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Friday, November 21, 2014

Christmas Gift Guide

It's that time of the year again - seems to come quicker each year doesn't it? So, in keeping with tradition here's our Christmas Gift Guide featuring clients and even some who aren't clients, but we love their products! Here are my six of the best.

InlineBELTOLOGY


No more boring belts! That's what they say at this cool new belt company based in New York. Beltology belts have many colors to choose from, each made from a unique stretch material and achieving adjustability by eliminating holes. The styles are perfect for golf and for business and with beautiful packaging are an ideal gift for the holidays. Take a look at their site here.

CLUB CHAMPION


InlineIf you play golf and haven't been fitted, then you have a problem. I can almost guarantee you are not playing with the right equipment and as a result you are not getting everything out of your game. I was recently fitted and had shafts that were way too stiff for the amount of golf I play and practice - it's no good looking like a hero in the parking lot with blades and 6.5 stiff shafts if you hit them poorly! So, leave a few subtle hints and you could get a gift certificate for a proper club fitting at one of the ten Club Champion locations around the country. Read More Here.

JOSH SMITH GOLF LANDSCAPES


Inline

Tom Doak's newly published, revised version of his Confidential Guide features artwork by the incredibly talented golf landscape artist, Josh Smith. The hole on the cover is the 6th at Cornwall's St. Enodoc and Josh has released a limited edition of 31 pieces of the artwork on canvas. The artwork measures 24 inches square and is hand finished and stretched by Josh and is $825. You can order by emailing me here. By the way, Mr. Doak has the original!


LEE WYBRANSKI POSTERS

Inline
Lee has had another outstanding year creating official artwork for all of the major championships. His distinctive style is well represented here in this special "Open Package" featuring Pinehurst No. 2 and Royal Liverpool. Lee's work has become highly collectable and his website features his iconic posters as well as one off originals. You can see all of his work here.

SEAMUS GOLF

Seamus GolfInline
We have always been big fans of Portland based Seamus Golf. Their core products are unique headcovers designed from literally hundreds of tartans and other fabrics. In 2015, they introduced all manner of new items that continue to amaze us. These include ball marks, restored golf clubs, pitchforks and most recently a wash bag. You'll find great gift items and different price points on their site, each one handcrafted by our friends in Oregon. The website is here.


TIN CUP

Inline
This is a golf gift you can safely give golfers and know they will use it. The rules of golf do state that you should mark your golf ball before playing and Tin Cup has made this a simple process for hundreds of thousands of golfers over the last five years - which is nice! Buy a gift package here.

Monday, October 20, 2014

When and Why Should I Get Fitted for Golf Clubs?


What's the best collective noun for golf shafts? A bag, a bunch, a quiver?

I get asked both questions a surprising number of times. Let's start with the when. There used to be an easy answer and it was a function of the golf club manufacturers launch schedule. January is the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and having been a participant for the past 25 years, I know "the show" pretty well. All the big boys, Callaway, Nike, Ping, TaylorMade, Titleist used to launch all their new clubs in January and make them available to the public soon afterwards.

All that has changed as the manufacturers have embarked on a crazy launch schedule that has literally swamped the trade with new drivers, fairway woods and irons every few months. Callaway has launched eight drivers this year - I kid you not, eight! It's non-sensical of course and hasn't resulted in additional sales. But, that does help answer the question of when to get fitted.

So, "Why should I get fitted?" My response is always the same. Are you serious about the game? Do you want to make the best of the time you have on the golf course with the right equipment or trust to luck that the clubs you have in your bag are the right ones. Only the other day, I was playing golf with a friend who has clubs in his bag that were perfect for him 15 years ago - now...not so much. He has a bad hip and is swinging 10 miles an hour slower than he used to and wonders why the ball isn't going as far as it used to. It's an easy fix - check your ego at the club fitting door and get the right shafts. Ask yourself a simple question. Do I want to look good with X-100 shafts or play well with "pured regular shafts"? And if you don't know what "pured" means you really need to get fitted. There isn't a professional on any Tour that doesn't have "pured" shafts.

So here's three great reasons to get fitted now

1. It makes no sense to wait until February or March for the latest products - they are already available - the show product will be simply more variations on a theme.

2. Get fitted when you are playing well or at least feel like you are in the groove - for most of us that means at the end of the season. I'm in D.C, so now is the best time - the leaves are coming down, I've played lots of golf and so feel good about my swing. Getting fitted in March or at the beginning of your season is crazy - you won't have really played that much and will be trying to find your swing in the fitting studio.

3. Everyone else waits, so book now and you'll get the appointment you want, when you want it. It's like the Buffett stock theory - buy when everyone else is selling!

If you are serious about getting fitted correctly take a look at Club Champion, a company that has ten club fitting locations around the country including my home town of Washington D.C.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Golf in Latvia - The Senior Skins Match

The notion of running an event in Latvia came from Brig Pari, a DC native, who's mother was from Latvia. She and I met at a Christmas party and it was her vision that led to our first event. Where is Latvia you ask? Well, so did I when first approached about running a professional event there about 18 months ago. A quick Google search found Latvia in the Baltics bordering Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania and Russia. With an extraordinary history dating back over 800 years, Latvia has been occupied by the Swedes, Nazis, and the Russians...twice!
So, 18 months and many early morning phone calls later (Latvia is seven hours ahead of east coast time.) I found myself in Riga, the capital city. It is a gorgeous, walkable city with wonderful views, architecture, restaurants, museums and coffee shops. And how many 18 holes golf course do you suppose there are in Latvia? 10 or 20? Actually the answer is one, Ozo Golf Club, and there are three nine hole courses. Ozo is a fine 6,800 yard golf course designed by American Rob Swedburg. It’s owned by the famous Latvian ice hockey player Sandis Ozolinsh – thus the name “Ozo” which was his nickname when he played for the Colorado Avalanche.

Our official poster signed by the players

The first ever event in Latvia to feature European Senior Tour players was a big success. We’ll come on to the format of play, but the mission was to introduce the country to great professional players and we chose wisely for the Skins Match – Tony Johnstone, Barry Lane, Ronan Rafferty, Sam Torrance. I used to represent two of the players (Tony and Sam) and worked many times with Barry and Ronan, so I knew we were getting seasoned professionals who give of there best on and off the golf course and are a joy to work with. The players arrived on two late night flights, one from Moscow and one from London and they were greeted at the airport by traditional Latvian singers. I think all enjoyed the welcome. Courtesy cars from Amserv Lexus took the players back to the official hotel, The Albert and we all headed to the 11th floor bar to catch up – some things never change!

Day one was Pro-Am day and it began with a bunker and chipping clinic by Tony and Ronan and a long game clinic by Sam and Barry. When you see these guys close up you really do appreciate the talent professional golfers have. We had a full field of 72 in the pro-am and on a beautiful sunny day at Ozo everyone had a great time. 

Barry's team

Sam's team with the Federation President, Mr. Kristopans

The goody bag proved very popular!

Simon Harris from the European Senior Tour and I announcing the scores

And so back to the hotel for a quick change before heading to the Swedbank building for the gala dinner. There were some great touches created by our onsite organizer, Ieva. The floral arrangements were created to look like golf balls and the red carpet leading to the photo board was actual grass – a very cool idea! I interviewed the players, who as usual entertained the crowd with their views on happenings in the world of golf, most notably the Ryder Cup which is played in late September (three of the four players were former Ryder Cup players and Tony would have been if he wasn’t from Zimbabwe!). It was a spectacular evening enjoyed by golfers and non golfers alike.


 I interviewed the players, who as always were on good form

 Sam and Tony sharing a joke

The Dulevska sisters - our star organizer, Ieva and her sister the Latvian TV star, Jana

 Event founder, Brig Pari with Mr. Vilis Kristopans, the Latvia Golf Federation President and and General Secretary, Aiga Nesaule

Tony, Barry, Vija Tirzmale from Ronald McDonald House Charities Latvia and Sam


Day two was the Latvia Senior Skins Match. Fortunately the rain that threatened to delay us disappeared just before the guys teed off the 10th hole for the nine holes. They were playing for $95,000 and after many matching birdies they ave us a thrilling finish with the final hole worth $52,500. Two of the players were in close with just Sam to putt from around 30 feet and what do you know, he holed it and made the pose made famous following his winning Ryder Cup putt in 1985. The crowd went wild! Agreed, it was not quite as significant a putt as at The Belfry, but it provided a fitting close for the spectators and confirmed how competitive these guys remain, even after hundreds of Tour events. Here are some more pictures from the day.
 Ronan Rafferty

 Barry Lane

Tony Johnstone

 Ronan chipping from the waters edge

 The final tee

 Sam holes the winning putt

 Tony, Sam, Ronan and Barry

 Brig says a few words at the closing ceremony

Sam presents Vija with a check for $15,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities Latvia

Following photographs and thank yous to the players and sponsors, Hotel Albert, Amrita Water, Amserv Lexus, the guys were off to the airport.  It was a great couple of days supported by great people at the club and on our organizing committee. Roll on 2015!

Our date for a full field event on the European Senior Tour is week two of August - so let the marketing commence. If you or someone you know someone is interested in sponsoring the event email me and let's talk! We have packages starting at $5,000.



Saturday, September 13, 2014

A Great New Ball Comes to Market - Vice Golf


I was recently sent a few dozen golf balls from a new German company. They are called Vice and the balls come in a variety of colors and compressions. And having tested them for the last couple months they are really, really good. These guys are very brave entering the US market and going up against Titleist, Callaway and Bridgestone in the worst retail golf market in memory. But, with awesome packaging and a quality product, priced to sell at way, way below the big boys, I wish them luck. Take a look at their website and you'll see pricing at around $25 a dozen and I defy you to tell the difference between Vice and Titleist if your handicap is north of 10. Even for the single digit player the Vice Pro is a great alternative to the $60 a dozen Titleist option. Give them a try by buying online here. (and no I'm not a paid spiffer - this is a great golf ball!)

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Slow Play - The Curse of the Game...finally a great solution from Golfswell


Slow Play is a topic on which I have a lot to say. I grew up in England and learned to play 18 holes comfortably in three hours (often less), so it was a shock to the system playing on public and private golf courses in America where four hours and 30 minutes is more the norm.

It's actually been a while since I have blogged (sorry about that!). My clients have been keeping me busy! Although the retail golf business is tough, companies with cool, niche brands continue to do well.

As I said, I am passionate about pace of play and have recently started working with a cool new company, Golfswell, that addresses perhaps the hottest subject in the game right now - slow play. Despite some attempts by the governing bodies, namely the USGA with its "While We're Young" PSAs, the length of time it takes to play 18 holes in the US is a joke. You can point your finger at many organizations for the calamitous situation. Televised golf is in part responsible for the position we find ourselves in - pros consulting their yardage charts three times, backing off shots five times (yes, you Keegan Bradley) are all contributing to not only an awful viewing experience but encouraging amateurs that it is okay to play slowly. When is the Commish going to do something about it? That's right...never! He has hours of television pre-sold to fill. So, Webb Simpson has six practice swings. So what, says the Tour - not our problem.

The fact is that these Pros are part of the problem because kids are watching this nonsense, lining up the ball, backing off, checking their yardage book one more time - come on...hit it will you!

So what does Golfswell do to address slow play? Well, their iPhone App gives you a full GPS of the golf course you are playing PLUS it monitors your speed. The App helps you get around the golf course quicker and alerts those who are there to help with real time data and real facts. The massive advantage to the club is it frees up additional tee times so they can generate additional revenue.

So, your saying, I'll get around quicker? Yes, I am and there is amazing data from a well-known TPC course to confirm that round times fell a minimum of 15 minutes. The App is now moving from Beta to market because it works! Goodness knows we need something that speeds up play and helps to take away the major frustration ever present in today's game. Read more here on their website and download the free App here.

Friday, March 28, 2014

March MacDuff Golf News & More is out Today

Our monthly news is out today. This month we feature a great new book by Dan Jenkins, our involvement in a wonderful charitable event on behalf of St. Jude's Children's Hospital to be played at The Greenbrier and you can see the fastest selling Tin Cup in history. Oh, and we have a special offer for our readers. You can read it here. If you would like to subscribe email Nick here.



Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Credit where it is Due - Getty Images

The picture you see above is from Getty Images. No, I didn't steal it from the internet. I used Getty Images latest salvo against piracy of their pictures by giving them away and, in return, giving credit where credit is due. This picture of my good friend (and client for a dozen years), Per-Ulrik Johansson, was taken by Andrew Reddington and you can clearly see the credit underneath the picture. The free download service is not an option on some pictures, especially those that are current or newsworthy - who can blame them - it costs a small fortune to send a photographer to an event. Getty have clearly observed what happened in the music business who were years behind the free downloaders and decided the better option is to give away certain images in the hope that people are more likely to want to pay for other images. It's smart thinking and one that will serve them well. Just look at the rise of the monthly music subscription services like Pandora and Spotify. 99.9% of people would rather pay for something than steal it and Getty are now testing this theory with their extensive photographic library. See it here - www.gettyimages.com

Monday, March 3, 2014

TaylorMade - Really, this is the best you can do?


The marketing department at TaylorMade must have been drinking too much coffee! What on earth possessed them to take four of the most well known and photogenic players in golf (Jason Day, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose) and turn them into poorly made models as if they are from Thunderbirds? It may have seemed a good idea at the time and we get it - it's supposed to be funny - but it's not! The accents are appalling and the story line is weak. TaylorMade has access to the actual players on a weekly basis and they come up with this mess. Watch it soon, because it is going to get pulled. Let me know if you agree or if I am missing something.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

My Top Five from the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show

Golf Board
This product actually won "Best in Show" and the honor was well deserved for a product conceived, designed and brought to market by surfers. I met with one of the owners, Star Faraon and he has never played golf, clearly never worn a blue blazer and is a cool west coast dude. He is also a smart guy and introducing the Golf Board at the show, he had few pre-conceived ideas about how it would be received by the traditionalists who frequent the massive convention center. When I met with him he was in shock, as his booth was swarming with golfers intrigued by the prospect of a new form of golf course transportation. The Golf Board is well engineered, looks like great fun and should be embraced by clubs as a new way to promote the game and perhaps even speed up play. www.golfboard.com


Callaway Apex irons
Callaway seem to have incurred the wrath of some people by using the Hogan Apex name on golf clubs. Who knows why that would be? And frankly who cares, especially when the clubs look and feel as good as they do. The top line on these irons is as good as I have seen since Callaway introduced the forged irons in 2007 and they are still in my bag! Callaway designer and all round good guy, Dr. Alan Hocknell talked me through the features of the clubs and they are a technological marvel as well as looking like the next set in my bag! www.callawaygolf.com


Tin Cup 
As some of you may know, I am closely involved with Tin Cup, but that doesn't stop me from telling you about the most amazing viral tweeting I have ever experienced. We introduced a new cup called "Incognito" a couple weeks ago. Both golf.com and Golf Channel picked up on the cup as resembling Walter White from Breaking Bad and tweeted it accordingly to their thousands of followers. And within 24 hours the image had been retweeted hundreds of times. Go take a look! www.tin-cup.com


Golfers Skin
Having had a couple of sun related questionable bits chopped off, I am now more wary of the damage the sun can do than ever. Golfers Skin has quickly become the skin protection chosen by players on the professional tours. And for good reason, it has a UV factor of 30, which studies show is about as high as protection goes, plus you put it on without the need to wash your hands to remove the slimy and sticky residue left by other brands. One more thing I like - the packaging is simple, clean and contemporary. www.golfersskin.com


G-Fore Shoes
Owned by fashion guru, Mossimo Giannulli, this company once again features in my faves. In previous years this was for their colored gloves, that have now been blatantly copied by Footjoy! This time they make the Top 5 for their new shoe that is available in July. You can see it below - a killer wool covered grey and purple shoe that will be my shoe of choice on sunny days. I'm not sure how they will do in the rain, but who cares when you look this good! www.gfore.com




Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Top 10 Do and Don'ts for the PGA Merchandise Show


I have been going to "the Show", as everyone calls it, since 1989 and yes, it is golf's Groundhog Day but I wouldn't miss it for the world. It's an opportunity to meet old friends, make new ones and see the latest and greatest equipment from the big manufacturers and from those one-man bands that just might strike gold with their latest product. This piece appeared last year, but I have added a few new thoughts here to round out the Top 10 Do and Don'ts for the PGA Merchandise Show. I'll be based on
Booth #2208, Tin Cup - swing on by and say hello!

1. Don't try and sell on other people's booths. They have spent thousands on the space and months preparing for the show. You would be amazed how many people try and do this - it is just not cool. There are plenty of other spaces and occasions to sell your wares.

2. Don't make meetings just for the sake of it. Everyone is busy and aren't impressed that you have appointments every 15 minutes! Take your time and everyone will benefit.

3. Drink plenty of water. The free Pepsi isn't going to help your hydration! There are water fountains and it may well be the only free thing in the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC)!

4. Wear comfortable shoes...this is no time to break in your FootJoy teaching shoes.

5. If you want to do business, dress appropriately. Smart casual is perfect and don't dress like you are on Tour...you're not, or you would be in California or Abu Dhabi and not schlepping around the OCCC like the rest of us.

6. Eat a good breakfast at your hotel because the food in the OCCC is like a hot dog in a movie theater...overcooked and overpriced. It still beggars belief that there is no recognizable food brand represented.

7. Be very specific about where to meet your appointment. Pick a booth, preferably a small one so you can't miss the person you are meeting. Confirming your 1030 at the TaylorMade booth will almost certainly guarantee you'll still be looking for one another 20 minutes later. And remember there is nowhere to sit down in the Hall, so be prepared to stand and talk. (See no. 4!)

8. Give yourself time to move about the floor. It's a long way from the 1000 aisle to the 6000 aisle so don't make three appointments in 60 minutes in three locations. It's like trying to get from uptown to downtown in Manhattan at 4pm with no cabs - all the stars need to be aligned and it still takes twice as long as you think.

9. Be patient. Everyone is busy and often running a few minutes behind. Whether you are buying or selling they will come.



10. Take some time to wander the floor. Go see the New Products section and marvel at the craziness of this business of ours.