Jesse Joins Jones

Jesse Ortiz, the man behind the Orlimar TriMetal is now the man behind the new Bobby Jones Golf Equipment Company.

Jones Fairway WoodRemember those Orlimar “TriMetal” golf clubs from the late 1990s? The man behind the clubs – Jesse Ortiz – is back. He’s found a job with Bobby Jones Golf Equipment Company. The company features two lines of men’s equipment – “Collection” and “Players” – and a line of women’s gear. All three will be on display at next month’s PGA Merchandise show in Orlando.

Ortiz comes from a line of clubmakers. His dad, Lou, made clubs for some folks you may have heard of: Ken Venture and Johnny Miller. The TriMetal was such a success that the relatively small Orlimar couldn’t control its success. Orlimar took on investors and eventually succumbed to a problem perhaps best described as “too many cooks in the kitchen.” The company floundered under a sea of debt and empty promises.

In June, and with the permission of the Jones estate, Ortiz and a business partner started the Bobby Jones Equipment Company to expand the Bobby Jones brand beyond the apparel line.

The Collection is the flagship line and features a Merlot-colored, 400cc driver with a graphite/composite crown, a Fujikura Speeder shaft, a Beta Titanium face, and a calfskin grip. The fairly high-lofted 10.75° club will carry a fairly high-priced cost as well: $600. (Then again, a Bobby Jones shirt costs $160.) “Typical high-end country club guys,” Ortiz said.

The Players line should appeal to the more average golfer, with two 440cc drivers at about $300 and some fairway woods at about $200. The clubs feature the same technology but less expensive materials.

With one of the best names in golf behind him, we wish him the best.

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