Fore Inventors Only

[$2 Nassau]

So the club caddy won huh? I felt there were better inventions than that, but congrats to him. Seemed like a good guy.

[Jeepthrills]

I think for next season, they need to divide the inventions into 2 categories. Accessories and Training Aids, and have a winner from each division. I mean, really.. how can you argue with a training aid 30+ tour players use?

Great idea. It's tough to compare something like the Club Caddy to Z Factor. Club caddy is something that would make my golf experience better, but do nothing to better my game.

[Icehawk]

Another thing is most of the inventions are quite pricey - Hillshot Golf is ~$800! The Club Caddy I expect to be ~$10 or so. A lot easier to sell a zillion $10 items, especially around Christmas time.

I agree, it would be cool if they had a few catagories next time around.

[Jeepthrills]

I am not a conspiracy kind of guy, well I don't think Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, but anyway. After the comment that Jim Thompson from Golfsmith made about them flying off the shelves, do you think the numbers may have benn "manipulated" or at least with the ability to vote more than once that the ballots may have been stuffed a little?

[ettsn]

Honestly, no. I think a lot of us said "why didn't I think of that?" and voted for it. I know I did.

[iacas]

Honestly, no. I think a lot of us said "why didn't I think of that?" and voted for it. I know I did.

Ditto. About six times today I wished I had it. My home course was syringing and I hate, hate, HATE wet grips.

[Jeepthrills]

Don't get me wrong. I think he was a deserving winner. I loved Hill Shot, but I would have put them 4th of those 5. Behind Z Factor, Club Glider and Club Caddy. No question, I will be buying one as soon as they are available.

[Big Lex]

I was surprised Hill Shot did as well as it did in the voting. To me, that was the worst one, simply because most people wouldn't be able to use it. You either have to have your own net/range setup in your house, with a high enough ceiling clearance to swing on that thing, or you have to figure out how to get it to a driving range, which ain't easy due to the size and shape. I was also skeptical as to how long the "grippy" turf surface would hold up. Seems to me after a few hundred swipes, the ball would be rolling all over that thing.

Why can't we get the club caddy yet?

This is the best winner because you're going to spend $10-30 for one or two of those things, and you'll use them every single time you play golf. Plus you can hang your sweaty underwear up in your locker with it between rounds.

[iacas]

Why can't we get the club caddy yet?

It's probably going to take months for it to be available for sale. Which is pretty dumb...

But think about it. A live finale. They have to shoot the 30-minute commercial and edit it. They have to design the packaging. They have to find some way to produce the product. They have to sign all the contracts, set a price, etc.

[Jeepthrills]

It's probably going to take months for it to be available for sale. Which is pretty dumb...

I would bet they will shove it down our throats between now and it's release. They want to keep it fresh in our minds. I also question the timing. Why have a show that will have a live finale, then not be able to get the product out there until half the country is basically done playing for the season. It will make a nice stocking stuffer, but I need one now. The weather was wet on Sunday and I had to balance my club on my divot tool. If it were already available, I would have bought one this week.

[Ben]

I just found out that the finale was filmed at my course. Porter Valley C.C.

[goddahavit]

Club Caddie, lol I call it the chip clip, man I cant believe I couldnt have come up with it.

O well, its one of the few that I havent found on a website or golf discount place, and yes, one of the few I can afford.......

[girliegolfer29]

HOLY SHIT! I had no idea it was father and daughter. I honestly thought they were husband and wife. That is freaking creepy as hell.

Come on people, seriously! I don't understand these comments....amazing how things get misconstrued through television. Granted we don't look like father and daughter, but can't we just be hardworking happy people and not have a "creepy" stigma attached because we were standing close for the cameras?

I only write in because it bothers me to see this written about us - we don't deserve these comments.....if you knew us, you would know what a great father/daughter relationship we have :) I have said my peace! Brandi ps thanks for the hot chick comment ;)

[iacas]

Come on people, seriously!

Brandi, welcome. Would you mind answering some questions about your product? I'm sure others can come up with some, but my first one would be simply this:

The background to that question is that Hillshot Golf doesn't seem at all like something you would want to buy in a retail store. Some other products were booted because they were more for a golf course or a range pro than for the individual consumer, and Hillshot Golf seemed to be exactly the same thing - not targeted from the consumer. I even joked on this forum about how someone would purchase your product in the store and take it home - it probably won't fit in your car. So, given all of that, were you surprised by how far you went in the competition?

[Jeepthrills]

Come on people, seriously! I don't understand these comments....amazing how things get misconstrued through television. Granted we don't look like father and daughter, but can't we just be hardworking happy people and not have a "creepy" stigma attached because we were standing close for the cameras?

Brandi,

Welcome to the Sand Trap. Congratulations on making it as far as you did with the Hill Shot. I think Eric touched on the biggest question that most of us had with the portability. The question I have is how much of a boost has the exposure been for your product. Have you had offers from other companies to get Hill Shot out to the market?

[girliegolfer29]

Brandi, welcome. Would you mind answering some questions about your product? I'm sure others can come up with some, but my first one would be simply this:

Eirk,

Thanks for the question! To be honest, we were hoping to win the show! Our product is the most dynamic for improving your golf game - that's what I imagined the "best new invention" in golf to be...something to improve your game. You can work on so many areas of your game from one location - fix your slice, hill shots, short game around the bunker, etc. We are finding new uses for it all the time from teaching professionals. We have won 3 PGA Best New Product awards already and we are very proud of our 2nd place finish on Fore Inventors Only. That said, we are still a new company as far as the marketplace. Is every golfer going to buy our product? Probably not. If we can sell them to all of the ranges, courses, teachers, and practice facilities to start, then golfers will have a chance to try the product out and see if it is something they would like to use in the privacy of their own back yard. We are making a good portion of sales to avid residential golfers already. Hill Shot works on your confidence as a golfer in these troubled areas of your game. Please let me know if you have any questions - By the way, today is my father's 58th birthday :) Sincerely, Brandi Koch

[iacas]

If we can sell them to all of the ranges, courses, teachers, and practice facilities to start, then golfers will have a chance to try the product out and see if it is something they would like to use in the privacy of their own back yard. We are making a good portion of sales to avid residential golfers already.

Hitting something like Birdie Balls or other limited-flight balls in your back yard is something I hadn't considered, but I could imagine that might work. Too bad my yard has too many trees to do even that... Perhaps one of my home courses will buy one for the range.

Please let me know if you have any questions - By the way, today is my father's 58th birthday :)

Jeepthrills asked one, and happy birthday to your father. He easily seemed the happiest person to be on the show.

[girliegolfer29]

Brandi,

Thank you Jeepthrills!

I am working on getting us into GolfSmith as we speak. We are going to have instore demo units at some of the larger GolfSmith hitting bays. We can also be found at GolfTEC and PGA Superstores. Many people have called about distributing the product in their state or area. Online communities are interested in featuring the product. The support from the public has been amazing. My father is recognized everywhere he goes all over Louisville - pretty fun :) We have recently met with a Japanese distributor and a Danish distributor and are in the process of solidifing those realtionships too. These are just off the top of my head. It has been a busy month for me in the office, and today we have a 1pm tee time for dad's bday golf! For us, the show was a total success with the branding of our product. Now it is time to make the most of that exposure! :) Brandi