Over the Green

An interesting item appeared in Jim Achenbach’s column in Golfweek, that one of the truly innovative putter companies of the past few years, Rife Putter of Sanford, Fla. has been sold to Innovex Golf.

To fans of Rife flat sticks this is welcome news and may be just the thing to push Innovex up to the new level of recognition. Here’s the link if you want to read the full story. “Rife Putters agrees to be sold to Innovex”

The biggest buzz at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando last January was not that TaylorMade Golf returned to the Show after an absence of several years but the immense display area they used. It was big enough to allow TaylorMade, adidas Golf and Ashworth (all owned by adidas) to introduce and showcase their new products for 2011.

The white headed R11 line of drivers and fairways of course caused a stir amongst the Show attendees and in hindsight it was the start of the domination of that category by TMaG this season. The clubs were pooh-poohed by some (mostly competitors) but have taken about half of the wood-segment pushing Callaway and the others into the status of pretender. Being fair though, Titleist has also been able to carve out more business and they seem to have a firm grip on number two with their 910D2/D3 line.

Not to belabor the point but it is worth noting TMaG will sell more than 2 million white headed clubs this year including the Burner Superfast 2.0. As I said, domination.

Back to the Show, how big was the display space used by TaylorMade? Well, it took up the entire north end of the Orange County Convention Center and had its own restaurant and its own indoor driving range.

So the word is now out that the company will again exhibit at the Show in January 2012 and from every indication will again make use of the same large space as a “clubhouse” for its customers.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Salamander Resorts is forming the “Grand Resorts of Florida” by combing management of Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, Reunion Resort in Orlando, and Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast. Salamander’s owner Sheila Johnson announced the new arrangement after coming to agreement for a partnership with Lubert-Adler, L.P., a real estate equity firm which owns Reunion and Hammock Beach.

Salamander has taken over management of Reunion Wyndham Grand Resort and Hammock Beach Resort. Salamander has owned and operated Innisbrook Resort since 2007.

“Florida is the world’s greatest year-round and most-accessible golf and vacation destination, and we are creating an experience unlike any other,” said Johnson, who made the announcement accompanied by ten-time Major Championship winner Annika Sorenstam. “This resort concept has never before been accomplished, and because of the unique characteristics of each property, it cannot be replicated. There are numerous synergies between the resorts, and their geographic locations make them natural partners.”

There is a new web site to publicize and promote the new combination at www.GrandGolfResorts.com. Courses at the three resorts include ones designed by Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Larry Packard. Reunion also is the site of the only resort-based teaching facility of Annika Sorenstam.

Part of the promotional effort will be built around a “Legends of Golf Trail” covering the 200+ miles from Hammock Beach to Innisbrook.

“We are delighted to have Sheila C. Johnson and her Salamander team as our partner,” said Dean Adler, CEO and co-founder of Lubert-Adler, L.P. “At Reunion and Hammock Beach, we have created some of the finest golf and family facilities in the country, and look forward to seeing our properties and their valued membership programs flourish under this partnership.”

Prem Devadas, president of Salamander Hotels & Resorts said, “We will also develop a long-range plan for the continuous improvement of amenities and facilities at all three resorts. Ultimately, our goal is for the collection to become known as the finest golf- and family-friendly destination in America.”

Johnson also owns the NBA Washington Wizards, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Her company owns as well the Grand Resorts at Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic and manages the Woodlands Inn near Charleston, SC. Under development is the Salamander Resort & Spa, a 340-acre equestrian-themed luxury resort near Washington, D.C.

Sometimes a little hype isn’t bad or even a little harmelss foolishness and TaylorMade Golf did a good job publicizing the one millionth white metalwood sold by having Tour staffer Dustin Johnson deliver a gold-plated R11 driver.

DJ even dressed up in a FedEx uniform to hand the club to Patrick Spina of Clifton, New Jersey a few days before Johnson’s victory in the Barclay’s, a FedCup Playoff event.

The gold-plated version was just for show and not meant to be played so Spina also received a playable R11. Spina was called an “unsuspecting customer” but he didn’t seem all that surprised when Johnson walked on the practice tee. Of course, maybe it had something to do with the camera and sound crews that preceded him.

The King and the Mouse
The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) and Arnold Palmer Golf Management have signed a 20-year agreement to have the King’s company mange and promote Walt Disney World’s five golf courses located at the suburban Orlando, Fla. resort. Disney’s deal with Palmer takes the Mouse completely out of the very competitive central Florida golf market substituting an ongoing lease payment from Palmer Golf.

Disney has had a long standing business strategy of leasing hotel, restaurant and concession locations to outside companies. As part of the lease agreements lessees are contractually required to provide services and products meeting standards set by Disney.

As part of the new deal over the next two years Palmer and his course architects will take on a renovation of the Disney’s Palm course.

Arnold Palmer Golf Management, based in Addison, Texas, is owned by Century Golf Partners and the Disney courses will be added to the 70 private clubs in its portfolio. They will be promoted within the Palmer Golf network with a website and in the “Kingdom Magazine” published by the company.

Walt Disney World, which attracts about 50 million visitors per year, has been pulling back from operating golf courses at the resort since it became apparent there were too many courses and too few golfers in the Orlando area. The first move in implementing that policy was back in 2007 the well regarded Eagle Pines course (Pete Dye 1992) was closed. The land is now a residential development that upon build-out will have 450 multiple-million dollar homes.

The Waldorf Astoria hotel also operates a golf course on Disney property, a Rees Jones design opened in 2010.

The PGA Tour’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospital Classic played on Walt Disney World’s Palm and Magnolia courses for 41 years, is part of the Tour’s Fall Finish. There is no word what affect if any the deal with Palmer Golf will have on the Tour stop though Palmer does already have a Tour event annually at his nearby Bay Hill golf course, the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Golfsmith to South Korea
Golf retailer Golfsmith International will open retail outlets in the fastest growing golf market in the world, South Korea in partnership with GOLFZON Co. which specializes in indoor golf simulators.

Golfsmith says profits from this venture will be reinvested back into retail operations in the United States.

The majority of golf in South Korea is played on indoor simulators and GOLFZON with 4,000 screen commands 84% of the market. Plans are for GOLFZON to operate Golfsmith stores at the simulator locations.

Tiger’s moves
Tiger Woods has moved to his new $54.5 million home built on the ocean on Jupiter Island, Fla. and reports in the Palm Beach Post say his company ETW Corp. will move as well.

Woods lived formerly in the Isleworth development outside Orlando and according to public records he has not sold his home there. ETW Corp. will occupy space in an office building formerly the headquarters of Greg Norman’s companies.

Long Putters
Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship with a long putter. Two aspects of this are somewhat surprising. First, this is the first time the victor in a major championship has used a long putter, in this case a Odyssey White Hot XG Sabertooth belly putter and secondly, the golf media hasn’t made a big deal of it. Curious since there has been a lot of breast beating over non-traditional length putters with three points of body contact. “Unfair” and non-traditional are two of the milder adjectives used by those against the use of broomsticks or bellys.

Tee It Forward
When you get over 90 percent of golfers to agree about anything it’s worth note so the press release concerning the Tee It Forward trail back in July is noteworthy. According to the press release from the USGA: Initial responses from a consumer survey indicated that 70 percent of the respondents found golf more enjoyable; 90 percent said they played faster or at about the same pace; 91 percent were likely to recommend TEE IT FORWARD to a friend and would likely use it again; and 52 percent stated they were likely to play golf more often knowing they could use TEE IT FORWARD. Let’s see, more enjoyable, faster play and play more golf. Sounds like a winner.

Weight Loss
Weight Loss Coach Larry Jacobs says in the summer time golfers drink more beer and sodas on the course and that’s a big reason why they tend to put on weight. Weight they are unlikely to ever take off. His Weight Loss for Golfers Tele-Seminar on September 28 is running an end-of-summer half-price offer guaranteed to make participants “Thin for Life.” Great, it’s just in time for the serious part of the NFL-couch-potato-season.

Fortune Brands (NYSE:FO) completed sale of Acushnet Company (Titleist and FootJoy brands) to a Korean group. For the record below is the text of the press release. Regardless of the pro forma comments nothing will change that is not the usual practice when buyouts go down. It will be interesting to see if Acushnet can maintain their number one position in the ball and shoe markets.

Acushnet Company announced that the transaction for its sale from Fortune Brands, Inc. to a consortium led by Fila Korea, Ltd. and Mirae Asset Private Equity, was completed today. The sale was announced on May 20.

“We are excited and proud to be part of the storied history of successful growth and evolution of Titleist and FootJoy – two revered and world-class brands,” said Gene Yoon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Fila Korea, Ltd. “We are impressed by the decades of accomplishments achieved by the management team at Acushnet, and fully support its continued focus on the core golf expertise at which they excel. We look forward to growing the brands around the globe, especially with the opportunities in the emerging markets in Asia.”

Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) has a new President and Chief Executive Officer. Anthony Thornley took over after George Fellows resigned “for personal reasons” but there is little doubt he was asked to depart.
Fellows, who previously was the top executive at Revlon, Inc. was cross country commuting to Carlsbad, Calif. headquarters and cited the long distance and spending more time with his family effecting his decision to leave. Thornley at age 65, on the Callaway board of directors for seven years, comes to the CEO position with a background in technology; specifically he was President of Qualcomm Inc.

On Fellows watch Callaway, the once industry-dominant club manufacturer, seemed to lose its way, eventually falling well behind principle rival TaylorMade Golf Company in clubs and never able to mount an effective challenge to Acushnet Company in golf balls. MORE…

If the true test of a man’s intelligence is how much he agrees with you Michael Johnson, equipment writer for Golf Digest, is a genius.

In his June 20 online column he lays out the case against the USGA’s illogical and unfortunate reasoning when it came up with the ban of U-shaped or square grooves. The argument is similar to that made by this writer for over two years.

The Association concluded by mandating grooves with smaller cross section on irons of more than 25 degrees loft touring professionals and top amateurs would have to throttle back their tee shots to avoid hitting the ball in the rough. Smaller groves are less efficient imparting spin to a ball when the grass is of medium length as in the rough. The 1,000 or so elite golfers this change was aimed at therefore would have a harder time stopping their approach shots on the green.

Their logic continued that since there would be a “penalty” for hitting the ball in the rough the elites would then be forced to use a club less than a driver from the tee in order to keep the ball in the fairway. From the fairway they would be able to put the correct spin on the ball with the new grooves so distance could be controlled and it would stop close to the pin.MORE…

On Memorial Day, before the beer, hotdogs and fireworks, the Golf Channel broadcast the first big time golf event played under the rules of PowerPlay Golf – a relatively new and potentially significant tournament format.

Unfortunately an unknown (at least to American viewers and for the sake of media attention) player, Caroline Hedwall won though her finish didn’t lack anything in the way of excitement…it was birdie-birdie-birdie. There were some interesting aspects to this 9-hole tournament contested on the Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor in Wales other than the modified Stableford scoring.
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