at the PGA Tour Superstore in Roswell, Georgia. ``It's a great question.''

While Cleveland's Rae called adjustable clubs a fad, he said that won't stop certain golfers from buying them.

``It's just something to have when you step up on the first tee,'' he said. ``If you have a more expensive driver than your buddy, you win.''

Record year for golf boosts Titleist parent Fortune Brands in 2007

2008-02-03T23:07:00.000-08:00

Record year for golf boosts Titleist parent Fortune Brands in 2007
- PGA.com

NEW YORK -- Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), whose portfolio includes the Acushnet Co. (the parent of Titleist, Cobra Golf and FootJoy), delivered a fourth-quarter revenue record, benefiting from double-digit sales increases for the company's distilled spirits and golf brands, company officials have announced.

The company also continued to outperform the challenging U.S. home products market and gain share in key categories. While reported earnings comparisons for the fourth quarter and full year were adversely impacted by the downturn in the U.S. housing market, charges for supply-chain initiatives, and the absence of one-time gains recorded in the prior-year periods, the company achieved results within its earnings target ranges for both periods.

In golf, "our brands set an industry sales record in 2007, finishing the year with a double-digit sales increase in the fourth quarter," said Bruce Carbonari, president and chief executive officer of Fortune Brands. "Successful innovations helped Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra achieve individual brand records, as we also attained sales records in every product category and in all major markets for the year."

For the full year of 2007, Fortune Brands' income from continuing operations was $749.5 million, or $4.79 per diluted share, down 10% from $5.31 in 2006. Diluted EPS before charges/gains was $5.11, down 4% from $5.33 in 2006.

"Looking to 2008, we're determined to continue growing our premium spirits and golf brands, and to continue outperforming the home products industry," said Carbonari. "That said, in an environment in which the home products market is expected by most economists to decline double digits again in 2008, we're budgeting accordingly.

"In golf, we're targeting operating income before charges to be up modestly, reflecting increased investment in brand building and international growth opportunities," he added.

"For the first quarter of 2008, we're targeting diluted EPS before charges/gains to be in the range of flat to down at a high-single digit rate. That's compared to an EPS before charges/gains for continuing operations number of $0.81 for the year-ago quarter," Carbonari added.

Fortune Brands, Inc. is a leading consumer brands company with annual sales exceeding $8 billion. Its brands include Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon, Moen faucets, Master Lock padlocks and Waterloo tool storage.

TITLEIST INTRODUCES ADVANCED PERFORMANCE FOUR MODEL IRON FAMILY

2008-01-30T20:31:00.000-08:00

From titleist.com

Focus on Feel and Performance with New Titleist AP1, AP2, ZB Forged and ZM Forged Irons

Fairhaven, MA (January 24, 2008) Staying true to its heritage of designing performance enhancing golf clubs for better and aspiring golfers, Titleist introduces four new irons for 2008. The new Titleist AP1 and AP2 irons are multi-material, dual cavity designs that provide Advanced Performance You Can Feel. The new Titleist ZB Forged is a blended cavity-to-muscle back set while the new Titleist ZM Forged is a traditional muscle back iron.

"We designed these irons with a focus on feel and performance," said Jeff Harmet, President, Cobra Golf and Titleist Clubs. "The Titleist iron audience ranges from world-class Tour players to aspiring golfers who demand performance with great feel. Each of our new irons is clearly positioned and provides best in class performance for its intended target golfer.”

Following extensive research with a wide range of golfers, Titleist discovered clearly defined average ball speed gaps of approximately 10 miles per hour between Tour players, club professionals and low single digit handicap amateurs, and high single digit to low double digit amateurs.

“It is important to note that average ball speed gaps between player groups have widened over the years,” said Harmet. “The average ball speed of a PGA Tour player is 165+ miles per hour, while the average ball speed of a 5-9 handicap player is 145 mph – a 20+ mph difference. As a result of our research, we have designed four distinct irons that will focus on performance and feel and optimize launch conditions and ball flight based on the targeted players’ ball speed range.”

“The advanced dual cavity design and multi-material construction of the new Titleist AP1 and AP2 irons utilizing a dense tungsten nickel alloy in the back and sole allowed us to optimize launch conditions for a larger range of swing speeds from Tour player to aspiring golfer,” said Dan Stone, Vice President, Research and Development, Titleist Golf Clubs. “We were able to do this while maintaining the traditional soft yet solid ‘Titleist feel’ that players have come to expect from Titleist irons.”

The Titleist Leadership Team has worked extensively with players at the Oceanside Test Facility in California and other locations to introduce the new irons to its Tour staff in preparation for the new season.

“The feedback on the new irons from the players with whom we have worked has been extremely encouraging and effusively positive,” said Stone. We anticipate our Tour staff gravitating to the new AP2, ZB and ZM irons, while the AP1 is expected to be our most successful at retail as it appeals to the widest audience.”

Golf industry aces first shot of 2008 at 55th PGA Merchandise Show

2008-01-26T23:05:00.000-08:00

- PGA.com

ORLANDO, Fla. --- PGA Professionals, golf retailers and industry executives from 89 countries and all 50 U.S. states came to Orlando, Fla., Jan. 17-19, for the 55th PGA Merchandise Show to launch the business of golf for 2008 -- packing 10 miles of Show aisles, more than 1,250 golf vendor booths and a full schedule of special events that will shape the industry for 2008 and beyond.

Canada led the contingent of foreign countries represented, which also included the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Germany and China. U.S. attendance was led by Florida, California, New York, Illinois and Georgia. A final independent audited attendance report is being conducted and will be made available.

Product presentations by golf's top market leaders such as Callaway Golf, Ping, Srixon, adidas, Nike, Tehama, Cutter & Buck, Greg Norman Collection, Cleveland Golf, MacGregor and more combined with indoor and outdoor Demo Days, multiple fashion shows, designer panels, teaching clinics, education seminars, career workshops, industry awards, networking receptions and more. Two landmark events, the U.S. Golf Economy Forum and the Adjustable Club Symposium, sparked news and industry conversation during the three-day event.

On January 17, PGA of America CEO, Joe Steranka, PGA TOUR Commissioner, Tim Finchem; USGA Executive Director, David Fay and World Golf Foundation CEO, Steve Mona, came together to announce results of a comprehensive new golf economic study, commissioned by the World Golf Foundation's GOLF 20/20 initiative.

The new study determined that golf in the United States generated a total economic impact of $195 billion in 2005, creating approximately 2 million jobs with wage income of $61 billion. Researched and written by SRI International, the report was funded through support from the Club Managers Association of America, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Ladies Professional Golf Association, National Golf Course Owners Association, PGA of America, PGA Tour and United States Golf Association.

The Show's second day, January 18, featured the Adjustable Club Symposium, which may stand as one of the PGA Show's most significant events ever. A standing-room only audience of PGA Professionals, golf retailers, media, equipment buyers and international golf business executives gathered to hear seven of the golf industry's leading equipment experts address an unprecedented 2008 adjustable club equipment ruling that will shape the game for decades.

This group of experts, including Dick Rugge, Technical Director, United States Golf Association (USGA); John K. Solheim, Vice President of Engineering, PING Golf Equipment; Jeff Colton, Senior Vice President of Research & Development, Callaway Golf; John Hoeflich, Senior Vice President, Nickent Golf; Graeme Horwood, Vice President, Engineering, Research & Development, True Temper Sports; PGA Professional Ken Morton Sr., Owner, Haggin Oaks Golf Complex; and PGA Professional Ed Mitchell, President & CEO, Mitchell Golf, addressed the impact of the ruling, and provided insight on the topic. Based on the new change to the USGA's Rules of Golf, the governing body of golf now allows for a golf club to be adjustable, beyond traditional weight adjustment.

"All of golf came to the 55th PGA Merchandise Show, and the resulting dialogue, business and strategic planning has built a platform for the success of golf across all sections in 2008 and beyond," said Ed Several, Vice President & General Manager, PGA Golf Exhibitions. "The U.S. Golf Economy forum started the Show by giving attendees a detailed analysis on the state of the golf business, while the adjustable club symposium provided a look into the future of golf clubs and how innovation will shape the game for many years to come."

Several adds, "These two landmark events, while headlining the Show, were among a breadth of golf business programs, seminars and events that encompassed the Show and complemented the product showcases put forth by more than 1,250 exhibitors."

Adding to the excitement of the 2008 PGA Merchandise Show was the 91st PGA Annual Meeting, where PGA Professionals were introduced to the Association's new PGA logo and brand strategy. The PGA of America's updated brand strategy brings a renewed focus on its membership, employers, and the golfing public, and their dedication to preserving golf's heritage while increasing its popularity and awareness. The new logo features a contemporary design that relates directly to the consumer by being accessible and modern, while paying tribut to the legacy and "gold standard" of The PGA of America brand.

The 55th PGA Merchandise Show was highlighted by:

Pessimism aside, the PGA Show finds the game in decent health

2008-01-19T04:55:00.000-08:00

From the wallstreetjournal.com

Orlando, Fla.

It's possible, attending the PGA Merchandise Show here year after year, to come away with negative vibes about the economic health of the golf industry. As the largest annual gathering of people in the golf business (club pros, retailers and manufacturers primarily, but not consumers), the show is naturally also the largest gathering of golf hand-wringers.

"Golf rounds are flat!" is one tranche of worry usually addressed each year in a smorgasbord of symposia. Among the standard answers offered: better teaching, better clubs, better fitting, better access and faster play.

Another source of pessimism is the statistics showing that golf newcomers drop out of the game as fast as they sign up. And then there's the emotional impact in recent years of lackluster show attendance and the absence of some of the industry's highest-profile manufacturers. Titleist hasn't shown up since 2002, TaylorMade's equipment division (although not its Adidas apparel sibling) stayed home again this year and Ping, after five years of nonattendance, came this time only as part of a PGA of America initiative on custom club fitting.
[Solid Assessment: Top golf-association officials at Thursday's Golf Economy Forum. ]
Solid Assessment: Top golf-association officials at Thursday's Golf Economy Forum.

Put it all together and it's no wonder the bars are full nightly. (People don't drink at other trade shows, do they?)

But dig beneath the numbers and an alternative version emerges: golf as reasonably healthy and surprisingly stable. Golf's economic growth overall was 4.1% between 2000 and 2005. That might not be the kind of sexy industry Wall Street loves, but for everyday golfers it's not the worst state of affairs -- nor is it for most of the people who make their living from the game.

"At least golf's nothing like tennis, which went off the cliff in the 1980s," said Mark King, chief executive of TaylorMade-Adidas, one of the top two U.S. equipment makers (with Callaway). Nor is it like autos or steel. When I asked Mr. King on Thursday what his view of the golf business was, he answered, "Fantastic!" and appeared to mean it.

"Golf is growing. We have the world's most popular athlete in Tiger Woods. Interest has never been higher. And other industries are increasingly using golf to drive their own business," he said, citing real estate and tourism.

Mr. King, a scratch golfer who has been with TaylorMade-Adidas for more than 25 years, was holding court from the large, poshly outfitted Adidas booth on the exhibition-hall floor. "I love the PGA Show," he said, "but for TaylorMade [the company's golf-equipment side], it really didn't make sense to keep spending a couple of million dollars for a big booth anymore. It does for Adidas. Look around, they're writing apparel orders like crazy here. But for equipment, we took a close look and realized we were better off spending those same dollars elsewhere."
GOLF SHOW NOTEBOOK

I heard similar explanations from other equipment companies, even some that were at the show this year. Pete Samuels, director of communications at Ping, said his company figured that it got more bang for the buck bringing in customers to tour its Phoenix factory than in staffing a big booth at the show. He said Ping was happy to be back at the show this year, albeit in a limited capacity, as way of supporting the industry and of renewing contacts.

New business models are also behind the change. Retail stores and golf-course pro shops no longer buy a season's worth of inventory in one shot, as in the old days. Most of them now buy only a few clubs for display and demo purposes, custom-fit their customers and then order the actual clubs from the factory, set by set.

So why the undercurrent of pessimism about the golf industry? Joe Steranka, chief executive of the PGA of America, which sponsors the show, suggests that the industry's outlook became a bit skewed starting in the 1990s. Many well-known golf businesses were gobbled up by investor-owned companies, which focused on short-term earnings.

"You can't grow an avid golfer in a quarter," he said. "For a while there, I think some in the industry lost sight of what the game needed for its long-term good."

Around 90% of all golf facilities are individually owned, he pointed out. In other words, golf is primarily an entrepreneurial industry -- and it's not a particularly volatile one. A golf course that's been around for 100 years, he noted, has in all likelihood supported 50 or 60 jobs for 100 years. For any business, that's quite an accomplishment.

"Some of our members have been in business for 50 years or longer," Mr. Steranka said. "They've had some up and down years, but generally they've made a nice life for themselves and earned a good living." Pathetically paid young assistant pros may quarrel with that last point, but at least they get to spend a lot of time at the golf course.

On Thursday the PGA of America, in concert with a number of other major golf organizations (including the PGA Tour), announced the results of a new golf economic-impact study. Unlike previous studies, this one calculated both the direct and indirect impact of golf: what players and courses spend on clubs, balls, fees, mowers, fertilizer, golf travel and the like, but also the number of indirect dollars and jobs required to support the people who work directly in the game.

The two numbers that jump out are the total economic value of golf in the economy -- $195 billion in 2005 -- and the number of jobs that the game generates: about two million.

The possible looming recession may have only a minor effect on golf, argues Mr. King at TaylorMade. For one thing, more and more baby boomers are entering their prime golf-playing years. "The fact is that when people can't afford bigger vacations or fancier cars, they still make smaller purchases for recreation," he said. "Sometimes it means they even play more golf than they did when times were better."

Callaway Golf(R) Announces New 2008 Product Lineup

2008-01-17T00:31:00.000-08:00

Hyper X(TM) Titanium Driver, FT i-brid(TM) Irons, Tour i(TM) Golf Balls Headline New Offerings

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 29, 2007--Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) today announced its 2008 product lineup. With more than 30 new offerings from the Callaway, Odyssey and Top-Flite brands, the lineup represents the most extensive new product initiative in the Company's history.

In addition to the Callaway Golf Hyper X Driver, the FT i-brid Irons, and Tour i Golf Balls, the 2008 Callaway Golf new equipment roster also includes a new FT-i(R) Driver, three new fairway woods, re-engineered Callaway Golf FT Irons, new Big Bertha(R) Irons, X-Forged(R) Wedges, new Odyssey(R) Black Series(TM) i Putters and new Top-Flite(R) Golf Balls.

"This is the deepest, most robust new product lineup we've ever offered," said George Fellows, Callaway Golf President and CEO. "And there's not a weak spot in this roster. Each of these products is rich in technology and innovation and designed to meet the needs of today's golfers."

The 2008 new product lineup includes:

FUSION PLATFORM

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* FT-i Tour Low CG Driver - Designed with input from Callaway Golf's Tour players, the FT-i Tour Low CG Driver has discretionary weight positioned lower and in the extreme corners, producing the highest moment of inertia (MOI) of any Callaway Golf driver. ($529)
* FT-i Squareway(TM) Woods - The FT-i Driver set a new standard in driver performance in 2007 and the new FT-i Squareway Woods will do the same for fairway woods. With an MOI approaching that of Callaway Golf's best-selling drivers, the FT-i Squareway Woods utilize Fusion Technology to provide unprecedented accuracy, forgiveness and stability for longer, straighter shots off the tee or from the fairway. ($299)
* FT Fairway Woods - The stainless steel face and body combine with a tungsten-infused dual-runner sole to enable Callaway Golf engineers to strategically position discretionary weight for a higher MOI and precise positioning of the center of gravity (CG). The OptiFit(R) Weighting System allows golfers to choose a Draw or Neutral CG bias to fit their individual shot shape. (Standard model, $249; Tour model, $269)
* FT Hybrids - A stainless steel face and body is combined with a tungsten-infused sole to optimize the CG and increase the MOI for superior forgiveness. The OptiFit System enables golfers to choose Draw or Neutral weighting to fit their individual shot shape. ($199)
* FT i-brid Irons - The FT i-brid Irons are a new Fully Integrated Set Design that smoothly transitions from super game-improvement mid and short irons to the new i-brid design - clubs that blend the control and accuracy of traditional irons with the forgiveness, distance and versatility of hybrids. The lightweight titanium body, TPU SenSert(R) and heavy Tunite(R) alloy combine to create the most forgiving and playable clubs we've ever made. (Steel, $162 per club/$1,299 per 8-club set; Graphite, $187 per club/$1,499 per 8-club set)
FT Irons - An evolution of the original Fusion Irons, the new FT Irons deliver the utmost in performance and playability. Multi-material construction allows for premium performance and the Tunite(R) cradle has been optimized with the addition of Extreme Notch Weighting. Eighty percent of the clubhead's weight is positioned in the extreme perimeter for a higher MOI and enhanced stability and forgiveness. The new head shape will appeal to more mid-to low-handicap players. (Steel, $137 per club/$1,099 per 8-club set; Graphite, $162 per club/$1,299 per 8-club set)

X-SERIES PLATFORM

*
* Hyper X and Hyper X Tour Drivers - The innovative Hyper X Driver provides a new benchmark in performance with the introduction of Hyperbolic Face Technology(TM), redefining the look, feel and speed at which golf balls leave the clubface. The Tour models are designated by half-degree lofts and have square faces for enhanced workability and a more pleasing look at address. (Standard model, $299; Tour model, $329)
* NEW X Fairway Woods - Based on feedback from some of the best players in the world, Callaway Golf engineers have re-energized some of the best-selling fairways woods in the game. The most significant upgrade is the addition of the highly successful Modified X-Sole(TM) Design featured in our X Hybrids, which lowers the leading edge and provides clean turf interaction from the rough or fairway. (Steel, $179; Graphite, $199; Tour model, $219)
X-Forged Wedges - Legendary clubmaker Roger Cleveland designed these new wedges with input from Callaway Golf Tour players. The X-Forged wedges provide better players with all the elements they demand from their clubs: soft 1020 carbon steel for incredible feel, a tighter heel-toe radius for increased versatility and, on select 56- through 64-degree models, the aggressively-sized Mack Daddy(TM) Grooves, designed at the maximum depth and width for tour-level spin, trajectory and distance control. (Chrome Finish, $109; Vintage Finish, $119)

BIG BERTHA PLATFORM

*
NEW Big Bertha Irons - The new Big Bertha Irons feature the same Fully Integrated Set Design as the FT i-brid Irons as well as increased offset, a larger effective hitting area and a constant width sole in the mid and short irons. This allows for the control and accuracy of irons with the forgiveness, distance and versatility of hybrids. (Steel, $75 per club/$599 per 8-club set; Graphite, $100 per club/$799 per 8-club set)

GOLF BALLS

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* Tour i and ix Golf Balls - The new Tour i Golf Ball is the most technologically advanced tour ball ever developed - incorporating perimeter weighting to increase the ball's MOI. Innovative 4-piece inertia technology utilizes a tungsten-infused outer core to shift weight away from the center of the ball, reducing driver spin for maximum distance and straighter shots, and a softer inner core for unparalleled tour feel. The softer urethane cover generates more short-game spin for precision control and aggressive shot-making and refined HEX Aerodynamics further increase distance by reducing drag. The Tour ix shares the same technology with a slightly firmer construction for more explosive distance. ($44.99 per dozen)
* HX Hot Bite(TM) Golf Ball - This technologically advanced golf ball features a softer, high-resiliency core and ionomer boundary layer that combine for exceptional feel. The softer, thinner proprietary cover gives the ball soft feel and generates extra stopping power for phenomenal short-game control to go along with drag-reducing HEX Aerodynamics for a highly efficient and long, stable ball flight. ($29.99 per dozen)
NEW HX Pearl(R) Golf Ball - The new 3-piece HX Pearl Golf Ball is longer and softer than the original version. The softer rubber core boosts distance for golfers with moderate swing speeds and HEX Aerodynamics reduces drag for long, efficient ball flight. With a thin ionomer cover that features a pearlized finish for a rich, unique look, it's the perfect ball to complement a woman's game. ($24.99 per dozen)

WOMEN'S PRODUCTS

*
* NEW Big Bertha GEMS - A complete set designed for women new to the game or the occasional, high-handicap player looking to play better golf, the GEMS Set includes eight clubs that utilize the latest Callaway Golf game-improvement technologies. Designed with input from women golfers, instructors and expert designers, this is a technologically advanced set of clubs that features weighting that promotes a draw and higher trajectories to help keep the ball in the air for increased distance. ($599)
* NEW Big Bertha Driver - After extensive research and testing among women golfers and instructors, Callaway Golf engineers have developed its first driver designed specifically for women. The 440cc titanium head is slightly smaller than a men's clubhead to reduce the club's weight. When combined with its slightly longer shaft and core Callaway Golf technologies, the new women's Big Berta driver allows a woman to maximize her swing speed for increased ball speed and longer distance. In addition, the CG has been strategically positioned to promote a draw and help reduce fades and slices. ($299)
* NEW Big Bertha Fairway Woods - With feedback from women, Callaway engineers have designed clubs that complement a woman's unique swing characteristics and feature the latest game-improvement technologies. The smaller head sizes and slightly longer shafts combine to help increase clubhead speed for higher ball speeds and longer distance, and strategically positioned internal weighting helps promote a draw, reducing fades and slices - and raising confidence. ($199)
NEW Big Bertha Irons - Women now can play with clubs that take the guesswork out of their set configuration. These technologically advanced stainless steel clubs consist of i-brids instead of hard-to-hit long irons, and super game-improvement mid and short irons. Each club has a wide sole design that improves turf interaction and a low, deep CG that helps get the ball in the air quickly and easily. The shafts are slightly longer to better match the average woman's height and the lofts, lie angles and club weights are optimized. ($100 per club/$799 per 8-club set)

JUNIOR PRODUCTS

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X Junior Set - Fueled by the success of the X Junior Set for kids 9-12 years old, Callaway introduces X Junior Set for kids 5-8 years old (or between 41 and 50 inches tall). The X Junior sets incorporate much of the same innovative advancements Callaway Golf has incorporated into its X Series(R) clubs for adults. The clubs provide the perfect combination of performance and forgiveness so junior golfers can play confidently and aggressively. ($199)

ODYSSEY PRODUCTS

*
* Odyssey Black Series i Putters - Black Series i Putters feature the same multi-material construction as the original Black Series Putters with the addition of a new multi-layer Tour insert that provides premium feel and responsiveness. Each putter's headweight is precisely controlled and matched with the specific shaft length for impeccable consistency and control. Each model utilizes Odyssey's Fine-Tuned Loft System, which optimizes each putter's loft in conjunction with its CG to generate pure and consistent roll characteristics. ($269)
* Odyssey White Hot(R) Tour Putters - The unique weight ports in the sole allow Callaway Golf engineers to precisely control each head's weight so it can be optimized to a specific shaft length for consistency, control and performance. Each putter incorporates the new White Hot Tour insert with a firmer feel for the feedback and responsiveness accomplished players seek and a Tour-preferred bronzed finish to reduce glare. ($149)
* Odyssey White Hot XG(R) Sabertooth(TM) Putter - Featuring the most radical headshape in golf, the Sabertooth Putter utilizes high-density Dual Fangs to position more weight to the outer-most limits, helping keep the putter on-line for wicked accuracy. Aiming Channels inside the fangs make lining up putts easier and the multi-layer White Hot XG insert, our most popular and most responsive, generates our softest feel with fine-tuned responsiveness ($169)
* Odyssey Divine Line(TM) Putters - Designed specifically for women, the heavier head on each Divine Line Putter is perfectly united with a shorter shaft for outstanding performance on the greens. Each Divine Line model - 2-Ball, Marxman Mallet and Rossie(R) - utilizes the White Hot XG(R) insert for phenomenal feedback and distance control. The Divine Line features softer head shapes and a new color scheme for a more feminine look. ($169)
Odyssey Marxman(TM) X-act Putting Wedge - The Marxman X-act Putting Wedge is designed to function like an Approach Putter, providing an easy-to-hit option that plays perfectly between a putter and a wedge for those tricky scoring shots around the greens. ($119)

TOP-FLITE PRODUCTS

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* Top-Flite Gamer(TM) Golf Balls - Top-Flite takes the benefits of its proprietary Dimple in Dimple(TM) Aerodynamics and puts it on a 3-piece performance golf ball that's long, soft and generates more short-game spin for total tee-to-green control. The thin soft ionomer cover over a firm boundary layer and a highly resilient rubber core gives golfers a ball that performs like no other in the Top-Flite lineup. ($19.99 per dozen)
* Top-Flite Freak(TM) Golf Balls - The Freak is the longest Top-Flite golf ball available. Period. Its unique aerodynamic surface maintains spin longer throughout its flight, allowing the ball to hold its line and maintain lift longer. Perfect for scramble tournaments, reaching par 5s in two and out-driving your foursome. ($15.99 per dozen)
* Top-Flite XL 5000(TM) Golf Balls - Three new XL 5000 models replace one of the most successful Top-Flite balls ever, the XL 3000. The new version provides all the XL distance you expect from a Top-Flite ball with enhanced softness and feel. The XL 5000 Super Long has a firmer cover for maximum distance, the Super Soft has a thin cover and lower compression core that provide better feel with more short-game spin for total control around the greens, and the Super Straight uses a special Slickote(R) coating to help reduce hooks and slices. ($12.99 per 15-pack)
Top-Flite Rec Sets - Top-Flite is back in the golf club business with a half dozen new recreation sets designed to meet the needs of just about any golfer. Six sets - XL(R) (men's and women's), XL 5000(TM), D2(R), AHS(TM) (Advanced Hybrid System; men's and women's) and IHS(TM) (Iron/Hybrid Set) - offer no compromise on quality or performance at affordable prices. (XL Men's, $199; XL Women's, $249; IHS, $249; XL 5000, $299; D2, $399; AHS, $449)

All prices are Retail Introductory Price. New products will become available at all authorized Callaway Golf retailers and at www.Shop.Callawaygolf.com beginning this month and through the first quarter of 2008.

About Callaway Golf

Through an unwavering commitment to innovation, Callaway Golf Company creates products and services designed to make every golfer a better golfer. Callaway Golf Company, which celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2007, manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf accessories, under the Callaway Golf(R), Odyssey(R), Top-Flite(R), and Ben Hogan(R) brands in more than 110 countries worldwide. For more information please visit www.callawaygolf.com.

Titleist Blazes Worldwide Leaderboards in 2007

2008-01-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

Titleist Blazes Worldwide Leaderboards in 2007

From titleist.com

Titleist Golf Ball Momentum Reaches New Heights

Fairhaven, MA (December 11, 2007) – A prolific record of accomplishment that began 59 years ago on the U.S. PGA TOUR, the longest running success story in golf continued around the world for Titleist golf balls in 2007. With 169 victories compared to 28 for the nearest competitor, Titleist was once again, the overwhelming choice of more players and more champions across the worldwide major professional tours than all other golf balls combined.

WORLDWIDE GOLF BALL LEADERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
• Titleist golf balls were the choice of more than eight times as many players as the nearest competitor: Titleist: 20,742. Nearest competitor: 2,521;

Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls were played to win more than six times as many events across the worldwide tours than the nearest competitor: Titleist: 169. Nearest competitor 28;

Titleist golf ball players combined to earn more than five times more money than the nearest competitor: Titleist: $342,203,366. Nearest competitor: $58,254,727.

• On the 2007 PGA TOUR, Titleist golf ball player’s accumulated 23 victories, as many as all other golf balls combined. With 4,349 players, nearly 3 out of every 4 teed up Titleist, that’s more than nine times the nearest competitor with 477.

• More than half of the top 50 money winners on the 2007 PGA TOUR relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success, including Masters champion Zach Johnson (Pro V1x), U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera (Pro V1x) and British Open champion Padraig Harrington (Pro V1x).

• Nine players trusted Titleist golf balls en route to their first career PGA TOUR victories in 2007, including Charley Hoffman (Bob Hope Chrysler Classic), Mark Wilson (Honda Classic), Boo Weekley (Verizon Heritage), Nick Watney (Zurich Classic of New Orleans), Hunter Mahan (Travelers Championship), Brian Bateman (Buick Open), Joe Ogilvie (U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee), George McNeill (Frys.com Open) and Daniel Chopra (Ginn sur Mer Classic).

• Titleist was the #1 ball at the Presidents Cup with 12 players, including six from the victorious United States team and six on the International squad. Among the Titleist golf ball loyalists on the U.S. Team were Woody Austin, Zach Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker, David Toms and Scott Verplank. Titleist players on the International team were Angel Cabrera, Geoff Ogilvy, Nick O'Hern, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir.

• Titleist players registered five times more victories on the 2007 PGA European Tour (Titleist 30, Nearest Competitor 6) and more than five times as many wins on the Champions Tour (Titleist 21, Nearest Competitor 4) than the nearest competitor. Titleist players also had more wins than all other golf balls combined on the LPGA (16) and Nationwide (19), and accumulated another 60 wins across the Asian, Australasian, Canadian, Japan and South African circuits.

• Loren Roberts captured the Charles Schwab Cup as the Champions Tour's leading money winner at the final event following a year-long battle with fellow Titleist player Jay Haas.

• On the LPGA Tour, Pro V1 player Cristie Kerr secured her 10th career victory and first major championship at the United States Women’s Open. The winner of the McDonald’s LPGA Championship also relied upon the Pro V1.

• Of the 25 players who graduated from the 2007 Nationwide Tour and earned their PGA TOUR cards for 2008 based on final earnings, 18 relied upon Titleist golf balls. Similarly, of the 26 players who earned their cards via the 2008 PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, 21 relied on Titleist golf balls including medalist Frank Lickliter who led wire-to-wire in the six round event.

Nothing inspires more confidence than a proven record of results. That's why more of the best trust Titleist, once again the worldwide leader in players, wins and money. For a comprehensive list of every Titleist golf ball winner from every major professional tour worldwide in 2007, please visit our Golf Ball Leaderboard at: http://www.titleist.com/news/newsdetail.asp?id=480&category=Titleist_on_tour

TaylorMade CGB Max Irons

2007-12-20T02:12:00.000-08:00

Golfshopthailand.com is carrying these new irons from Taylormade golf:

TaylorMade Golf Company has unveiled a new iron, the r7 CGB MAX, the name of which tells a lot about the performance of the product

The letters "CGB" stand for "centre-of-gravity back," a reference to the iron?s exceptionally low and deep CG position that contributes to the kind of optimum launch conditions that promote added distance and control. "MAX" alludes to maximum COR, maximum COR zone, maximum clubhead speed, maximum ball speed and maximum forgiveness. The point being that the r7 CGB MAX is engineered to launch high, long, accurate shots with extraordinary ease. It is the most technologically advanced iron TaylorMade has ever created, and represents the pinnacle in terms of a game-improvement iron design.

The r7 CGB MAX?s distance-producing capabilities begin with the clubface, which is created separately from the clubhead thanks to TaylorMade?s Pull-Face method of construction. The clubface, which consists of 455 stainless steel, is exceptionally thin yet exceptionally strong, and boasts a large, unsupported area that helps to generate an uncommonly high COR for an iron, helping to promote faster ball speed and increased distance.

Pull-Face construction makes it possible for the r7 CGB MAX to employ TaylorMade?s exclusive Inverted Cone Technology, which was pioneered three years ago in TaylorMade?s R500 Series drivers and is still employed in TaylorMade?s r7 and r5 driver models, including the No. 1 driver on the PGA Tour, the r7 quad. With the r7 CGB MAX, the inverted cone is milled directly into the rear side of the clubface. The precise geometry of the inverted cone changes the way the clubface behaves at impact and effectively increases the size of the club?s COR zone, so that a larger area of the clubface delivers a higher degree of ball speed. TaylorMade engineers have been working to find a way to incorporate ICT into irons for three years, and the fact that they have succeeded represents a breakthrough that allows the r7 CGB MAX to deliver consistently long distance even on off-centre hits.

Pull-Face construction also allows TaylorMade engineers to mill the front of the clubface as well as the back, so that the grooves can be created to exacting specifications and the clubface can be milled perfectly flat. The clubface and clubhead are joined by way of plasma welding, which offers a superior level of consistency and control for an extremely precise and strong bond

The r7 CGB MAX also features a hollow top-line, which allowed TaylorMade engineers to save 17 critical grams of weight. That weight is relocated to the lower-rear portion of the clubhead, at the toe and heel, in the form of four permanently installed tungsten cartridges. That, combined with the MAX?s wide sole, moves the CG location to an uncommonly low, deep-back position, making it almost effortless to launch the ball high, strong, long and deep.

The r7 CGB MAX's tungsten cartridges add to its high MOI, but that?s only part of this iron?s forgiveness story. The MAX features the largest clubhead of any steel iron TaylorMade has ever created, and because of that boasts an inherently high MOI as well as the largest steel clubface area of any TaylorMade iron, resulting in an extremely large hitting area and an extremely high level of stability on mis-hits, equaling long, straight results on off-centre hits.

The r7 CGB MAX's distance-producing capabilities extend to the shafts it is available in, either ultra-light graphite or the new TMTK AM T-Step ultra-light steel. Both, thanks to their light weight, encourage faster swing speed for increased yardage.

"For those who wonder why we call this iron r7 when it doesn't incorporate Movable Weight Technology, the way our r7 drivers do, the answer is simple," says Benoit Vincent, chief technical officer. "The concept of 'r7' has never been expressly about movable weight, but more about the precise management of launch conditions and the players' freedom to choose the launch conditions that work best with their swing. When TaylorMade engineers created the groundbreaking r7 quad driver, they developed the ability to properly and precisely change a club's playing characteristics to deliver a specific set of launch conditions ? launch conditions that make it easier to launch a ball on a high, powerful flight. They applied that knowledge to two new TaylorMade irons ? the r7 XD and r7 CGB MAX. Each delivers launch conditions like no iron TaylorMade has ever created, which makes them longer, and easier to launch than any iron in TaylorMade's history."

Myths About Golf Equipment and Performance

2007-12-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

Myths About Golf Equipment And Performance

Can you separate fact from fiction when it comes to golf equipment performance?

By Dick Rugge
Senior Technical Director, United States Golf Association

To show how perceptions can be misleading, the following is a list of items prepared by Dick Rugge, senior technical director at the USGA, that separate golf equipment fact from fiction.

The United States Golf Association acts to regulate equipment so that skill remains the most important tenant of the sport. The USGA is often asked to address the needs of a game that appears to be changing. Facts and opinion need to be considered when the USGA makes important decisions about golf equipment.

1. Golfers with faster swing speeds get disproportionately greater distance benefits from new golf balls that have been introduced after 2000.

False. Physics, scientific tests, and actual results on the PGA Tour all confirm that faster swinging players have not gained a disproportionate amount of distance from modern golf balls. An example: Corey Pavin, the shortest hitter in 2000, gained about the same amount of distance from 2000 to 2005 (7.4 yards) as the longest (John Daly at 8.7 yards).

2. Golf ball distance is not currently limited.

False. Golf ball distance has been regulated since 1976 and golf ball rebound characteristics have been regulated since the 1940s. In 2004, the USGA updated its testing methodology to more closely reflect the athleticism and clubs of today's Tour pros. All golf balls played on Tour and the vast majority of golf balls sold have passed the USGA’s distance limit test.

3. Driving distance on Tour is increasing rapidly

False. While average PGA Tour driving distance significantly increased over the past 10 years, it has leveled off during the past three. The average increase since the level of 2003 to the current level in 2006 is only about 1 yard per year.

4. The longest hitters on the PGA Tour finish higher on the money list.

False. While some long-driving professionals have been very successful, on average, the top 10 driving distance players have actually been falling down on the money list in recent years. From 1980-85 the average rank was 64.2; in 2000-2005 it was 77.1. The second worst single year average rank on the money list of the longest 10 drivers was in 2004 with an average rank of 103.3.

5. Most of the PGA Tour professionals swing at 120 mph or more.

False. The average swing speed on the PGA Tour is approximately 113 mph. There are some who swing at or higher than 120 mph, but they are clearly in the minority.

6. The USGA ball test doesn't control ball distance well enough because actual pro golfer swings are different than the test method.

False. The test method employed by the USGA, using a 120 mph swing speed, is representative of the swing conditions used by the longer PGA Tour professionals. The USGA tests balls like the PGA Tour pros hit balls.

7. The average distance for 5-irons on Tour is more than 200 yards.

False. The PGA Tour Shotlink system, which records virtually all shots throughout the season, shows that the average 5-iron shot from fairway to green is approximately 185 yards. From the tee on par threes, the average 5-iron distance is about 197 yards.

8. You get more distance when you put topspin on a drive.

False. Every normally struck drive has backspin. Backspin generates lift and keeps the ball in the air. You can put topspin on a ball – but only when you 'top' the ball. It will go a very short distance and dive into the ground.

9. Accuracy off the tee isn’t as important as it used to be on the PGA Tour.

That’s no myth, it’s true. During the '80s driving accuracy was almost as strong a predictor of money-winning as putting. Today it has fallen to the lowest level ever.

TaylorMade Press Release

2007-09-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

CARLSBAD, Calif. (August 21, 2007) – TaylorMade Golf is introducing a new addition to its phenomenally popular Burner® line of golf equipment, the Burner Draw driver, which incorporates two of the most effective performance technologies that the company has ever developed – SuperFast Technology and Draw-Weighted Technology. The result is a driver that delivers more clubhead speed, more ball speed and more draw-promoting capabilities than any driver TaylorMade has ever created.

SuperFast Technology unites an extremely light 50-gram RE*AX® graphite shaft made by Fujikura® with a grip weighing approximately eight grams less than the average grip. Additionally, the shaft is one inch longer than average, making Burner Draw 46" long. Together these elements promote faster clubhead speed for faster ball speed and longer distance. SuperFast Technology makes the Burner Draw weigh approximately 20 grams lighter than the average driver.

Draw-Weighted Technology concentrates additional weight in the heel portion of the clubhead, which makes it easier to rotate the clubface back to a square position at impact. Making the face easier to square encourages the counter-clockwise spin (for right-handed players) necessary to produce a draw. Compared to a fade, a draw flies slightly lower and rolls farther after landing, resulting in greater distance.

"The Burner Draw features more draw-producing capabilities than any driver we've ever created, making it exceptionally easy to turn the ball over," said Tom Olsavsky, TaylorMade senior director of product creation. "It's going to give a lot of golfers a serious boost in distance, and will keep a lot of golfers out of trouble on the right. That's right: For players who fight a slice and want more distance, the Burner Draw is the perfect driver."

Besides promoting longer and straighter drives, the Burner Draw is extremely easy to hit. Its deep-faced, 460 cc titanium head sets up powerfully behind the ball, and includes the same attractive crown lines originated in the Burner and Burner TP drivers. However, the Burner Draw measures longer from the clubface to the clubhead's rear than the standard Burner, allowing for an extremely low and deep CG location to help get the ball in the air on a high flight. Additionally, Draw-Weighted Technology pulls the CG toward the heel, which makes it physically easier to rotate the face back to square. Take a look at the clubhead and you'll see a pronounced bulge at the back, near the heel – that's where the added weight is positioned.

"One of the beauties of the Burner Draw," said Olsavsky, "is that it will help a lot of golfers hit a draw without making a single swing change."

Like all TaylorMade drivers, Burner Draw incorporates TaylorMade's famous Inverted Cone clubface technology, which dramatically increases the area on the clubface that delivers high ball speed. Combine that with the clubhead's high MOI, which also helps maintain ball speed on mis-hits, and you get an effective MOI that exceeds 5800 (the USGA's limit on MOI is 5900).

TaylorMade defines effective MOI ("eMOI") as the positive influence on ball speed on off-center hits that's exerted by the combined effects of a driver's MOI and clubface technology (versus constant-thickness clubfaces). eMOI in TaylorMade drivers is dramatically higher, and more valuable in terms of its affect on ball speed, than MOI alone, owing to the benefits of TaylorMade's patented Inverted Cone Technology. From a performance aspect, that makes the Burner Draw driver an astonishingly forgiving club that's incredibly easy to hit high, long and straight.

The Burner Draw driver is available in lofts of 9.5 and 10.5 degrees. Availability at TaylorMade's retail partners begins on September 15, 2007 at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $360.

Steve Stricker Rallies to Win at The Barclays.

2007-09-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

Titleist Press Release

Moves to top of FedEx Cup standings with Come-from-Behind Win.

Fairhaven, MA (August 27, 2007) - Demonstrating confidence in himself and his equipment, Titleist ambassador Steve Stricker birdied four of the final five holes to earn an emotional victory at The Barclays. It marked the fourth career PGA Tour title for Stricker, who turned a one-shot deficit into a dramatic two-stroke win, vaulting him to the top of the FedEx Cup Standings with three events remaining. Stricker closed with 2-under 69 to finish at 16-under 268. He was T4 in greens in regulation and T8 in driving accuracy trusting his Titleist equipment.

Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at The Barclays with 99 (72%) players relying upon the Pro V1 or Pro V1x, more than nine times the nearest competitor with 10. Titleist was also the most played wedge (119) and putter (50). The win was the 20th for Titleist players on the 2007 PGA Tour, more than all other golf balls combined.

Titleist Press Release

2007-09-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Fairhaven, MA (August 23, 2007) - Dedicated to providing golfers with high performance equipment that sets the standard for ball flight, shot control, feel and playability, Titleist introduces the new 906F4 fairway metals. Designed with a lower, deeper center of gravity and more loft, the 906F4 family delivers a higher launch and downrange trajectory from the tee or turf, as well as increased spin. Among those already making the switch to the 906F4 is Titleist ambassador and World No. 5, Adam Scott.

"The new 906F4 is the most playable Titleist fairway metal yet," said Steve Pelisek, Vice President, Sales Marketing, Titleist. "These fairway metals have been tested and validated by players at the game’s highest level across the worldwide professional tours, by club professionals, and skilled amateurs."

The 906F4 is available in lofts of 13.5, 15.5 and 18.5 degrees in both right and left-hand. The pear-shaped profile of the 906F4 features a square set up with a longer, shallower face that promotes a higher, straight ball flight for confidence and forgiveness. A multi-material construction with a separate face insert allows for maximum ball speed over a larger face area. An innovative Multi-Relief Sole design provides greater ground clearance at the trailing edge of the sole to minimize turf resistance and allows for crisp, solid contact from a variety of turf conditions. The deep face pear 906F2 fairway will continue to be available through Titleist Custom.

"Based on the feedback we received during our comprehensive player testing process, the 906F4 delivers excellent launch conditions and trajectory for a greater number of skilled players," said Pelisek.

Features and benefits of the 906F4 Fairway Metals include:
- Lower, deeper CG and ½ degree more loft for higher launch and flight from the tee or turf.
- Longer, shallower face for greater confidence, forgiveness and playability.
- Multi-relief sole™ allows for crisp, solid contact and minimizes turf resistance.
- Shallow, pear-shaped profile with square set-up offers classic looks with straighter ball flight.
- Bore-thru design positions the shaft tip closer to the ball for greater stability at impact.
- Multi-material construction: A softer 431 stainless steel body provides a sweet, solid feel while a 275 Carpenter steel face insert creates maximum ball speed over a larger face area.

The standard shafts for the 906F4 are the new Aldila VS Proto 80 Fairway (83g) and the Graphite Design YS-6+ (69g). The VS Proto Fairway 80 shaft is designed with performance characteristics to provide a medium to higher launch consistent with the VS Proto 65 driver shaft. The stock grip is the Titleist Tour Velvet Rubber Round. A comprehensive matrix of additional shaft and grip choices is available through Titleist Custom.

The Titleist 906F4 fairway metals will be available in golf shops beginning September 1, 2007, with a MSRP of $225 (MAP of $199) for graphite and $200 for steel (MAP of $179).

To obtain additional information, please contact Joe Gomes, Director of Communications (508.979.3211).

Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra comprise the major golf brands of the Acushnet Company, an operating company of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE - FO).

Phils Tiger Wood Turns Flacid

2007-09-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

Associated Press

NORTON, Mass. -- As soon as Phil Mickelson shrugged off Tiger Woods and the rest of the field at the Deutsche Bank Championship, he decided to take on golf's powers-that-be.

Complaining that the PGA TOUR Playoffs are too much of a commitment for players already tired from a long season, Mickelson threatened to skip next week's BMW Championship.

"My frustration from this past year came from asking for a couple of things in the FedExCup that weren't done, and not feeling all that bad now if I happen to miss," he said Monday. "So I'm not really sure how it's going to play out."

Mickelson would not elaborate on his complaints, but he did say that with his kids starting school on Wednesday he was torn between spending time with his family and fighting for points in Chicago. He has brought up his issues with PGA TOUR commissioner Tim Finchem, to no avail.

"It's just that I'm conflicted," Mickelson said, noting that it wasn't just the playoffs but a hectic season overall. "I certainly feel the obligation to support the FedExCup, to support the PGA TOUR, and support the game of golf. And I also want to have a balance in my life, and my family has sacrificed a lot this year because it's been a very difficult schedule."

Mickelson shot 5-under-par 66 on Monday in the final round of the Deutsche Bank to finish two strokes ahead of Woods, Brett Wetterich and Arron Oberholser. The victory was worth $1.26 million and 9,000 points in the playoffs, moving him to the top of the standings.

Wetterich shot 70, making a birdie on the final hole to earn enough points to move up 29 spots in the standings to No. 22 and giving him an excellent shot at making the TOUR Championship.

Oberholser was within one shot of Mickelson most of the back nine, but he needed an eagle on the final hole to force a playoff. Instead, he missed a 10-foot birdie putt when the tournament was sealed and improved to No. 29 in the standings; had he made the birdie putt, he would have gone to No. 20 and clinched a spot at East Lake for the Tour Championship.

John Mallinger and Bo Van Pelt moved into the top 70 to advance to the third round next week in Chicago.

Even if Mickelson does skip the next event, he long ago locked up a spot in the TOUR Championship.

But that would make it three consecutive weeks that a top 5 player in the world rankings has sat out one of the playoff events. Tiger Woods sat out Week 1, and Ernie Els sat out the Deutsche Bank to be with his kids as they started school.

Even missing Els, the TPC was not lacking in star power.

After playing in a threesome with Vijay Singh for the first two rounds, Mickelson and Woods paired up again in Monday's final round. Thousands of fans stood six-deep behind the greens and watched Mickelson move to a five-stroke lead before Woods made a move.

"For 10 years I've struggled against Tiger," Mickelson said. "The way I was able to answer with a couple birdies when Tiger was making his charge -- it felt pretty good. As we all know, he finishes better than anybody else. He certainly tried to do that today. I was able to hold him off."

It was Mickelson's first victory since THE PLAYERS Championship in May. Then he injured his left wrist that cost him his summer, and only recently has Mickelson been able to swing without flinching.

But Woods was the one who was struggling this week.
He missed 11 putts from inside 10 feet over the weekend -- four of them from inside 7 feet. He three-putted three times. In the final round, he made just one putt from outside of 13 feet.

"It's very frustrating," Woods said. "That many three-putts, and I'm still right there, which means I'm hitting the ball well. I just need to clean up my greens for next week."

Woods missed makable putts on three straight holes, including a 15-footer on No. 12 after Mickelson hit his second shot into a hazard and wound up with a double bogey.

"He made a mistake there," Woods said. "I felt that I should have -- if I could have made that putt, I could have gotten a big chunk back."

Trailing by two strokes, Wood hit his tee shot on the 161-yard, par-3 16th to the back of the green and rolled it just 10 feet from the pin. But then Mickelson went straight at the flag, and left just 6 feet for birdie.

Woods sank his putt to get within one stroke -- but just for a matter of seconds. Mickelson also made birdie to move to 15 under and restore the two-stroke lead.

"To be able to stand up on 16 after he knocked it close and follow it with a birdie of my own, knock it inside of him and finish with a couple birdies of my own, it feels terrific," said Mickelson, who improved to 3-2-1 against Woods in heads-up, final-round play.

"Now the next step is to try to hopefully go head-to-head in a major. We don't get paired very often in majors, and hopefully next year we'll have a chance to do that."

Woods gave himself a chance for an eagle on No. 18 from 33 feet. But Mickelson ended it when, after going over the green with his second shot, he chipped from out of a downhill lie to within 5 feet -- an easy birdie.

For Lefty, it was the cap to a fun week in New England -- his first trip to the Boston area since he celebrated a stunning U.S. victory in the Ryder Cup at Brookline.

This time, Mickelson spent some time in Kennebunkport, Maine, for some golf and fishing with former President Bush. After Saturday's round, Mickelson headed over to Fenway Park and saw Red Sox rookie Clay Buchholz throw a no-hitter.

"It made for a very special, memorable week," Mickelson said. "I'm just so excited with the way it finished."

Discount Golf Thailand

2007-09-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

We're having a huge golf club blowout sale very soon so visit our website to find out about the best deals on golf clubs in Bangkok.

Logo Golf Balls Bangkok

2007-09-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

We have a large selection of logo golf balls at amazing prices so if you need logo golf balls in Bangkok then let us know. We supply many of Bangkoks largest companies with logo golf balls and will give you the best prices out there!

Shafts are now available at low price

2007-06-24T23:34:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a golf shafts at low price come see our selection. We have Fujikura Speeder, Rombax, Tour AD, Graphite design, Aldila Proto. Get a better shaft for better performance.

Titleist 907 D1 available at a special price

2007-05-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

We are the only golf shop in Bangkok Thailand to provide the new Titleist 907 D1 or Titleist 907 D2 at a lowest price. We also imported Japanese golf's club like the new Iron VIQ 2007 at a discount price you cannot find in Bangkok golf shop. For more deatil, please visit www.golfshopthiland.com or email us at sales@golfshopthailand.com

Pro V1 Golf Balls

2007-05-16T01:03:00.000-07:00

Buy Pro V1 golf balls at our online Bangkok golf shop. All golf balls at amazing discount prices. For all our prices and golf ball brands, or to buy any golf clubs in Bangkok email sales@golfshopthailand.com

Buy Golf Equipment Thailand

2007-05-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

If you're looking to buy golf clubs in Bangkok Thailand, visit www.golfshopthailand.com. We sell cheap, genuine golf equipment through our online golf shop in bangkok and provide logo golf balls to many companies in Thailand.

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