VOLUME 1, NUMBER 128

Web Street Golf Daily Pulse

VOLUME 1, NUMBER 128

Thursday July 1, 2010

ANY IDEA WHO SAID THIS? “We are going from a hand shake to a hug.”

ON THIS DAY: In 1990, Wayne Levi won the Greater Hartford Open for his third win of the season. He would go on to win for a fourth time at the Canadian Open.

GOT YOUR BACK: FootJoy is known worldwide. The company leaves a large footprint for more than one reason. It annually commands more than half the shoe sales domestically and it’s been #1 on the PGA Tour for 65 years. Known predominately for keeping players grounded, FootJoy has also been the #1 glove on Tour for 27 years, which is an astonishing accomplishment in its own right.

In recent years the brand has added apparel to its product roster. It first began with mock shirts, which were received enthusiastically by the marketplace. Today the direction is to make every day playable, regardless of where anyone lives.

FootJoy has added two more colors (pink and classic green) to its ProDry Pique Solid shirt collection. The line features an exclusive fabrication, which wicks away moisture and offers outstanding UV sun protection.

For players who want to add a little more personality to their appearance, the ProDry Lisle collection, new in 2010, offers performance with style. “The material is lightweight, breathable and stretches with movement during the swing,” explained Whitney Trimble, Director of Marketing for FootJoy Outerwear. “It doesn’t wrinkle, it features anti-microbial for eliminating odors and the product is very good in hot conditions.” The ProDry Lisle is available in six color and stripe accents.

Also new this year is the ProDry Pique Sport shirt. Built with the same features found in the Lisle and Pique Solids, (UV sun protection, wick away moisture, easy fabric care that prevents wrinkles or shrinkage as well as anti-microbial for eliminating odors) the Sport, as its name implies incorporates an athletic cut built into it. “Its an athletic inspired shirt but not necessarily targeted towards a younger consumer,” Trimble said. Fans of the FJ Sport or Synergy shoes will likely be attracted towards the product, which is available in five color combinations.

The ProDry Pique Solid has a suggested retail price of $54, ProDry Lisle $66 and the ProDry Sport $60. The product began shipping to FootJoy’s domestic accounts at the start of June.

ONE OF A KIND: Golf equipment is a very personal choice. In recent years the industry has trended towards optimization through customization. It works for the pros, who depend upon their clubs to keep a job and make a handsome living. While the everyday day player is unable to get the level of service reserved for the best, it can be argued that the incremental performance gains are likely much greater for the casual to avid player than they have been for the Tour pros. Access has been an obstacle for many who have an interest in finding solutions to taking their game to a higher level. Personal fittings have become a part of the marketplace. Now something is coming that promises to take it to another level.

Wedges have been getting some attention lately in large part due to the impending rule change at the end of the year surrounding grooves. Titleist is introducing its new WedgeWorks Exclusives line, which may change the way you think about the short game. WedgeWorks is a high performance custom shop, available on line or through authorized accounts, where Master Craftsman Bob Vokey and his team design and build wedges for everyone from PGA TOUR players to avid wedge enthusiasts. “WedgeWorks is a life-long dream come true,” said Vokey. “Wedges are personal. The Exclusives line allows avid Vokey enthusiasts an opportunity make the wedges their own.” Every WedgeWorks Exclusives club is custom and personalized – from length, lie and loft, to toe engraving, paintfill, grips, shafts and shaftbands.

The new line features the tournament proven Vokey Tour Van Design (TVD) sole and pre-2010 Spin Milled grooves. Condition of Competition (C-C) wedges will be available in the WedgeWorks Exclusives line beginning in September. Two distinctive new finishes – Bright Brushed Chrome and Oil Can Zero – were created specifically for the line.

“Bob Vokey built his reputation on providing golfers the best short game tools in the world to help them achieve the lowest scores,” said Steve Pelisek, General Manager, Titleist Golf Clubs. “The new WedgeWorks Exclusives provide golfers a Tour-inspired and Tour-validated Vokey TVD Spin Milled wedge with all of the custom options usually reserved for the best players in the world.”

The Vokey TVD features a crescent shaped sole and moderate camber. This allows the wedge to easily pivot around its center for versatility and shot making, according to the company. Vokey TVD wedges are also the only wedges in the Vokey Design lineup that feature a Tour grind in lower lofts, beginning at 52 degrees and increasing to 60 degrees in two degree increments. Through WedgeWorks Exclusives, individuals can choose their shaft preference from a matrix, which includes True Temper’s Dynamic Gold, Tour Issue and Project X, as well as the KBS Tour in steel and black nickel. Shafts can be labeled with specifically designed WedgeWorks shaft bands for the person who wants everything.

The personalization options available on WedgeWorks Exclusives are virtually endless. Three different hand-stamp styles (straight, freestyle, snow) in up to eight letters and/or numbers; 20 different paintfill colors; and 40 different toe engraving combinations from which to choose. Also WedgeWorks Exclusives will offer BV grips in a variety of textures and colors to match the player’s look and feel preferences. Among the grips available are the New Decade Multi-Compound and full cord Golf Pride Tour Velvet, as well as ribbed and .600 diameter options. BV Custom grips are available only through WedgeWorks.

“We are excited for the launch,” said David Neville, Marketing Manager for Titleist’s wedge category. “We are bringing our Tour van customization to everyone. This is the first time we have Research & Development, the Tour and our customization departments all in one cell. The same person who is doing the grind or paintfill on Tour will be doing this for anyone who places an order,” he continued. “The better players have requested personalization for their wedges from us. This is not just pimp your wedge. Its much more than that.”

Orders will be limited to 12 wedges per month, per person. The idea being it represents two for each loft available. The new WedgeWorks Exclusives will be available through Vokey.com beginning July 15th. Condition of Competition models will be available in the fall for anyone wishing the new groove configuration. The Oil Can Zero models will only be available in the Condition of Competition grooves the company said. The base retail price before personalization for all models is $150. Due to the highly personal nature of the order, Titleist said it is striving to have the clubs in players’ hand within 10 to 14 days from receiving the order.

Titleist fans should have a field day with this opportunity of customization and personalization. For the early adopters who proudly display their new short game choices they will become instant brand ambassadors, by default. Word of mouth is still is a proven method towards generating interest and often to sales in golf. This program offers the ability to generate the “wow” factor, which will quickly become a point of difference for Titleist versus its peer group in the category.

For more information on the WedgeWorks Exclusives line or to become a member of Team Titleist click here

NEED VERSUS WANT: There are a few holes in the PGA Tour calendar for next year with regard to sponsors, but Tim Finchem isn’t showing any outward concern. For the most part the attention devoted to the topic has largely been weighted towards the PGA Tour Commissioner’s opinion. He has always stated the product’s performance, meaning the Tour telecasts largely and player performance, which can be extracted as scoring, has done well. But its certain his interpretation of value and those that sit across from him that are being asked to write the check more often than not vary. Yet it goes by largely unreported since Finchem, judge and jury, is the only one who speaks on the topic and rarely goes into detail or for that matter his product’s performance level with regard to historical levels. READ MORE>>>

BUCKING THE TREND: Perhaps the think tank in Washington DC might should contact aboutGolf. The world leader in indoor golf simulator technology reported its business continues to outpace its staffing levels and therefore it has added to its ranks through the first half of 2010.

Since the beginning of this year, aboutGolf has hired a Vice President of Operations, a Research & Development tester, two 3D Course Development Artists, an additional Customer Service Representative, a Director of International Sales and a Strategic Accounts Manager.

“Supporting our growing customer base, pursuing technology advancements and product line extensions have fueled our personnel growth,” said aboutGolf President Chuck Faust. “We will continue to hire top-notch professionals as aboutGolf’s business further grows and expands.”

WEB GEMS:

THE STORY THAT NEVER DIES: Tiger Woods’ personal life remains a hot topic. While he has been steadfast in rebuffing any inquiries about it, he did offer some insight into how he will handle the subject with his children one day in the future. SEE MORE>>>

LOOKING FOR CHANGE: Typically hosting a major championship is the closest thing golf sees to a stimulus plan. However, Oakmont Country Club, host to this year’s Women’s Open doesn’t want to see a repeat of 1997 (Men’s US Open) and neither do the local business owners. READ MORE>>>

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BEFORE WE GO: If you feel like you may have missed something from a back issue feel free to check out the archive section of the Daily Pulse, which includes an easy to use word search!

ANSWER: Joe Gomes, Director of Communications for Titleist, describing the level of service to be offered through its new WedgeWorks program.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IS BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, BUT IT IS NOT GUARANTEED. THE OPINION EXPRESSED IS THAT OF TERRY MCANDREW AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION TO BUY OR SELL SECURITIES IN ANY OF THE COMPANIES DISCUSSED WITHIN THIS NEWSLETTER. CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER MAY NOT BE REPRINTED OR REBROADCAST WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT OF TMAC GOLF