Dude! Where’s my golf company?
The speculation can finally end. For months, golf industry observers have been wondering who was going to snap up Cleveland Golf and the Never Compromise brand of putters from surf duds company Quiksilver. The surprise suitor is the parent company of Srixon, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, a leading Japanese tire company.
Quiksilver has agreed to sell Cleveland Golf to the SRI Sports Limited division for $132.5 million. The deal is expected to close during the fiscal quarter ending Jan. 31.
Cobra’s UFi irons are like dating Angelina Jolie. Easy on the eyes, but without the attitude when you come home late smelling like cigars and booze.
As winter quickly approaches, and as more and more golfers are constrained to the indoor putting greens and driving ranges, we all quickly develop a case of “equipment-itis.” I know I do. I start delving into the stack of catalogs leaning precariously under the coffee table. My random visits to eBay become more like daily rituals, and my cell phone beeps constantly with text messages alerting me to soon-ending auctions.
The latest release from Cobra could quite possibly become the topic of one of these text messages.
Hot on the heels of the CG12, the “better player’s” wedge, Cleveland is releasing the CG14 for the rest of us.
The wedge choices on the market today are enough to baffle even the most astute of short game wizards. Now, with new buzz words like “visco-elastic vibration-dampening material,” Cleveland Golf has come out with the CG14, the latest in its venerable “CG” line of wedges.
For the past 20 plus years, Cleveland has held the top spot in the wedge category. Thanks primarily to Titleist’s line of Vokey wedges – with assists by Callaway, TaylorMade, and weak sales of the CG11 – Cleveland’s market share was reduced by a few points in 2006. After a quick recovery, Cleveland continues to once again distance itself from the competition.
I think Cobra and TaylorMade are trying to make it easier to dial in your golf game than it is to find a Friday night keg party at a college campus.
While you suckers in the northern states are preparing to put your clubs away for the winter, us lucky souls down south are simply trying to remember where we’ve put our long pants. After all, that’s all winter really means to us: pants instead of shorts when we golf.
Us southern boys also get the opportunity, unlike you Yanks, to try out the new equipment that is invariably released in September or October. This week, we’ve got news of lots of new gear from both Cobra and TaylorMade.
Don’t worry, my northern brothers, you’ll be playing this equipment in six or seven months!
Continue reading “Cobra Intros L4V Driver and TaylorMade Intros r7 CGB MAX Line”
A little karma goes a long way. Or at least that’s Nike’s claim.
If Nike’s new golf ball does what it boasts, it may just drive away some potential buyers. That’s because the new ball is named KARMA, so if you’re playing too slow, or don’t bother to tip the cart girl, you might just find yourself behind a tree, or fishing your balls out of the water. On the other hand, maybe this will become the golf ball with the best hole-in-one record. Or maybe it’ll just go in the hole more frequently for those who are about to ascend to another plane of existence…
I don’t think Mizuno is introducing a new line of ball mark repair tools, but perhaps I just missed the press release for them somewhere!
When we last checked in with Mizuno at the Bag Drop they were introducing a hybrid fitting system. Apparently that didn’t wear Mizuno out as they’ve recently unveiled eight – yes, you read correctly, eight – new products covering every type of club in the bag, every skill level, and every gender.
This week’s Bag Drop is Mizuno-heavy, with a new MP iron, new Bob Bettinardi putters, new wedges, drivers, fairway woods, hybrid iron sets, women’s sets, and more.
Read on for the details.
Guess which golf ball brand is number two behind Titleist. It’s Pinnacle, another Achusnet company. Here they come with five new models to choose from.
I never cease to be amazed at the way golf balls keep evolving. I mean, when you think about it, it would seem the laws of physics, available materials, and rules restrictions would one day bring innovation to a halt. But that’s not so. Every year we are treated to new versions with new feel and new performance characteristics.
Pinnacle has long been established as the leading low-priced, long distance ball. As one of the first two-piece balls to hit the market, it was one of the balls players used to call “rocks.” But that’s no longer an apt moniker. In fact the current Pinnacle marketing mantra is “Distance Doesn’t Have to be Hard.”
Low-priced distance balls have become softer and a lot more playable. And now there are five new Pinnacle versions to suit your game and your pocketbook including two aimed at the better player. Here’s a look at the new lineup…
An extension of the original and very popular Red X line, the new models lose the insert but gain a new finish, sight line, graphics, and, with the X5, a new neck.
I always find it interesting to watch Scotty Cameron tweak his designs. I mean, how many putter makers have produced so many variations on a theme as he has done with his multiple incarnations of Newport-style heads?
It now appears he’s traveling down that same road with his Red X mallet putters. Unlike the first mallet putters he produced shortly after joining Titleist (the Caliente and Bolero models) that weren’t exactly blockbusters, the Red X putters have established a very strong following among those who favor a mallet head.
It’s easy to understand why. It’s a classic shape, beautifully milled, and available in multiple lengths and head weights… as long as you’re right handed. Here’s a look at his latest takes on what a mallet can be…
Continue reading “Scotty Cameron Introduces Red X3, X5 Mallet Putters”
TaylorMade rolls out three new ways to “bomb away.”
It’s only been a few months since TaylorMade dusted off its Burner brand, now separated from the once popular Bubble shaft, and rolled out a of drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids under the Burner flag. Now the “number one driver company in golf” is introducing three additions to the Burner line: a fairway wood for better players, a new draw driver, and game improvement irons.
Like Ping’s G5 (and now G10) and Rapture line, TaylorMade’s club lines are separated more by technology and price rather than being strictly a “tour” line and a “regular Joe” line. TaylorMade’s r7 line is characterized by movable weights and playability (the ability to shape shots), while the Burner line tends toward forgiveness and, generally, lower list prices. While the r7 brand is more established and gets the majority of exposure, both lines get play on the PGA Tour.
Let’s take a look at the additions to the Burner line.
Continue reading “TaylorMade Burns On with TP Fairway, Draw Driver, and XD Irons”