Champion's

Happy Birthday to the Legend’s, ah…make that, Senior’s—I mean Champions.

Some forward-thinking people got together with Liberty Mutual back in April 1978 to offer a chance to see some of golf’s greatest players play in teams of two. This turned out to be a popular event that year. And on April 30th, 1978, the team of Sam Snead, and Gardner Dickinson won the the inaugural event.

These were certainly two champions, but Mr. Dickenson is perhaps the lesser heralded of the two…He still holds the record for best percentage in Ryder Cup match play.

The Legend’s tour took hold the next year to become a place for golfers over 50 years of age to go to [continue to] compete. The Legends Tour eventually became the Seniors Tour, and ultimately the event we now know today as the Champions Tour.

This week it was Tom Watson and Andy North taking home the bacon, but they will have to pedal hard to catch up with Hale Irwin (the Tiger Woods of the Champions Tour). Tiger himself, trying to catch up to Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA wins on the regular PGA Tour.

Happy Birthday to all the Champions of golf!

From the gotta-grip team.

The Wachovia

In the six years that the Wachovia has been held at Quail Hollow Club, the players have had the chance to vie for an 11% cost-of-living increase in the top prize vs. year one in 2003.

Last year Tiger Woods took home $1,134,000.00 for his efforts, while the 2003 winner (first year the Wachovia tournament was held here) received a mere $ 1,008,000.00.

While we all would welcome that kind of pay increase, in six years (especially when the base is over one million dollars), you have to wonder what Dick Lotz, and Tom Weiskopf think about the 37.8 times the $30,000 they won respectively at this course 37 years ago when the Kemper Open was held there.

Winning at the same course in 1970 & 1971 when the event at this club was the Kemper Open was perhaps more important to Lotz, representing one of three of his PGA victories.

While, it is interesting to see how the increase in prize money compares to the prize money from the past, it is more interesting to ponder what if the following items had increased similarly (37.8 times) since 1970.

The average cost of a new home in 1970 was just under $27,000
Times 37.8 = $ 1,020,060.00

Cost of a new Cadillac de Ville Convertible in 1970 was $6,068
Times 37.8 = $ 229,370.40

Cost of first class stamp in 1970 was 6¢
Times 37.8 = $2.26

National average cost of a gallon of regular gas in 1970 was 36¢
Times 37.8 = $13.61

Cost of a gallon of milk in 1970 was $1.15
Times 37.8 = $43.47

For my money, PGA golfers have always been and will be worth every penny they earn…because they earn it. However, while a penny bought a lot more back in 1970, there’s a lot more pennies to go around now.

Speaking of my money, I predict Phil Mickleson will win even though Vijay Singh is the favorite as of today.

From your friends at gotta-grip

A Great Year for Golf—and Byron Nelson

As the 2008 EDS Byron Nelson Championship drew to a close, the weather teased the players with a wet course to open the final round. The players teased us with a tight race, which ended with another tease of a sudden-death playoff after Adam Scott drained an eight footer to tie Ryan Moore. This ultimately ended with Adam Scott on top after three extra holes.

Reflecting on this tournament led me to discover that three golf greats (Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, and Ben Hogan), were all born in the same year, 1912.

Today’s event is perhaps something that Golf’s Ultimate Gentleman (as he was known), of this trio, Byron Nelson, would have approved of the growing popularity of his namesake tournament, having 41golfers from other countries competing as of Thursday.

Perhaps he would be pleased that six of the top ten left on Sunday were from America. Certainly, Mr. Nelson would be proud of Bart Bryant, and Brian Gay, who are both native Texan’s, as well as fellow golfers.

Most of all, he may be proudest of the over 100 million dollars this tournament has raised in the past 40 years.

We marvel at Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player (as we should), but the likes of Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson laid the foundation of modern golf, and they are owed much for their contributions to the game.

Tiger has many accomplishments to his illustrious career, but we should not forget that in the short 14 years that Byron Nelson played professional golf, he managed 11 victories in a row, keeping him ahead of Tiger by five, and all before his retirement at the age of 34…one & a half years older than Tiger’s age today.

Here’s what the top ten from today’s Byron Nelson Championship have to shoot for…From the list of professional golfers with the most wins.

Sam Snead – 82 wins, Jack Nicklaus – 73 wins, Ben Hogan – 64 wins, Tiger Woods – 64 wins, Arnold Palmer – 62 wins, Byron Nelson – 52 wins, Billy Casper – 51wins, Walter Hagen – 44 wins, Cary Middlecoff – 40 wins, Gene Sarazen – 39 wins.

Compared to the top ten from today’s tournament, with a total of 13 (counting today) PGA career victories between them, Byron Nelson’s 52 wins in fourteen years looks pretty amazing indeed.

Congratulations to Adam Scott for winning the 2008 Byron Nelson Championship in spectacular fashion sinking a 49’ put to put the tournament away after three sudden death playoff holes.

Nevertheless, remember that in retrospect, 1912 was indeed a great birth-year for golf too.

Congratulations to all from the Gotta-Grip team.

Golf—Played in America

Golf is picking up, as the 2008 season kicks into gear.

This is very good news for those of us in businesses that support, and benefit from golf. However, with the economy reportedly on a downward trend, and fuel prices creeping up, what will this mean for the golf business overall in 2008?

Since, the recent report from the PGA on April 16th being declared National Golf Day cited a direct impact of $76 Billion Dollars per year attributed to golf, and $195 Billion total economic impact in the US annually, there is good rationale for “golfing our way out of a slow economy”.

In addition, the fact that over $3 Billion is raised for charity in the US through golf each year means that there are people counting on you playing golf, and becoming involved with local charity tournaments.

The people who operate golf courses are just the front line of those involved in the industry. There are many more, from those in manufacturing of golf related products, like ourselves, to those who are employed by golf retail, food & beverage, travel, hotels, rental cars and the like…who all benefit from when people play golf. In addition, MOST of those jobs are within the countries they serve.

I read on a web site devoted to the subject of American jobs that (based upon when there was only 293 million people living in the US), if each would spend just $20 per month on products made in America, there would be five million new jobs created. That staggering statistic is even more staggering now that we are more than 300 million strong.

Do you want to help the economy…Take a swing at it!

After all, golf is a game that is played in America.

Golf Tournament Gifts

Goody Bags, Tee Prizes, Tournament Gift Bags, however you refer to them, are a staple of Corporate and Charity golf tournaments. They also present a real challenge to tournament organizers...what can we do that's new and unusual, unique? There are no easy answers but here are some random thoughts on tournament prizes I've received (in 4 categories) based on almost 40 years of attending these events.

• Ubiquitous: This includes balls, tees , ball markers, ball mark repair tools, sunscreen, shirts, hats, yada, yada, yada. Paulette Goddard, noted film star of another era, was quoted as saying about gifts, "I don't accept flowers, I take nothing perishable". Most items in the ubiquitous category fall into a more or less perishable category. They may not even leave the premises, and if so, they disappear into a limbo, only to resurface when you move or engage in some thorough house cleaning ritual.
• Most Surprising: While filling out an entry form for a much anticipated corporate event, I was asked my shoe size. Not unusual, since not a few events provide golf shoes as a tournament prize. On arrival however I was very surprised (and pleased) to find a beautiful pair of leather soled, tasseled snakeskin loafers. 15 years later, they are still in my wardrobe (with new soles) and bring back great memories of that event.
• Most Unusual: Another corporate event, actually a Seniors Pro Am. A very unique experience, with tournament prizes that don't resonate with me now, other than one. About two weeks after returning home I received a very very large package from UPS...a highly polished,classic wooden "University Chair". These chairs are normally black, with tan arms, and have the university's seal emblazoned on the upper most back rest. In the this case, the official seal of the golf tournament appeared on the back rest. The chair still provides comfort and good service, along with good memories.
• Most Memorable: Shortly after Callaway Golf bought the Odyssey Putter brand I participated in a charity event for our city's Zoo. The venue was a prestigious private course and the primary tee or tournament prize was the new Odyssey 2 ball putter. These we handed out by Mrs. Ely Callaway in person after the round. I believe Ely Callaway was scheduled to attend but when he could not, Mrs Callaway very graciously filled in. I play left handed and not surprisingly, there were no left handed putters on site. Also, schedules were a little hectic around Mrs. Callaway's departure,but I did manage to speak with her very briefly, thank her for attendance, and mention my lefthandedness problem. She jotted down my name on a scrap of paper as she was leaving and said she'd see that I received a putter. I didn't doubt her intentions ,but given her undoubtedly hectic schedule, the brevity of our visit and the informality of my request, I expected to be following up with the golf club in a week or two. To my unexpected and pleasant surprise, two days later FedEx delivered the putter direct from Callaway. I still have a great memory of that tournament and a respect for Mrs Callaway as a representative of her company and the sport of golf. Of course I still have and use the putter...but to this day, I'm not a very good putter.

The 2008 Masters Tournament in Augusta…What did I learn?

First, I learned this exciting year had DESTINY written all over it for Trevor Immelman and congratulations go out to him.

I learned that having a childhood hero like Gary Player coach you through what most agree is the #1 tournament in golf is special, and to win the tournament & be able to share it with your fellow compatriots from South Africa as well as your hero has to be the ultimate in golf.

The best picture of the day on CBS [for me] was when they showed a picture of [then] five-year old Trevor in the arms of Gary player.

Back at the tournament Sunday, Trevor managed to stave off the rest of the field, including Tiger Woods, Stuart Cink, and a very impressive relative newcomer Brandt Snedeker, who, if they handed out awards for grace under pressure, would have taken home more than a tie for third.

I learned that like almost all Masters Events, weather could play a big role in the outcome. In Augusta in April, the weather can change from calm, to rain, to beautiful sunshine, to extreme wind, from day to day.

It appeared to me that most all players were able to cope with these changing conditions well, with the exception putting. When they forecast that, the wind (on Sunday) could be a factor on puts longer than five feet, you know you are in for a tussle when you reach the green. Theses are greens that are easy to misread in good conditions, let alone having to plan on an extra tug in one direction or another. Perhaps adding high-power fans to the practice greens will become the next rage in golf.

I learned that past performance (seven past champions competed through Sunday) does not guarantee a victory.

One thing we all learned, Tiger Woods is every bit as much of threat to anyone leading a tournament as he has ever been. I will bet that Trevor Immelman is just glad they ran out of holes, because Tiger (although he admits he was putting poorly the entire week), was starting to come around Sunday, as he usually does. BTW…All who responded to our Gotta-Grip.com Blog Question picked Tiger Woods to win.

Congratulations to all 41 players who hung around over the weekend for 2008 in Augusta, as well as to those who earned the right to come back next year.

Golf Products Come From Ideas...

Thinking back to the 1980’s and earlier, I played golf occasionally, and for the most part did not give much thought to marks on the green. Sure, whenever I would see a ball-mark left un-repaired, I would get mad, but when it came to spike marks, there was little to do about them on a busy weekend but put & pray.

Well someone was thinking about spike marks left on greens and within several years, an invention was born. Faris McMullin and Ernie Deacon of Boise ID were brought together by fate.

Faris was in Boise making fishing equipment, and was adept at improvising, while Deacon was experimenting with ways to provide traction for golfers during winter metal cleat bans at the club he managed, when he asked if McMullin could help.

The “help” came in the form of the first non-metal golf spike that became adapted by golf courses all over the world, as well as by golf shoe manufacturers like FootJoy.

How this actually all came to be is probably worthy of a book by Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point, Blink, How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference), because there were many people involved getting this new form of traction to “gain traction” in the market place.

I had the privilege to meet the past president of SoftSpikes (Rob O’Loughlin), via phone, who told me they knew when they acquired the worldwide rights to market the SoftSpikes product they had a winner. However, getting people to change their minds about metal spikes was another thing. People were set in their ways.

As the story goes, the first “domino” to fall was Wynstone Golf Club in No. Barrington, Ill when in 1994 they banned metal cleats altogether.

It was a process of chipping away at the traditions that eventually brought forth the soft spike revolution that helped golf course superintendents breathe a little easier. In fact, they breathe about 10% easier today some say, in the reduction of maintenance costs associated with upkeep on greens where steel spikes were previously allowed.

Overall, there were several companies, whose efforts added up to the complete reversal of the steel spike tradition, ranging from a local fly-fishing expert, to a cigar-tip and golf tee manufacturer. It took many talented people to get what should have been the world’s biggest no-brainer accepted.

Of course, this is all history now, with most all courses only allowing non-metal spikes on their courses, but some pros still wear metal to this day. Having attended a PGA event in 1995 when there was much discussion and many complaints about the greens having too many spike marks, I can only imagine how frustrating it was to try to earn a victory in what could be termed a non-professional landscape.

Golf is perhaps just like mainstream business in that until people see the benefits in a product/invention, they are slow to adapt.

We ourselves are inventors, marketers of golf products, and golfers who dream of ways to help golfers enjoy the game.

Not all companies can experience the same success as SoftSpikes (having sold well over one billion), but we persevere nonetheless.

Golf Grips Evolution

Improvements to equipment and accessories in the sport of golf seem to have taken a long time to evolve, not unlike the game itself ,where history and tradition play a significant role in any rule or equipment changes.

For example; golf clubs changed very little for the 1st 400 years (circa 1450 -1850). That was the era of the "longnose wood", built like it sounds, with a long thin head, lead weight back, and sometimes a leather insert on the face. The design accommodated the "feathery" golf ball, feathers tightly packed and sown inside a leather cover. The feathery also predominated for the same 400 years.

Golf grips...there were none until the begining of the 18th century. Even then, grips consisted of thin cloth, sometimes silk, wrapped around the end of the shaft. Grips at that time were referred to as "listings". At the beginning of the 19th century,club makers experimented with leather wraps, sometimes wrapped around wool.

Leather remained the grip of choice until the 1890's, when experiments began with braided rubber and sometimes even rubber like substances "smeared" on the shaft to create a grip. Not a very pleasing thought.

The rubber grip industry didn't pick up speed or devotees until the mid 1920's. Coincidently, the steel shaft was declared conforming with the Rules of Golf by the R&A in 1929. Rubber continued to make inroads and in the early 1950's the slip on rubber grip was perfected, which led to rubber becoming the golf grip most used. That is still the case today, although Leather wraps are still seen at and professional level. (Jack Nicklaus is still a user)

Today, experiments continue with different polymers (very much like rubber) in an attempt to produce a grip that gives a good feel and retains it's tackiness ,even in bad playing conditions. This is a difficult task and most grip manufacturers recommend re-gripping every year, a potentially expensive proposition. Rubber grips by the nature of their composition begin a deteriation process immediately, from use, exposure to various climate changes and oils from the players hands. Compared to no grips, or silk "listing" we've come a long way. What might the next 250 years bring in the way of grip technology?