The GOLF EUROPE Product Awards, the first product contest for the golf industry, were presented in the categories of Hardware, Clothing, Shoes, Accessories and Trolleys. There were 89 entries from 58 brands.
The judging panel was composed of members from retailing, independent industry experts and leading media representatives. In addition to functional aspects, design, degree of innovation and ease of use played a decisive role in the selection of the winning products.
Sun Mountain, which has always been a pioneer in matters of new developments for golf bags and carts, received first prize in the ‘Accessories‘ category for its H2O Bag. The new stand bag with waterproof materials, tapered seams and waterproof YKK zippers is extremely light and waterproof.
In the ‘Hardware‘ category, Yonex won with its Nanospeed i Driver with the new Cup Stack Carbon Nonotube Shaft Technology. This innovative nano and MOI technology enables increased speed and accuracy for long-distant drives.
The Swedish brand Abacus stands for functionality, design and quality. Abacus won the GOLF EUROPE Product Award in the ‘Functional Clothing‘ category with The Solheim Cup Pitch Rain Jacket, which was designed especially for the Swedish Solheim Cup and the European team. The jacket is made of stretch material and enables corresponding freedom of movement with a slender shape.
girls golf Europe collection won first prize in the ‘Clothing Style’ category. Rike Vormwald and Chris Endrich have been marketing the new label girls golf in Europe since the beginning of 2007. The girls golf collection has become established in a previously unoccupied niche between conventional and functional clothing suppliers in the golf segment and has been able to acquire many sales partners from the golf and fashion scene within a very short time.
FootJoy won first prize in the Shoe category for its innovative golf shoe model ReelFit™, which sets new standards with respect to wearing comfort, fit and functions. With an individual lacing system developed in collaboration with Boa Lacing Technologies Inc., ReelFit™ rings in the next generation of custom shoe-fitting.
The new TiCad Earlybird is the lightest electro-caddy to date at 5 kg and won the special prize of the GOLF EUROPE Product Awards 2007. Titanium and high-tech motors make this possible. The Li-Ion battery weighs 1.3 kg and suffices for 27 to 36 holes. There’s room in every golf bag for it. The cart is easy to guide, pushes gently up every hill and brakes downhill. The frame of the TiCad Earlybird can be folded into one level and then is lower than 4 cm high.
Armin Wittmann, project director of GOLF EUROPE, said, “We are very happy to recognise companies in the golf industry for the first time with the GOLF EUROPE Product Awards – companies which set standards for golf thanks to their dedication to their product development, to which the complete industry is geared. With the GOLF EUROPE Product Awards, we are also providing the industry with an additional opportunity to present their products to retailers. At the same time, trade fair visitors can obtain an ideal overview of the innovations and highlights 2008 with a short time.”
GOLF EUROPE www.golf-europe.com
The full list of award winners is as follows:
GOLF EUROPE Product Awards 2007:
Acessories:
1st Prize Sun Mountain – H2O Bag (Golf Promotion & Sports)
2nd Prize Compact Golf Rules (Artigo GmbH)
3rd Prize ProPlay Fitting System (Pro Team Distribution)
Hardware
1st Prize Nanospeed i Driver (Texsys GmbH)
2nd Prize Wilson – FYbrid 19.5° (Amer Sports Deutschland)
3rd Prize MP-600 DRIVER (Mizuno Golf)
Functional Clothing
1st Prize Solheim Cup Pitch rain jacket with trousers (Abacus)
2nd Prize Sphere macro react polo (Nike Golf Europe)
3rd Prize Men’s Storm-Fit Paclite Suit (Nike Golf Europe)
Clothing – style
1st Prize girls golf europe Collection (girls golf Europe)
2nd Prize Jacket Major, Short Andy (Clover Creations GmbH)
3rd Prize snap baseball cap / visor (Duca del Cosma GmbH)
Shoes
1st Prize FootJoy ReelFit (Acushnet GmbH)
2nd Prize (Terra Active Enviro) Hi-Tec Sports Ltd
3rd Prize Women’s Air Zoom Spirit (Nike Golf Europe)
Special Caddy Award
Trolleys TiCad Earlybird (TiTec)