As the 2009 Tour season starts to pick up momentum towards our favourite azalea extravaganza at Augusta, Wilson Staff has announced an attention-grabbing consumer offer: they will refund any purchase of Wilson Staff Tw9 wedges bought between March 1 and April 9, 2009 (up to a retail price of £84.99), if their man Padraig Harrington wins the Masters.

The week of the Orlando PGA Show was very busy for MacGregor Golf, even though the American club manufacturer made a late withdrawal from the event. During the show, the ink was not yet dry on the announcement that the Greg Norman Collection apparel brand had been sold to the New York-based Tharanco Group, while rumours of a MacGregor takeover reached every corner of the well-proportioned Orange County Convention Centre.

With its mission to ‘make every day playable', Footjoy has launched its most comprehensive outerware collection ever for 2009.

On the back of positive feedback from Golf Europe in Munich last October, Swiss glove specialist Hirzl has introduced two gloves made from Kangaroo hide into the UK market, the TRUST Feel and TRUST Control, at an RRP of £24.99.

Brand Fusion announced on February 11 that the company has ceased to distribute Adams Golf equipment, arguably the highest profile brand in its stable.

Scottish apparel brand Glenmuir has added four new models to its premium ‘Glenmuir 1891' collection for Spring 2009, to take the collection's quota up to seven designs.

JS International has introduced a new range of Longridge ‘executive cart bags' for 2009.

Yes! has launched the Jennie C-Groove putter for 2009. The heel-shafted, offset Jennie is designed for golfers who need more ‘toe hang' than usual, to help bring the clubface back to square at impact during a moderate swing arc.

Recently I have been visiting professionals in Texas, looking for good ideas to bring back to our market. These meetings have reinforced the belief that, for the smaller retailer, a supplier's service and support, often delivered through a good sales representative, is as important as product quality, if not more so.

KMPG has announced a dynamic running order of speakers for its Golf Business Forum at Celtic Manor, May 4-6. The line-up includes Joe Beditz, CEO of the National Golf Foundation; Tenniel Chu, Executive Director of Mission Hills in China; Neil Hobday, Project Director of the Trump International Golf Links in Scotland; Jonathan Orr, Financial Director of the European Tour, and David Spencer, CEO of Leisurecorp, the company developing Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.

English Tour golfer Simon Hurd has launched his own brand of belts and buckles called Druh (‘Hurd' spelt backwards).

Following its success in the United States, the Big Putt training aid has been launched in Europe. The Big Putt is a golf ball that is 35% bigger than regulation golf balls, and made of standard golf ball materials. Developed by PGA Tour caddie Mike Hicks, the theory is that practising with the over-sized ball encourages golfers to play a more positive putting stroke, and because the larger ball makes a wider track towards the hole, this is supposed to give golfers more confidence when they putt on the golf courses with a regulation ball. The Big Putt has a RRP of £29.95.

A yoke-style harness for carrying golf bags has been designed by sports engineers at Sheffield Hallam University, in collaboration with Sheffield golf pro Paul Shields. The ergonomically designed GolfBone system has been created to ease the strain of carrying a full golf bag over long distances by balancing the weight evenly across the shoulders. The polymer-composite harness has been licensed and is under production, with a view to be launched in May with a RRP of £39.95.

Powakaddy has launched the Freeway II electric trolley, to succeed what the company says has been the world's best selling electric trolley since the turn of the millennium, the Freeway.

As a custom fit specialist, at Orka we believe the idea of pre-selling product is fundamentally flawed.

California-based range finder manufacturer GolfBuddy has set-up in Europe with the intention of re-aligning the fast-growing handheld GPS sector, offering a £300 (approximately) unit that comes with pre-programmed golf courses, free online updates and no annual subscription fee. Periodic software updates are also available free of charge when users download new courses.

Odlo is a Swiss brand with Norwegian roots, and while its Evolution base layer range is very advanced technically and distributed in 20 countries, the company's pioneering spirit was born in 1946 by one man and his sewing machine.

Germany's Heinz Fehring has been named president of the PGAs of Europe. The club professional, who was instrumental in the rise of a teenage Bernhard Langer, has begun a two-year term in succession to former European Tour supremo Ken Schofield.

Veteran professional Jean-Etienne Lafitte has visited Tunisia to undertake an evaluation as part of the global Golf Development Programme.

The PGAs of Europe has teamed up with European Golf, leading suppliers of all-weather golf surfaces, to become the ‘Official Synthetic Golf Surfaces Supplier' and corporate partner.

It has been easy to appreciate the synergy of bringing together the Cleveland and Srixon brands, as Japan-based SRI Sports did last year. Cleveland has a strong American heritage, while Srixon dominates in Japan; Cleveland has a formidable reputation for clubs and in particular, wedges, while Srixon is best known for its two-piece balls, with its attack on the three-piece market now under full steam.

Aeronautical engineer Karsten Solheim started building golf clubs in his garage in 1959. 50 years on, Ping has grown into one of golf's most enduring and innovative club manufacturers. Karsten's son John is now president and CEO of the family-owned business, and he spoke to Robin Barwick over a slice of birthday cake at the PGA Show in Orlando

When TaylorMade took over Ashworth it already had its own, flourishing apparel giant in adidas. Not only that, the acquisition also put TaylorMade in the extraordinary position of servicing Ashworth's licensee - the apparel arm of TaylorMade's arch-rival Callaway. The phrase, ‘too close for comfort' springs to mind.

Titleist's ‘next generation' of Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls took centre stage in Orlando, with Titleist claiming to have improved the most-played and best-selling golf balls ever. Titleist says both models now have more durable covers, made from urethane elastomer, and by increasing the size of the core and decreasing the width of the ionomeric casing layer, the Pro V1's ball speed and ‘drop-and-stop' performance should also be increased. The four-piece Pro V1x also has a redesigned ionomeric casing.

Rife founder Guerin Rife believes deceleration at impact is the number-one fault in putting, which is why he designed the IMO, which stands for ‘Inline momentum'. 85% of the IMO's mass is concentrated directly behind the impact area of the putter-head, with a view to helping golfers drive trough the ball. The IMO will be launched into Europe in May, and available from June.

The driver played by Padraig Harrington, the aerodynamic Smooth has a 460cc clubhead and features ‘variable face geometry', which is designed to deliver higher ball speeds across a larger area of the clubface, leading to greater distance from off-centre hits. The Smooth also comes with ‘progressive internal weight distribution', meaning that the higher the loft of the model, the further back the clubhead weight is pushed, to maximise stability at impact.

Softspikes has introduced what it says is golf's first ‘self-adjusting' cleat, designed to let golfers custom-match their cleats to their swing, balance and weight. The cleats are fitted with new ‘support rings', which can be adjusted by the golfer to the ‘Tour-comfort setting' for maximum flex, or a ‘Tour-firm setting' for extreme traction and a spike-like feel.

The Z-Star and Z-Star X mark Srixon's eagerly anticipated launch into the three-piece golf ball market. The 104-compression Z-Star X is designed to provide ‘Tour performance' characteristics such as explosive distance and high spin around the greens, whereas the 90-compression Z-Star is designed to provide ‘optimum distance, spin control and soft feel' for the mid-to-low handicapper.

Callaway's new Diablo features ‘hyperbolic face technology', which means that the hyperbolic shaping of the clubface thickness is designed to give the club a larger sweetspot and improve the potency of off-centre strikes. The club comes in two clubhead models: Draw and Neutral, and if the Diablo performs as well as it looks it could be special.

The Bionic Pro was the first glove - if no longer the only - to be introduced with an RRP of £24.99. The Bionic pro features a system of 17 ‘anatomical relief pads' to improve a golfer's contact with the club, and the new Pro model is made from micro-thin, super-premium cabretta leather to enhance feel. Designed with the better player in mind, the Bionic Pro also comes with pre-rotated fingers to follow a golfer's natural swing motion.

Bridgestone has three new balls for 2009: the Tour B330-RX, Tour B330 and Tour B330-S. The Tour B330-RX is designed for low handicappers who do not have Tour-level swing speed, but want Tour-level response for their short game. The ball features a very soft ‘gradational compression core' and Bridgestone claims it is the softest multi-layer ball on the market.

Cobra says its Hotter 9 Points technology is better than ever in its new King Cobra S9-1 drivers, with the result being improved clubface efficiency, so better performance from off-centre strikes. The clubs also benefit from internal frequency tuning, with the intention of giving golfers a ‘satisfying combination of sound and power'.

The new Launcher Hybrid has a clubface 12% bigger than the face on any previous Cleveland models, providing golfers with a larger hitting area with a view to increasing forgiveness. The club is also distinct by its ‘extended horseshoe perimeter weighting', which is visible on the outside of the base chassis to ensure the clubhead weight is very low and deep.

The MX-700 driver has been built with a Ti-9 ‘Hot Metal' face, consisting of a rolled Ti9 plasma welded face which has been designed to add ball speed for strikes across the clubface, giving golfers greater consistency off the tee. The clubhead has a very low centre of gravity to encourage low spin strikes and a high ball flight.

FlightScope has added the Putting Eagle to its ball-flight and launch monitor, to provide clubfitters and coaches with a precise putter measurement system. FlightScope claims this advance means its monitor can now fit every club in a golfer's bag. The Putting Eagle provides the full range of measurements, from face angle at impact and ball strike position on the clubface, to the vertical and horizontal trajectory of the ball.

The Putt Easy training aid is designed to train golfers to achieve two putting characteristics: a straight-through putting stroke and a stroke that makes impact with the ball with the clubface slightly rising, so that top-spin is imparted on the ball for a controlled roll. What is more, the Putt Easy is easy to assemble, easy to use and easy to store.

Bushnell claims its Tour V2 laser rangefinder with Slope is the most advanced rangefinder available. The V2 features an in-built inclinometer to provide golfers with a compensated distance reading depending on the degree of incline or decline between the golfer and the target. The rangefinder will give readings up to 300 yards away, accurate to within one yard.

The SkyCaddie SG5 rangefinder has patented IntelliGreen technology, which automatically rotates the true shape of the green to match the golfer's angle of approach. SkyGolf has mapped over 23,000 courses worldwide, primarily in the United States and Europe, and is scheduled to have 30,000 golf courses mapped by the end of 2009.

UST Mamiya claims to be setting a new standard in graphite shafts with the launch of the Proforce AXIVCore series. The shafts integrate a ‘true weave of four modulus carbon fibres all in one ply of material' - or four-axis material - within the inner walls of the butt to add stability and consistent shaft recovery. The counter-balanced shafts are also designed to reduce club heft, so golfers can increase clubhead speed and hence, shot distance. The new shafts come in Blue, Tour Black and Tour Red models, and with multiple weights and flexes.

Dynamic Gold shafts are designed with a high-flex and tour weight, probably for the better player looking for a low, penetrating ball flight, combined with optimum control and accuracy. Dynamic Gold shafts are available in tapered and parallel irons and parallel woods, and True Temper has also introduced a .350" parallel woods tip for clubs with oversize hosel diameters, to complement the existing .335" tip. All shafts come in a choice of three flexes.

Graphite Design goes so far as to describe its Aura shaft, which is new for 2009, as ‘a subtle field of luminous, multi-colored radiation surrounding a person like a halo'. Top that. The Aura shafts come in a range of four, coded by colour. ‘Red' signifies ‘power and energy', and is designed to offer a tour-preferred launch. It has a low torque and a 70-gram profile, suited to golfers who swing at 100mph and over. Gold produces a medium launch; Blue produces a higher launch angle and Green is designed to offer a balanced performance for a slower swing tempo.

Aldila launched the Voodoo shaft, with S-core technology, in summer 2008. The S-core - or ‘stabilised core' - is what Aldila says sets the shaft apart, and consists of a high-modulus carbon stabilisation rib running the length of the shaft. The theory is that the shaft's cross-section is significantly stabilised, so that the shaft's ‘hoop strength' is some 80% stronger than conventional graphite. Aldila says the result for the golfer is less shaft ‘ovaling' during the swing, which gives the shaft a better energy transfer into the back of the golf ball. That means faster ball speed and greater distance.

Designed for all wedges, Nippon claims the steel Pro WV will help golfers play stable and controllable shots due to its smooth feel, optimal weight distribution and flex distribution. The Pro WV is available in three weight models: 111.5 grams; 122.5 grams and 133 grams. Nippon lays claim to over 80% of the Asian steel shaft market, and to the number two spot in North America and Europe.

Mitsubishi Rayon says the company gave itself the challenge of creating the ‘best performing ultra lightweight graphite shaft in existence', and the result is the Bassara Ultra Lite Hawk, new for 2009. The Hawk features a firmer tip section and higher kick-point than its stable-mate the Ultra Lite Falcon, with a view to delivering maximum stability at impact and a lower launch angle. Also new for 2009 is the Fubuki Tour and JAVLNFX V-Series.

Designed by Kim Braly, the KB Series steel shafts are made with an exclusive ‘oil quench' tempering method that is designed to produce arrow straight shafts from butt to tip, and unlike most other steel shafts, there is no need to reinforce the tips of the KB Series. The result should be a higher centre of gravity construction, which allows for greater mass in the clubhead, and therefore an overall soft feel at impact. Lamkin now distributes FST and KBS shafts in the UK and Europe.

Grafalloy's ProLaunch Axis series combines the company's ‘tour-proven' Micro-mesh tip design with the Smart-ply technology already used in Grafalloy's Axis shaft. The Micro-mesh tip is designed to enhance stability and spin control, while the Smart-ply fibre orientation ensures the shaft is as reliable as possible through impact and that it maximises energy transfer. The ProLaunch Axis Red is geared for a low, penetrative ball flight, while its Blue brother is designed to provide a higher launch angle.

Golfsmith is the world's leading trade supplier of custom fit components to PGA professionals, and they offer the widest range of shafts and grips, including True Temper, Rifle, Grafalloy, UST Mamiya, Aldila, Fujikura, Winn and Golf Pride. The Golfsmith Europe premises in Cambridgeshire are also fully equipped to carry out custom fitting and shaft PUREing.

Pro-Light is the lightest grip 2Thumb has produced. The grip shares the same benefits of other 2Thumb grips, apart from the fact it weighs only 75 grams. The Pro-Light is designed for golfers who want to have a greater feel of the putter head during their stroke. Independent tests have shown that the 2Thumb grips reduce putter head rotation while improving the roll of putts.

Brand new from UST Mamiya is their multi-compound, counter-balanced grip. Cord is inserted into the grip where the most pressure is applied, by the golfer's top hand, to ensure the grip is low torque, and a softer compound is used for the feel points, under the golfer's bottom hand. The grip is topped with a heavy, 9mm cap to provide stability and counter balance.

In the first grip series designed specifically for women golfers, Golf Pride has made the Vyne grips from a supple rubber compound that is designed to minimise shock and discomfort, and the grips also come with a unique visual guide for hand placement. Vyne grips come in Strawberry, Blueberry, Apple and Grape colour options, and Golf Pride promises they also have the durability golfers expect from the company.

Karakal claims its All Weather Pro grips provide ultimate comfort and grip in all conditions. Their non-slip surface is designed to absorb vibration, while the Jumbo putter grip can be used with a traditional putting grip or with a two-thumb grip. The All Weather Pros are available in standard and women's sizes, and in Red, Orange, Green, Yellow, Blue or Black. The oversize Jumbo comes in Black/Red, Black/Orange, Black/Green or Black/Yellow.

Among Lamkin's new additions for 2009 is the Performance Plus, a grip designed for the competitive golfer. It features a new groove design with vertically positioned cells designed to reduce torque and a proprietary tacky compound for improved traction and feel. Lamkin's Stingfree Crossline Tour range has also been expanded for 2009 with three new models, with Red and Navy compounds also added to the options.

Iomic's Japanese-made Sticky grips are ultra-soft, with a view to delivering maximum feedback to the golfer. The elastomer grips are made with a high-pressure injection moulding process, which is designed to offer complete consistency, and Iomic claims they will last three times longer than rubber grips. Aimed at golfers of all levels, the Sticky grips come in five colours.

In today's difficult economic climate it is essential golf professionals find ways to maximise profits and set themselves apart from high street retailers. Custom-fit golf clubs have been with us for years, but not many pros offer the ultimate service of using the right individual components for the individual and then actually assembling the clubs themselves.