Innovations in both golf clubs and balls from a wide range of manufacturers will be presented at GOLF EUROPE 2001, the 9th International Trade Fair for Golf, in the M.O.C. in Munich-Freimann from 7th to 9th October, 2001.
For drivers, club manufacturers are concentrating on club faces with decreasing thickness and a springy ‘trampoline’ effect. Club heads continue to grow and when it comes to materials, titanium and advanced, even harder alloys are unbeatable.
High COR values will be an important theme at GOLF EUROPE 2001. The USGA permits a COR value (‘coefficient of restitution’) of 0.83. Modern drivers can beat this value – and the higher the COR value, the further the player can hit the ball without having to swing harder.
The trend in irons is towards modern function in a classic look while forgiving properties and geometry that support play remain important for a wide target group. Leading wedge manufacturers will show a number of new loft and bounce combinations for different situations.
The leading golf ball suppliers will present new ball structures with characteristics, which were previously considered impossible to combine. Modern golf balls fly further, stop more quickly, stay round longer and putt more softly.
Just a year ago, around 70 percent of the tour pros preferred wound balls. In Germany last year this category was thought to account for a market share of around 40 percent in terms of value. These figures, however, will soon be outdated.
This year more than 80 percent of the playing pros are already using multi-layer balls and, according to the experts, the German and European market share of wound balls has fallen to 20 percent.
As a tribute to the magnificent success of the European team who won the Solheim Cup in the year 2000, the trophy will be on display on the PGA of Europe stand for the duration of Golf Europe 2001.
“Many visitors will recall that after the men’s team won the Ryder Cup at Valderrama in 1997 the trophy attracted a great deal of attention when we exhibited it on our stand in Munich,” explained Lawrie Thornton, General Secretary of the PGAE. “Now we will have equal pleasure in paying tribute to the ladies’ team in similar fashion following the success of Dale Reid’s team at Loch Lomond last October.
“GOLF EUROPE is an occasion which we enjoy each year because of the opportunity to meet and chat to as many existing friends and newcomers as possible,” he added. “On the stand, when they are not occupied elsewhere will be our staff along with our President, Jaime Ortiz-Patià±o, and the other distinguished speakers taking part in the seminar and workshop programme, such as Bill Sanderson and Frank Thomas.
“We all enjoy talking to our peers about golf and possibly exchanging ideas which could be of benefit to the sport and those who take part in it. The PGA of Europe’s message to everyone at the show is to either call in and renew friendships with us or, perhaps, introduce yourself to us and take away some of our literature explaining the various roles we play in European professional golf.”
The PGA of Europe www.pgae.com Tel: +44 (0)1675 477899
Golf Europe 2001 www.golf-europe.de