Golf Business News 621
Golf Business News – Golf Datatech To Unveil 2020 Golf Apparel Study at PGA Merchandise Show
2.54pm 17th January 2020 – Management Topics – This story was updated on Friday, January 17th, 2020
Golf Datatech, LLC, the golf industry’s leading independent research firm for consumer, trade and retail golf trends, has announced the Company will unveil a comprehensive 2020 Golf Apparel Study at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. The study, which investigates the golf apparel purchase habits of serious golfers, will be addressed by Golf Datatech executives during a breakfast seminar at the Orange County Convention Center on Thursday, January 23rd, at 7:45 a.m., in Room W-104A. The presentation will end no later than 8:25 a.m. allowing everyone to return to their booths and / or appointments by 8:30 a.m.
Golf apparel brands interested in registering for the seminar, which has limited seating and is available first-come, first served, should contact Suzie Phillips at 407-944-4116, or sphillips@golfdatatech.com.
“The apparel category is probably the most complex and splintered business segment in the golf industry,” said John Krzynowek, Partner, Golf Datatech, LLC. “Not only is there a plethora of products (shirts, tops, sweaters, vests, pants, shorts, skorts, leggings, etc.), there’s nearly an infinite number of colors, patterns, and SKU’s. Yet with all the complexity of the product, there’s very little hard data available to help guide the brands as they steer their business toward success. Golf Datatech’s goal is to provide apparel companies with data they can use to make smart decisions about selling and elevating their brand.”
A part of the 2020 Apparel Study, Golf Datatech analyzes the triggers that entice golfers to make purchases, the retail outlets they turn to, as well as the brands they prefer and their opinions of golf apparel pricing. A total of 1,000 Serious Golfers participated in the study, answering questions regarding the apparel they purchased for the purpose of playing golf. Among the key topics investigated include:
- Annual apparel spending and average price for golf shirts/tops purchased;
- Number of shirts/bottoms owned and number of various apparel pieces purchased in the past year;
- Unaided favorite apparel brands and aided brand ownership;
- The golf apparel purchase process for golf shirts/tops and bottoms;
- Online Purchase habits;
Registration is required for Golf Datatech’s breakfast seminar on January 23rd at 7:45 a.m. in Room W-104A at the Orange County Convention Center, so please RSVP promptly to Suzie Phillips at 407-944-4116, or sphillips@golfdatatech.com. The 2020 Golf Apparel Study will be available for purchase on February 1, 2020.
In 2006, the Company expanded its retail and consumer research programs into the United Kingdom and in 2008 added markets in Europe. Golf Datatech now produces the first-ever digitally driven golf retail sales reports for the US, UK, Sweden, France and Germany.
Golf Datatech, LLC www.golfdatatech.com
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Golf Business News – Tagmarshal Back At PGA Merchandise Show With ‘Remarkable Results’
3.00pm 17th January 2020 – Exhibitions & Conferences – This story was updated on Friday, January 17th, 2020
Tagmarshal, the global leader in golf course intelligence software will again exhibit at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show and welcome course operators, PGA Professionals, club and resort managers and the media to its booth #3023, – the same location as last year – just off the main walkway.
“The past year the company achieved remarkable results for many of America’s most elite venues as well as many grass-root facilities. Real, actionable and proven solutions have improved pace and flow of play, enhancing the player experience. This has translated into Tagmarshal growing at a formidable rate – more than double last year’s impressive results,” noted Bodo Sieber, Tagmarshal CEO.
Tagmarshal’s success is rooted in the positive impact it has on player satisfaction – while driving operational efficiency and generating additional revenue.
The company will host an insightful Education Seminar for Show attendees with Expert Guests, Jim Lombardo (Erin Hills) and Ryan Fountaine (Baltusrol), who along with Bodo Sieber, Tagmarshal CEO and Co-Founder, will discuss “Pace and Flow of Play, the Key Player Experience for the Modern Golfer.” This session will focus on:
- How to optimally manage pace of play (do’s/don’ts)
- Insights from data and USGA research
- How to optimize savings and unlock significant revenue
In addition, Bodo Sieber will describe how Tagmarshal’s proven ability to optimize on-course operations have been embraced by famous clubs including the likes of Whistling Straits, Erin Hills, Kiawah Island, Pinehurst, East Lake, Baltusrol, Quaker Ridge, Valhalla, Calusa Pines, Skokie, and Conway Farms, but more importantly, many regular daily fee and private facilities across the U.S.
Golf operators who are serious about improving the golfer experience at their operations in 2020, will want to make sure they don’t miss out on what promises to be the event of the Show – the Tagmarshal Education session taking place on January 23 at 12:30. Seats are filling up quickly, so it’s best to register in advance on www.tagmarshal.com to avoid disappointment on the day.
Tagmarshal will also be hosting a series of Expert sessions at its booth throughout the Show, with the Tagmarshal team and leading Industry Experts such as Professor Kris Schoonover discussing the USGA Research, “Defining the Golfer Experience” and Jon Schultz, EZLOCATOR, discussing “The Connected Course.” Learn more about these and other exciting events on tagmarshal.com
Real-time data collected by the system using small “tags” clipped onto golf bags, installed in buggies or offered on handheld or cart-installed proprietary 2Way screen devices, transmits information to on-course staff or personnel in the pro shop identifying groups that are out of position before issues arise. Player assistants can then intervene in a proactive, objective, non-confrontational manner resulting in improved player experience, consistent round times and player time freed up to purchase on-site food and beverage items as well as opportunities for additional tee sheet capacity.
“The company has tracked and improved over 10 million rounds of golf with the clear goal to optimize golfer experiences everywhere. USGA research shows that good pace and flow of play are key experience factors to the modern golfer and a non-negotiable on-course service delivery component,” Sieber said.
In the past year, Tagmarshal established partnerships with ten PGA sections across the United States and is currently working with the European Tour and other organizations to assist with pace and tournament optimization during its 2019-2020 season.
Tagmarshal management will be at Booth # 3023 Wednesday through Friday (January 22, 23 & 24). Industry attendees may schedule an appointment with Tom L. Cox, VP-Sales, North America tom.cox@tagmarshal.com (678-907-0777) or Bodo Sieber, CEO bodo.sieber@tagmarshal.com.
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Golf Business News – Berkhamsted Trophy made a mixed event
3.01pm 17th January 2020 – Courses – This story was updated on Friday, January 17th, 2020
Berkhamsted Golf Club has overturned over 60 years of history to open up its famous Berkhamsted Trophy to male and female competitors for the first time in 2020.
The landmark decision by the Hertfordshire-based club, which has the support of The R&A and England Golf, represents the first time that one of amateur golf’s longest-running prestige tournaments – the Berkhamsted Trophy is entering its 61st year – has transformed from being a men-only tournament, into one which invites both sexes to compete for the same prize.
Entries for the 72-hole event, which takes place over Berkhamsted’s heathland course from April 2-4, are now open to golfers with handicaps of 1 or better, with invitations being sent to a number of elite female players. The club is working on a flexible teeing system that will ensure that both sexes compete on an equal footing. The event will be eligible for World Amateur Golf Ranking points for both men and women.
“It is unsustainable, in the long term, for golf to continue to keep men and women apart like it has historically done,” said Berkhamsted Golf Club’s captain Henry Tse. “Berkhamsted has always been a progressive club, and this decision is a natural evolution not only of that ethos, and but also of the way the modern world works. We will be excited to see men and women compete equally for our beloved Trophy.”
Club manager Howard Craft added: “We are not afraid to challenge the status quo here. There is a lot of talk in golf about embracing change, but the pace at which things fundamentally change in the sport can be a little slow. We are enthusiastic supporters of The R&A’s Women In Golf Charter, and what could be a more shining example of this than allowing men and women to play golf together in competition at the very top of the amateur game, as they naturally do anyway in general play?”
Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A said: “The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter is a call to action for everyone involved in golf, from national associations to clubs, to do more to attract women and girls to take up this wonderful sport. There are many different ways in which this can be achieved and we are supportive of initiatives, such as this by Berkhamsted, which encourage women to compete and play golf at all levels of the game.”
Nigel Edwards, England Golf Performance Director and Team GB leader in the 2020 Olympics, said: “As the country’s governing body for male and female amateur golfers, at England Golf we are delighted to support Berkhamsted Golf Club’s forward-thinking initiative in making the prestigious Berkhamsted Trophy a mixed gender event.”
Joss Gosling, the 27-year-old winner of the 2019 Berkhamsted Trophy, will defend his title in April 2020. He said: “I believe strongly in inclusion and equality throughout our game, and I know that the majority of my fellow male competitors feel the same. This is brilliant news, and I welcome Berkhamsted’s decision. The fact that an event as prestigious as the Berkhamsted Trophy has made this change will go a long way in showing people that golf is a game for everyone. I am looking forward to competing, for the first time, against the best female amateur golfers out there. See you all in April!”
And 22-year old Alice Hewson, one of Berkhamsted Golf Club’s most successful recent female members, after she became the first Englishwoman to play a competitive tournament round at Augusta National in 2019’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur, said: “I am so proud of my home club for embracing equality. I hope the public will come and watch this year’s Berkhamsted Trophy, to see the very best amateur golfers of both sexes on a fantastic golf course.”
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Golf Business News – Kjeldsen joins European Tour’s 600 Club
Søren Kjeldsen became the first player from Denmark to reach the milestone of 600 European Tour appearances when he teed it up in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA on Thursday.
The 44-year-old joins the exclusive club as he embarks on his 23rd season on the European Tour, having made his debut at the South African Open in 1998. He secured his playing rights through the European Challenge Tour the previous season – boosted by victory at the 1997 Volvo Finnish Open – and has been ever-present since.
Kjeldsen is making his 14th appearance in Abu Dhabi and will be aiming to replicate his form from 2019, when he finished in fifth place in the first Rolex Series event of the season.
“Back in 1998, to get on the European Tour was a major achievement and to still be here 23 years after, I could have never dreamt of that,” said Kjeldsen. “We don’t play a lot of team competitions, so winning the World Cup for Denmark was very special and winning the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open as well, after I had a couple of really tough years, to come back and win a massive event like that one was huge.”
He added: “I am still very passionate about the game, and to be around young players gives you that little bit extra incentive. I’m very pleased to be here at 600, so let’s see what happens in the future.”
Kjeldsen sealed the first of his four European Tour victories in 2003 by winning the Diageo Championship at Gleneagles, with his second victory coming five years later as he triumphed in the Volvo Masters at the famous Real Club Valderrama in Spain, on the way to a career-best tenth place finish in the rankings.
Spain proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Dane as he won the Open de Andalucía de Golf title the following year, before ending a six year wait for title number four with a play-off victory at the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. He went on to enjoy one of his proudest career moments when he partnered compatriot Thorbjørn Olesen to win Denmark’s first World Cup of Golf title in 2016 – his sixth appearance in the event.
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Golf Business News – Titleist rolls out New Tour Soft and Velocity Golf Balls
4.10pm 15th January 2020 – New Products – This story was updated on Wednesday, January 15th, 2020
Titleist has unveiled new designs and colour options for its Tour Soft and Velocity golf balls for the 2020 season.
TITLEIST TOUR SOFT
First launched in 2018, the updated Titleist Tour Soft features new material and process technologies to deliver the best performance in its category – offering a superior combination of soft compression feel, very fast speed for commanding distance and excellent short game spin and control.
Offered in white and high-optic yellow, among the key enhancements include a new large core, which delivers faster ball speeds for more distance; a thinner grafted cover, which offers increased short game spin; a new spherically-tiled 342 cuboctahedron dimple design which provides a more penetrating ball flight; while a new T-shaped sidestamp acts as an alignment aid.
Michael Mahoney, Titliest’s Vice President of Golf Ball Marketing, said: “Golfers wanting to play a softer-feeling ball shouldn’t have to sacrifice yards off the tee or control into the green. We know they have real golf to play and their ball has to be much more than just soft. The new generation of Tour Soft continues to show what’s possible in a lower compression design. Our engineers have developed a longer, all-around better performing golf ball that maintains the soft and responsive feel that golfers love about this product.”
TITLEIST VELOCITY
Every component of the new Velocity ball has been engineered for maximum velocity, including new aerodynamic and core technologies that deliver the longest, best performing Velocity yet.
Key enhancements to previous models include the introduction of a spherically-tiled 350 octahedral dimple design, which produces a more consistent, high-flying trajectory for longer distance; the use of a larger, higher speed core, which generates fast initial velocity with extremely low spin on all full swing shots; an increased core size adds spin for greater stoppability on approach shots; while a new fast NaZ+ cover formulation is designed for speed and playable greenside feel
In addition to traditional white, the new Velocity is also offered in three new matte colours – pink, green and orange.
Speaking about the new design, Michael Mahoney, Titliest’s Vice President of Golf Ball Marketing, said: “Velocity golfers love distance, and they never stop asking us for more yards. But we know they’re also trying to shoot lower scores, and distance is only one part of that equation. The advancements our engineers have made to Velocity’s aerodynamics package and high-speed core technology are meaningful. Golfers can take aim from further away – confident that if they put a good swing on it, they’ll have the extra distance to reach the green with the ball flight to stop it there.”
Available from February 7, the RRP for both balls have yet to be confirmed. For more details, visit www.titleist.co.uk
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Golf Business News – Stars align to discuss future of golf ahead Of Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Six of the world’s best golfers today predicted how the game of golf could change dramatically over the next ten years including an increase in the speed of play, as the European Tour season kicks into gear at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA.
At the start of a new decade, with the eyes of the golfing world on how the sport might change over the next ten years, long-time title partner HSBC continued its commitment to exploring innovations that support the growth of golf by bringing together six world-class players to share their ideas about where the sport could and should go over the next decade.
HSBC took Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay to the home of innovation in Abu Dhabi – Masdar City. Standing in front of the Knowledge Centre, the players discussed the changes that could help golf thrive in the long-term.
The players made some striking predictions on topics including the pace of play. According to the six, a round of golf should take no longer than 3 hours 20 minutes, with DeChambeau stating tournament rounds should take 3 hours 30 minutes maximum.
Five of the players also stated that beyond their own personal success, they believe Rory McIlroy will win more majors this decade than any other player. Only Fleetwood had a different forecast, believing Tiger Woods would win more majors than anyone else on tour during the next ten years. Their predictions about the sport will be published on HSBC Sport’s Twitterand Facebookpages.
The players were joined by members of HSBC Future Falcons Junior Golf Programme, a HSBC grassroots initiative that has introduced nearly 80,000 children to golf since its launch.
Koepka said: “We all love the game of golf and there are things it can do to improve. It was great to be asked here today to give my perspective on where the sport could and should go over the next decade, and I hope to see some of those predictions start to come true.”
Fleetwood, a two-time Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner, added: “Masdar City is a really exciting and innovative place. Many of the ideas around technology and innovation in urban environments are ones that golf would do well to pay attention to, and so this was a really interesting way to start a new golfing decade.”
Abdulfattah Sharaf, CEO UAE & Head of International Markets at HSBC Bank Middle East, said: “We’re in for yet another thrilling week of golf, as we start a new decade with some of the best golfers on the planet competing for the prestigious Falcon Trophy. Working alongside our partners – the European Tour and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council – we have always been committed to supporting the growth of golf to ensure that the sport thrives in the long-term.
“It was wonderful to see some of the best players in the world making their own voices heard in predicting the future of the sport, alongside members of our HSBC Future Falcons Junior Golf programme. It truly represented the present and the future of this sport we love so much.”
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