SEQUEL TO DOWNWARD TREND IN GOLF MERCHANDISE SALES

MAJOR US GOLF RETAILER GETS

RID OF 500+ STAFF PGA PROS

FROM THE ESPN.COM WEBSITE

By Darren Rovell | ESPN.com

Faced with a decline in the golf equipment industry, Dick's Sporting Goods, the largest retailer in the United States of TaylorMade and Callaway products, fired all the PGA professionals that it employed in the golf sections of its more than 560 stores.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but three PGA professionals who were fired confirmed to ESPN.com that more than 500 full-time PGA professionals were let go Tuesday.
Dick's Sporting Goods recently admited a downward trend in its golf merchandise sales.

"I'm sincerely disappointed that the careers of so many PGA professionals have been hurt today," said PGA of America president Ted Bishop in a letter to the affected employees, obtained by ESPN.com.
Dick's aimed to have one PGA professional at every store to better differentiate the experience from online retailers that try to undercut brick-and-mortar stores.
 But the economy, the downturn in participation, the decline of Tiger Woods and too many products flooding the market cut into Dick's bottom line so much that the company seems to be giving up on winning the golf equipment business.
Dick's also owns golf specialty retailer Golf Galaxy, which it acquired in 2006 for more than $200 million.
"We are selling drivers in our stores this spring for $99 that were approximately $299 20 months ago," Dick's CEO Ed Stack said after announcing earnings on May 20.
Stack said at the time that the company's overall golf business missed its first-quarter sales plan by $34 million and that he expected a downward trend for the rest of the year.
Dick's said it sold only 2 percent fewer drivers in the first quarter this year compared to the first quarter of 2013 but that the average price of those drivers was down 16 percent. On average, the golf business accounts for about 15 percent of Dick's overall revenues.
As TaylorMade's largest retailer, Dick's was hit hard after it bought all four models of the driver TaylorMade released last year. The glut of merchandise forced Dick's to sell at under the suggested retail price.
"Every macro-indicator that we've been looking at for the past 20 years -- rounds played, number of minorities playing, women coming into the game -- all of these things that we tracked says that there's fewer people playing,"  said Mark King, the former president of TaylorMade who was recently named president of adidas North America.
"Young people entering the game after high school, 18-to-30-year-olds are down 35 percent in the last 10 years. So I don't like where the game looks like it's going."
Approximately 400,000 people left the sport in the past year, according to America's National Golf Foundation.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Usually what happens in America this week, finds its way across the Atlantic next week.

SO WHO USED THE BIRD-WITH-BALL LOGO FIRST?

 

DON'T YOU THINK THE ABU DHABI GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP LOGO - A BIRD WITH A GOLF BALL IN ITS TALONS - BEARS A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE TO
THE LOGO USED BY INCHMARLO
GOLF CENTRE, BANCHORY?

JACK AND GARY WILL USE NICKLAUS BLACK GOLF BALL THIS WEEKEND

NEWS RELEASE

Nicklaus Black, one of the new Nicklaus Golf Balls introduced last month, will be put into competitive play for the first time this weekend when Jack Nicklaus and son Gary compete in the 16th PNC Father/Son Challenge. 

The Nicklauses highlight the 20-team field of golf legends, all of whom have won major championships to qualify for the event-and their sons (or daughters), where a $1 million prize purse and the Willie Park Trophy is on the line. 

The 36-hole scramble-format is being played at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Orlando, Grande Lakes in Florida. 

The Golden Bear, who teamed with Gary in 1999 to win the Father/Son, has been practising the last week and has chosen the Nicklaus Black to take into competition.  

"I like the ball a lot," Nicklaus said. "I've played it a number of times now, and I like the distance and ball flight I am getting, and it plays nicely around the greens. We are going to put it into play and let her go." 

Gary, who played three years on the US PGA Tour (2000-02) before retiring from competitive professional golf and regaining his amateur playing status in 2007, will also play the Nicklaus Black.

"Like my father, I look forward to putting the Nicklaus Golf Balls into play," Gary said. "It's a great ball and I have been pleased with the performance-from the distance to the control to the feel around the greens. 

"On a more personal note, the Golden Bear icon has meant so much to my father and to our family over the decades, so there is a strong sense of pride in seeing the Golden Bear on the golf balls I now play."

Nicklaus Black is one of three golf balls - Nicklaus Blue and Nicklaus White being the others - that were designed to accommodate three skill levels of player, using the traditional tees from which they typically play.  

Nicklaus White is designed for golfers who might typically play the forward or white tees. 

Nicklaus Blue is designed for golfers who would typically play the middle or blue tees. 

And, finally, Nicklaus Black is designed for the single-digit or better golfer who generally plays from the back tees. 

"Certainly the playability of the golf ball is important to the golfer," Jack added. "Many of the golf professionals at our Nicklaus Design courses have put them on the range to test them with members and guests to see if they like the performance of the ball and to better understand what their golfers want and need. 

"People who have tested the three balls like them. They like the simple concept behind the balls, and we're getting some very positive results.  We're very encouraged."

The balls are available exclusively online at www.nicklaus.com and soon through golf/pro shops at the more than 200 Nicklaus Design courses nationwide (in America). 

A percentage from every golf ball sold will be donated directly back to the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation to support pediatric programs and hospitals nationwide, while visitors to nicklaus.com also have the ability to support the Foundation with voluntary contributions. In the first two months of orders, more than 80 percent of consumers have made a donation.

The Father/Son Challenge Pro-Am, in which Jack and Gary are playing, airs Friday on the Golf Channel at 4:00 and 9:30 p.m. ET. The two-day, 36-hole tournament airs both Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the Golf Channel and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on NBC. Golf Channel will re-air the event at 9:30 p.m. ET each night.

The PNC Father/Son Challenge boasts a field that has accumulated a total of 430 victories across the US PGA and European tours, including 64 professional major championships-the Golden Bear leading the way with a record 18, as part of his 120 professional tournament victories. 

Jack Nicklaus is one of only five golfers - Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Tiger Woods are the others - who have won all four of golf's modern majors, an achievement often referred to as the career "Grand Slam." 

Jack remains the only player to have completed the career Grand Slam on both the regular and senior tours. His eight majors on the senior circuit, now called the Champions Tour, remains a record.

To learn more about Jack Nicklaus and the new line of Nicklaus Golf Balls, visit www.nicklaus.com.

PNC Father/Son Challenge Field:

Stewart Cink and Connor Cink (son) David Duval and  Dean Karavites (step son) Steve Elkington and Sam Elkington (son) Nick Faldo and Matthew Faldo (son) Raymond Floyd and Raymond Floyd Jr. (son) Hale Irwin and  Steve Irwin (son) Lee Janzen and Connor Janzen (son) Bernhard Langer and Christina Langer (daughter) Davis Love III and Davis (Dru) Love IV (son) Sandy Lyle and James Lyle (son)	Larry Nelson and Drew Nelson (son) Jack Nicklaus and Gary Nicklaus (son) Mark O'Meara and Shaun O'Meara (son) Nick Price and Greg Price (son) Dave Stockton and Dave Stockton Jr. (son) Curtis Strange and Tom Strange (son) Vijay Singh and Qass Singh (son) Lee Trevino and Daniel Trevino (son) Lanny Wadkins and Tucker Wadkins (son) Fuzzy Zoeller and Gretchen Chappo (daughter)
Contact:
Nicklaus Companies Scott Tolley Vice President, Corporate Communications 11780 U.S. Highway #1,  Suite 500 North Palm Beach, FL. 33408 Tel: 561-227-0300 scott.tolley@nicklaus.com

DAVID DUVAL 'EXCITED' TO REJOIN NIKE GOLF STABLE

NEWS RELEASE FROM NIKE
This week, golf fans may notice something that looks familiar – David Duval in the Swoosh.  Nike Golf today announced that Duval has re-signed with Nike Golf. He will make his 2013 debut in the Swoosh at this week’s AT and T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Duval, who was the first Nike athlete to win a major championship using Nike clubs in 2001, will be teeing up the world’s first high speed cavity back driver that conforms to USGA and R and A rules, the Nike VR_S Covert driver. He will also game the Nike VR Pro Limited Edition fairway wood, Nike VR Pro Blade irons, Nike VR Pro wedges and a Nike Method Prototype putter. 
For his golf ball, Duval will play with Nike’s new 20XI-X featuring more RZN technology. On the body, he’ll wear Nike Golf apparel from its Tour Performance Collection and the new Nike Lunar Control footwear.

A fan of the Nike Brand since he first signed with the company in 2001, Duval returns to the Swoosh after missing the products and the people involved. 
“I could not be more excited to once again become a Nike Athlete,” said Duval. “Nike Golf has been a major player in the success I have had throughout my career. I am thrilled to return to the Swoosh and continue my career with a brand that focuses on developing innovative products.”
Duval has 13 career victories on the US PGA Tour, and he also won the 2001 British Open Championship. He has been on three Presidents Cup Teams, two US Ryder Cup teams, and two World Cup teams over his career.
“We have always had a great relationship with David and are happy to welcome him back to the Nike family,” said Mark Thaxton, Global Director of Sport Marketing Operations for Nike Golf.

Duval’s Nike Golf Arsenal
Driver:  Nike VR_S Covert 8.5-degrees, neutral position (Diamana White-Board 73X)
Fairway Wood:  Nike VR Pro Limited Edition 3-wood/15-degree
Irons:  Nike VR Pro Blades (2-PW)
Wedges: Nike VR Pro 53-degree and 58-degree
Putter: Nike Method 006 prototype
Ball: Nike 20XI X
Apparel:  Nike Golf Tour Performance Collection
Footwear:  Nike Lunar Control

Located at NIKE’s World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, Nike Golf designs and markets golf equipment, apparel, balls, footwear, bags and accessories worldwide. 
Nike Golf is passionately dedicated to ushering in the future of this great sport by developing ground-breaking innovations that enable and inspire athletes to become better.  
For more information on Nike Golf, visit our Web site at www.nikegolf.eu and http://www.nikegolf.eu/   
To follow Nike Golf on Twitter visit www.twitter.com/nikegolf 
http://www.twitter.com/nikegolf
and to become a fan on facebook go to www.facebook.com/nikegolf 
http://www.facebook.com/nikegolf 
To view Nike Golf videos subscribe to our You Tube channel at www.youtube.com/nikegolf http://www.youtube.com/nikegolf 

TOM MORRIS VOTED BEST NEW BRAND AT ORLANDO SHOW

NEWS RELEASE FROM ST ANDREWS LINKS TRUST
 A new British lifestyle apparel collection inspired by the heritage of Tom Morris has won the Top Buyers Choice Award at the world’s biggest golf show.
The Tom Morris International collection for Autumn/Winter 2013 was debuted at the PGA Merchandising Show in Orlando.
A voting panel of top buyers attending the world’s biggest retail golf show selected Tom Morris as the best new brand and product at the show, which attracted 450 of the world’s leading apparel companies to Orlando.
The collection, which has a lifestyle feel but has been designed with Tom’s extraordinary achievements and charismatic personality in mind, proved an instant success with buyers dazzled by the design, quality, heritage and innovation of the collection.
Chairman of Tom Morris International Euan Loudon said: “We have worked tremendously hard to deliver a collection that clearly captured the imagination of everyone at the PGA Show. The debut collection marked the beginning of another wonderful chapter in the long and proud history of Tom Morris and it has truly been a launch worthy of Old Tom.
“We have clearly created a buzz with this first collection and we will, as we move forward, stay true to the legacy of Old Tom by continuing to place design, heritage, innovation and quality at the heart of everything we do.“
Working with Tom Morris International are partners TPD International, who have designed and developed iconic British brands such as Burberry Golf, Aquascutum Golf and more recently Aquascutum Golf for Bentley.
*Tom Morris Ltd is owned by St Andrews Links Trust, who in partnership with TPD International established Tom Morris International in 2012. 
St Andrews Links Trust run and maintain the seven courses at the Home of Golf including the world famous Old Course. www.standrews.org.uk
www.tpdinternational.com

TAYLOR MADE CHIEF URGES US TOUR TO IGNORE BELLY PUTTER BAN

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE

By James Corrigan

The chief executive of golf’s biggest company has sent shock waves through the sport by urging the US Tour to ignore the forthcoming belly putter ban, insisting that the governing bodies “will be nonentities within 10 years”. The Royal and Ancient and the United Golf Association are set to introduce new rules in March which will outlaw “anchoring” golf clubs to the body and thus negate the use of long putters. The regulation comes in the wake of three of the last five major-winners employing belly-putters.

While the European Tour has indicated it will adhere to the regulations, the PGA Tour is still to decide whether it will stick to tradition and obey the rule makers. Mark King, the chief executive of Taylor Made, the equipment-makers favoured by the majority of professional golfers, believes it should break away.

“The anchoring ban makes no sense to me at all,” King said. “If I were running the PGA of America I would write my own set of rules. I’d do it with the PGA Tour. The industry needs to come together without the USGA. Leave them out.”

King presumably also means exclude the R&A. The two bodies set the laws and, despite long putters being around since the Sixties, have only decided now to eradicate their use. It would be a drastic move for the PGA Tour to flout the custodians, but King feels it could happen as the likes of Keegan Bradley, Ernie Els and Webb Simpson fight their corner.

“I’m still not convinced the PGA Tour is going to completely embrace the long putter rule,” said King. “Here’s a prediction: the USGA within 10 years will be a nonentity, they will be a non-factor in golf because they are choosing to be on the outside and no one is signing up for what they represent. The industry is going to move away from them and pass them. They’re obsolete. I hate to say that but that’s their behaviour.”

King vows that Taylor Made, the clubs which are used more by the pros on Tour than the rest of their competitors combined, will keep making long putters regardless of the regulations. And he also pledges that if the long-mooted rule changes concerning the ball are introduced they will apply the same philosophy.
Bifurcation is the new buzzword in golf and in King’s mind two sets of rules – one for professionals and one for amateurs – are inevitable. “It’s coming and coming fast,” he said. “If Tim Finchem [the PGA Tour’s chief executive] says he’s going to use all the USGA rules except the long putter rule, there you go. You have two sets of rules.
“The whole world, not just golf, the whole world is about innovation and consumers only want what’s new and exciting. They don’t want last year, they want new, innovative cool stuff and if we’re going to stop that or limit that we’re going to kill the industry not just equipment but the playing of the game.
“So if the USGA doesn’t jump on board and lead this new way of golf, they’re just going to be obsolete. And if Finchem goes ahead and leaves the long putter in, it’s just the start. The USGA is going over the edge.”

NIKE ADD THORBJORN OLESEN TO ITS TOUR STAFF

Nike Golf today announced the addition of PGA European Tour athlete Thorbjørn Olesen to its Tour Staff.  Entering into a multi-year agreement with Nike Golf, Olesen will showcase the Swoosh in clubs, ball, footwear, glove, apparel, headwear and accessories.
 

AZINGER, THE MAN WHO POPULARISED THE BELLY PUTTER

FROM THE CBS SPORTS.COM WEBSITE


NAPLES, Florida (AP) - If it had not been for Paul Azinger (pictured) picking up a long putter that belonged to a short man, there might not be such a fuss over belly putters.
The USGA and R and A are close to announcing their position on long putters that are anchored to the body. That they have pledged to make an announcement by the end of the year has most believing a ban is imminent.
If that's the case, the guy who started it all thinks that would be a shame.
"Everybody is looking to improve their game," Azinger said in an interview last week. "That technique is good for some, and it didn't work for others."
What befuddles him is the advancements in equipment over the last 20 years, particularly with golf clubs. He referred specifically to the Great Big Bertha driver, which at the time looked enormous and had a big sweet spot. Azinger was only partially joking when he said that club now looks like a 4-wood.
"It's OK for manufacturers to figure out game improvement," Azinger said. "But if a player figures it out, we're going to ban it?"
For the former PGA champion, it was more of a fluke.
He was putting poorly when he went into the pro shop while at home in Florida in late 1999, grabbing putters of the rack when he came across a long putter that is anchored to the chest. Only this one belonged to someone much shorter than Azinger.
"I grabbed it, was lining it up perfect and stuck it into my belly because of the length," Azinger said. "I hit it all over the pro shop and made everything, and then walked outside and made everything."
Azinger checked to make sure it was legal, and he was on his way. At the mixed-team event, he says he made 13 birdies and an eagle in two days of four-balls with Se Ri Pak as his partner. Alas, they lost in a playoff to John Daly and Laura Davies. Azinger took his belly putter to Hawaii and won the Sony Open by seven shots.
But here's the other side to this magical belly putter - he never won again. And he was quick to point out that while three of the last five major champions had a belly putter, it took 11 years before someone (Keegan Bradley) won a major.
"Then all of a sudden it's being looked at because some guys have success doing it," Azinger said. "You don't see guys shooting 57, 58, 59 with the belly putter. ... It can help you - there's no two ways about it. But it's not helping everybody."
In a subsequent text message, Azinger again suggested that the USGA and R&A were concerned about the wrong piece of equipment.
"The belly putter doesn't guarantee you'll putt better," he said. "But today's drivers will guarantee you'll hit the ball farther."
---

LAUNCH OF ROYAL DORNOCH TWEED

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ROYAL DORNOCH GOLF CLUB

Dornoch, Sutherland: Royal Dornoch Golf Club, the renowned Championship course in the Scottish Highlands, is proud to introduce a bespoke new Royal Dornoch tweed fabric, designed and produced exclusively for the club by illustrious Scottish fabric brand, Hunter’s Tweed.
Being launched today at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, by Gavin Hasting, Former Scottish International Rugby Player and keen golfer, he was delighted to be involved in the launch of Royal Dornoch Tweed, a combining of two iconic Scottish companies.
Gavin commented "I felt very privileged to be asked to launch the Royal Dornoch Tweed. Royal Dornoch is one of my favourite courses and I always enjoy the opportunity to play the Championship Links. It will be great to be able to have a piece of Royal Dornoch wherever I play golf in the world."
Inspired by a traditional tweed design that dates back to the early 20th Century, the 700 gram fabric features a broad check in the club’s house colours of emerald green and golden yellow, with a touch of cerulean.
The tweed is available by the metre and also forms the basis for a new ready-to-wear selection of apparel and accessories for men and women.
Neil Hampton, Royal Dornoch Golf Club General Manager, comments on the club’s new venture: "The Hunters of Brora roots of Hunter’s Tweed can be traced back almost as far as our own distinguished history, and both names boast exceptional international reputations. There is a distinct synergy between these Highland brands and collaborating seemed like a perfectly natural move.
"The Royal Dornoch name is synonymous with exacting standards and warm hospitality, and our new tweed is a beautiful quality fabric that represents the proud, gracious heritage of our club. Our unique fabric will enable the club’s admirers to take a piece of Royal Dornoch and Scottish history with them wherever they go."
Royal Dornoch tweed is only available through the Pro Shop at Royal Dornoch Golf Club and its website royaldornochproshop.co.uk, which receives orders from all around the globe. The Pro Shop is set to stock a range of men’s and women’s golfing trousers, jackets, headwear, and club and putter covers in the new tweed, to name but a few items.Hunter’s Tweed Managing Director, Tamara Inness, says: "We are as delighted with the opportunity to be associated with such an eminent Scottish institution as with the design and finish of the Royal Dornoch tweed. It is a connection that can only serve to further strengthen each brand, both at home and abroad."

PUMA SIGN UP IAN POULTER IN FOOTWEAR AND BELTS DEAL

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By Gene Yasuda
Ian Poulter, a long-time Cobra staff player, is expanding his endorsement duties to the company’s sister brand, Puma Golf.
Beginning this season, Poulter will wear Puma footwear and belts, and continue to use Cobra equipment.
By tapping Poulter, pictured, Puma adds another marquee name to help increase its profile and credibility as a legitimate golf brand. Puma, which acquired Cobra in 2010, has steadily increased its footprint in the golf category, and its marketing stable includes Rickie Fowler, Lexi Thompson, Anna Nordqvist, Johan Edfors.
“Ian’s worldwide presence on multiple tours will help drive home Cobra Puma Golf’s core message to enjoy golf through innovative, performance products with a stylish edge…” said Bob Philion, president of Cobra Puma Golf, in a statement.
Initially, Poulter will wear Puma’s new Neo Classic Pro-Type shoe. This model won’t be immediately available to consumers, but a limited release is scheduled for mid-summer.
Among the shoe’s features: a full-grain upper leather with brogue details in the formstripe; the company’s proprietary S2C Pro (Swing Speed Chassis Pro) outsole; S2 Quill Technology – a combination of directionally molded spikes and replaceable spikes for traction.
As part of his responsibilities, Poulter also will serve as a consultant to help develop new footwear styles for market. A Cobra staff player for more than five years, Poulter this season is using the ZL Encore driver, AMP 3 wood, Baffler Rail 2/H, and S3 Pro CB irons (4-6) and MB irons (7-PW).

NIKE PROMOTE ELLON MAN ANGUS MOIR TO GENERAL MANAGER

Aberdeenshire-born former Scottish amateur champion Angus Moir is to become Nike Golf's general manager for their Europe, Middle East and Africa

operation on December 1.

Moir, who hails from Ellon, has been Nike Golf’s EMEA sales director for almost three years. He will take over this key position within the company from Stan Grissinger, who has been appointed to the new role of Director of Nike Golf International Business Development.
Moir, 48, who joined Nike Golf in February 2009, has quickly made a significant impact on the company, working with the sales teams across the developing regions to grow both the revenue and profitability of the business across all product categories during that period.
Cindy Davis, Nike Golf’s president said: “While the EMEA team will no doubt miss Stan’s leadership, we are very fortunate to have an extraordinarily talented team member in Angus Moir to take over his responsibilities. Over the last two years he has done an outstanding job providing strong functional leadership and growing Nike Golf’s revenue, profitability and market share across the EMEA marketplace.”
Moir has over 20 years’ experience in the golf industry, having previous held several senior management roles including business director of Europe and global business director during a 17-year career with Wilson Sporting Goods.
Moir will be based at Nike Golf’s European headquarters in Hilversum in Holland, where he will continue the evolution of Nike Golf’s strengthening market position in the critical UK marketplace, and accelerating distribution, market share and revenue growth throughout the EMEA region.
Moir went to university in Texas, finding success in both college-level tournaments and business management studies. Winner of the Scottish Amateur Championship in 1984, the former assistant club professional at Cruden Bay turned his attentions to the business of golf soon after, and has never looked back since deciding to switch to selling, rather than hitting, clubs for a living.
“I am very excited to be taking on this role,” said Moir of his appointment. “I have enjoyed my time at Nike Golf immensely over the last two years, working with some great people and some great products, and am really looking forward to the challenges ahead and working with a team of talented individuals that are as passionate and committed to the game as they are to the Nike brand.”
 

MARK THE CALENDAR! TIGER WOODS SMILING AT CHARITY EVENT

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
VERONA, New York (AP) -- Hunter Mahan and Cristie Kerr combined to win the Notah Begay Challenge charity event on Wednesday, and Tiger Woods was at least smiling as his pairing came in third.
Mahan and Kerr shot an 11-under 61 in the best-ball format event, coming in a stroke ahead of Annika Sorenstam and Rickie Fowler. Woods and LPGA Tour star Suzann Pettersen were third, two strokes off the pace.
"Oh Lord. It's going to be one of those days," Woods said before the round after Notah Begay III, his college roommate, promised some trash-talking as they prepared to play.
It was one of those days, all right, with Pettersen doing much of the heavy lifting for Woods.
"She played great," Woods said about Pettersen. "She definitely carried me."
Woods, who has played only eight US PGA Tour events this year because of injuries to his left knee and left Achilles' tendon, started the day with a perfect drive that set up a nice birdie at the par-4 opening hole, smiling broadly as fans shouted his name.
The shouts of encouragement never waned as Woods made his way around the course, but his game didn't approach the performance he put on here two years ago. With more than 3,000 awestruck fans watching his every move, Woods hit nearly every fairway and won three of the final four holes in a skins game format to beat Camilo Villegas in 2009.
"It was all right today," Woods said. "I've been hurt the majority of the year and haven't quite gotten to be able to (get) the reps that I need to do what (swing coach) Sean (Foley) wants me to do. We were right on track at Augusta, but unfortunately I got hurt there and then it was a huge setback. We're just trying to get back to where I was at Augusta, and it's coming around. I just need more reps."
Begay said he liked much of what he saw in Woods' performance.
"I saw enough good things to know that he's making some progress," Begay said. "It was nice to be out there with him."
Begay received a cheque for $500,000 for his foundation and said he hoped to be able to surpass $1 million after an auction.
The event is the chief fund-raiser for Begay's foundation, which is dedicated to helping fight obesity and diabetes in the Native American community.
It's a cause close to Woods' heart.
"I can relate to this because my father went through it," Woods said. "My father developed type-2 diabetes. It's tough to watch someone go through that, and what Notah's trying to do is cut that off. I want to be here for that. To be here and have the opportunity to do this, it's an honor."

INNOVATIVE NEW BAG RANGE FROM LETTERS

NEWS RELEASE
John Letters of Scotland, the equipment brand with 92 years of clubmaking history, is delighted to announce the launch of two innovative new stand bags in its product line-up for 2010.

Fully-featured and affordable the new bags feature the latest bag technology and innovation in two stylish designs:


Daly Deluxe stand bag – RRP £89.99

The special 5-way divider top, of the Daly Deluxe Stand Bag, provides plenty of room for all of your clubs and uses a special graphite friendly material, to keep all of your clubs organized and well protected.

Comfortable carrying is easy with the adjustable dual strap, padded with the latest premium T50 foam, to spread the load across your shoulders for maximum comfort and longevity. An ingenious Tri-Point carry handle is placed at the top of the bag and gives you the perfect alternate carrying option for around the green.
The free flow stand comes with extra wide triangular feet, for added stability in soft ground conditions, keeping your bag out of the mud and your clubs perfectly to hand.
A 'leg lock' velcro strap gives you the option to tie the legs into their closed position when the bag is being used on a trolley.
Plenty of pockets, including a soft valuables pocket, ensure your most prized possessions are safe and away from harm with space to store stare clothing, balls and accessories. A moulded lifting handle has been designed into the bottom of the bag to aid carrying and balance.
Available in three colour options: black, black/navy and blue/white/navy.


Player Lightweight stand bag – RRP £69.99

The Player stand bag is an excellent stylish and lightweight stand bag packed full of features.

The 6-way, full length divider top, provides plenty of room for all of your clubs and helps to keep them organized and well protected. The adjustable dual strap carrying system comes padded with the latest premium T50 foam, which spreads the load across your shoulders for maximum comfort and longevity.
Ten pockets, including a waterproof valuables pocket and an insulated drinks pocket, ensures your most prized possessions are safe and away from harms way.
The innovative and strong moulded rubber handle, means you can quickly and easily lift the bag - perfect for that quick move around the green.
The free flow stand comes with extra wide triangular feet for added stability in soft ground conditions and keeps your bag out of the mud and your clubs easily to hand. The deep, soft touch hip pad offers incredible comfort and features a claw like design to increase comfort when carrying.

A leg lock velcro strap gives you the option to tie the legs into their closed position when the bag is being used on a trolley.

Available in two colour options: Black/Grey and Blue/Black/White.

E-mail from Paul Marshall

Dear Colin
I am a member of Newburgh–on–Ythan Golf Club and was talking to committee member Ian McKen, who told me that the club had recently received two trophies from a lady in Kingsbarns, who found them in her house. The trophies have the inscriptions;

Newburgh Golf Club
Presented by J H Udny Esq
1893

Newburgh Golf Club
Presented by J H Udny Esq
1901

The Club was founded in 1888, and John Udny was the Club’s original patron and remained Club President until 1938.
There is only one name engraved on the goblet trophy –

1893 Rev J S Loutit 86-12,74

There are no names inscribed on the ‘glass jar’ trophy.

My reason for contacting you is twofold. Firstly, I thought it would make an interesting piece for the website, the fact that these two trophies have been unearthed after all this time. Secondly, we would love to hear from anyone who has any old photos, artefacts, memorabilia or stories regarding Newburgh-on-Ythan Golf Club.

We are one of the oldest golf clubs in the area, so are hopeful that some interesting stories or memorabilia can be found. Thank you very much for your help, and keep up the good work on your excellent website.
Yours
Paul Marshall

+ If you can help, E-mail the information to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Hickory golf honours game's traditions

FROM THE GOLF WEEK WEBSITE
By James Achenbach
Every year I try to play in at least a dozen golf tournaments. I mean real tournaments, not pro-ams or charity events.
My favourite event of 2009? The Selma Four-Ball Classic, held at stately Selma Country Club, Alabama.
Modern golf clubs are forbidden. Put away your Callaways, TaylorMades, Nikes, Titleists and Pings for this one, because competitors play with hickory-shafted clubs.
This is where I met the Hickory Tiger, named after a certain golfer who has won 14 major championships.
The Hickory Tiger, aka Randy Jensen, knows a thing or two about majors, having captured the US National Hickory Championship a record eight times. Jensen showed up for the Selma Four-Ball Classic with long-time partner Mike Stolarsky in tow.
They played, they birdied, they won by four, they returned home to Omaha, Neb., where Jensen manages Classic Golf, a shop specialising in vintage clubs and apparel.
“Do you play regular golf?” somebody asked him. “If, by regular golf, you mean graphite shafts and titanium driver heads, no way,” he answered. “I don’t play anything but hickory golf.”
“Why is this?” came the follow-up question.
“It’s too easy with modern clubs,” he said. “You can hit the ball all over the clubface and still hit good shots. Playing with hickory is more of a challenge. It’s more fun.”
Hickory golf has been in exile some 75 years. It was 1924 when the U.S. Golf Association issued its approval of steel shafts. Six years later, in 1930, Bobby Jones used hickory in winning his Grand Slam. The last USGA championship captured by hickory was in 1936, when lawyer John Fischer II of Cincinnati won the US Amateur.
“It’s hard to express how much my dad loved those hickory shafts,” said his son, John Fischer III, also a Cincinnati attorney. “He went to the MacGregor factory, and it took him two days just to find the right ones.”
In conjunction with the Golf Collectors Society (www.golfcollectors.com), the younger Fischer has published a delightful 36-page memoir, “The Last Hickory Golf Champion,” about his late father’s hickory adventures.
Today there is a resurgence of hickory, as reflected by national hickory championships in Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Scotland, Sweden, Finland and the United States.
The Society of Hickory Golfers (www.hickorygolfers.com) promotes hickory tournaments in North America, and an annual hickory tour has emerged. Many hickory events have been contested at Oakhurst Links in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where golf has been played since the 1880s and where the grass is cut by the world’s most efficient lawn mowers, sometimes known as sheep.
In Selma, I spotted a license plate with one word on it – HICKORY. It belonged to Tad Moore, one of the world’s best-known golf club designers. For decades, Moore created clubs for Maxfli and other companies. Now he has turned to hickory.
Moore produces replica clubs in a shop on Selma Avenue (www.tadmoore.com). Also in that shop is putterman Otey Crisman III, whose father, Otey Crisman II, made aluminum-headed putters, most with hickory shafts, that won the Masters five times and the US PGA Championship four times.
As hosts of the competition at Selma Country Club, Moore and his wife, Carol, showcased Southern hospitality in spectacular fashion. This included a heavy emphasis on early 20th century apparel and nightly parties at antebellum homes.
Hickory appears to be sweeping the South of the States. In Louisville, Kentucky, Mike Just, president of Louisville Golf, introduced a line of hickory clubs in 2007 and watched them account for about 15 percent of Louisville Golf’s sales in 2008.
In Greensboro, North Carolina Chris Deinlein plays in a regular money game at Sedgefield Country Club with his hickory-shafted clubs. Sedgefield is long enough and tough enough to host the Wyndham Championship on the US PGA Tour, but that doesn’t stop Deinlein.
“Sure, I get comments,” Deinlein said, “but I don’t care. This is the only way I play. If I sacrifice 10 or 15 yards off the tee, so be it. I believe the game was meant to be played this way. And old courses do not become obsolete when golfers use hickory.”
Almost all golfers score higher with hickory than steel. The drives are shorter (240 yards is a monster hit) and the irons don’t have much sole bounce and tend to be diggers.
An authentic player such as Jensen will use nothing but original clubs. Others may play replica clubs. There are two types of hickory competition – pre-1905, with clubs and gutta-percha replica balls from that period, and pre-1935, when the clubheads were much improved and rubber balls had emerged. Most tournaments fall into the pre-1935 category, with players using the softest modern balls they can find.
To that end, a company called McIntyre White Authentic Golf, located in San Diego, manufactures three different rubber golf balls using modern soft cores and Surlyn covers with old-time designs.
All this is like a step back in time, but it’s more. Hickory golf is a ritual in which the history and traditions of golf are honoured and celebrated.
If the truth be told, some of us would do it just to play dress-up in the elegant clothes of another era

Gatorade becomes first company to drop Tiger Woods

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By ALEX SPILLUS and ANITA SINGH
Gatorade has become the first company to drop its endorsement of Tiger Woods since his wholesome image began to unravel amid reports of multiple affairs.
The company, however, said that the decision to discontinue its Tiger Woods sports drink product was "made months ago.
In a statement, the PepsiCo-owned company said: "We decided several months ago to discontinue Gatorade Tiger Focus along with some other products to make room for our planned series of innovative products in 2010."

Harrington owns up to being a practice

and swing-tinkering junkie

FROM THE IRISH GOLFDESK.WEBSITE
Padraig Harrington has confessed that he is addicted to practice and swing tinkering.
The good news is that he is starting to listen to the members of his inner circle, who are clearly fed up with his obsession to fix something that clearly isn't broken.
His wife Caroline started the ball rolling on Monday, followed by his caddie Ronan Flood on Tuesday and mental coach Bob Rotella on Wednesday.
In drug treatment parlance, it's called intervention and Harrington confessed that it could make a huge difference to him in the long term.
"It might prove significant in the context of my career," he conceded after carding a second successive 72 in The Players Championship at Sawgrass.
"I do have a problem in that I get totally addicted at times with my swing and in recent weeks it has become an obsession.
"I had a long chat with Bob Rotella and my caddie Ronan last night, it was like an intervention. Things are definitely turning the corner.
"I've gone down this road before, I will go down it again, that's the nature of the game. I kind of get stuck into things and then get very obsessive about it.
"I'm happy that I've done it but it's time to get back to playing golf. I have definitely become addicted to my golf swing over the last couple of months and I definitely need to get rid of that."
Harrington admitted he was still a little way off ending his latest swing experiment but said he recognised the need to do so.
"There's two things (needed to do that). The first is to realise it, the second is to commit to it. I'm not committed to it fully as of yet because I do want to finish off what I'm doing, but I'm fully committed to a time frame.
"It would take a few weeks to turn it around but, yes, in four weeks' time, I intend to be fully finished with the game of swing."
Harrington's coach, Bob Torrance, explained recently that his star pupil is trying to achieve a more penetrating ball flight.
Torrance said: “He is trying to keep the ball down a bit. His launch angle is too high and he tends to hit underneath it a wee bit. The trajectory is too high after impact. We are getting steep on the ball to improve his strike so that he can compress the ball more, the way Jimmy Bruen used to do back in the 30s and 40s.
“He is trying to come at the ball steeper to get more penetration in his flight. It is the launch angle of the ball leaving the club. It will come in high but it will still be going forward when it is landing, instead of dropping straight down.
“There will be more backspin on the ball. A ball that drops straight down from the sky is not going to come back. But a ball that comes in lower with spin is going to go forward and then screw back."
According to David Dusek at Golf.com, Harrington's search for a driver is becoming almost as obsessive as his search for his swing.
So far this season, Padraig Harrington has not played like a guy who has won three of the last seven major championships.
"When you win something, especially when you have success, I see that as a reason to stop and start changing things to get better," Harrington said in a press conference earlier this week. "I'm not trying to play as well as I played last year to win the two majors. I'm trying to play better than that."
To that end, Harrington is not just tinkering with his game; he's also continuing his search for a new driver.
During much of 2008, Harrington used a Wilson Dd6+. In January and February, he was swinging a Wilson Smooth. But as we reported, he switched to a TaylorMade R9 with a Grafalloy ProLite 35 shaft at the Shell Houston Open.
That club was pulled out of the bag in Augusta the following week, when Harrington put a Titleist 909D3 (9.5°) into play. Last week at Quail Hollow, he used a Titleist 905TR (9.5°), and in a practice round this week he tried a Callaway FT-9.
When it came time to tee it up on Thursday, the Wilson Smooth Harrington used through much of 2008—including at Royal Birkdale and Oakland Hills—was once again in his bag.
Harrington went into detail about his mind set just a few weeks before the Masters, explaining: "There’s no doubt when I was playing a couple of events, all the events up to the Match Play, I was more focussed on how I’d play the following week rather than how I was playing in that week’s event.
"It’s a distraction and I just let it run into too many tournaments and got caught out. I’d usually get away with it but my short game wasn’t 100 per cent sharp; I didn’t putt as well as I would and normally I can hide a bit but I got caught out this time around.
"There’s no doubt in my mind got too far ahead of itself and I wasn’t competing at the time. But I’ve done that every year, that’s me. I’ll always be fighting that battle of playing tournaments or wanting to go and practice like mad to get better.
"It’s only now I realise there’s so many events I was leading or was in contention to win over the years that I spent Saturday evening changing my swing so I’d play better the following week. In many ways I’ve let that work … like when I stop during the winter, nobody looks forward to their winter break more than me because I’d have gathered up so much information during the year that I want to change thing
"I’m so enthusiastic during the winter working on things and changing them but I let that drag into the season this year and that’s eh … it could be the extra emphasis on the Masters but I’ve done it many times. I probably do it every year it’s just I got caught out this year by the fact that some of the other parts of my game, my bunker play or something like that, weren’t quite right. Maybe I was pushing for results as well and just got at bit hard on myself on the golf course. There are a num ber of elements where I just didn’t get away with it this year, early-season.
"Actually, the season feels a lot worse than it sounds. I’ve just missed two cuts like. I’ve done worse, let’s say but, definitely, I know why and what was happening and the attraction of trying to change and improve things always draws you in. I’ll never get away from it to be honest. I like working on my swing to get better."
After three missed cuts from nine starts in the US, Harrington made the cut on the level par mark as did Graeme McDowell, who made a fantastic birdie 3 at the last to sneak in for the weekend.
The Ulsterman hit a 313 yard drive over the water and a 140 approach to 11 feet for the bravest of birdies as Rory McIlroy missed the cut.
McIlroy, 20, was two under playing the 17th on Thursday but took 6 there and bogeyed the last to card a 74.
On Friday he bogeyed the 11th and 15th and then birdied the 16th to leave himself needing a three under par homeward nine to make the level par cut.
Bogeys at the third and sixth ended that dream and he eventually trudged home in 40 blows for a 77 that saw him miss the by seven shots on seven over - his first failure on the US PGA Tour.

Here's a Golftext scoreboard that can be hired out, complete with an operating team, to anyone who is organising a golf tournament and wants to inject a touch of professionalism to the event.

English company offering big, professional-

style scoreboards for tournament organisers

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
A North-east of England company is hoping to get organisers of Scottish golf tournaments - clubs and/or districts, even business or society outings - interested in hiring a big, professional-style scoreboard complete with score operators.
The Craigmillar Park Open, held at the Edinburgh city venue at the weekend, had such a scoreboard for the first time and, it has to be said, it gave the 72-hole tournament that "extra something."
Bryan Ross is the man behind the enterprising scheme. This is what he has to say in the company brochure:
"I would like to introduce you to Golftext, a company specialising in professional tournament leaderboards and on course signage, now available for daily hire throughout the UK, Portugal and Spain.
"We recognise that all golf days are special and we believe that events should have a special visual presentation, which is crucial to creating the right impression and tournament arena.
"Golftext can now offer you the 'Professional Experience' that will guarantee to raise your tournament profile, ensuring a successful day for you and your guests.
"Whether you're a golf organiser, golf club, small or national company we have the package to suit your event and budget. Your package can also be self funding, this is possible through business sponsorship, which in addition can generate further funds for your event.
"Our dedicated and experienced team of staff will arrange, install, operate your chosen package and liaise with your key personnel during the event.
"I'm sure you'll find on of our standard packages to suit your needs or, take a look at our "extras" and "leaderboard" pages to build your own tournament package.

North of the Border, Bryan's company are hoping to get a toehold in the South-east of Scotland - that's why the Craigmillar Park Open was chosen as a trail-blazer - but they eventually hope to gain business from tournament organisers right across the Central Belt and even up into Fife, Angus, Perth, the North-east and Highlands.
More details available on http://www.golftext.net/ or by E-mailing Bryan Ross at bryan@golftext.net

Purtzer's four secrets to driving the ball better

FROM PGATOUR.COM
Tom Purtzer has always possessed one of the sweetest swings in professional golf. He led the US PGA Tour in driving distance in 1990, averaging 279.6 yards, and has also topped the driving distance category on the Champions (Seniors) Tour in four of the last six years.
Here are Tom tells you his secrets of how to drive the ball better:
1 Get fitted for the right equipment. Take advantage of the available technology to find out what equipment -- shaft, clubhead loft, ball -- will be of greatest benefit.
Purtzer: "The modern high-tech equipment only helps if it fits you properly. If it doesn't fit you, it's worse than using what you're using now."
2 Keep stretching. Hitting a golf ball a long way is more about flexibility than strength.
Purtzer: "To me the most important thing is to be able to stay flexible enough to make a body turn -- shoulders, hip. That's the key."
3 Don't fall victim to equipment misconceptions. Stiffer shafts and stronger lofts don't necessarily translate into more distance.
Purtzer: "My way of thinking is old school. The older you get, you want to soften up the shaft to give yourself a little more kick to get the ball to fly, to keep the ball in the air."
4 A trusty driver is a friend forever.
Purtzer: "If it works, why would you change? My driver is three generations old. There have been three upgrades since mine."
The shaft in Purtzer's driver is at least 12 years old. Moral of the story: It's hard to say goodbye to a loyal friend who has been good to you for a long time.

MacGregor Golf on the way out of business

MacGregor Golf, the second-oldest golf equipment company in the United States, is selling off chunks of its operation - and is heading for oblivion.
It has suffered a dwindling of staff and defection of top management executives. Perhaps not rats deserting a sinking ship but a good enough analogy.
Now, it is liquidating at least some of its inventory.
“We’ve been picking up some of it at rock-bottom prices,” said Mark Marney, owner and chief executive of The Golf Warehouse.
According to the merchandiser’s website, the MacGregor Bobby Grace DCT series putters, for example, have been marked down from $169 to $49.88.
The inventory fire sale follows MacGregor’s 11th-hour withdrawal from January’s US PGA Merchandise Show at Orlando and offering no product introductions this season.
The Albany, Georgia-based company, whose ownership group includes Greg Norman, has already sold apparel maker Greg Norman Collection to New York-based Tharanco Group on February 2.
A MacGregor spokesperson acknowledged that the company’s Asian subsidiary, which it had owned since 2003, had been purchased in a management buy-out.
According to a former MacGregor employee, the company has been on the block for months. That source, as well as another retail observer, said at least one major retailer considered buying the remaining assets of MacGregor and making it a house brand.
The industry rumour mill has speculated extensively about a potential MacGregor buyer, including reports that one of its international distributors could be a suitor.
Meanwhile, MacGregor’s staff has been depleted. President and CEO Michael Setola joined Greg Norman Collection; putter designer Bobby Grace resigned in June; Reid Gorman, who preceded Setola as president, left the company in October; and the sales staff has been gutted.
Remember the name. MacGregor. It could soon be a thing of the past.