Srixon says it has made its AD333 - the UK's best-selling two-piece golf ball - even better for Autumn 2009.

Key to the advance is that Srixon has enlarged the Energetic Gradient Growth Core of the AD333 to give the ball a higher initial velocity, leading to greater distance.

Worldwide Golf Brands and Ram have made a major mutual commitment, in the form of a lengthy nine-year extension to Worldwide's Ram license in the UK and Europe.

Worldwide Golf Brands is the Manchester-based company formally known as UK Golf Services, which owns the Stuburt footwear and waterproofs brand.

Dubai-based Scorpio Golf has launched a range of golf shirts on a theme of national flags, as worn on Tour by Germany's Lisl Esterl.

"Ian Poulter has touched on this idea and Annika [Sorenstam] wore the Swedish blue and gold on her last appearance in Dubai in December 2008," explains Neil Webb, Scorpio's business development manager. "But nobody has yet devised a line of clothing that takes advantage of full production facilities and combined that with the ability to make items highly personal with initials and personal logos. People are proud of their origin and also their name."

TaylorMade has launched the Penta TP, the first five-layer golf ball designed for Tour pros. TaylorMade claims the new ball combines the benefits of its TP Red and TP Black into one ball, so while it is engineered for the world's best players, the ball is supposed to benefit all golfers.

Best known for its trolleys and golf bags, Bag Boy has introduced its range of golf bag travel cases to the UK market.

The BGIA has published an extensive study on the golf apparel and footwear market in Europe, split into three volumes: Southern Europe, Northern Europe, and Central & Eastern Europe. In part four of SGB Golf's exclusive series of country summaries from the report we cover Italy.

SkyCaddie has launched the SG2.5 Lite, which features the same GPS technology as SkyCaddie's top-of-the-range SG5, but without the colour screen or level of functionality.

Nike has launched the Zoom Bandon, which it claims is the ultimate all-weather golf shoe. The American company goes so far as to say that the boot-style Bandon "laughs in the face of water and kicks mud in the face of, well, mud".

Club professionals are fine golfers, they are usually excellent teachers, and many of them have fantastic knowledge and understanding of some quite complex equipment and products, but knowing how to layout a pro shop is a craft much harder to acquire. Well, for those in need of inspiration, Paul Sanders is speaking on ‘Shop Design - make the most of your Golf Shop' at Golf Europe. Paul has designed golf shops for 20 years and has also worked with department stores, so he will certainly be armed with some innovative ideas.

Brian Conors House of Golf at Manchester GC is providing living proof of how investment in a custom-fitting service incorporating leading-edge technology can convert into profit.

Following success in cricket, running and Formula 1, UK eyewear specialist Sunwise is launching its ‘low price, high quality' sunglasses into the golf market.

Ping fits in at Solheim Cup

As a primary sponsor, Ping was kept busy on the range at Rich Harvest Farms during the week of the Solheim Cup, as Golf Week reported that Ping's custom-fitting team completed over 700 fittings of its new G15 and i15 lines, with a further 350 people completing individual club tests.

www.ping.com

Before Tiger burst onto the scene, the word ‘athlete' was rarely used to describe a golfer. It might be no exaggeration to claim that if it was not for Tiger, golf might not have even entered the race to become an Olympic sport. Today, we certainly have athlete golfers and soon it looks like we will have Olympic golfers.

While adidas is building on its heritage of producing technical and athletic apparel for Spring Summer 2010, one of the brand's three collections is taking on a more subtle and sophisticated tone; the adiPure collection has been designed to combine technology with a simple, unfussy look, to compliment the ‘3-stripes' and ‘Formotion' collections.

The important topic of ‘Player Development from Beginners to Winners' is to be debated at the PGAs of Europe's 19th Annual Congress in Murcia, Spain, from November 10-13.

GolfBuddy, the ‘Official Handheld GPS Rangefinder' of The PGAs of Europe, is being made available to 261 pro shops and 371,000 golfers in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Germany and Austria by the Golfstore Group, Europe's leading golf retail chain.

Autumn 2009 is halfway through the two-year life cycle of Sunderland's Tournament Suit, made from Thermal13 fabric. Has it sold well so far?

The Tournament Suit is very successful. We measure ourselves against what we expect to sell, which is all you can do. The Tournament Suit has everything you would hope for from a top-end suit: it has the technology, it is very lightweight, comfortable and it looks great too. It is what the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team will be wearing for The PGA Cup this month in Scotland.

After all the upheaval the Ashworth brand has been through over the past couple of years, Spring Summer 2010 is a crucial season for the American-born label. By Autumn 2008 the California-based company had run up debts of over $45 million, revenues had fallen off a cliff and it was nearing bankruptcy, before being bought by TaylorMade adidas for $72.8 million last November.

The patented PitchMaster from Asbri is a fully retractable pitch repair tool that Asbri describes as "the Ferrari of all pitch repairers". Asbri specialises in branded golf merchandise and the company promises retailers low minimum orders, no set-up charges, quick lead-times and fantastic customer service.

Powered golf trolley manufacturer Motocaddy will be showcasing its 2010 range of trolleys and accessories at Munich, including some new features that have never been used on electric trolleys before. They will also be launching a brand new Motocaddy Ladies range.

Distributed by JS International in the UK and Ireland, the Clicgear trolley is made with patented hinge technology so it is compact and collapses with ease. It is made from lightweight aluminium and its wheels have been enlarged to produce greater stability and grip. The brakes have also been improved and the trolley now comes with a handbrake option, and it comes in eight colour options.

Golf Europe will be the first opportunity for the trade to see Cutter & Buck's Spring Summer 2010 range. The US Fit collection will feature the latest Annika line, C&B Pennant will offer a more traditional look, Classics will be ideal for embroidery, while Euro Fit features fashion styling for the European market (pictured).

Abacus says its Spring Summer 2010 collection is inspired by "spring hues, Monet's Water Lilies, the richness of the seas and the clear energy in nature's strong colours". The range comes in three colour palettes for women and two for men, with the intention of the range being suitable for wear on and off the golf course.

Until now, Golfstream has operated as a provider of spare parts for electric trolleys, but the company is entering the trolley market itself with the launch of its Revolution electric trolley at Golf Europe. Sales director Derek Richford (pictured) claims: "The Golfstream Revolution is stronger, smaller and easier to fold than the biggest-selling electric golf trolley in the UK".

The world's first 3D Doppler golf radar, the Flightscope Kudu is a golf ball radar that can be used indoors and outside. Its patented phased array tracking technology enables pros to measure ball speed, carry, trajectory, spin, impact angle, shot grouping, club speed, club path, smash factor and attack angle. Callaway, TaylorMade and Ping have all partnered Flightscope for their custom-fitting in 2009.

Highlighting what MD Golf says is its strongest ever range for 2010 will be a trio of new wedges, two of which have been designed by Seve Ballesteros. Other new products include a set of Seve forged irons, a Seve driving iron and a new range of SuperStrong woods.

Flix Golf will be exhibiting the Flix Lite automatic opening repair tool at Munich. Lightweight and durable, the Flix Lite features an ergonomic handle and a magnetic ball marker, and it is available in Black, Blue, Gunmetal and Red and it comes with a RRP of £7.99.

Big Max trolleys are arriving in the UK for 2010, through distributor Golf and Sports Supplies (GSS). The new IQ trolley, which will be launched at Golf Europe, is set to spearhead the Big Max range. Big Max claims its Ti 1000, which was one of the first trolleys to offer three wheels as opposed to two, is Europe's best selling trolley ever.

GolfBuddy's Tour GPS (RRP: £349.95) stores up to 20,000 golf courses and will track a golfer's scoring for up to 1,000 rounds. A key selling point is that it comes with every available European golf course already stored in the memory, and updating the GolfBuddy is free of charge.

The Grip Master claims to be the world's leading producer of leather golf grips. They make grips from deer, lamb, cow, rattle snake, eel, crocodile, sea snake and sting ray among other skins, as well as the new line of John Daly Kangaroo grips (pictured), which are 40% lighter than many rubber grips. The Grip Master proclaims: "If you can't grip it you won't rip it".

Yes! Golf will be exhibiting its line of interchangeable-hosel putters at Golf Europe, having been the world's first putter manufacturer to introduce the innovation. Yes! Golf's Variable Shaft Weighting System - an award winner at Golf Europe in 2008 - will also return to Munich. Yes! Golf will also be promoting its expanding portfolio of European custom-fitting centres.

Golfsmith Europe has added over 100 new products to its accessories and components catalogue for 2010, ranging from shafts, grips and clubheads to ZTech accessories and Sonocaddie GPS systems. The catalogue also comes with a Lowest Price Guarantee.

New for 2010, women's clothing brand Daily Sports has received UV accreditation, and most of the tops in its Spring Summer 2010 range provide a sun protection of UVF 40+. The company also promises retailers a broad range of colours and design stories, together with excellent top-up stock throughout the year.

The extensive Spring Summer 2010 range from Golfino will be on display at Golf Europe. Included in the range is the elegant Resort Club line for ladies (pictured), which is a neo-classic offering incorporating navy, fire and white. Stripes and fine tipping details with silver trim combine with ruffles and double collar details, with the look completed by light, quilted outerware.

Looking forward to its 17th year at Golf Europe, the PGAs of Europe stand is designed to serve as a meeting place for all PGA professionals and for the companies and organisations who partner the PGAs of Europe. The PGAs of Europe now represents 36 national PGAs from around Europe and beyond.

Was I alone in feeling slightly wary of the prospect of a man approaching his 60th birthday hoisting the Claret Jug aloft at Turnberry? As Tom Watson strode on to the 18th green of the Ailsa Course on that Sunday afternoon, I couldn't help but reflect that something was not quite right.

The new G15 hybrid has looks closer to an iron than its i15 stable-mate, which has a clubhead more like a fairway wood. Designed to generate a high launch angle and low spin rate, the G15 has been constructed with a very long toe pad, and combined with the iron-style weight distribution, Ping says the G15 provides exceptional MOI. The G15 comes in five loft options of 17°, 20°, 23°, 27° and 31°.

Benross irons sets run as far as 5-iron, and then the gap between irons and driver is filled by their series of Fairbrids, which come with lofts of 15°, 18°, 21° and 24°. The series has been designed to eradicate the confusion golfers can have about how to fit hybrids between their long irons and fairway woods. The clubs also make a smooth visual transition up to the Innovator X driver.

The 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.

Following on from MD Golf's award-winning 2009 Superstrong Hybrid, the 2010 model has a deeper clubface, and with an extra 1.5mm of offset, the club has been designed to be more forgiving than ever. In keeping with MD Golf's fairway woods, the new Hybrid comes fitted with a Proforce 65 or UST Ultraflex shaft as standard, and in lofts of 18°, 21° and 24°.

Wilson's FYbrids are a family of clubs designed to fill the gap between six-iron and driver. The series consists of three long iron replacement hybrids, a 5-wood and 3-wood, and then bridging the gap between the hybrids and woods is Wilson's ‘Fy', with a loft of 19.5° and length of 41". Wilson claims that this club provides the optimum combination of loft and length for the majority of swing speeds from a fairway lie.

Ram has re-positioned the clubhead weight in the Tour Grind X hybrids with a view to maximising the MOI for greater distance and accuracy, for shots played from the fairway and the rough. Complete with Ram's custom Japanese shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips, the hybrids come in lofts of 18°, 21° and 24° for men, and in 20° and 23° for women.

The QS4-U represents the fourth generation of Quick Strike hybrids from Snake Eyes. A clubface of variable thickness is designed to provide a ‘hot feel' even for off-centre strikes, and a concave sole design should reduce surface friction from a variety of lies. The club is fitted with the Aero Tech Hoop Wind graphite shaft, and comes in lofts of 15°, 19°, 23°, 27° and 31°.

The Rescue 2009 combines TaylorMade's latest technologies with a look inspired by the company's original hybrid, the 2003 Rescue Mid. With hybrids becoming increasingly similar to fairway woods in size, TaylorMade ensured this new model returned to the breed of compact hybrid heads. The head size should make the club more playable, while it has a much lower CG than its 2003 ancestor.

The Rescue 2009 combines TaylorMade's latest technologies with a look inspired by the company's original hybrid, the 2003 Rescue Mid. With hybrids becoming increasingly similar to fairway woods in size, TaylorMade ensured this new model returned to the breed of compact hybrid heads. The head size should make the club more playable, while it has a much lower CG than its 2003 ancestor.

The GeoMax 2 has been designed with a bullet-shaped head and a sloping crown to give the club a low CG. The shallow design should also enhance the MOI, for a stable strike and excellent forgiveness from off-centre strikes. The GeoMax 2 comes in lofts of 17°, 19°, 22°, 25° and 28°, and in right and left-handed models for men and women.

The 909H is constructed with a precision cast 17-4 stainless steel body and a 455 Carpenter steel face insert with a view to providing golfers with great feel and increased ball speed. Clubhead size, shape, offset and CG progress through the lofts to maintain workability and trajectory. The 909H comes in 15°, 17°, 19°, 21° and 24°.

The Concept Hybrids from Longridge are made from stainless steel and they come with square-head designs to enhance the CG and MOI, with a view to providing great forgiveness and a high trajectory. The clubs are available in lofts of 19°, 23° and 27° for men and women, and they come fitted with a low-torque shaft.

The latest Baffler TWS model has been built with a triple weight system that pushes the clubhead weight back and to the periphery of the clubhead, with a view to improving the CG and MOI, without sacrificing any playability. The Baffler TWS comes in lofts of 16°, 18°, 20°, 23°, 26° and 29°.

Callaway has adopted its Dual Runner Sole from the FT Hybrids for the Big Bertha Diablo, to give golfers the best chance possible of making effective contact from a variety of lies. The sole also lowers the club's leading edge, with a view to making the sweetspot easier to strike. The Diablo comes in lofts of 18°, 21°, 24° and 27°.

Nike's SasQuatch (SQ) SUMO is built with square geometry, with the intention of producing a high moment of inertia, and therefore resistance to twisting an impact with the ball for cleaner strikes, greater distance and accuracy. Nike's PowerBow Weighting gives the club a low CG.

Re-gripping clubs is part of every pro's basic training, so there is a danger that pros assume it is a simple and straightforward process. The reality is that a lot can go wrong when re-gripping, and a badly installed grip can ruin an otherwise perfectly good set of clubs. Re-gripping is one of those jobs that goes unnoticed if it is completed properly, but if the job is sub-standard it stands out like a sore thumb.