What do Nickent and Tour Edge need to do to join the biggest players in the equipment business?
ESPN writer Bill Simmons has one of my favorite sports phrases. He likes to watch for young players who are ready to “make the jump,” meaning they’re ready to take their game to the next level.
That was the phrase I had in my head at the recent PGA Merchandise Show when talking about equipment companies Nickent Golf and Tour Edge. Both companies have similarities, and both look poised for potentially bigger things in 2006.
Continue reading “Nickent and Tour Edge Ready to Make the Jump?”
Sonartec, Nickent, and Odyssey all brought new products to the market at the PGA Merchandise Show.
A little Bag Drop bonus coverage for you this week. Most of the new product announcements at the recently concluded PGA Merchandise Show were telegraphed ahead of time. But there were a few surprises in the aisles in Orlando. Here are three of them you’ll want to know about.
The 2006 PGA Merchandise Show closed Sunday, leaving behind plenty of equipment news and notes.
We’re just back from Orlando, site of the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show. I’m still sorting through a notebook full of scribbles and a briefcase full of press kits and catalogs (and maybe just a bit of swag).
While I gather all the information, I’ve pulled together a few quick thoughts and notes from the Show to satisfy your Monday equipment jones.
Continue reading “News and Notes From the PGA Merchandise Show”
Callaway has gone to the power of “X” in 2006.
The 2006 PGA Merchandise Show is underway in Orlando. That means the action has shifted inside the Orange County Convention Center instead of yesterday’s massive Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Club.
Another big event under yesterday’s sunny skies here in Florida was Callaway Golf’s media outing. Olin Browne was the guest of honor, and Callaway took the wraps off the new X series woods, Big Bertha irons, X-Tour wedges and Odyssey Tri-Ball SRT putter.
Tour Edge has built some big buzz around their high-end Exotics line. The company’s new driver lives up to the hype.
The Bag Drop is live on the scene in Orlando, gearing up for the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show & Convention. The Show gets started on Thursday, but there are already happenings to report upon.
Tuesday brought a big media outing for Tour Edge, a company trying to make the leap from value brand to premium player. I had a chance to try their new Exotics driver and a cool new putter, and lots more. Also, I heard some interesting scuttlebutt from my fellow media types.
The PGA Merchandise Show may not be what it once was, but it is still the greatest (golf) show on earth.
The Bag Drop is on the way to the Super Bowl of the golf industry. The PGA Merchandise Show opens this week, running from Jan. 26-29 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. In addition to the thousands of equipment, apparel, accessory and gee-gaw manufacturers showing their wares to club professionals and golf shop buyers, us media types will also be kicking the tires of the gear you’ll be buying this year.
David Toms and Vijay Singh are leading a charge for Cleveland Golf, while Lee Janzen may have (another) new equipment home.
When David Toms sprinted across the finish line with a runaway victory at last week’s Sony Open, it was a big win for the LSU grad. Toms’ 12th PGA Tour title came just months after surgery for an irregular heartbeat that flared up during the 84 Lumber Classic late last season.
It was also a big win for Cleveland Golf, a company that may trail only Titleist in fans among low-handicappers and other “serious” golfers. We’ll take a look at what Toms and other Cleveland staffers had in the bag at the Sony, and with an update on a possible new home for another well-travelled pro.
Callaway has new hybrids and irons, Nickent has new putters and Jim Furyk’s got a new name on his bag.
Welcome to the first Bag Drop at our new Tuesday morning home. Let’s get right to the good stuff. As expected, some new products are coming to light prior to this month’s PGA Merchandise Show & Convention. Last week, two new Callaway Golf products were unveiled – one introduction was intentional, while the cat jumped out of the bag on the other.
The cat, as it were, is a new line of hybrids from Callaway. The company will soon announce a line of Fusion hybrids to match the Fusion FT-3 driver and Fusion fairway woods currently in the company’s lineup.
The best and most popular golf simulator is made by Full Swing Golf, and the company has a fun new wrinkle ready for 2006.
Happy New Year from The Bag Drop, where the arrival of 2006 means the PGA Merchandise Show is only a few weeks away. We’ll hit on some minor news on the Show front, but first let’s look at a cool new development on the golf simulator front.
Full Swing Golf has come a long way in the last decade. 10 years ago the California company debuted its high-end golf simulators at the PGA Merchandise Show. The initial reaction from folks in the industry was that the simulators were a curiosity, but not a significant business opportunity.
