Aldila has announced that its new Voodoo shaft is being taken on by a number of major manufacturers for club introductions in autumn. Voodoo shipments to club builders will also begin on September 1.

Hi-Tec is utilising ion-mask technology in its golf collection for 2009, a patented plasma-based technology originally developed for military use, to protect soldiers from chemical attack.

Greg Norman Collection says it is the first golf brand to create a ‘fully professional merchandising and display DVD'.

TGI Golf is launching an attack on counterfeit clubs by introducing a poster campaign to its 380 member golf shops across Europe.

Cleveland Golf's trio of European sales companies have been consolidated with Srixon Sports Europe to form one company, representing one of the first major operational shifts since Cleveland was sold by Quicksilver to Srixon's parent company, Japan's SRI Sports Ltd, last December.

Following the success of the Helium Pro, Stuburt has released the Helium Pro II, as worn by David Howell.

Ecco has launched the Casual Pitch Velcro Hydromax line of golf shoes for women. The Danish shoemaker, which is the official shoe of the Solheim Cup and Ladies European Tour, hopes the distinctive and functional velcro straps will appeal to golfers looking to take a step away from the norm.

Abacus will be the official clothing supplier for the 2009 European Solheim Cup team. The Swedish company dressed the European team at the last Solheim Cup, in Halmstad, Sweden in 2007, in ever-changing weather conditions, although the European team's clothing arguably out-performed the golfers themselves, who lost 16- 12 to the United States.

Ram has launched the QUB3 Pro trolley bag for ladies. The grey/pink QUB3 is lightweight despite featuring a 14-way club divider, nine pockets and three grab handles.

Glenmuir has acquired all rights to MacWet golf gloves from the McSport Group. The move follows the success of a two-year licensing agreement that has seen Glenmuir distribute the MacWet All Grip No Slip gloves across Europe. Already established as the leading glove in water skiing and horse riding, the MacWet Classic Glove is currently available through Glenmuir, with a new Winter Glove set to be introduced for Autumn 2008.

Yes! Golf has launched the Sandy C-Groove mallet putter. The compact Sandy, with a head weight of 355g, has a streamlined double delta back for easy alignment and a high moment of inertia. It is available for right-handers only and comes with an SRP of £127.

A new paper golf tee called the Divot-Stopper could help golf clubs reduce the number of fairway divots in winter, while providing the dual benefit of being better for the environment than the widely used plastic tees.

American Golf will be the retail partner at the 2008 NEC Golf Show, which is on from November 21-23.

Sunice has launched its Hurricane Series of golf outerwear, which has been designed to withstand the most extreme golfing weather.

Explanar Golf has become a sponsor of the PGA EuroPro Tour, the UK-based developmental golf tour.

Pressplan Travel is offering travel and accommodation arrangements for Golf Europe 2008 in Munich, October 5-7.

There are good reasons why our conference is called The Big Change. The number of people playing golf in Europe is increasing, but the growth is mainly with free golfers, or floating golfers, who do not want club memberships, while the number of golf club members is dropping in some countries.

Amid the current widespread concerns in business about downturns in international economies comes a heart-warming report of ‘fantastic growth'  from one of the PGA of Europe's corporate partners.

With two months to go before it is staged in Munich, on October 5-7, the PGAs of Europe-endorsed Golf Europe 2008 has already attracted some 300 exhibitors on a world-wide scale to confirm its status as the number one trade-only exhibition outside Orlando. Brand leaders will abound, as always, in the enormous halls of the spacious New Trade Centre, and will include PGAs of Europe Partners such as the Italian fashion house, Chervo, and fast-moving golf ball, Srixon.

As education with all its allied strands continues to evolve, and with new legislation taking its effect, the PGAs of Europe is staging a Heads of Training Summit (HTS), in Lisbon, Portugal, on October 29-30, 2008.

PGAs of Europe member countries have been invited to make their nominations for the 2008 5-Star Professionals Awards, supported by ProSport Media, to be presented at the Annual Gala Dinner in Murcia, Spain, in November.

The merits of the FlightScope Kudu launch and ball-flight monitor have been recognised by GolfTest USA, who have awarded the Kudu their Seal of Excellence for ‘superior quality, value and performance'.

SensoGlove is the world's first computerised golf glove, which measures a golfer's grip pressure.

SkyCaddie SG5 rangefinders, incorporating SkyGolf's patented IntelliGreen technology, were used by BBC commentators at Royal Birkdale during the 2008 Open Championship.

The Broadband line of ionic-magnetic bracelets is the latest offering from California-based Trion:Z.

The Sonocaddie V300 is a personal, handheld GPS system that is easy to use and provides golfers with precise distance information from any point on a golf course.

Q Link launched its new Bracelet Range earlier this year, and the company claims it exceeded its first-quarter sales forecast within just two weeks on the market.

The TOMI putting systems provide an in-depth analysis of the putting stroke, using a camera that records the three dimensional movement of the putter head from backstroke to follow-through.

Bushnell claims its PinSeeker 1500 Slope Edition is the most widely used rangefinder in the world by tour pros.

In May this year Northwick Park became the first club in the world to install the new HiSpeed Golf simulators.

The Dancin' Dogg Golf Simulator enables golfers to play simulated golf anywhere, as long as they can plug in a TV and have sufficient room for their golf swing.

The notion of a flat-stick without a flat face is not new. In the States, the barrel-shaped Teardrop putters and the radius face of the more recent

MD Golf is the exclusive UK distributor for Kartel, and as the sales force goes through the process of re-introducing the brand to many retailers, Padraig Harrington's awe-inspiring defence of his Open Championship title at Royal Birkdale last month could not have come at a better time for his clothing supplier (the timing of Harrington's back-nine charge was pretty good, in itself).

The Open Championship leader after three rounds and so nearly a record-smashing champion at the age of 53, perhaps Greg Norman will find solace in the 2009 sales of his Greg Norman Collection apparel. The Australian may not have won at Birkdale but there is no question he gave his brand exposure an enormous boost last month.

Following its successes of 2008, PING Collection is expanding its range for Spring-Summer 2009 to provide golfers with a complete line of polo shirts, sweaters, trousers, wind-shirts and accessories.

Just the kind of shirt you can envisage Tiger Woods wearing on the Sunday of a major (when he's playing), Nike's Sphere React Cool Polo for men (pictured) is one of the on-going success stories of 2008 for the brand.

After a period of re-organisation for Ashworth, which has seen founder John Ashworth return to the company, its Autumn-Winter 2008 range has propelled the American brand back to the forefront of golf fashion and performance. The range is still available to retailers searching to bring an urban, edgy golf look into their shops.

Glenmuir's Hi-Cool Base is the first long-sleeved golf shirt from the company's Hi-Cool performance range, for Autumn-Winter 2008.

For Spring-Summer 2009 Cutter & Buck has launched a European Fashion Collection that combines the technical knowledge of new owners New Wave with the design and fashion expertise of distributor Premium Golf Brands.

The new Silver Collection from Sunice for 2009 features the brand's X-Static technology, which draws on the unique properties of silver.

Calvin Klein has launched its White Label Collection for Spring-Summer 2009, specifically for the European market.

To mark 20 years of Green Lamb for women, the brand has launched a Spring-Summer 2009 line that features a new Sport Fit collection, with a tailored cut designed to appeal to a younger audience.

New for 2009 is Glenbrae's Spirol Lambswool Collection of knitwear, which features the brand's Spirol Yarn and Seamless Knitting Technology.

Callaway claims to be taking its high performance, technical range of golfing apparel to a new level in 2009, with a line that moves away from traditional cottons and centres on the C Tech fabric introduced in Autumn 2008. Made from of cotton-polyester blend, C Tech is lightweight, moisture wicking and durable.

Stromberg's 2008 range, which is split into the Classic and Funky Collections, is available for 52 weeks of the year. This well established clothing manufacturer has combined innovation, fashion and a classic heritage to striking effect.

The Cardross polo shirt (pictured) illustrates the concerted move by Abacus to bring its menswear forward to be level with its more established women's line.

For 2009, Daily Sports is boldly bringing women's mainstream fashion to the golf course. While they are not neglecting the ever-popular coastal colours and classic cuts, Daily Sports is leading with vibrant, bright and bouncy designs for the new season. A citrus pallet of pinks, yellows, and lime green is prominent, as are dresses inspired by those worn on court by the world's best tennis players.

Cross says its Flavour Collection for 2009 is the Swedish brand's most innovative line yet. Taking classic shapes and giving them a contemporary edge, Cross has come up with striking garments not just for the golf course, but also a selection of items that take the Cross philosophy beyond the golfing arena, such as the classic button-down Ben Cardigan for men (pictured), and for women the Gilda sleeveless cardigan with decorative contrast piping, and pin stripe Flavour trousers (both pictured).

German brand Golfino is still taking orders for its Autumn-Winter 2008 range, a highlight from which is the sophisticated Autumn Resort ensemble for women (pictured).

Tiger Woods was not the only significant absentee from the 137th Open Championship (and no, this is not a reference to Kenny Perry, the American who declined the opportunity to put his recent run of form to the test, or to the injured Luke Donald). The other notable absentee was one on the verge of an historic milestone, the Open's Exhibition tent.

Despite there only being three component parts of a golf club to custom fit, it is still very difficult to pick the part most affecting a golfer's game. All three components will - to a major, medium or minor degree - spoil or improve any ball flight problems a player has, but as the shaft is more visual and is often eye-catching, golfers are becoming more aware of it's influence on ball flight.