Aiming to attract the attention of some of the 40,000 international golf buyers who attend the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando are several British companies. Here we feature a cross section of these exhibitors: some new, some well-established, some very small enterprises indeed and some already worth many millions of pounds.
Boom Golf: Carousel Golfing; Enko Products; Explanar Golf; Golf Log Media; Golf Plus; Harold Swash Putting; Johanne Linder International Ltd; Mobile Equipment Enclosures; The Marchliffe Hotel; Midas Golf; PinShot; Powakaddy; PuttGuard from Fairway Golf Designs; and TrueStrike; – all these companies have taken this opportunity to say, in their own words, why they should succeed in the largest golf market in the world
Boom Golf
The Boomerang’s an addictive game. It also gives you better quality feedback than any other putting aid and more reps than any other ball returner. It’s so challenging you can play for hours but at the same time you‘re playing on a training device used by tour pros to fine-tune their muscle memory.
The Boomerang’s silent, kinetic design and ingenious 2-ball mechanism doesn‘t need batteries which means you can use it anywhere and play for as long as you like without needing to retrieve a ball. You can beat the Boomerang by improving your Average or beat another golfer by challenging them to a game of Matchplay.
Once set every putt becomes an identical challenge of perfect line and perfect pace. Get it right and the Boomerang alternates a lag putt followed by a matchplay putt up to 500 times an hour, get it wrong and the ball is back at your feet to try again.
The target works like a spirit level and a ball will only come to rest at 6 o‘clock when you‘re on a level surface. When you know the putt is straight before you hit it you also know that any putt that misses can only be the result of the stroke itself. But if you miss you immediately know why and the back is right back at your feet for another try.
Learning how to hit a perfectly straight putt is the first thing we show you on the Boomerang’s VCD because it’s only once you can hit a totally straight putt that you can start working on absolute distance control. Access Tour Tips on-line and combine them with the BoomTech video and you‘ll have a lethal putting stroke on any surface.
The Boomerang gives you tour quality practice and simulate incredible pressure at home, the office, the club or anywhere you might be – and the best part is it’s so addictive I promise you wont be able to walk past the Boomerang without trying to get an in & out or two – however long that takes…
A Boomerang MK-1 Tour Pack contains a Boomerang, an instructional VCD, an 8ft Carnoustie putting surface and a money back guarantee. It’s absolutely absorbing and we think it’s the gift for any golfer. Play on your own or with friends and start grooving a professional putting stroke today – it’s great fun and you won‘t be disappointed with the results.
Alex Moore BoomGolf.com
Carousel Golfing
The Revolutionary golf bag locker and storage company is making rapid progress into club locker rooms in the UK and throughout Europe. Now as a result of many enquiries from the USA, we have set up a sales and marketing base in Savannah, Georgia with distribution being handled out of Atlanta.
American golf clubs with large bag handling operations see the huge advantages of the rotating Carousel units as –
- 300% more space efficient than standard racking
- Faster bag deposit/retrieval – a Big Bonus for cart operators.
- Health & Safety friendly bag handling
Last year saw the introduction of the Armadillo security lockers with –
- Double skinned door construction
- Triple locking bars
- 2000+ key combinations
Carousel Golfing has already transformed locker and bag storerooms in many high profile clubs throughout the UK.
With 12 bag capacity per sq. metre of floor area, clubs are now able to cater for the demands of more members.
The annual income generated from locker rental/bag storage more than covers the costs of purchase/installation over a short period of time and thereafter can be an attractive income generator for years to come.
Carousel Golfing – making space make money
Impaktee Golf Mats at the PGA to secure distribution in the US and other markets.
The Impaktee range of golf mats have been manufactured by Enko Products in south Wales (UK) for the past ten years and are recognised as one of the leading quality golf mats throughout Europe .
Peter Creasy , managing director , and Geraint Thomas, general manager , have between them visited the PGA Show for the past two years in order to ascertain the potential for the Impaktee range of mats. This year they have committed to an Impaktee stand.
Peter Creasy said, “It became clear that with the large range of mats currently available to the US market, several being ‘look alikes‘ of our original Impaktee Classic mat, that we would have to gear up our production capability and set out to emphasise and explain the technical differences between out mats and the others.
“Consequently at the beginning of last year we installed a new £100,000 press that enabled us to treble the output of our flagship 1.7m x 1.7m mat and set about visiting new markets in order to appoint distributors. This exercise has proven very successful with additional distributors being appointed in Spain, Portugal, Ireland and hopefully Italy within the last three months.
“Our stand No 8947 at the PGA, as part of the British Pavilion , is aimed at appointing a network of distributors to cover the US and hopefully to enable us to meet potential distributors from further a field.
“The nylon cloth used on our mats is top quality 55oz . To adhere the cloth to the mats we produce a fully cross linked irreversible chemical cure which produces an all important flexible adhesive that has enough resilience to withstand the flexing underfoot and the club heads striking the cloth. The adhesive has a high tensile strength combined with a good elongation capability.
The design of the adhesive system is chemically identical to that of the binder used to bond them together with the rubber shred base. This binder is designed to match the softness the rubber so as to reduce the strain between them and thereby give great feel combined with durability”
Explanar Golf Training System
The Explanar Golf Training System is the brainchild of Luther Blacklock, PGA head professional at Woburn Golf & Country Club, England and is being used by PGA Professionals across Three Continents.
It is a definitive design and concept that is the fruit of 30 years of studying the golf swing. The complex theories of the golf swing are now turned into feelings by this radical and innovative system.
Whether a person is a beginner an established player or a Tour professional, the Explanar allows the golfer to train their swing whilst exercising every appropriate muscle group for their ideal swing movement. Thousands of pupils have already benefited from the Explanar’s simplicity. It adds real value to the golf instructor, creating better golfers more quickly.
The Explanar is used and endorsed by Butch Harmon, arguably the world’s No1 coach. Butch says, “The Explanar is truly one of the finest training aids I‘ve worked with in all my years as a teaching professional. It’s my belief that every teaching facility should have one.”
Luther commented, “When the No 1 teacher in the world asked us to supply him with an Explanar we were delighted.”
The Explanar; it turns swing thoughts, into swing feelings.
www.explanar.com
USA Launch of ‘Golf Log and Diary 2005‘
After a successful European launch for 2004, Golf Log Media is introducing the ‘Golf Log and Diary 2005‘ into the North American market at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. Stand No: 8945
‘Golf Log and Diary 2005‘ is a unique combination of a quality desk diary and golf log, which allows the golfer to track his or her games through the year, and importantly their scores and handicap progress.
Beautifully hard bound and finished in green cloth with gold lettering, the book also includes weekly quotes and tips from top Tour players and personalities, a schedule of PGA events and lists of the top US, European and world golf courses.
Other sections allow the owner to record their lessons, equipment purchases, overseas travel and golf trips. The interior sections are printed on ivory 100gsm paper with dark green text. The Golf Log & Diary is the perfect way for the golfer to keep a personal record through the years of their favourite sport.
A must stock item for all club pro-shops and book stores (particularly in the Fall seasonal build up) the product is additionally ideal as a gift item for corporate tournament sponsors, company golf days and events or as a corporate incentive. Customised logo embossing and bespoke editions are available, as well as mailing and other services.
Golf Log Media president and editor James Deen says, “2004 was our first year and we have been delighted with the sales figures.As a keen golfer myself, I believe that we have succeeded in making this a must-have product for all golfers, and it seems that our ‘behind the ropes‘ policy of getting our customers more into the game has worked extremely well.
“Golf Log and Diary sponsored players have performed fantastically on the European PGA Tour. Brian Davis, our top ranked player, finished 9th in the Order of Merit, and will become a familiar face to US audiences during 2005.
“Golf Log and Diary 2005‘ will be even better and bigger, with more top names contributing editorially. We are really looking forward to servicing the challenges of the USA golf industry in the year ahead.”
Amongst many celebrities and professional golfers Hugh Grant and Justin Timberlake have been using and appreciating the 2004 edition. KPMG, Grey Advertising, UBS and Marquis Jets are amongst numerous corporate clients who have ordered bulk quantities of the 2004 edition as use as corporate gifts.
The 2005 edition will retail at $35.00, and quantity terms will give all sectors of the Industry high margins on this innovative new product. The book has approx 200 pages, measures 8.5 inches (210mm) square; perfect bound, hard cover (3mm board)
Samples of 2004 edition available at the PGA Show or on request. www.golflogdiary.com
Golf Plus
The new golf cart GPS system from GolfPlus is the first in a range of technology products from the UK based electronics manufacturing company, offering Clubs a simple and effective alternative to existing costly and high maintenance GPS systems currently available.
By harnessing GPS technology GolfPlus provides golfers with a consistently accurate distance measurement from their ball to hazards and the green centre. Consisting only of an easy to use monitor mounted on the golf cart, the system displays information on a colour layout of the hole with continually updated yardage. Additionally, advertising pages, warnings and messages are displayed to assist players and enhance their enjoyment.
Simplicity is the key, the GPS unit is completely self contained, with no radio, satellite, computers or other hardware required. The GolfPlus system is designed and operated via easy-to-use software, enabling adverts to be uploaded for either a fixed duration or as a default advertisement running on the GPS units. A range of finance options are available from revenue share, rental or purchase.
Our products will be demonstrated on the GOLFPLUS Stand 6536 at the PGA show in Orlando. www.e-golfplus.com
Harold Swash
Visit Booth 9042 in the UK pavilion and meet Harold Swash Europe’s Putting Guru and realise his Putting Beliefs. His new CD—–DVD & New “C” Groove Putters. Harold is currently working with players from our Ryder Cup Team- (Darren Clarke–& Padriag Harrington)–Walker Cup Team ——-and the Solhiem Cup Team.
Johanne Linder International Ltd
Johanne Linder International Ltd-featuring Attivo-Sportivo and Qubha‘ with Christina Rey.will be on Stand 12443. We are showing at Orlando for the first time, while the exchange rate is not advantageous for European purchases we feel that the our product and prices are still workable for the US market.
We are offering fully co-ordinated collections for ladies and gentlemen, or single merchandise groups. Knitwear especially cashmere and superfine merino wools in plain and jacquard, double mercerised cotton shirts in plains, stripes and jacquards. Trousers shorts and plus fours in plaids, wool mixes and cotton blends. Blouses and shirts in poplin stretch fabrics. Accessories including cashmere hats, scarves and gloves, hats and visors, socks umbrellas and many more items. All items can be personalised sold with our brand label or with your own exclusive label made and designed by us.
We look forward to welcoming new customers and to giving a personalised design service making exclusive ranges in the latest fashion shades. We also offer an established italian fashion collection of resort clothing.
Please visit us on stand 12443 Johanne Linder
MEE manufacturers of sliding doors enclosures for golf carts
Mobile Equipment Enclosures Ltd (MEE) based in Northern Ireland are the only manufacturers of a rigid sliding doors enclosure for golf carts.
Golf carts generally leave the factory in a completely open state with 4 wheels and seats. Many come with a roof and windscreen. For weather protection a vinyl fabric enclosure with roll up flaps for doors secured by long zips is the general solution. It is considered to be a most unsatisfactory product although low cost.
MEE have spent 4 years engineering a rigid enclosure for all makes of golf carts. The main feature is a large sliding door at each side providing easy access for every size of golfer. They are built for 2 passenger and also 4, 6 and 8 passenger.
MEE is showing the full range of Enclosures at the PGA Merchandise Show and operating on their Booth is the world’s first air conditioned golf cart.
Many are sold in UK and Ireland but the main market is USA where MEE have a US Patent for their Enclosure.
Mobile Equipment Enclosures (MEE) Booth Number 7234
The Marchliffe Hotel
The Marcliffe at Pitfodels in Aberdeen is delighted to be attending their 5th PGA Show in Partnership with Perry Golf and on our individual stand with Visit Scotland. The Marcliffe at Pitfodels is the only 5 Star Visit Scotland Hotel in the North East of Scotland.
We have been in business since 1979 and built our new property which was opened by Mikhail Gorbachev in November, 1993. We have 40 rooms which include 2 rooms suites, junior suites, deluxe rooms and master rooms.
Our Conservatory Restaurant is very well known in the North East of Scotland and we have a wonderful team of Chef’s who work entirely with the best of Scottish produce. The Restaurant is renowned for its Scottish beef, which is all selected and matured for us and has given us a great reputation. We always have a huge selection of seafood on the menu also which includes Scottish lobster, scallops, langoustines and many types of fish but only what is landed in Scotland. Nothing that we produce on the menu is imported.
We also have 300 wines on the list from the best French wines to the best New World wines including California. All our expensive wines have a maximum mark up of 15%, which makes the Conservatory Restaurant a great destination for wine connoisseur.
We are affiliated to Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, Cruden Bay Golf Club and Murcar Golf Club, which are all the championship links courses within a short distance. Royal Aberdeen is 15 minutes away, Murcar 20 minutes and Cruden Bay 40 minutes, and within 5 minutes we have a hundred year old inland course called Deeside Golf Club, which is also a great destination and very handy for the Hotel.
The Hotel is totally geared up to our golfing business and we have built a fine reputation with golfers from throughout the States who return time and time again to this wonderful part of North East Scotland.
Midas Golf – a family business
Midas Golf has designed and created a unique range of innovative products and fitting systems, for the benefit of recreational, amateur and tournament golfers. This has been achieved in partnership with the D.T.I ‘SMART‘ award for Innovation after 4 years of development and will be launched at the PGA Orlando trade show.
- Big Ball Full Moon And Half Moon Putters
- Eclipse Putter Fitting System
- Attackline Club Fitting System
Including our new product range brands,
- 2XL
- Widowmaker
- Attackline Wedges
Our levels of knowledge and experience within the golf industry began in the 60’s at Dunlop Slazenger, Maxfli, to the formation of Midas Golf in 1991. During this time we have assembled, custom fit and repaired golf clubs for retail and trade customers, including many professionals; as well as offering consultancy services on product development and manufacturing, for many established golf companies.
We are a family business who prides ourselves on the levels of service that we offer to all our customers, the value for money this represents and the quality of product received.
PinShot computerised putting simulator
PinShot is the brand new computerised putting simulator developed in conjunction with three-times Masters and Open champion Nick Faldo, launching at this year’s PGA Merchandise Show.
Designed specifically to address all aspects of a player’s putting stroke, the PinShot trainer provides a unique range of practice benefits not previously available on the market.
Using the latest computerised system, PinShot can simulate slow or fast greens and provide practice scenarios for putts from just a few inches to 40 feet in length – all without the need to constantly be retrieving the ball.
With different pre-programmed putting drills, a user-programmable practice mode, and a game mode where 9 holes can be played by up to 4 different players, PinShot represents the most complete putting training system available.
Its totally portable “play anywhere” design can be used in the office, at home, at the driving range, or absolutely anywhere – indoors or out. The system also incorporates a swing measure, a variable putting swing guide, a built-in metronome, adjustable stimp and a mirror to ensure correct head position and stance.
www.pinshotgolf.com
Powakaddy unveil show stoppers
The market leading powered cart brand shows off new 2004 line up in Orlando.
For over 20 years UK based PowaKaddy has been producing top quality products and constantly refining them to stay ahead of the competition. For 2004 PowaKaddy has introduced even more innovative design features and refinements to their hugely successful range, which will undoubtedly reinforce their position as the world-renowned market leaders in golf cart technology and development.
The main highlights in the 2004 PowaKaddy range:
Sales are booming worldwide for PowaKaddy’s revolutionary RoboKaddy, the cart that obeys your command by remote control, as more and more golfers are witnessing the ‘all play and no work‘ advantages of this state-of-the-art innovation. As sales director David Wells explains, “Some things in life go straight to the top of the ‘must have‘ list and RoboKaddy is becoming one of the most desirable pieces of golf technology on the planet.” In North America demand for the RoboKaddy is soaring and it was recently included in a Time magazine short list of ‘Coolest Inventions 2003‘.
The revolutionary cart is simply operated via the pocket-sized transmitter, whilst the whisper-quiet motors drive the independently controlled rear wheels. The pocket-sized handset transmits your instructions: left, right, faster, slower, stop or emergency stop. Uniquely it is equally manoeuvrable in reverse!
The Freeway is firmly established as the world’s best selling powered golf cart and thanks to the state of the art AMST alloy chassis design it is quite simply the lightest, strongest and most compact cart in its class.
The entire Freeway line up has undergone a face-lift for the new season. The handle and latch mechanisms have been re-tooled to deliver a smoother, more sleek and user friendly design while a new bag support strap has been added to make the Freeway even easier to use. In addition, from the Sport model upwards each model will now feature a new distinctive badge providing a new more modern look.
PowaKaddy goes digital and one of the main attractions at the European Golf Trade shows this Autumn was the new Freeway Sport Digital. The new multi-functional digital command system features a LED panel in the handle and delivers an even more responsive and reliable cart than its market leading analogue companion. The versatile new performance benefits include a digitally operated Electronic Distance Function (EDF) whilst the number of speed settings has trebled to provide upwards of 45 in total.
This innovative new concept will be rolled out in limited numbers in 2004 and is yet another fine example of PowaKaddy’s relentless determination to stay ahead of the competition and deliver the most ‘fit for purpose‘ powered carts on the market.
The Rental Classic adds commercial touch, PowaKaddy prides itself on listening to its customers and the new look Classic Rental is a fine example. The new rental fleet scheme for 2004 sees the famously reliable and robust Classic Rental add a new ‘commercial‘ benefit to its long list of attributes. A new clip-on board has been added to enable the on-course professional to either promote his own brand and products or to generate revenue by selling the advert space to a local business.
When PowaKaddy doubled bag sales in 12 months to become one of the best selling cart bags on the market you would have forgiven them for leaving the designs alone. However not content with standing still PowaKaddy’s designers have improved the entire range of Deluxe and Lite Cart bags. The Deluxe includes a softer more graphite friendly top complete with 13 full length dividers and putter pit as well as adding a waterproof valuables pocket and large cooler pocket. In addition, reacting to feedback from the market place PowaKaddy has added a Ladies Lite Cart Bag in a check/tan colour combination.
All the new products will be introduced to the market place in Spring 2004.
PowaKaddy continues to be one of the hottest brands in golf experiencing incredible growth in recent years as the appeal of the products spreads to a younger golfing audience on a global basis. With the exciting new product refinements and introductions for the new season combined with an expanding infrastructure and bigger high impact marketing campaign will strengthen PowaKaddy’s position as the market leaders in golf cart technology.
www.powakaddy.co.uk).
PuttGuard
Produced and distributed by Fairways Golf Design, PuttGuard™ is a unique new putter cover designed to revolutionise putter protection.
PuttGuard™ is moulded from polypropylene plastic and is designed for blade putters. It has a unique “Insert, Twist and Lock” action that secures and protects the putter, which is held firmly in place by a series of ‘O‘ rings. PuttGuard™ can be stored on a trolley or umbrella handle, or suspended by a security cord from the golf bag while putting out.
The designers of PuttGuard™ were aiming for maximum putter protection. The product had to be easy to use and fit most blade putters. PuttGuard™ is the result of this development, and more!
PuttGuard™ has a place for your personal identification mark and a sizeable area on the grip for product marketing.
PuttGuard™ offers the highest professional standard to putter manufacturers and the whole Golfing community.
PuttGuard™ should quickly become a part of every golfer’s equipment.
TrueStrike – it all started in bed
The thinking process behind this golfing brainwave started in bed.
Games played on grass-covered surfaces have spawned as many turf-saving solutions and problem-solving inventors as the industrial revolution did for humanity, yet until now no one has found the answer to solving shock pain created by taking a divot. Playing on rain-softened natural grass is OK; otherwise it’s a case of hit and wince, especially for those suffering with arthritis. With driving range bays it’s always been hit and wince … until now.
Philip Sear owns a printing company and loves golf. When time is precious he frequents golf ranges and is not above whacking over 200 balls in one session. But it hurts. “It all started five years ago,” he explained. “I was forever hurting myself using the solid based synthetic mats at my local range. One night after a particularly painful session, I decided to experiment, hitting random balls from my waterbed, just to see how it might feel. From the first few shots, I knew that I had struck more than just a few balls – I had found the solution.”
After further experimentation, his invention, known as TrueStrike Fairway Forgiveness, came to be manufactured. The secret is in the striking area, which makes use of a ‘ruckable‘ top surface, working in conjunction with a divot simulating subsurface, in turn producing a strike area that feels and plays just like a natural fairway – which is where ‘fairway forgiveness‘ comes in.
Exposed to the public for the very first time, the TrueStrike Fairway Forgiveness golf mat will be seen and tried at the PGA Show where a netted hitting area and simulated bunker will allow players to test its remarkable features. This innovative company will also have mats in play at 15 other driving range bays throughout the Show.
www.truestrike.com