First Words
While the days tick down towards the Ryder Cup – the hours, minutes, seconds – so they do towards the end of the 2010 club season proper, which means it is time to start thinking about trade shows and stock for Spring 2011.
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Solheim Cup team sticks with Abacus
The European Solheim Cup team will wear Abacus apparel for the matches in 2011, continuing a relationship that started with the 2007 Solheim Cup in Sweden. Abacus will dress the players, caddies and others associated with the team when the tournament is held at Killeen Castle in Ireland in September next year. The agreement adds an element of kudos to what has already been an excellent year for the Swedish brand.
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Dixon launches eco-balls
American company Dixon Golf has brought is ‘100% eco-friendly’ golf balls to the UK market. The two-piece Dixon Earth ‘performance’ ball and Dixon Wind ‘distance’ ball are not only made from 100% recycled materials using a proprietary manufacturing process, but they are also 100% recyclable themselves.
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Management buy-out at Motocaddy
Directors at electric trolley company Motocaddy have acquired a majority stake in the company from founder and outgoing managing director Rod Brown. Tony Webb, who has been a company director and shareholder since 2007, has increased his shareholding and has stepped up to the role of managing director, while chairman David Wells and sales director Neil Parker have also increased their stakes. Brown will remain involved in the business as a consultant and minority shareholder.
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Country Code – Norway
SGB Golf’s series of country summaries taken from the BGIA’s report on The European Golf Apparel and Footwear market continues in Norway Norway is home to a relatively small golf retail market, particularly as the country’s golfing population does not tend to take specific golfing apparel seriously. There are around 90 pro shops in Norway, from a total of around 125 golf courses, which dominate approximately 70% of the Norwegian golf retail sector.
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Chipping In
Footjoy reaches base level Working towards Footjoy’s goal of ‘making every day playable’, the footwear and apparel brand has entered the growing base-layer sector by launching the FJ ProDry Performance Base Layer as part of a three-tiered Layering System designed specifically for golf. With an RRP of £39.99, the Base Layer is due for retail delivery from mid-October, having made its Tour debut at the Open in July, when American Steve Stricker wore it in the inclement conditions at St Andrews. www.footjoy.co.uk
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Building partnerships
Ian James, head of marketing at Foremost Golf, recently helped a PGA professional plan stocking for a new store. They created an RFP (Request for Proposal) for suppliers, containing the following questions:
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Ping evolution continues
With the imminent arrival at retail of Ping’s new ranges, John Clark, Ping’s European managing director, spoke exclusively to Robin Barwick Taking centre stage at retail at the end of August and in September is Ping’s new K15 range. How will K15 sit alongside the existing G15 and i15 lines? The emphasis of K15 is really to maximise forgiveness, with its Straight Flight technology, and with the irons we are using a titanium face, so from a price point of view K15 irons are a little bit higher than G15 or i15. The K15 family of products will appeal to a significant number of golfers and we are very hopeful of what it can achieve.
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Getting into the groove
It seems everyone is getting into grooves this year, and Golfsmith Europe’s technical director Neil Cooke has seen an influx of orders for wedge re-grooving Even though golf’s new groove limitations apply to Tour golfers only in 2010, and even though a non-conforming club cannot be made legal by re-grooving, the new regulations have led to club golfers focusing on cleaning up and re-grooving their existing wedges in increasing numbers. A clubface that is too worn cannot be re-grooved, but one with less wear can certainly be freshened up, resulting in noticeable results on the course.
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The House that Power Bilt
PowerBilt’s patented Nitrogen charged clubs have been described as one of the most important new technologies to hit the hardware market. With distance and accuracy improvements for all standards of players, tour proven performance and great margins, it’s clear why this brand is taking the US by storm
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Return of the Max
After a rocky few years, Maxfli has returned with new investment and fresh impetus. Ben Gardener of Elite Brand Company outlines an ambitious future for a brand with an illustrious past
At the 1923 Open Championship, just a year after the first Maxfli ball was developed, more than three-quarters of the field used one. In more recent times Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros gave testimony to the calibre of the brand by teeing up a Maxfli. Sandy Lyle’s famous last-gasp trap shot to win the 1988 Masters was played with a Maxfli DDH, so the brand has a strong sense of belonging at the premium end of the golf market.
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Powakaddy
Touch
Powakaddy describes its new Touch trolley as ‘intuitive’, as the trolley is designed to set its speed according to how fast the golfer is walking, rather than require golfers to use a roller to control speed. The Touch achieves this innovative function via a touch-sensitive handle, and the lightweight, aluminium Touch comes with a 20AH lead acid battery.
RRP: £399
www.powakaddy.com
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Motocaddy
S3 Digital
Motocaddy’s S3 Digital has been approved for use with all SkyCaddie GPS systems. The trolley has a USB port to keep rangefinders powered from the battery, it comes with pin-code security, ergonomic grips, low-profile tyres, a restyled, multi-functional display screen for 2010 and it is available in Alpine White, Black or Titanium.
RRP: from £399.99
www.motocaddy.com
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Big Max
IQ
Well established on the Continent, Big Max entered the UK market in 2010. The company claimed at launch that when folded up, its IQ push trolley was the most compact three-wheel golf trolley in the world. The 6.9kg IQ is designed to open out fully with one shake, and it comes in White, Black, Red or Silver.
RRP: £199.99
www.bigmaxgolf.co.uk
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Clicgear
3.0 Push
Succeeding the 2.0, the three-wheel 3.0 comes with a new console, which includes an expanding storage net and larger drinks holder, and the brake lever has been repositioned for easier access. The collapsible, aluminium push trolley comes with wide-profile wheels and is available in Black, Silver, White, Red, Blue, Kiwi, Orange, Yellow and Lavender.
RRP: £169
www.jsint.com
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Golfstream
Revolution
Designed and built in Great Britain from UK components, Golfstream’s Revolution electric trolley features a patented quick-release folding mechanism designed to be operated with one hand. The Revolution comes in Black, Orange, Lime and White and 18 or 36-hole batteries are available in lead acid or lithium ion.
RRP: £449
www.golfstream.co.uk
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Stewart Golf
Z1
Stewart says its new Z1 push trolley “folds up easier and smaller than any other on the market” in two steps. Furthermore, the three quick-release wheels are detachable to take up even less room when stored. Made from aero aluminium to be light yet strong, the Z1 comes with a foot-operated parking brake.
RRP: £199
www.stewartgolf.com
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Powerbug
Pro-Sport Digital
The Power Bug Pro-Sport Digital is powered by a 200-watt, ‘high-efficiency’ motor and the battery is intended to last 18 holes with ease. It has a three-point harness intended for use with the Power Bug Deluxe Cart Bag for a snug and secure fit.
RRP: £299
www.powerbug.co.uk
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Bag Boy
Automatic
Bag Boy’s Automatic push trolley features what Bag Boy describes as its ‘G Force Performance’ wheel design. The Automatic is made from ‘high modulus ultra lightweight aluminium tubing’, designed to fold in one swift action, and it comes with fully adjustable bag brackets to cater for all bag types, including junior bags. A parking brake is mounted onto the handle.
RRP: £169.99
www.bagboy.co.uk
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Hill Billy
Terrain
The electric Hill Billy Terrain features a three-way folding frame, and the 200-Watt motor is intended to cope with the broad variety of under-wheel conditions found on golf courses today. Settings include a pre-set distance function, which allows golfers to send the trolley ahead, and coming with a 12-month guarantee, the Terrrain is available in Black or Silver.
RRP: £299
www.hillbilly.co.uk
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Stowamatic
GT2
Stowamatic has updated its GT. Improvements on the GT2 include a new control to allow the trolley to move forward in distances of 10m, 20m, or 30m. There is also an upgraded 27-hole lead-acid battery, complete with foil-lined battery bag to help improve performance.
RRP: £499.99
www.thesportshq.com
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The Golfers Club
Pace Cart 09
The Pace Cart 09 has two wheels on the front with a view to making it easier to get up steep hills. The trolley also has a scorecard and tee holder while the quick-release wheels make it easy to store.
RRP: £79
www.brandfusionltd.co.uk
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Powakaddy
RoboKaddy
The premium Robokaddy comes complete with a remote control so golfers can adjust the speed and direction of the trolley with the greatest of convenience. Plus, the Robokaddy is fitted with an emergency stop button, just in case.
RRP: £799
www.powakaddy.com
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Bag Boy
Express 240
Bag Boy claims its conventional push/pull trolley provides the best roll on the market thanks to its ‘G-Force centre-tread design’ that offers the ‘lowest PSI (pounds per square inch) rating of any competitor’. Bag Boy promises the result will be that the trolley is easier to pull around the course.
RRP: £139
www.bagboycompany.com
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Sun Mountain
Micro Cart
The lightweight Micro Cart is built with four wheels, with a view to providing maximum stability. The push/pull trolley comes with a pencil holder, drinks holder and a padded valuables tray. It is easily folded up to dimensions of 24.5" x 16" x 12" to fit into the tightest of car boots.
RRP: £139
www.sunmountain.com
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Masters Golf
iCart
The iCart comes with a two-handed soft-push handle, and allied to the lightweight, three-wheel design, is intended to ensure minimum stress on the back during use. Designed to carry all types of golf bag, it has a ‘Quick-Lok’ folding system, foot brake, quick-release wheels and is available in Black, Silver and White.
RRP: £139.99
www.mastersgolf.co.uk
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Powakaddy
Freeway II
The Freeway II comes with a lithium battery as optional, which is 75% lighter than the lead acid equivalent. A multi-function LCD display is positioned in front of the soft-touch ergonomic handgrip, and it is available in Black or White.
RRP: £429 (lead acid, 18 holes); £459 (36 holes); £699 (lithium)
www.powakaddy.com
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Bare necessities
With the demand for minimalist footwear growing in the running and outdoor sectors, Ecco Golf is spearheading the concept’s entry into golf. Thomas Maymann, design manager for Ecco Golf, spoke to Robin Barwick about the introduction of Biom Golf.
It is hard to imagine that conventional thinking in footwear for running and walking over the past four or five decades – and in golf to an extent –might have been leading us down the wrong track. It has been widely accepted that feet require substantial cushioning and support to encourage optimum performance and injury prevention, but this theory is being challenged with increasing conviction by a new wave of ‘barefoot’ or ‘minimalist’ thinking, or in Ecco’s terms, by its ‘Natural Motion’ concept.
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Walking the walk
With so much marketing hype surrounding golf GPS products, Jacqui Hitchcock, SkyCaddie’s Managing Director UK, expresses her view on the issue of distance-measuring accuracy Golfers around the world are buying distance-measuring devices in ever increasing numbers, making it the fastest-growing golf retail category in recent years. But we hear many stories from the industry about inaccurate marketing and sales claims, which concerns us at SkyCaddie greatly. It is important that retailers fully understand DMDs.
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SkyCaddie
SGX
The SGX comes with an enlarged three-inch, LCD screen, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and SkyCaddie’s proprietary Truepoint Precision Positioning Technology. The SGX is pre-loaded with basic information on 30,000 worldwide golf courses, with memory to hold 50 detailed course profiles. SGX owners also gain access to the new Club SG Beta online community, including detailed game analysis.
RRP: £349.95
www.skygolf.com
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GolfBuddy
Tour GPS
GolfBuddy’s Tour GPS stores up to 20,000 golf courses and will track a golfer’s scoring for up to 1,000 rounds. The Tour GPS comes with every available European golf course already stored in the memory, and updating the GolfBuddy is free of charge. Key functions include automatic golf course and hole recognition, a moveable pin locator and hazard and target mapping that can be customised.
RRP: £349.95
www.gpsgolfbuddy.eu
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Golf Logix
Smartphone App
The new Smartphone Application from Golf Logix enables golfers to download what Golf Logix describes as ‘a fully functional golf GPS system … for a fraction of the price usually associated with golf GPS units’. Providing a variety of distance measurements for very hole, the application will also record shot distances, fairways hit and GIRs. Golf Logix currently has over 25,000 courses mapped worldwide.
RRP: US$39.95 (online only)
www.golflogix.com
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Sonocaddie
V350
The new Sonocaddie V350 handheld GPS system comes with all golf courses in the UK and Ireland pre-loaded, meaning there is no download process or membership fee for golfers. With 3D course layout graphics, the V350 allows golfers to add up to 10 specific targets per hole and it also features a digital scorecard, game analysis and shot distances. It is fitted with a re-chargeable battery.
RRP: £329.00
www.golfsmitheurope.co.uk
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Nikon Laser
350G
The lightweight 350G Rangefinder is simple to use: aim at the target, press the button and the distance flashes up on screen. The shock-resistant unit can measure distances to pins and hazards alike, and can be used from as near as 11 yards to a specified target. Nikon promises that its First Target Priority technology ensures the 350G will not confuse other obstacles for the pin.
RRP: £219.99
www.nikon.com
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Go Planet
Mars 100
The Go Planet Mars 100 features a colour screen and offers golfers distances to the front, centre and back of greens. The unit also measures shot distances, and it can hold course information on up to 100 courses at any one time, with a library of 20,000 worldwide courses available online, without any annual membership fees.
RRP: £139
www.jsint.com
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Bushnell
Tour V2
The Tour V2 measures only 4 x 7 x 10.9cm and weighs 187 grams, and it features Bushnell’s PinSeeker technology, which is designed to offer distances to within one yard of the exact yardage, without inadvertently offering distances to background targets. It can measure distances between five and 1,000 yards and displays information with an in-view LCD display.
RRP: £260
www.bushnellgolf.com
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Opti-Logic
Sabre GL
The new Sabre GL from Opti-Logic promises yardage readings from four yards, up to 1,000 yards for passive measurements, and 1,500 yards for reflective. The viewfinder magnifies the target by six times and the unit is designed to offer accuracy to within a yard. It comes complete with waterproof, rubberised housing.
RRP: £269.95
www.golfsmitheurope.co.uk
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CaddieAid
Mobile
CaddieAid consists of downloadable software for a mobile phone. Golfers can make unlimited downloads of course information for nearly 3,000 UK courses, and with full-colour graphics the CaddieAid Mobile will show golfers maps of the hole with distance read-outs to all the key features. It is compatible with LG, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, iPhone, Sony Eriksson and Blackberry.
RRP: £49.99
www.caddieaidmobile.com
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CaddieAid
Mobile
CaddieAid consists of downloadable software for a mobile phone. Golfers can make unlimited downloads of course information for nearly 3,000 UK courses, and with full-colour graphics the CaddieAid Mobile will show golfers maps of the hole with distance read-outs to all the key features. It is compatible with LG, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, iPhone, Sony Eriksson and Blackberry.
RRP: £49.99
www.caddieaidmobile.com
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Realising golfers’ dreams
It is no coincidence that Nippon Shaft is at the forefront of the steel shaft sector in golf. A combination of heritage, dedication and innovation has worked well for the Japanese company With technology advancing at ever-increasing speed In the 21st century, Japanese manufacturer Nippon Shaft has established itself at the leading edge of golf shaft technology. Golfers will find Nippon shafts on clubs made by Bridgestone, Callaway, Cobra, Titleist and Tour Edge, and as custom-fit options for Cleveland, Mizuno, Ping, and Srixon, to name just a few.
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