MacDuff's Top Eight Picks from the PGA Merchandise Show

My annual tradition continued as I walked (and walked) around the unforgiving, cavernous Orange County Convention Center at the PGA Merchandise Show, so you didn't have to! Drum roll, here's our Top Five from The PGA Merchandise Show. Oh, and there's a bonus company or three well worth looking into.

1. Callaway Golf - New Drivers. It was an epic Callaway launch for sure, but was the club epic? Well yes, but at the same time the marketing folks are going to confuse the heck out of people. There are actually two GBB EPIC drivers and both have green trim and from the top look very similar. One has a slightly deeper face and the other is slightly broader looking from the top. The deeper face driver has a movable sliding weight and the other one has two weights on the bottom that can be changed. Okay, so what's the problem? Well, literally the only branding that differentiates the drivers is the word "sub zero" in a tiny font on the hosel that I defy anyone under the age of 40 to be able to read! Why not just add the words Sub Zero to the sole and be done? It's just trying to be too cool and it doesn't work. So, despite this minor criticism, the "sliding weight" GBB EPIC, i.e. not the Sub Zero is gorgeous and feels fantastic. Read More Here.

2. Dormie Workshop - Leather Head Covers. I know, I know, more leather head covers! Aren't there already a ton of companies making leather covers? Yes, there are, but none like these. Have a look below at just a few of the funky options made by the likable Canadian company started by the Bishop brothers in Nova Scotia. Read More Here.

3. Fifty Fifty - Insulated bottles. You have seen insulated hot/cold bottles before, but I thought these would be great for golf. They are rugged, come in great colors, have a large mouth, so you can fit in ice and have a terrific carrying handle. We all need to drink more water when playing golf and they look like they will survive the rigors of numerous kid soccer and basketball practices too! Read More Here.

4. Signs by the Sea - Signage and Accessories. I'm a little biased, because our Links Candles Company already works with SBTS. They created our point of sale material and did an amazing job. Their team creates unique, handmade pieces for member guest events, pro shops and they are coming up with cool and unique items on a regular basis. And they are the nicest people! Read More Here.

5. Volvik - Golf Balls -  I know what you are thinking - Bubba and pink golf balls. I was thinking the same, but I must say the new VIVID golf balls in high intensity colors look terrific. They are three piece balls and perhaps better suited to lower swing speeds, but I'm still read to try them and hopefully love them. Read More Here.

PLUS 3 Bonus Picks - EvnRoll, H & B and Itobori

6. EvnRoll - Putters - This is Guerin Rife's new company and his putters feature a new groove system that creates an amazing roll and actually helps keep the ball on line. Trust me, I was skeptical too, but the technology really works and there was a real buzz on the booth. Read More Here.

7. Holderness & Bourne - Apparel - The two gents who are the H and B, Alex Holderness and John Bourne continue their well-planned progress in the golf business. They have created "modern classics" in apparel and luggage and I can attest to the high quality having worn and washed their clothing for over a year. Read More Here.

8. Itobori - Clubs This one is way out in left field, but I loved the look of these ultra-premium Japanese forgings. I couldn't really figure out if they were art or clubs as they were displayed as you see below. The heads alone will set you back $380 each. Oh, and then you'll need a shaft and a grip, so figure on $500 + per iron. But, you will have the coolest clubs bar none! Read More Here.

MacDuff's Top Five from The Show

The Show is over for another year. My iPhone showed I walked 33,000 steps over the 3 days in the Orange County Convention Center. My feet feel like it! I did finally find a restaurant in the Hall I had heard of! Chick-fil-A had a couple of carts serving the awesome chicken sandwich, but you had to look hard to find them!
The steps were not in vain. It was a busy show and with rainy Orlando days, many who come for the mediocre golf available in Orlando actually attended the PGA Show and checked out the 2016 ranges of hard and soft goods. And as I walked 33,000 steps, so you didn't have to, here are my
Annual Top Five from The Show.

Holderness & Bourne

It was the inaugural show year for this New York based company. Owned by two young entrepreneurs Alex Holderness and John Bourne, the company has created a terrific range of shirts, knits and accessories. With bold stripes and a color palette that will appeal to golfers on and off the course this young company are going places. Their small range of luggage and accessories in canvas and leather is also stunning.  See the range here.

Oak Locker

Oak Locker is a cool idea. You go online to their site, register and curate your own locker of clothing, clubs, courses, even your fantasy golf Tour players. Oak Locker allows you to buy products through their partner websites and has a library of current content that is engaging and informative. They have wisely been selective about their partnerships and as their tag line suggest they only promote "the best in golf." You can create your locker here.

Seamus Golf

It's no secret that I have been a Seamus fan since clapping eyes on a single headcover that co-owner Akbar Chisti was wandering the cavernous OCCC hall with several years ago. He and his wife, Megan (she's the other owner!) have taken their simple idea of plaid headcovers and created a brand built on great ideas, execution and passion. Their wool, metal and wood products crafted in Oregon are irresistible! See the Seamus Golf range here.

swingOIL

I so wanted to like swingOIL. It has a great name, packaging and marketing and their endorsement deal with Jason Day is spot on. So, I wandered by their booth and met the engaging owner, Thomas Healey and heard the story behind the company. (You can read it here) I'm pleased to report the drink supplement, available in three flavors tastes terrific and will definitely be in my bag once the season begins. With glucosamine, chondroitin and turmeric, swingOIL will unquestionably help my flexibility and concentration. Read the whole story here.

Titleist

I have played the same set of irons for nine years now - Callaway forged blades. Having now seen in person the Titleist 716 T-MB irons I may actually switch brands. Built around a large tungsten weight with a thin top line they are an incredible looking set of clubs. I need to see my friends at Club Champion and go through a fitting to see if they will work with my rusty swing. Hopefully they will perform, because I really want these! Read more here.

Bonus Find! - Callaway Mack Daddy PM

This is a matte black line extension of the successful line created by wedge genius Roger Cleveland. I bought the 56 degree version last year and am very tempted to add the 60 degree version. My only question - why didn't they call it Black Daddy? Read more here.

The High Heat Driver - Taking on the Big Boys

                                             

It takes brave souls in any business to take on the industry leaders, but in the golf business many would say you have to be certifiable. Well, crazy or not, two gentlemen, Dean Knuth and Steve Trattner decided to take on the behemoths of Callaway, TaylorMade and Titleist and launch a very cool and effective new driver. It's called High Heat and it is already making waves in the business. I'm told their first production run is already sold out and more drivers are on the way. And that's because it performs even better than advertised.

Both Dean and Steve have a long history in the game of golf. Dean is the "Pope of Slope" and if you have a USGA approved handicap you know his work, if not his name. He's the math whiz from the USGA who came up with the rating and slope system used in modern handicapping. His resume contains many extraordinary accomplishments (you can read it here) and suffice to say it was just a matter of when, not if, he created a great driver. His business partner is Steve Trattner and for full disclosure Steve is a family friend. He and Dean worked together for many years at the USGA where Steve was the intellectual property attorney (imagine the fascinating documents that came across his desk during that time). So, you know the patents and intellectual property for High Heat were in the best of hands.

Dean at a demo day

I have worked with golf club manufacturers for many years, so I try not to get too caught up in the invented buzz words and marketing speak which invariably come with new clubs. For me, it's much more about understanding the tech without getting too wrapped up in the terminology. Look and feel mean more to me and these are tough concepts to sell, but are the most important factors to me when testing a club. So, let's get the tech bit out of the way. Thankfully and rather wisely High Heat has kept the marketing speak to a minimum  - they focus on High Heat having a deeper and lower center of gravity and a higher MOI than the major brands. 

That's all I need to know, as I understand both concepts. So that should lead to improved trajectory and longer distance, right? Well, in my tests both indoors on a launch monitor and outdoors where I was simply watching ball flight, the High Heat beat my existing Callaway RAZR Fit driver by a solid 10-15 yards and the flight dispersion with the Fujikura Pro 63 shaft straightened me up too!

The other really cool element is the no groove, shiny face that allows you to see where you actually strike the ball on the club face. It had the effect on me of focusing on a pure strike, rather than simply just trying to smash it - a strange calm took over and I started swinging instead of simply hitting, with very positive results! (See below - hard to shoot a great picture, but you get the idea!) I asked Dean about the smooth face for clarification and here's what he had to say,

"Another benefit of the mirror face is that it helps to lower backspin rates. Too much backspin causes distance loss. Lastly, there are seven zones of internal thinness behind the face for increasing the size of the sweet spot zone and putting grooves over this area would have created variability in performance."

If you would like to buy this great driver, go to the High Heat site where Dean and Steve have a MacDuff Golf special. In the "How did you hear about us?" section check the "MacDuff Golf" box and you'll get a $50 discount reducing the price from $399 to $349. You will love this driver! Read more about High Heat here.

A Tale of Two Golf Companies - TMaG & Callaway

Yesterday, industry giant, TaylorMadeAdidas Golf (TMaG is less of a mouthful) announced another stellar set of numbers. Proof positive that their aggressive marketing tactics, sponsorship of leading Tour players and sell though at retail show confirms there is life in the retail golf business. For the record, they reported iron sales in 2012 up 32%, with metal woods growing by 21% from the previous year. Footwear was up and even their golf bag sales grew 47%. In total, sales for the year were up $390 million at $1.7 billion - impressive numbers in a very tough market. Mark King, their head honcho said that sales of the new products, including the (ugly - my words - not his!) R1 driver, RocketBladez irons, and adidas Golf’s adizero footwear have also been very strong year to date. TMaG are hitting on all cylinders for sure, but these are really zero sum gains as the overall market is not growing - it would seem they are taking share from the other big boys in the market, Titleist, Ping, Cleveland, Nike and of course Callaway.

Speaking of Callaway, I read with interest that the have sold their only remaining ball plant in Chicopee, MA and become tenants. Probably a good idea and adding $3.9 million to the coffers won't do any harm - but on the day we are reading about TMaG's $1,7 billion it seems like a drop in the ocean. Callaway have a great product line up this year and the industry needs a strong number two to keep the number one on their toes. I expect to see a market share bounce back, perhaps in Q3 of this year as the first year of Chip Brewer's tenure rolls out and a terrific and simplified product line up sells through.

Thoughts from "The Show"

I have just returned from Orlando, where the weather was predictable, the food at International Drive restaurants better than ever (no, really) and the food inside the cavernous hall impossibly bad and expensive. And quite why Reed Exhibitions and the Convention Center still seem incapable of providing more than 16 chairs for the 42,000 visitors to sit down is still a mystery. Okay, enough of the rant - It was a great show!

There was a real buzz around the hall this year and that augers well for the forthcoming golf season. There were really 2 shows this year. Nine hundred and ninety nine exhibitors were in the aircraft hanger know as Orange County Convention Center and TaylorMade Adidas Golf were in a "booth" that was big enough to have its own zip code. Once inside the TMaG extravaganza, having been scanned (actually Compuserv did a first class job of misprinting 90% of the badges, so I doubt anyone was scanned correctly!) visitors were treated to a veritable feast of fun golf activities and shopping opportunities. Mark King, the CEO of TMaG was clearly making a statement about the company's intentions for the year and he is continuing to build off the stellar year of the white R11 driver. Although I don't like the Rocketballz name (I do like RBZ) the 3 wood, hybrid and driver are great looking and at a $100-$150 cheaper price point than the R11 they are going to shift container loads of them.

On the cool products side I saw a hosts of good things including the TRUE Linkswear shoes, Callaway copper finish wedges, G-Fore golf gloves, Smathers and Branson belts and hats, Seamus Golf headcovers and new designs of Tin Cups.

Of course I also saw the usual array of products worthy of a spot on "the ridiculist"- a piece of cloth you stick on your head to stop sweat getting onto your golf cap, a golf tee that you stick in the ground and then unscrew to the correct height, a rubber mat with a logo that you jump up and down on to make a logo in the bunker. It will be surprising if any of these will be at the 2013 show and yet one has to admire the spirit and passion with which these inventors enter the golf business.

Let's hope the buzz at this years show continues through the sell in to the trade and to the season's real opener in April!

5 Golf Gifts for Christmas - time to go online

With only two weeks to go until Christmas, if you are like me you still have to get to the store to buy any presents. Actually, I have given up on bricks and mortar retail and I’m strictly online now and with free shipping and, in many cases, no sales tax, what’s not to love. Here are my last minute suggestions for real golfers.

1. Tin Cup Golf Ball Marking Tool

One of the coolest products to hit the market in 2010 and the best way to personalize your golf ball. Through December 31st if you but two Tin Cups they are offering free shipping with the code FREESTC, which can be used at checkout. This saves you $5.95. There are more than 50 designs to choose from.

2. Rolex Top 1000 Book

For the first time ever here is the ultimate guide to the best golf courses in the world. I have this book and with a course review, local hotels and maps of each course it really is unique. On Amazon, the book qualifies for free shipping.  At $34.95, it sounds expensive, but trust me, it isn’t and this book should be on every travelling golfers shelf.

3. Josh Smith Golf Landscapes

Our friend Josh paints beautiful golf landscapes and right now a number of his prints are on sale on his website, www.joshsmithart.com. His picture of the iconic 7th at Pebble Beach, as it was in 1929, is a classic. Any golfer will be thrilled to have this image in their living room or den.

4. Annika's Wine Club

Annika Sorenstam is not only one of the greatest of all time, she is also a terrific businesswoman and has a knack for creating associations with great brands. One of these is the world renowned Wente Vineyards. Wente and Annika have produced wines worthy as perfect gifts for the oenophile in your life. The Chardonnay and Syrah have won several awards and great numbers from Wine Spectator. The Club is a great way for you to be among the first to get your hands on these special limited availability wines - we have tried both and highly recommend them.

5. Callaway Golf Pre-Owned

Don't get me wrong, I love getting new clubs as much as any golfer. But, I also like getting a deal and if you haven't discovered www.callawaygolfpreowned.com, then set aside an hour and wander around the online store which has almost all the current woods, irons, putters and accessories, but at much cheaper prices. I'm guessing the clubs are either returns or trade ins and vary from "average" condition to "like new". I love the 2006 Callaway Hot 3 wood and I managed to pick up two of them for $120 each in perfect condition. It's my go to club and if you find a club you love you need at least one back up - the Pro's have even more than that (but that's a little easier as they don't pay for them). Anyway check it out for great gift ideas at terrific prices.

Titleist Going Solo?

Rumors run amok that pressure from certain key investors in Fortune Brands is going to force the NYSE quoted company to split their business into several parts. Fortune owns many great brands like housewares maker, Moen, liquor brands like Jim Beam and also the number one golf revenue generator, Acushnet. The brands within Acushnet are Titleist, Pinnacle, Scotty Cameron, Vokey Wedges and Footjoy shoes.

As an investor I'm all for unlocking value in a share price. The question is ...Who will buy Acushnet?

The suitors would naturally include industry giants, Callaway, Nike and TMAG. Let's have a brief look at these and see if there is a fit.

Firstly Callaway. I don't see this one. As much as Callaway would like to buy their nemesis, their market capitalization of $450M isn't going to support an acquisition of Titleist's reported $1B plus sales.

Nike and Titleist together. In England, we like to say "like chalk and cheese". In America you say "oil and water".  It means the same thing! The culture clash would keep HR busy for an eternity. Not going to happen.

TMaG (TaylorMade adidasGolf) is another potential candidate who would be anxious to get their hands on Titleist's hugely profitable golf ball business. They certainly have the money as the German giant, adidas generates revenues that the golf business can only dream about. As well as facing US monopoly issues, rather like Nike I just don't see the cultural fit.

The natural suitor comes from the East - Japan, Chaina, Taiwan, Korea. They have the money, especially with the exchange rate the way it is and they like "blue chip" brands like Acushnet. The company throws off a good amount of cash and it would be a great story for a Far Eastern company to own this prestigious US brand.

It's all conjecture at this time but good fun to speculate. Titleist and Footjoy under the Acushnet banner remain one of the great legacy brands of the game of golf and a company with deep(ish) pockets will pay for the privilege of adding it to their assets.

We won another award!

There was a great surprise in the mail today. MacDuff, for its work on the Callaway iMAG, won an Apex Award. These awards are presented annually to companies to recognize excellence in print and online publications. This is the 3rd such award for the Callaway iMAG and you can see the great work of Paula Story and Jim Wise here.

Always great to win an award...or two!

It was fun to open the mail today and find MacDuff Consulting had won 2 Hermes Awards from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (let's just call them the AMCP). The awards were for the Callaway Golf iMAG and the categories were E-Zine and Web Animation. The real work was done by Paula Story and Jim Wise, so congratulations to them for some long days and nights.

Phil wins the Masters

An emotional weekend for Phil and Amy as Mickelson shows true class in winning the 2010 Masters. The event was riveting from the moment The King and The Golden Bear teed it up on Thursday morning.

Westwood didn't back off and confirmed his world class status with his third top 3 in the last 3 majors. Phil had to come on strong on the back nine to beat the Englishman. Has there been a better shot in golf than his second on the 13th? - a 6 iron from 200 yards off the pine straw, out of the trees, over the water to 4 feet. Unbelievable!

A big win also for Callaway and the FT Tour driver, X Proto clubs and Tour golf ball.

Pacific Northwest Golfer Magazine - Josh Smith

A very nice piece about Josh Smith just came out in Pacific Northwest Golfer Magazine, Thanks to Editor, Tom Cade for taking the time to help out a fellow Oregonian. You can see Josh's wonderful golf landscape paintings at his website, www.joshsmithart.com. We recently began selling limited edition prints and giclees.

Nike launches without El Tigre

No, the news isn't that Nike is launching the 2010 club and accessories collection without Tiger. The news continues to be how the golf companies STILL focus on product, product, product. Every other consumer goods company in the world is trying to deepen and strengthen their relationship with their best customers - not in golf - they just keep coming up with a new ad slogan and pushing the product into retail at a high price and surprise, surprise within 6 months the price is off 40% as product doesn't move at the anticipated rate. The only company actively cultivating the relationship with their customers is Callaway. We have been working with them since 2004 and measure regularly how much the consumer values their relationship with Callaway and how these loyalists directly impact sales and helps to build the brand.

The Wall Street Journal covered the Tigerless launch