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Golf Equipment News * ADAMS SET TO MARKET HIGH-COR DRIVERCount Adams Golf as another company banking on the U.S. Golf Association adopting its proposal on COR. The Plano, Tex.-based manufacturer will introduce a driver, the GT 363R, that exceeds the current COR statute of .830 yet falls short of the proposed .860 limit. Adams will bring the club to market on July 1, more than two weeks before the July 15 end of the USGA's notice and comment period on the proposal. The driver carries a suggested retail price of $299 and features a beta titanium face. As with other Adams woods, weighting in the heel is used in an effort to promote a squarer club face at impact. The 363cc driver will be available in both graphite and graphite tip shafts. Bringing the driver out before the proposal is enacted is a risk, but Chip Brewer, CEO of Adams Golf, believes it is a minimal risk, and one worth taking. "We understand that there is a high probability that the proposal will be adopted as written," said Brewer. "As such, I don't think we should push technically inferior product." Brewer indicated that he expected to see further price compression on existing models. "I think the majority of golfers will either defer their purchase of a new driver until January 1, 2003 or simply buy now," said Brewer. "But there is a market based on price and there will be some good bargains out there for those looking for a good deal." Callaway Golf has had the high-COR ERC II on the market for more than a year, and TaylorMade has announced plans to start selling its high-COR drivers Aug. 1. ------- * POLO ADDS TO GOLF DIVISION By Annmarie Dodd Polo Ralph Lauren has made two changes in the management of its specialty division, promoting Andy Bell and adding Scott Mahoney. The specialty segment of the company encompasses better men's specialty stores, as well as Polo Golf. Bell, formerly senior director of sales for Polo Golf, is now senior director of operations for the specialty division. He will work with the company's men's and women's design, merchandising, sales and customer service staffs to improve operations. Mahoney, now VP of golf, recently transferred from a VP sales post in Polo's dress furnishings division. He will oversee the men's and women's Polo Golf sales staff. Polo Golf is sold at 1,700 better green grass and resort shops across the U.S. and at select Polo Ralph Lauren stores. Both Mahoney and Bell report to John Kirwan, senior VP of the company's specialty division. ------- * WEBB WINS WITH ALL TITLEIST EQUIPMENT Karrie Webb was all Titleist in her first win of 2002. Webb used Titleist's Pro V1 ball, 975J (9.5 degrees) driver, Titleist 975F 3- and 5-wood, 690 Forged irons (3-PW) and Titleist Vokey wedges (52, 58 degrees). Webb also used a Scotty Cameron prototype putter in her victory. In the overall counts, Callaway hit the trifecta, with wins in drivers, fairway woods and irons, while sister company Odyssey took the top spot in putters. Titleist won the ball count. Wedge figures were not available. * NEW SHOPS HELP NIKE Nike Golf executives said they credit the firm's new apparel concept shops with helping the brand grow in seven product categories and jump 70 percent in sales for the last year. Nike Golf opened 150 in-store apparel shops, ranging from 50 to 1,400 square feet, in green-grass and off-course shops in 2001 and is expecting to open another 100 by the end of the year. David Hagler, Nike's category business director for apparel, said the shops allow the company the chance to "tell the technical story" and make clear the differences between the brand's Dry-FIT, Clima-FIT, Therma-FIT and Storm-FIT collections. "The Concept Shops have been a tremendous boost to the awareness of Nike Golf apparel," Hagler said. "The presentations also demonstrate the style and breadth of our lines." Nike Golf first opened 75 in-store apparel shops in 2000. In addition to the 325 in-store shops and a total of 815 smaller Nike Golf in-store apparel displays the company plans to have operating by year's end, the Beaverton, Ore. firm is planning other shop concepts for its golf accessories and hard goods. Nike Golf did not provide sales and profit numbers to illustrate recent growth. ------- * FORRESTER'S AND JONES GOLF MERGE The Yoshida Group, a Portland-based diversified company, has acquired Forrester's, a golf outerwear firm that will join Jones Golf, a mainstay in the collegiate and high school bag market, in the company's sports division. With the acquisition, the two companies will merge all operations into Jones Golf headquarters in Portland. They will operate as separate brands, but will share a sales force of 30 that John Anderson, national sales manager for Forrester's, will direct. Matt Guthrie, president of Yoshida Group and GM of Jones Golf, will oversee both brands. Ryan Rombalski will remain Forrester's CEO. Jones,was acquired by the Yoshida Group in April 2001. The Yoshida Group has in its portfolio Prison Blues blue jeans, multiple snowboard manufacturers and an art gallery, along with other enterprises. No price was released for the deal. -------- * INDUSTRY NOTES: FEDEX RE-UPS WITH PGA TOUR FedEx Corp. announced today a four-year extension of its sponsorship of the PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic. The world's largest express package carrier also became the official shipping company of the PGA Tour. Reed Exhibitions, organizers of PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions, said that it ranked first in Tradeshow Week's annual ranking of top 10 trade show organizers for the third year in a row. * INDUSTRY NAMES: WOODS NO. 2 IN FORBES LIST Tiger Woods ranked second in the Forbes Magazine celebrity index of Power 100, earning an estimated $62 million a year from endorsements. The magazine said also that the golfer had 378,000 web hits and more than 50,000 press clips. The No. 1 spot sent to teen pop queen Britney Spears, who beat Woods only in the web hits category with 997,000. Tom VanHaaren has been named Eastern VP of Sales for The Double R Corporation. Double R makes and markets Joey Rodolfo's women's Resort Two and men's JR 1879 collections. |
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