Although MD Golf and Ballesteros agreed terms in June, the deal has been kept undercover while plans for the Ballesteros signature Icon range have been put in motion, and SGB Golf can exclusively reveal that the inaugural Icon range will be on display to the trade for the first time at Golf Europe in Munich in October, with a view to the first products being delivered to retail in time for Christmas 2008.
"I am very excited to be working with MD Golf," says Ballesteros. "I believe they are currently producing some of the best product in the market place and at affordable prices. Hopefully with some input from myself we will end up with the best product in the market at any price."
The move represents a massive leap for Antrim-based MD Golf, who have found success in the domestic market with their equipment priced at the low to mid range, as they make a concerted push to establish the brand in lucrative international markets such as the United States and Japan.
"This agreement with Seve Ballesteros is an absolutely enormous investment for us," Michael Morton, director of MD Golf, told SGB Golf ahead of the brand's international media launch at the end of August. "Over the last three years we have built up the MD Golf brand to the point where we believe we produce the best product at its price point in the UK market place. Our products punch above their weight, and we feel if we want to take the brand on to a genuine global scale then we need Seve on board to achieve it. Bringing Seve onto the team is going to increase our brand awareness enormously, in what is by far the biggest single deal we have ever made."
Ballesteros has agreed to an initial four-year deal, with further details of the package being kept under wraps for the golfer who was this year voted Europe's most popular modern-day golfer by the predominantly British readers of the UK's best selling golf consumer title, Golf Monthly. (This year's Ryder Cup skipper Nick Faldo might have been disappointed to see he finished second in a poll conducted in his home nation.)
"Seve is in one sense a worldwide golf brand in his own right," adds Morton. "If you were to write down the biggest names in golf over any period of time there's Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer, and Seve Ballesteros is really up there with those names. Seve is genuinely an icon of golf, he is the most famous European golfer of all time and he is certainly the most charismatic."
In addition to the financial terms MD Golf has agreed with Ballesteros, the relationship will enable the golfer to realise one of his long-held ambitions, to deliver to the market place some of the innovative golf club concepts he has had bubbling away behind the closed doors of his own multi-faceted company Amen Corner.
"Seve is keen to establish a heritage in the equipment arena," says Morton of the golfer formerly attached to Callaway. "He has a lot of very good product ideas but if he were with a big company Seve would only have had a small input into the design of the clubs, whereas with MD Golf, the Icon range we have developed with Seve is our flagship range and Seve has been very closely involved with the product development. The new continuous wedge, for example, Seve has designed himself almost completely, and all we have done is design the cosmetics to go on the club.
"Our plan, for the term of the contract and beyond, is to deliver as many of Seve's ideas to the marketplace as we can."
Reflecting the incredibly narrow four-month time frame MD Golf has had to convert the initial Icon range sketches into a fully manufactured reality in time for Munich, the range catalogue for 2008/09 will not be a weighty tome. It will feature a series of five wedges, a range of putters - each named after one of Ballesteros' major victories - a set of forged irons, a driver, fairway wood and rescue club. Heading towards higher price points, the woods will be aimed at export markets, while MD Golf believes the signature wedges and putters will appeal to the sophisticated domestic market.
"MD Golf has a great reputation for producing superb wedges," adds Ballesteros. "This is obviously something I am very passionate about and I believe I can make a significant contribution to MD Golf's wedges, and all products."
Seve's Continuous bounce model promises to attract particular attention, coming as it does from a golfer whose short game made Phil Mickelson's look scratchy.
"The Continuous bounce wedge is one of the key products in our range for 2009," he explains. "I believe this club will help golfers of all abilities improve their pitching and bunker play. The unique design of the sole makes scoring shots around the green easier to play and control on all types of grass and sand. From the short pitch to the 30-yard bunker shot, the Continuous bounce wedges will give golfers a massive advantage."
"It is fitting that Seve has always been known for his brilliant short game," says Morton. "The wedges we are already selling this year are among the very best in the market place at any price point, so we already have a real reputation for producing brilliant wedges, and in fact Seve has even been using one of our Superstrong wedges.
"The Continuous bounce wedge in the Icon range has a unique sole system designed to make pitching the golf ball a bit easier, primarily for the higher handicappers. All the Icon wedges for next year incorporate the best features from our existing wedges, combined with Seve's Razor Groove system which should enable golfers to get even more spin on the ball."
A more comprehensive Ballesteros signature range is being planned for 2009/10, and Morton says MD Golf are considering bringing out a junior set, more clubs and other products such a golf bag, but not every concept to spill out of the famously singular Ballesteros brain will reach the production line.
"Seve has lots of great ideas, particularly for the specialist clubs such as wedges and putters," adds Morton. "Some of Seve's suggestions have been a bit out there, but we apply our commercial expertise to his concepts and produce the products that are marketable. It is a fantastic combination, and to have Seve Ballesteros and his people at Amen Corner contributing to our R&D is a real asset to MD Golf."
Let's face it: Seve may have made a heart-broken exit from Tour golf last year, but we all knew we'd see plenty more of him one way or another, and in bringing Ballesteros into the equipment mainstream, MD Golf has earned itself one of the most eagerly anticipated club launches in years.
2009 is turning out to be a major year for MD Golf in more ways than one, as the Irish company has also been appointed the UK distributor for Kartel clothing. Just when Kartel was catching its breath after enjoying a brand awarenes explosion since Padraig Harrington's 2007 Open triumph at Carnoustie - just days after Ballesteros had kept the Open press conference room riveted with his emotional retirement announcement - the Irish golfer went and won two more majors this year. The Kartel name on Harrington's chest has been plastered all over the world's sports pages and TV screens in recent weeks, which is perfect timing for
MD Golf, just as they are starting to take pre-bookings for Kartel's Spring-Summer 2009 range.
