MacDuff's Nine Favorites from the PGA Show

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As is customary after three days of walking and talking around the giant, soulless space of the Orange County Convention Center here are my favorites from the show. As much as I love technology, you won’t find any here. Golf balls with microchips, range finders, GPS all leave me cold. They will never be in or on my golf bag. I have enough going on without additional data and many of these devices are contributing to slow play. When I play, I hit it, find it and hit it again! Here are nine great companies and their beautifully crafted products.

MacDuff Candles

Okay, I am slightly biased here. This is my 13-year-old daughter’s company (I’m the unpaid intern!) and this was her first show. We were on the booth courtesy of our U.S. distributor, Signs by the Sea and it was busy from Wednesday morning until closing time on Friday afternoon. Lily (with a little help from me) has created scented custom candles for clubs and resorts. They are made in the USA and 100% soy. I have been going to the show for more than two decades, but this one was more fun than ever! Seeing her engage with existing and potential customers and write orders was a thrill. Email her on lily@macduffcandles.com to learn more. www.macduffcandles.com

Holderness and Bourne

This fine young company was started by two friends, Alex Holderness and John Bourne. They entered the ultra-competitive golf clothing world a couple of years ago with a small number of elegant shirts and bags. As their business has grown, so has their range, with new shirts, sweaters and belts. I particularly like the low-key branding and emphasis on detailing.  www.holdernessandbourne.com

Jack Grace

A classic story of the owners creating something they wanted and finding out others wanted it too. The company is named for the owners two young children, yes, Jack and Grace. As we have a young Jack in our house the name appealed to me! Their well-made saddle style shoes have a unique feature that allows for the saddle to be changed out in a matter of seconds. This gives you the option of matching your shoes to your outfit without the need for two pairs of shoes….brilliant idea! www.jackgraceusa.com

Lie + Loft

Lie + Loft create timeless art featuring renderings of classic golf courses as seen from on high. The production qualities, elegance and simplicity of their work may even predicate the move from man cave to living room. I also loved their new addition of old school wool pennants. www.lieandloft.com

 

Seamus Golf

It’s always exciting to see what owners, Megan and Akbar Chisti come up with for the show. With their roots in Oregon, I love their laid-back philosophy of hand crafted, beautifully made products. They work with local craftspeople to create one offs, as well as the gorgeous plaid and leather products they are well known for. I’m drafting this blog in one such product – a leather notebook made from one piece of supple brown leather that holds a notebook and folds in two and has two holes in the cover that holds a pencil – simple, ingenious and it will last a lifetime. www.seamusgolf.com

Signs by the Sea

Signs by the Sea is owned by husband and wife, Mike and Kathy Yevchak. They also have a wonderful team who were on site and it’s a good job, because their booth was undoubtedly one of the busiest on the show floor. The company makes unique wood signage and wood and glass gifts, both large and small for pro shops and resorts. They are also our U.S. distributors for MacDuff Candles. www.signsbythesea.com

Sik Putters

This is the putter currently being used by PGA Tour player and resident Tour scientist, Bryson DeChambeau. The owner of this business also happens to be Bryson’s putting coach. The putters are beautifully made and feature a highly technical milled face that features different lofts that promote ball roll however the golfer strikes the ball. www.sikgolf.com

Smathers and Branson

Just like MacDuff, this cool company is based in Bethesda, MD. Owned by two good friends, Austin Smathers and Peter Branson, they are market leaders in all things needlepoint. Their range includes belts, wallets, headwear and they are always innovating, yet remain true to their core specialization. I was particularly struck this year by a range of needlepoint golf course layouts – above you see the great Fishers Island Club. www.smathersandbranson.com

Stitch Golf

Wow, was I in for a surprise when I visited Stitch Golf. Their booth was huge and they have come a long way in only a few years. What started as a head cover business is now a company with a full range of products including a host of head covers, weekend bags, and accessories. I really loved their new one strap golf bag (two straps are banned in our foursome!) with its cool material and logo detailing. www.stitchgolf.com

Our 3rd Annual Christmas Gift Guide

Are you looking for a cool and truly authentic golf gift? Then you have come to the right place. Yes, they are all clients and I make no excuses for promoting their terrific American made products. Hey, it's my blog! There are in alphabetical order, so here we go.

Josh Smith Golf Landscapes

Josh's day job is as a golf course superintendent at the wonderful California Club in San Francisco. By night he turns into golf landscape painter extraordinaire! Josh's much acclaimed work hangs in many Top 100 clubs and also in the offices of many of the great architects in the game today. His work includes the Bandon courses, Ballyneal, Pebble and many more. As well as private commissions, Josh has a series of limited edition giclees on canvas available of many of his paintings. They are $825 and this includes hand finishing by Josh, hand stretching onto stretcher bars, so they are ready for framing and also fedex. These limited editions of only 30 pieces are stunning! Take a look at his site here and if you like what you see email me and I can take your order! 

Lee Wybranski

It's been quite a year for Lee as he worked on all four major championships, including creating the official posters for the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship. (At The Masters he painted a series of limited edition pen and ink drawings). There are a couple of great offerings in particular I wanted to bring to your attention. The first of these is a limited edition print of the U.S. Open poster personally signed by the champion, Justin Rose. A significant percentage of the proceeds benefits The Kate & Justin Rose Foundation, a charity created to "inspire children from the inside out: through nutrition, education and experiences." You can read more about the charity here. The 100 pieces in the limited edition are priced at $281 - the same number as Justin's winning score at Merion. You can reserve one of these unique pieces by emailing me here.
The other cool gift is the "Summer Slam" collection of 3 majors posters of Merion, Muirfield and Oak Hill. Available at a special package price and all signed by Lee, why not buy one for yourself and give the others as gifts. You can buy the collection here.

MacKenzie Walker Golf Bags
Todd Rohrer and his intrepid band of Portland craftsmen make the best leather golf bags in the world...bar none. Handmade from the finest leather and customized with initials, logos and more (including secret pockets) these golf bags make a statement. For me, they say I love golf, I want to walk and I am serious about the history and tradition of the game. MacKenzie has no need for useless double straps and ten pockets - these bags have what you need, where you want it. They are available in many colors and finishes and they will last you a lifetime and then some. You can read more here.

Seamus Golf

Another Portland based company is Seamus Golf. They have created a cool niche by making authentic woolen head covers crafted from the finest fabrics from Scottish and American wool mills. And I love them! Seamus covers are now in many of the country's best pro shops and the full range is available online. At MacDuff, we commissioned our own tartan covers from MacDuff fabric (see below) and they make perfect gifts. Can you see that little leather tab with our logo? - love it!  Buy them here.

Stitch Golf

Stitch makes gorgeous leather head covers - plain and simple. These instant classics made in Cary, North Carolina have garnered high praise across the country as well as on Tour and I can attest to the cool good looks and admiring glances from fellow golfers. This month Stitch has launched the Italian Collection and those green ones have my name written on them! But be quick, because they are a limited edition and will go fast. You can see all the new covers here.

Tin Cup

Tin Cup continues to grow and more and more people are "making their mark" before teeing it up. With over 140 designs as well as the opportunity to create a unique custom cup, everyone should be marking their ball with this great little American made product. A great way to buy Cups is the Foursome Package - you get four cups, clips, leather valuables pouches and pens - so choose your favorite and give the others as gifts. Three presents solved in one go...perfect! Buy the Foursome Package here.

Father's Day Gift Guide - Five Authentic Gifts

I make no excuses with our Father's Day Gift Guide. All of these fine golf companies are clients and we are very proud to work with them. I'm sure you'll find something very cool here for Dad. One key thing to note with all of these great gifts - they are ALL Made in America. Which is nice!

1. Josh Smith Golf Landscapes. Josh paints gorgeous golf landscapes. His portfolio runs from Bandon Dunes Resort to Pebble Beach and many wonderful courses in between. We recently found three perfect, limited edition, tubed giclees on archive paper in a cupboard. The images are Royal County Down (3rd hole), Bandon Trails (3rd hole) and Pebble Beach (7th hole as it was in 1929 - above). Just because it is you, we are offering these for $195 each, including USPS shipping. There are three left and that's it! - if you would like one email me at nick@macduffconsulting.com and we'll get it out the same day to you.

2. Lee Wybranski Art & Design. Lee is having quite a year and his latest poster for the USGA for this year's U.S. Open at Merion is another stunning piece. Featuring the iconic red wicker basket, it is perfect for Dad's den! You can buy it here on the USGA's site. If you would like to explore more of Lee's work have a look at his website here.

3. MacKenzie Walker Golf Bag Company. Todd Rohrer, way out west in Portland, Oregon produces the best golf bags in the business - bar none! Now this gift takes some thought and perhaps input from your father to produce a one off handcrafted piece of magic. I have been guided through the process three times by Todd and each golf bag is a work of art! Some would say they are expensive at $845, but think about it - you spend that on a set of clubs and two years later switch them out and they are worth about $50! The MacKenzie will last a lifetime and the memory will be priceless. Have a look at the amazing selection of leathers here.

4. Stitch Golf. Based in North Carolina, Stitch makes amazing leather headcovers and other cool leather accessories - I have their #1 iPad cover! We first came across Stitch last year and in a short period of time they have made huge strides at retail and with consumers. Look out for their Merion U.S. Open covers if you are at the tournament - but be quick, because they are going to fly off the shelves! Read more about Stitch here.

5. Tin Cup. The Father's Day Package here is a great way to choose the best cup to fit Dad's golf game. Plus it includes a couple of pens, poker chip and leather valuables pouch. Tin Cup is now in over 1,400 retail outlets in the U.S. as well as being on line here with 140 designs. In addition you could create a one off custom design here.

MacDuff's 3 Best Products at "The Show"

It's all over for another year and all the walking and talking is done until we descend on O Town again in 2014. There was certainly a positive energy in the room on the back of solid "rounds played" numbers last year - but don't be under any illusions, this "growth" was all about the weather and not about new players to the game. It was a busy show for MacDuff, but I did find the time to look at some cool new products and here are my Top 3 Best New Products for 2013.

1. G-Fore

Once again, fashion designer Mossimo Giannuli has created a stir with color. Last year it was his gorgeous leather gloves and this year he has turned his attention to golf shoes. Available in a several vibrant colors including these green ones with blue and white detailing - they have my name written all over them! You can see the gloves here and the shoes are on the way shortly.

2. Swingbyte

There were a proliferation of small devices like Swingbyte at the show. Confusingly, they all seemed to have "swing" in their brand name. I looked at them all and for me this was the best. Inside the Swingbyte are gyroscopes, accelerometers and other extremely long words. Through bluetooth the device pairs with your iPhone or iPad and generates masses of data and very cool graphics showing swing plane, swing speed, clubhead speed and much more. The Swingbyte 2 comes out in April and features a slightly different way of attaching to the shaft, as well as a software update. See more here.

3. Stitch Golf

I have been a fan since I first saw these woolen and leather head covers last year and I think 2013 is going to be a big year for Stitch. Made in North Carolina and already stocked by many of the leading clubs in the country these guys make beautiful products. The owners are industry veterans and already they have developed a reputation for great service as well as cool products. You can see them here.

3 Golf Success Stories in a Tough Economy - and they are all Made in America.

The golf business is going through some tough times right now. Rounds played are down, participation is down, private golf courses are going public, golf led real estate developments are being mothballed. okay, okay, we get it - enough bad news - tell us some good news! Well, here are 3 terrific golf products that have come to the market in the last couple of years that are making inroads across the board, both with new players and avid players looking for innovation in our great game.


Kentwool Socks

How do you reinvent socks? Good question and one I don't actually know the answer too. But I do know these guys are making awesome golf socks in South Carolina. And they seem to be on a roll.
If there is one thing you need when playing golf, it's comfortable feet. Yes, of course shoes are important, but don't underestimate your socks. Why on earth would you buy an expensive pair of shoes and then neglect what comes into contact with the shoes, namely your feet! I recently discovered Kentwool socks and they are unbelievable. They transform the feeling of walking and the natural fibers and wicking material used keep your feet confortable and dry. Matt Kuchar and Bubba endorse the product, (which is nice) but take my word for it and try Kentwools.
Read More Here

Stitch Golf

A couple of golf industry veterans (though they won't thank me for that!) have re-created classic golf headcovers. Available in wool and leather these beautifully produced covers will last a lifetime and with simple, clean designs you will find a set to match your golf bag with no problem. Once again, these are Made in America (spot the trend) and available on line as well as in pro shops and off course retailers. I was just in Manhattan and saw them in New York Golf Center on West 35th Street.
Read More Here

Tin Cup

Tin Cup has been a big success since its introduction in 2010 and like many ideas it is simple and solves a unique challenge golfers have - i.e how do they effectively mark their ball as suggested in the rules of golf. It solves the problem with pizazz and allows customization of a golf ball in unique and easy way. Just put the stainless steel stencil on the ball and using a fine point sharpie, fill in the gaps! Above is the Union Jack version and there are over 100 including colleges.
Full disclosure - Tin Cup is one of our clients and we have been fortunate to help with the growth over the last couple of years. Tin Cup is now in over 1,000 leading golf retailers.
Read More Here