In a ground-breaking report on the golf industry in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMA) launched at the Ryder Cup, KPMG has claimed the regional golf industry was worth e53 billion (or £41.7 billion by current exchange rates) in 2006, and that the retail sales market was worth e1.9 billion (£1.5 billion).

Among Titleist's extensive new equipment releases for 2009 is a quartet of Scotty Cameron Studio Select Putters.

Etonic is bidding to return to the golf shoe mainstream in 2009 with the introduction of its new Stabilizer shoe. The company describes Stabilizer as being designed in a ‘neo-classic style', while underfoot it boasts Etonic's new Powerplay Outsole System.

Glenmuir has introduced four new waterproof jackets to its Autumn-Winter 2008 Performance Outerwear Range.

Based on feedback from thousands of golfers through its ball-fitting program, Bridgestone has created three new Tour-calibre golf balls, the B330-RX, B330 and B330-S.

Advancing from its exiting Transition-S integrated set, Cobra is introducing new eight-club Transition-S sets specifically for seniors and women for 2009.

Shoe company Stuburt is introducing new colours for its Helium Pro II golf shoe for 2009. New for next year will be the white/navy combination (pictured), which will be available from March. The Helium Pro II, which boasts a Liquicell removable footbed, will also come in white/lime/black, black and white/black.

JS International receives CaddyAid

JS International has become distributor of DMC Group's CaddyAid GPS system. Used by an ever-increasing army of Tour pros, including Ernie Els and Lee Westwood, CaddyAid can now be supplied in GPS Mobile format for use on smart phones.

Mizuno has launched four new sets of irons, all of which are available with immediate effect. The company says it has ‘put feel to the top of the design agenda' for its MP-52, MP-62, MX-100 and MX-200 irons.

For Spring Summer 2009 PING Collection has launched the Gold Collection, with the name being taken from PING's Champions Gold Putter vault at company headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona.

Footjoy has added new products to its 2008 Outerwear line. The collection is boosted by the arrival of the Red Label Rain Shirt, Red Label Women's Rain Jacket (pictured) and Red Label Performance Rain Jacket.

California-based clothing company Ashworth has launched its Spring Summer 2009 collection. Two new ranges within the collection are ‘South O' and ‘Finding Trevose', which is so-called after John Ashworth and his creative team got lost trying to find the Cornish golf resort on a recent UK trip. The Cornish lanes - that tend to tighten up the further you get lost - and the county's stunning linksland obviously made a profound impression on Ashworth and his crew.

TaylorMade has made a widespread launch of new products for 2009, including three new drivers, two sets of irons and a bag full of putters.

Former Ryder Cup golfer Gordon J Brand won two tournaments in consecutive weeks on the European Seniors Tour in August, using the innovative 2 Thump putter grip.

We are entering trading conditions that are going to test us all. Pros are going to be competing for wallets diminished by increasing energy prices, record petrol prices and spiralling food bills.

Delegates at the PGAs of Europe's 19th Annual Congress will debate the important part golf can play for regions deciding to create or expand a golfing culture.

The second Annual Review of the PGAs of Europe (pictured), is now in circulation and reflects the all-round progress made by the association in 2007/2008.

When PGAs of Europe chief executive, Ian Randell, was invited to speak at a meeting of Tennis Europe it was planned as the start of on on-going collaboration between the two bodies.

The European Ryder Cup team may have lost for the first time since the turn of the century, but they looked good doing it. The conservative navy blue and red of the US team, with old-fashioned narrow stripes, was out-shone by Europe's collection that was bright, bold and fresh.

Vicarious Golf, one of the industry's most innovative new businesses, has successfully launched V-Towel in the UK and Europe. Voted the ‘Best New Product' at the 2008 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, V-Towel is set to become the new standard for on-course golf club cleaning throughout Europe.

JS International will be exhibiting the CaddyAid GPS Distance Finder. Golfers can download data onto the CaddyAid for 2,654 UK golf courses, with courses on the continent set to be available from January 2009. The CaddyAid displays actual photographs of each hole on its 3.5" LCD colour screen, and its cursor tracks the golfer's location, while showing distances to all key points such as bunkers, greens and water hazards.

New Cleveland products at Munich include the new Launcher driver and fairway woods, HiBORE XLI irons and Classic putter line. The Launcher is designed to produce low spin, mid-trajectory and high MOI, with a clubface that is 21% bigger that the faces on the original Launcher and Launcher Comp, enabling the new model to be the most forgiving driver Cleveland has ever produced. The new Launcher comes in lofts of 9, 10.5 and 12 degrees, with Fujikura Fit-On Flightspeed shafts and an SRP of £219. Shipping starts on October 15.

MD Golf, from Northern Ireland, will be exhibiting at Munich with the company's new corporate identity proudly in place. A new, contemporary logo and branding will feature on all 2009 products, including the Icon Range, as signed by Seve Ballesteros, the new Superstrong range and a complete set of new clubs under the Black Hawk label.

Sunderland will be making a big noise about their WhisperDry Collection at Munich. Sunderland says the ultra-lightweight WhisperDry rain gear is ‘incredibly quiet and comfortable'.

Fast-growing, edgy yet increasingly woolly, Nottingham-based Bunker Mentality is showcasing an expanded knitwear range for 2009 at Munich. The nine-product collection features the introduction of the Stella V-Neck Sleeveless sweater, which comes in bright navy and black. Made from fully mashine-washable Merino wool, the sweater is finished off with the brand's distinctive Stella logo in a gold thread on the chest. The Stella Cardigan also makes a triumphant return for 2009.

Titleist, Cobra and Footjoy will be combining to host one of the more high profile stands at Golf Europe this year.

As well as the new WR driver and irons for mid to high handicappers, Srixon will be exhibiting its latest Soft Feel two-piece golf ball at Munich. The new model comes with a Pana Tetra blended cover, a core that is designed to be extremely soft yet resilient, and a new 328-dimple design incorporating eight dimple sizes. The ball is designed to provide great distance and soft feel for golfers with a swing speed of at least 70 mph.

Scottish brand Glenmuir will be launching its 2009 collection at Munich. With an expanded collection for men, women and children, Glenmuir has placed the emphasis on strong new colours and technical fabrics. New colour schemes include Mellow Sundae with ‘ultra-modern pinks', Blue Notes with a ‘vibrant' combination of blues, and Beachcomber, which concentrates on ‘cool pastels'.

Power Tee claims to be ‘the world's leading automated teeing system', and it will be at Munich. Power Tee eliminates the need for golfers to manually place balls on the tee when they are at the driving range. All they need to do is pour their balls into the Power Tee hopper, and then the machine places the balls on the tee automatically, enabling golfers to concentrate fully on their practice.

Galvin Green is making its Golf Europe debut in 2008, where it will be exhibiting its 2009 Collection. As well as the Skintight compression garments for an inner layer and golf shirts made from Coolmax Fresh FXTM, Galvin Green will be showing its Akin Gore-Tex Performance Shell jacket, which is the brand's first waterproof garment made entirely from stretch material.

Pink Ribbon will have is full range of golf clothing and accessories on display at Munich. From all Pink Ribbon products, 10% of the net retail price is donated to breast cancer research and support in the country in which the sale is made. The full range for Spring Summer 2009 will be at the show, with products ranging from shirts and caps, to golf bags, gloves and umbrellas.

Following the great success of the Benny driver in 2008, Ben Sayers is launching a complete range of Benny equipment at Golf Europe for 2009. The range will include three and five woods, utility clubs with three lofts, a full set of irons, a trio of scoring wedges and also three putters, two blades and one with a mallet head. All Benny clubs will come with Grafalloy shafts and Golf Pride grips.

In addition to the brand's X3 electric trolley, Stewart will be taking the ground-breaking F1 Lithium to Munich. Apparently nothing to do with Formula One racing (although the trolley's appearance suggests otherwise), the F1 is so-called because it became known as the ‘folding one' during development. It folds in half in a single motion, comes with magnesium alloy wheels, electronics derived from NASA, it weighs 14kg with the battery and has its own customised golf bag. Oh, and a price tag of £2,500.

Vicarious will be taking its new V-Towel to Munich, having been voted ‘Best New Product' at the 2008 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. The patented technology incorporated into the V-Towel combines a looped micro-fibre towel with a 270-degree cleaning bristle arc. A drop-and-lock fastening system enables the V-Towel to be easily attached to golf bags, stands or buggies.

Daily Sports will be exhibiting its Spring Summer 2009 range at Golf Europe. The theme behind next year's collection is to bring high street fashion to the golf course, and the brand is placing bold and bright colours and designs at the forefront of the collection. A citrus pallet of pinks, yellows and lime green will be central to the overall colour scheme.

Explanar will be exhibiting its new Junior System alongside the established Professional System at Munich. Already taken up by facilities in 40 countries worldwide, Explanar claims the Junior System, which promotes the ideal swing plane and develops the specific golfing muscles, is to the golf swing what training wheels are to a child's bike.

One of the main principles we teach in Golfsmiths Clubmaking Schools is continuity. Continuity in this context concerns the components of the golf club and their specifications.

Tour pros across the globe may have been licking their chops at the prospect of a year of Tigerless fields; but for Nike the absence of the world number one, as Mr Woods recovers from reconstructive knee surgery, would appear to be a major blow. Having the highest-profile sportsman in the world as your brand ambassador is of course a fantastic position for any brand to be in - but what about when he disappears from public view overnight, after winning one of the most dramatic Majors in recent history?

Ben Sayers' M7 is a complete starter set that comes in Fire (red, pictured), Ice (blue) and also in a ladies' set. The package features a 460cc titanium matrix driver, three and five woods to match and a number four utility club instead of three and four irons. The offset irons number from 5 down to sand wedge and have a deep undercut cavity with perimeter weighting. The M7 putter is centre-shafted with a face-balanced head and has alignment markings. The set comes with either a stand or cart bag, and the shafts can be graphite or steel.

Designed with input from Tiger Woods, Nike's Golf learning System for children retails as separate clubs, and comes with different sizes for different heights. The product range includes clubs, balls, bags, gloves and footwear and all clubs are made with steel heads and graphite shafts. The system is broken down into Par Red (for golfers under 50 inches tall), Birdie Blue (51-58 inches) and Eagle Silver (59-66 inches). Par Red starts with four clubs: driver, mid-iron, wedge and putter; Birdie Blue introduces a hybrid and Eagle Silver brings in a fairway wood and seven-iron.

The ZEVO boxed set for starters comes with everything from the driver down to the bag, in a set comprising 19 items. The 460cc titanium matrix driver is joined by a fairway wood, hybrid, irons from five to sand wedge and a cavity back putter for men. The ladies' set comes with an extra hybrid club to replace the five-iron. Both sets are completed by a stand bag, headcovers, golf balls and tees. There are also junior options for children aged between 5 and 12 that incorporate a driver, three irons, putter and stand bag.

Mizuno has recently launched Academy sets in two sizes: the 120 for ages 5-8; and the 140 for ages 8-12. The slightly offset clubheads for both sets are the same, but the 140 set comes with shafts 4-5 inches longer than the 120. The classically styled clubs included are a 16-degree driver, 30-degree utility club, six iron, eight iron, 51-degree pitching wedge and putter. The Academy Series is available in right-hand only.

Cobra's J-Speed Series comes in two sets for players aged 6-8 (or 3'6" - 4'3" tall) and 9-11 (4'4" - 5'), with shaft flex, clubhead weight and grip sizes set accordingly. The 6-8 year olds set features a 300cc J-Speed driver, Baffler utility metal, stainless steel 7-iron and wedge, an IM Series mallet putter, lightweight stand bag with dual carry straps and a J-Speed cap. The 9-11 year olds sets adds a J-Speed fairway metal to the set, and the 7-iron is replaced by a 6-iron and 8-iron.

All Meridian Junior irons are made from high-grade stainless steel, with the woods made from forged titanium. For the first time this year Meridian introduced a full range of junior woods and rescue clubs with adjustable weights. Shaft construction and grip size vary according to age, with fibreglass shafts for the youngest children and graphite for the oldest, and all clubs are available right and left-handed. Golfers can start with a two club set, incorporating an iron and putter, with a three-club set bringing in a wood.

Ram's Concept 3G junior set comprises six clubs: 3-wood, 24-degree recovery club, 7 and 9 irons, sand wedge and putter with an authentic tour wrap grip. The clubs and lightweight stand bag with dual strap come in blue for boys and pink for girls, and the set also includes a Ram bag towel, head covers for the wood and recovery club and a dozen Ram titanium balls. The sets are available in two sizes, for 5-8 year olds and 9-12 year olds, with boys 9-12 also available left-handed.

The Jaxx Junior clubs come with wide-sole, over-sized clubheads, and are available in three colour-coded age group categories: 5-7; 8-10; 11-14, left and right handed. The range incorporates a 12-degree driver, 16-degree 3-wood, 25-degree rescue club, irons 5, 7 and 9, pitching wedge, sand wedge and a two-ball putter with a soft face insert. Jaxx offers a stand bag with dual strap, while clubs can be purchased individually or in a box set. Jaxx also offers a Junior trolley.

Available as a boxed set or as open stock, the Junior Web range from Go is a comprehensive collection. It includes a driver, 3-wood and rescue club, irons 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, pitching wedge, sand wedge and three putter models. The clubs come right and left handed, and golfers can also get a stand bag, glove, and all woods and putters come with a headcover. The range is also broken down into three categories according to the height of the golfer: Blue (93-112cm); Orange (113-132cm); Silver (133-152cm).

Wilson Staff's Junior Package Set is designed to resemble the adult clubs used on Tour, by Wilson Staff golfers such as triple major winner Padraig Harrington. The set features a 15-degree driver, fairway wood, hybrid club, irons 6 and 8, sand wedge, all built with graphite shafts, and a Wilson Staff putter. The clubs come in a junior bag with double strap. The set is designed for golfers aged 9-11, and comes in boys and girls sets. Wilson Staff also has a Youth Package Set of four clubs for golfers aged 6-8.

The Challenger Tour Cadet Package from Longridge is designed for golfers aged 13-16, with the boys set coming in blue and the girls in pink. The set features a 460cc square-headed driver, 3-wood, 27-degree hybrid and cavity backed stainless steel irons 7, 9 and sand wedge. All clubs are built with graphite shafts, and come in a lightweight stand bag.

Created by 20th Century Fox and licenced to Brand Fusion, the Simpsons Starter Set includes a 3-wood, 7-iron and putter with graphite shafts, all held in a canvas golf bag.