April 08, 2008
Golf Practice-zine Newsletter for April 2008
Thanks for signing up to receive the April 2008 issue! The year's first major is upon us!
We've got some cool sites and interesting golf news this month. Here's the line-up:
- Adjustable Shafts
- New Three-Wheel Cart
- Bobby Jones first Master's
- Solar Powered Golf Carts
- Golf Tours Drug Testing
- OneAsia Tour Discussions
- TaylorMade Kingdom
Adjustability
The USGA ruled that driver heads could have a maximum head size of 460cc a few years ago, and golfers learned more physics when the COR (coefficient of restitution) on driver faces could not exceed .830. Well, now here come adjustable clubs.
As of January 1, 2008 the USGA has permitted manufacturers to modify clubs so that shafts can be changed in a club.
Shafts are modified with an end-attachment mechanism that essentially permits them to be 'screwed-in' to driver heads. The driver head, is also adapted to receive the modified shaft so the change-out can occur quickly, eassily and most of all securely between head and shaft. All without changing the 'feel' of the club.
Taylor-Made started messing around with weighted screws in the head which you could move around with a wrench to effect a draw or fade bias in the ball flight. But this is different. Now you can swap a head off your shaft or put a new shaft in the driver. Good grief, how many options do you want?
And that is the point. What is a customer to think? The big question is will this confuse customers and how will the market channels receive these new products, because it complicates the way stores sell and potentially how buyers buy their equipment.
Adjustability Issues:
- each vendor has their own, proprietary mechanism. Shafts and clubheads are interchangeable to a point -- within the one or two lines a club manufacturer permits
- what if you drop a screw in the grass? Spare parts better be available locally
- where does this leave the custom clubmaker? Could be out in the cold, seeking other lines of components
- customers are confused now, what will a couple thousand more shaft/clubhead combinations do to their clubfitting muddle? The may become confused to the point of indecision.
- pro shops are also in a wait and see mode. They are already equipped with Ping, TaylorMade, Titleist, etc. custom fitting systems, the new adjustable systems require a completely new approach and fitting kit. What lines do they carry? This poses new training and equipping costs.
- give these manufacturers credit. Interchangeability is a very bold concept. This is a very big gamble that these companies made and a very cool example of how smart people can innovate to the benefit of golfing consumers
I can hardly wait to try these clubs. For Canadians, we should see this equipment in April and May of 2008.
For PGA playing pros, I really don't see that this new technology will have any affect at all. Since a new shaft or driver is just 50 yards away from the practice range at any pro tournament a new driver, or club of any kind is just minutes away. No big deal for them.
Current Vendor Entries
So, the club manufacturers are opening cautiously with one or two clubs in their lines. Testing the market and marketability of their innovations.
A list of pioneering vendors includes:
Callaway has been my personal club manufacturer for a few years now. I own two of their drivers. There, I put my biases upfront, in the open.
In reviewing material for this newsletter, Callaway has an excellent video of their i-Mix technology. It really is very well done and gives an excellent overview of what the adjustment process involves from a player's perspective.
At the USA website there is an interactive slide show that explains their version of interchanging heads and shafts. Select the menu "Changing The Game" and you will see a wonderful video of how it works. The video lasts about 6 minutes.
The system is very well thought out. The click sound is important, along with the indicator on the wrench that the shaft is solidly connected with the head. You don't want heads flying off -- liability issues would give manufacturers nightmares. Notice that a full minute of the video deals with safety warnings.
By the way, the video is filmed at the practice range at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Lodge.
Callaway's approach is to bring the level and flexibility of choice the pros have with their Tour Vans to every player. With i-MIX a golfer can quickly and easily customize their driver by selecting a clubhead and shaft to meet the challenge of the day or the course.
Choices are available for two driver models, the FT-i and FT-5 series. This means 22 FT-i or FT-5 clubheads with I-MIX connector technology and more than 70 of the most popular shafts on the market. A total of more than 1600 i-MIX combinations is possible. Demo days will never be the same!
Driver head prices: price of FT-i head $399.99; price of FT-5 head $349.99
The shaft tip connector is made with aerospace-grade aluminum and titanium, so the connection is light and strong. This is important since the connector would otherwise introduce added club weight that might affect the feel and playability of the club. Callaway appears to have done an outstanding job to provide high grade materials, strength, durability, good looks and a simple-to-use package for the consumer.
From the selection of 70 shafts, a sample is listed below. Shafts are priced from $149.99 to $349.99
List Showing A Sample of i-MIX Shafts
- Aldila NVS
- Aldila Prototype
- Graphite Design YS-6
- Mitsubishi Bassara
- Mitsubishi DiamanaC
- Fujikura E-360
- Fujikura E-370
- Fujikura Speeder
- Grafalloy ProLaunch
- UST Accra
- UST ProForce
- And many others
One other aspect of Callaway's implementation that I find attractive is: fewer moving parts. No screws to insert through the head and back up into the shaft. Less chance of losing a part while you're fooling around on the range. Drop some of the screws in the grass from some of these vendors and it will be like looking for a contact lens on a gym floor.
TaylorMade you could say, was one of the first companies to start making club adjustments easily available to golfers. Their r7 clubs with movable weight screws in the head allowed golfers to "screw around" with the feel and bias the ball flight to draw or fade.
Now TM is moving into interchangeable shafts. The CGB MAX LIMITED line represents this marketing foray by the company. They call the package a "Tour Van in a box".
The CGB MAX LIMITED includes:
- Magnetic enclosure head cover
- Multi-technology clubhead
- 3 Changeable tour-proven shafts
- 3 Movable weights
- wrench case with 6 additional weights
- torque wrench
- Driver head (right hand only) 415 cc in 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 degree lofts
Shafts:
- Matrix Xcon-5 (light 54 - 60g)
- Diamana White 65 (med 64-67g)
- FujiRombax (heavy 73-75g)
Price $999
TaylorMade's brand name for all this is 'SelectFit Technology'. The three three interchangeable shafts will each deliver a distinctly different type of performance due to their weight, flex points and stiffness levels.
Now, given that TM's driver head comes with three weight ports, you have the potential for changes in trajectory from right-to-left or left-to-right for optimized shot shape and distance.
Since the package Includes six additional movable weight screws (that's a total of nine screws); throw in three interchangeable shafts, and statistically you have a potential for 1,071 possible launch conditions. Your on course strategy might slow the pace of play just figuring your options. Tour van in a box is right.
SMT Golf is a component company based in Oswego, Illinois. SMT is the first component company to embrace and offer interchangeable head and shaft technology throughout their product line.
This move makes interchangeable components available to virtually all golfers, clubmakers, clubfitters, teaching professionals, retailers...anybody who likes to tinker with their equipment. To SMT owner and clubhead designer Mike Tait, "...this (IST) is the biggest news since surlyn covered golf balls”.
SMT Golf is offering 5 different custom packages from their line of heads and shafts. You choose the heads and shafts for each package to suit your own tastes and preferences. Every head and shaft come fully outfitted with the connector system in place, cut to your desired playing length and gripped with your choice of grip size.
- ONE driver head and TWO graphite shafts - $285.00
- TWO driver heads and ONE graphite shaft - $329.00
- ONE driver head and THREE graphite shafts - $349.00
- TWO driver heads and TWO graphite shafts - $395.00
- TWO driver heads and THREE graphite shafts - $479.00
SMT Golf is also distributing the connector systems separately in the following sizes:
Bore diameters .335, .350 and .370 for heads and shafts.
Other pricing is listed at:
- Head connector pieces are $11.70
- Shaft connector pieces are $10.30
- Wrenches are $16.95 each
Nickent enters the adjustable shaft market with their 4DX Evolver line of drivers. Nickent says it's like "owning your very own tour van!"
Nickent will be one of the first manufacturers to offer their patent pending Interchangeable Shaft Technology at retail. Effective January 1, 2008 USGA Rules on Equipment will allow adjustable clubs in tournament play. This represents one of the most dramatic changes in equipment since steel shafts were allowed in the 1930's.
With the 4DX Evolver Nickent has allied itself with shaft manufacturer UST. The 4DX Evolver series features a special shaft system from UST that offers two different ball flights, produced by the UST V2 and V2 High Launch graphite shaft. These two shafts come standard in the 4DX Evolver packaging that also includes a torque wrench. The consumer will also be able to choose from a variety of popular shafts, although there is no word yet on shaft pricing.
The Nickent' marketing scenario is that the IST system lets you switch from the high-launch shaft to manage the the wind better with a low launch version. The switch will take only minutes and gives you control over your launch conditions. They promise that in the coming months, .."Hundreds of shafts will be available for you to be custom fit or to custom fit yourself." Maybe lots of choice is a good thing, maybe not. We'll see. It should be fun to try.
The Process of Changing Shafts
With Interchangeable Shaft Technology from Nickent Golf, changing your shaft is a simple process taking less than a minute, after some practice:
- Insert wrench into the sole and turn counter-clockwise to loosen the screw and remove your existing shaft.
- Align the mark on your new shaft with the mark on the hosel and insert the new shaft into the clubhead.
- Insert the screw into the sole and turn clockwise with the wrench to secure the new shaft in place.
This same technology has been transferred to the 4DX Evolver Driver, with only minor modifications to accommodate the interchangeable hosel. The 4DX Evolver is 6 cc's smaller than the 4DX driver in order to house the weight provided by the IST Technology.
How Interchangeable Shaft Technology (IST) Will Be Sold
"4DX Evolver Drivers, Fairways and Hybrids will be packaged in highly visible boxes," said Jon Claffey, Director of Product Marketing for Nickent. "The driver will come with two shafts in the box, one for a high launch and one for a flatter launch. Off to the side of the POP, which features a large picture of our Tour Van, will be an array of shafts in plastic tubes. Each of these shafts will feature the unique Nickent IST hosel fitting that can be inserted into the 4DX Evolver head. There will be a fitting cart/bag with all of the lofts and shafts options next to the display or at the hitting area of the shop, so the consumer could play around with all of the different combinations."
The IST Evolver will be sold through Authorized Evolver Retail locations. The new clubs will be available in two packages:
Boxed package one- Priced at $479 includes:
- 1 4DX Evolver Driver head
- one UST V2 and one UST V2 High Launch shaft
- fitting wrench
Boxed package two - Priced at $399 includes:
This package will be shipped with any of the available shafts on the price list. The fitting wrench will be given away free with each driver head for early orders of package two.
For pro shops and fitting centres, there will be a Mobile Fitting Unit that includes everything in the boxed package, in a Nickent Tour Bag but holds a series of clubheads and shafts for fitting purposes.
The 4DX Evolver will start shipping units in early April. The plan is to have a shaft selector website ready that will allow the customers to order any in line shaft on the market through their closest retailer."
Nickent intends to give all levels of golfers the ability to adjust their clubs to suit their individual needs. Change is the name of their game. Change your trajectory, change your shaft, change your clubhead and change your mind. Clubs will be available in lofts of 8, 9, 10.5 and 12 degrees.
Alpha Golf's C830.4 Plasma Driver has the distinction of being the only interchangeable shaft driver on on the Champions Tour (currently being played by Jack Ferenz). It's probably the only interchangeable shafted driver on any tour.
Alpha is a small and little-known company, but is well-known on tour for its reputation in long drive contests and quality of feel. They are a division of Kent Sports Inc and and were founded by Dr. Jim Yeh. Alpha has been making golf equipment since 2000.
Presently there are two dealers in Canada; one in Kelowna, B.C. (Golf Foundry) and one in St.Catherines, Ont. (Premier Golf Supply).
Here in Ottawa, the first sign of golf season is typically the local Golf and Travel Show (March 29-30 at the Ottawa Athletic Club).
Best of show award (in my opinion) was the Clickgear Cart -- a three wheeled push cart that is a really cool design.
I'm not even a cart user, though I prefer walking when I play. The Clickgear is very appealing. When I get to the point that I can't walk and carry my own clubs, this will be what I look for.
Better still, it's Canadian. It won the "Best New Product" award at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando for 2007. Kevin Kimberley, a graduate of BC Institute of Technology in Burnaby (BCIT) is the inventor-entrepreneur-engineer who delivered on an idea originating with a golfing trip in 2004.
The design work took two years and resulted in the picture you see below.
He and his buddies had to abandon their push carts because they were to big to fit in their van. Kevin's mind sprung into action; he developed a business plan while at BCIT. The planned turned into DesignUp Inc. The product began with the motivation to build a cart that would fold up into something more compact and portable.
By late 2007, total annual sales were expected to hit $6 million U.S.
But the beauty is not just to look at. The cart, fully folded weighs just 17 pounds. It's made of aircraft quality aluminum, so it is strong and durable. The really, really neat part is that it gets this small in four moves. Brilliant.
Features include:
- near the top on the tray is a 'utility box' to hold your score card, valuables, tees, etc.
- a holder fits on one of the side arms and screws into the tray to hold an opened umbrella so you can stand sheltered from the rain
- a brake control at trayside is perfectly positioned and easily pulled to lock wheels on a slope so the cart doesn't slide unattended into a bunker or water hazard
- under the tray is a velcro strap that can be used to hold a towel and your glove when you're on the green
- fully folded, the cart fits into a column 2feet high and a foot square
The cart retails for about $250 (the show price was $229), but street prices may vary. The cart is available in Canada through Golf Town or Nevada Bob's.
DesignUp, based in North Vancouver, hooked up with a distributor early in its history, selling very well in the United States as early as October 2006. Now they sell to Europe (Germany, Britain, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and France) and Australia.
The cart is manufactured for DesignUp by a Hong Kong-base firm.
The forecast for 2008 is to sell 60,000 carts all over the world.
In 1930, Bobby Jones' good friend Clifford Roberts suggested that the logical place for him to build his dream golf course was Augusta, Georgia. Jones and his friends purchased an option on property (364 acres) which was then Fruitlands Nurseries for $70,000.
Dr. Alister MacKenzie was invited by Jones to work with him to design Augusta National, which they completed in December, 1932. Jones was club president and after MacKenzie, the most heavily involved in design and construction of the golf course.
To establish the club, Jones sent a letter, inviting his friends -- some very influential captains of industry and commerce at the time -- to help with the investment and the selection of elite members needed to initiate such a venture. From the book, Bobby: The Life and Times of Bobby Jones, (Sidney L. Matthew, Sports Media Group, 2005)Jones personally wrote letters to friends he hoped would join him. This excerpt from the book shows the warm, personal tone of the letters he sent out in September of 1931:
You may have heard that I am interested with a group of friends in organizing a new golf club in Augusta, Georgia......... What I want to accomplish there is an ideal golf club, with every facility for golf, including a course which will be outstanding. Dr. Alister MacKenzie, the architect in charge, and I have spent two days together on the property and we both believe that we can do just that. I am particularly anxious to interest my own friends in this project to get them to come down and play the course and take an interest in the club......
The letter is presented in its entirety int the book, an outstanding collection of photographs and very readable history of the great golfer's life.
Some of the founding members listed in an early photograph around the time the course opened, gives you an idea of how well-connected Bobby Jones was:
- Alfred Severin Bourne, Singer Sewing Machine Co.
- Richard C. Patterson Jr., Commissioner of Corrections for New York City
- M.H. Aylesworth, president of National Broadcasting Co.
- Kent Cooper, general manager, Associated Press
- John W. Harris, of Hegeman-Harris Co., builders of Radio City
- Alister MacKenzie, golf course architect
- Clifford Roberts, partner Reynolds & Co., investment bankers
- W.A. Jones, chairman, Henry L. Doherty & Company
- Fielding Wallace, owner, Southern Press Cloth manufacturing
- Rex Cole, president, Rex Cole Refrigerator Corp.
- Grantland Rice, sportswriter, New York Herald
- Crawford T. Johnson Jr., Coca-Cola Bottling
By the time of its opening in January 1933, approximately 80 members had signed up (intended total of 500 members). Course construction cost about $100,000..
In March, 1934 the First Annual Invitation Tournament was held. The event was not called the Masters (Jones' modesty would not permit it) until 1938..
This is history. A glorious history..
The Masters defines the start of spring and the start of the golf season. It's not just the first major of the year, it's the golf tournament of the year for many, many people..
CBS provides the best television coverage of a major by far. Over the past few years streaming video over the web has brought fans the practice range and full coverage of several golf holes..
For the 2008 Master's, video streaming will be expanded. In addition to the practice range coverage of the 15th and 16th holes will be continuous. CBS Sports will provide the coverage, which expands on last year where holes 11, 12 and 13 were known as "Amen Corner Live".
Bobby Clampett and Bill Kratzert will come back to provide commentary during Amen Corner Live as well as the new holes 15 and 16. They can be viewed online via cbssports.com and masters.org sites. Best of all, it's free. Total coverage for 2008 is anticipated to be over 48 hours of video.
Achor Njoku and Cheryl Brothers, his wife of 20 years, own a business called Smart Energy Stuff in Peachtree City, Georgia. They sell a variety of products, all focused on environmental sustainability. The best category for me is Solar Powered Vehicles, which includes solar powered golf carts.
They are in the right place, Peachtree City is a community where energy-conscious residents own more than 9,000 golf carts. There are 90 miles of golf cart pathways in the Fayette County city.
Smart Energy Stuff sells the solar-powered golf carts, in prices ranging from $6,000 to $9,000. The costs are on par with those of regular electric-powered golf carts, but they come with the added sweetener of one-time state and federal tax credits of up to $990.
Njoku was attending an energy conference in Atlanta in the spring of 2007 when he first heard of Cruise Car Inc., a Florida-based company looking to market solar-powered golf carts.
Njoku and his wife, who has 13 years of corporate marketing experience, signed on as a dealers and soon concluded that Peachtree City, 30 miles south of Atlanta, was best suited as the company's home.
Cruise Car Inc. has developed a dealership network of 30 outlets in the United States and the Caribbean. The carts are classified as low speed vehicles. The Sunray SX2 model comes with a 48-volt battery, charged by the sheet of black solar sells on its roof. The cart can travel as long as three days on a charge. The cart can move along at 25 mph. If you're moving downhill and take you foot off the accelerator pedal (I almost type 'gas pedal') the motor passes generated power back to the battery. Price is $7,000 but the car owner qualifies for $1,000 in U.S. federal tax credits. So, the net cost is about the same as a regular golf cart but you gain the pride of going green.
The company has developed a solar power roof kit that can be retro-fitted to standard golf carts for $1,200 after tax rebates and credits. They are also working to develop a 22-seat vehicle that would make them eligible to pitch to the small bus market for municipalities. With the interest in alternative energy, their investment in new products and an expansion of infrastructure needed to service an expanding customer base, they could be coming to a community or golf course near you.
Golf Tour Drug Testing - Consistency Problems
Golf Tours are struggling with early moves at establishing drug testing procedures. In mid-March the PGA Tour, through the World Golf Foundation, appointed Robert J. Coombs, Senior Vice President of Communications, Research and Public Affairs.
Combs will provide leadership to the Foundation's communications initiatives for the global golf community and its mission to provide, when possible, a unified voice on issues affecting the game. He will also support the Foundation's efforts to provide a centralized platform for the dissemination of information about the growth and diversification of the game; the economic impact of golf; drug testing; and relevant public affairs initiatives. He will report to World Golf Foundation's CEO, Steve Mona.
The U.S. PGA Tour and the European Tour begin drug testing on July 1 but the two have different lists of banned substances.
Finchem's Blog, January, 2008 - New Anti-Doping Policy
I'll be heading out to the Buick Invitational in San Diego next week to meet with our Player Advisory Council. If you don't know, the Player Advisory Council has 16 members that are elected by our players. We meet and talk with the Player Advisory Council many times throughout the year and get their recommendations on issues that will be presented to our Policy Board.
The Policy Board is the board of directors of the PGA TOUR. There are nine members:
Four players:
- Joe Ogilvie,
- Brad Faxon,
- David Toms and
- Stewart Cink
Four independent businessmen:
- Vic Ganzi, CEO of Hearst Corporation
- Ed Whitacre, recently retired Chairman and CEO of AT&T
- John McCoy, former CEO of Bank One
- Ken Thompson, Chairman of Wachovia
Brian Whitcomb, President of the PGA of America
Finchem:The main topic that we will be discussing at our meetings at the Buick Invitational concerns our new anti-doping policy. While we continue to believe this really is not an issue on the PGA TOUR, unfortunately, the current state of the world necessitates any major professional sport to have such a policy. We will be educating our players on this policy and the prohibited substances weekly throughout the first half of this year and will begin drug testing some time in the second half of the year.
Tim Finchem Interview (Buick Invitatioinal, Jan.23,2008)
When asked to comment on his impression of how the players were feeling about the upcoming drug testing -- regarding their comfort level and whether it fit with the "dignity of golfers", Finchem said:
Finchem:"I don't know how to characterize that. This is all new to all of our players. There's a lot to learn about the process involved, about the substances. It's a lot of information. We're just getting started.
"We anticipated, I think correctly, that there is a lot to it, and it is new in our sport. And because as we've studied what's happened in other sports, one of our major objectives here is not to have the pitfalls and the problems that some of the other sports have had. So to do that we felt strongly that the first order of business was to get a good strong team put together. We think we've got a good strong team, but equally important was to allow ourselves some time to get players fully involved in what needs to happen.
"We've just begun that process. That's why we set the date for July to give ourselves a full half a year. We're going to be very intense about it.
"We had two good meetings yesterday. I think virtually the entire field was at one of the two meetings. We had a lot of good questions. We had a bunch of players who are taking this very seriously, and that's good. That means if we take it seriously and spend the energy, it's going to reduce significantly the chances of making mistakes.
"As I've said all along, I think I had very little concern about players now that we have a rule going into effect, and this is the first time we've had a rule on performance enhancing drugs. Given the history of players and rules, I don't have a big problem or a big concern about a player intentionally taking a step to violate one of these rules.
"My bigger concern is players making mistakes and allowing things to get into their bodies that will trigger a positive response and then that gets us into the whole realm of was it intentional and how did the substance get into the body. The testing process doesn't know how it gets into your body; all it knows is it's in your body. So that part of it we need to work on pretty hard.
"The testing part, absolutely. I mean, I think that testing by definition is a process that speaks to the notion that you don't believe a player when he says he's following the rule. That is counter to the culture of the game and something that's troubled me for a long time. I think it is going to be difficult for players, and I think it's going to be difficult for all of us as we get into that arena."
"I think what we have to do, though, is focus on the fact that this is part of the world of sports today. It's a reality. It unfortunately can't be avoided. And hopefully we can limit the focus of looking at things this way only to this area just because it's the accepted way of doing things in sport and maintain our culture as it relates to the historic rules of the game."
"As I've said before, that may turn out to be a challenge, I don't know, but that's our objective".
Temporary Use Exemptions (TUE)
Finchem was asked at the Buick Invitational about developments regarding the Temporary Use Exemptions, and whether any players had yet applied for such consideration. His response:.
Finchem: No, we haven't had formal applications, but we have been active starting in December and going forward, yesterday and now every week, in explaining to players the TUE process. What's important on the TUE process is an understanding of the substances that doctors might recommend and the process whereby a player gets a prescription or a recommendation from a physician that he take something, and the process then the player goes through to double check to make sure that's okay. And if it's not okay, then he's got to apply for the therapeutic use exemption. And he could be granted a therapeutic use exemption. But it's getting the players to understand the substances, understand the process, understand how you go about doing this.
We're trying to make it as easy as possible, and I think once the players become knowledgeable about it, it can be managed. But that's where we are at this point in time.
Lee Westwood - A Player's Perspective on Drug Testing Mar.14, 2008
Speaking to reporters in Orlando, Florida during the Bay Hill Tournament, Lee Westwood said (in a Reuters news report) that golf's failure to produce a common list of banned drugs was 'ridiculous' and a player's reputation could be wrecked by an innocent mistake.
The European Tour and the PGA Tour each have different lists of banned substances. In Europe, the list is longer, making it more likely that a U.S. player travelling to Great Britain would be caught in testing over something completely unintentional. As Westwood said, "....somebody's reputation is going to be really tainted just because of an innocent mistake.".
"I think they need to get together. I can't understand why we can't have a list that covers everybody. It's ridiculous.".
Westwood suffers from asthma and he takes medicine containing salbutamol. "That's illegal in Europe and legal here [in the U.S.]." Normally, in Europe he gets cleared to play by applying for a temporary use exemption or TUE. But in America he doesn't need it.
As Westwood says, "There might be an asthmatic here that doesn't realize it's banned in Europe and it's too late once you've tested positive.".
Golf is right to bring in a drug testing policy and players seem to agree it's necessary, especially seeing what is happening in other major sports like baseball. With tours rushing to develop procedures and banned lists, some inconsistency is inevitable. Everybody realizes there are going to be rough edges early and maybe some ruffled emotions as discrepancies are straightened out.
Golf makes much of its integrity and honour. It has a noble history to uphold. The game should be praised at making moves to protect the reputation of the game and its players..
OneAsia Golf Tour Proposal - Setback
The Asian Tour rejected plans for a regional golf "super tour" in March after they were formally endorsed by Japan, Australia, China and South Korea..
The Asian Tour, founded in 2004 consists of 27 events with a total $27million U.S. in prize money. Chief executive Kyi Hla Han said the OneAsia project, designed to rival the European and US circuits, did not serve the region's best interests..
The Asian Tour covers Malaysia, India, Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan, Brunei and crossover events in the U.S. and England..
Proposed New OneAsia Tour.
In January, the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, China Golf Association, Korean Golf Association and the PGA of Australia earlier said they had reached agreement for the new tour with a planned launch in 2008..
The new tour's supporters are targeting an eventual 35-stop tour to rival the lucrative and dominant US PGA and European Tours, with existing circuits acting as feeders. The promoters issued a statement saying:.
"In an effort to better promote the game of golf and take the game to a higher level in the Asia-Pacific region, each of the founding tours believe it is necessary to find a single regional organisation that can truly represent the common rights and benefits of relevant local golf bodies and their members.".
The new tour would consolidate the best tournaments conducted throughout the Asia-Pacific region, creating an alternative elite career pathway for national organisations and their aspiring professional golfers..
Representatives from each of the founding tours would form a new governing board that would appoint a new official chairman..
The impetus is obviously economic since the founding tours overlap one another geographically, presenting competing events for the best players in each region. This would add uncertainty for sponsors in terms of field quality and purse size for players. The Australasian Tour has been in trouble for the past few years. Fewer tournaments are available, failing to attract their native born players who prefer to remain in the U.S. The limited PGA offseason poses an intimidating travel schedule for their elite players who remain in America rather than travel the huge distance to Oz..
The new Tour aims to play 20 tournaments with a minimum purse of 1.5 million US dollars per event, although some tournaments would be worth twice that amount..
Asian Tour Not Interested
Kyi Hla Han, Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour issued a statement following the new tour's proposal that said, "... in regards to plans for an Asia-Pacific golf tour, the Asian Tour unequivocally states that we are not endorsing or participating in this initiative".
"Plans to launch this new Asia-Pacific golf tour are being driven aggressively by the PGA of Australia, whose tour is diminishing, and the Asian Tour believes it does not serve the best interests and growth of professional golf in Asia," Kyi Hla added..
"Elite and major golf tournaments already form the burgeoning Asian Tour Schedule and the Asian Tour firmly believe that we are on the correct pathway in developing, promoting and growing professional golf in Asia under the existing Tour structure," Kyi Hla said..
OneAsia Tour to Start January 2009
As of March 14, 2008 the China, Japan, Australia and South Korea Tour associations have pledged their support to the creation of a regional golf super-circuit, to be known as the OneAsia tour..
The super tour will tap an area with huge upside economic potential. India and China afford phenomenal golf development opportunities. To build the game, the super tour makes a lot of sense. The members also have a huge job ahead. It will be interesting to see how world class players take advantage and move into the tournaments as the invitations emerge..
TaylorMade's Kingdom Experience
This newsletter often discuses fitness. Well, this is about golf club fitting. Getting your clubs fit is a great idea. If you and your clubs are fit, even better.
Tour pros can spend a hole day fitting themselves for a set of clubs to start the new season. I've often wondered what that would be like. I've fit other people for clubs (I'm a clubmaker), been on a launch monitor, and taken lots of lessons from great golf instructors. What I'm about to discuss with you now, takes fitting clubs to a whole new level.
The Taylormade 2008 Kingdom Experience. I have to thank two key people for the information I've received: Ms. Trisa Mills and Ms. Brigitte Sarracini who work for TaylorMade-Adidas Golf (TMAG). I found them through the TaylorMade website, while looking for information about their new clubs.
Ms. Mills runs the TMAG Kingdom Experience out of the headquarters in Carlsbad, California. Ms. Sarracini is her counterpart in Vaughn, Ontario, just outside Toronto. I thank them both for their help with this article.
The Kingdom Experience is designed to spoil customers rotten. They not only fit you, they apply motion analysis technology to the examination of your swing (MATT = Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade).
MATT is state-of-the-art video imagery. They put you in a suit, attach motion sensors over strategic parts of your body and focus digital video cameras on you while you swing. This produces a 3D image of your swing, similar to making an animated movie.
TaylorMade swing analysts and club fitters go to work on the video -- they've just created the best possible teaching and training media for your swing. They've also got you on file from which to make your perfect set of clubs. The fitting system is unique to TaylorMade golf. Until recently it was available only to their Tour staff; players like:
- Mike Weir
- Retief Goosen
- Sergio Garcia
- Hale Irwin
- Natalie Gulbis
- Todd Hamilton
- Tom Lehman
Someone decided to make this available to you and me. As Trisa Mills said:
"...this is a golf getaway from heaven. I’ve been managing the Kingdom Experience for almost 3 years now. Each and every one of our customers have said, “it’s the best day of golf they’ve ever had”.
When customers sign up for the full Kingdom experience, they really are treated to something special:
- one-on-one session with a Master tour fitter from TaylorMade
- MATT video in the fitting lab
- one-on-one swing analysis and golf evaluation with Mr. Jim Flick
- access to the latest in TM products for testing
- hit unlimited range balls at the Kingdom driving range
- receive a personalized package containg the MATT analysis on CD
- receive a complete set of 14 perfectly fit TaylorMade clubs
Wow. What a fantastic concept. Sounds like a day in heaven, as Trisa said. A chance to experience what a pro goes through -- almost a 'day in the life'.
Now, this costs $5,000. It is only available at select sites from TaylorMade; Carlsbad is one in the U.S. (not sure if it is the only one) and Vaughn,Ontario is the only site in Canada.
This would be great, if a little expensive for my wallet. But wait,it gets better.
This is when I started talking to Brigitte Sarracini at the Vaughn site. For a mere $250.00 you get two hours with a fitter/instructor, the MATT treatment, the range balls and you walk away with the CD. Perfect! She sold me on the spot.
They are booked solid for the next six weeks. That is ok. I'm due to retire four months from now (July 30, 2008). What better retirement gift to give myself? So I am down for August 15, 2008 at 1:00 pm. I can hardly wait to retire. Kingdom? I feel like royalty already.
When I finish, you'll read about it here. Unless you see me first. I got a feeling I won't stop talking about this for months.
Other TaylorMade News
Sale of Maxfli Brand
February 11, 2008 announced the sale of their Maxfli Brand to Dick's Sporting Goods, one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the U.S. TaylorMade retains their Noodle line of golf balls and the move is see as allowing them to pare down and focus on their main products.
Faldo Joins the Team
Nick Faldo has joined TaylorMade staff, according to a company announcement on Februrary 22, 2008. Faldo will play TM equipment, wear addidas apparel and shoes, help with marketing, assess upcoming player talent, contribute content to company websites and help with a redesign of the company's Carlsbad, CA golf practice range.
I'd say with Faldo's Ryder Cup captaincy and announcing duties with CBS and the Golf Channel, he's going to be very busy, too.
TaylorMade MATT Performance Center 41 Courtland Ave, Unit #8 Vaughan, Ontario, L4K 3T3 905-761-9900 Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade
For more information on MATT and TaylorMade clubfittingdownload the pdf file: TaylorMade Kingdom Experience or go to the TaylorMade website.