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Tuesday
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Tuesday
opened with two roundtable workshops, the first of which was "Is
it OK to be non-conforming?" The panel consisted of, from left
to right: Mike Pinckes, Marketing Director,
Carbite Golf, David Billings, President, HOG Golf, Larry Dorman, Director
of Communications, Callaway Golf, Jay Hubbard, Marketing Director, Tour
Edge Golf, and the moderator, Bob Seligman, Editor, Golf Product News.
Besides being a very entertaining discussion, it was also very informative.
I never thought I'd know so much about the term C.O.R. before I attended.
(C.O.R. stands for coefficient of restitution. A ball is shot out of
a cannon at 100 m.p.h. at a freestanding clubhead. The speed at which
it bounces back is the C.O.R. If the amount is 0.75, that means that
there was 75 m.p.h. of energy transfer, or "spring-like effect".
The USGA's limit is 0.83.) Larry Dorman of Callaway made the statement,
"The most dangerous number in golf is not 0.83; it's 2.5 million,
which is the number of people leaving the game each year." Is there
a better reason than that to reconsider the ruling?
"The most dangerous
number in golf is not 0.83 (USGA limit on C.O.R.); it's 2.5 million,
which is the number of golfers leaving the game every year."
Larry Dorman, Callaway Golf
After a great debate, I agree that it is an elitist decision on the USGA's part, and should be rescinded. The game of golf that is being played on the PGA Tour is not the same game that I or millions of other double-digit handicappers are playing. Let the choice be ours. Enough with the soapbox; moving on…
The second workshop was entitled "Growing the Game of Golf". The panelists were, from left to right; Larry Dorman, Director of Communications, Callaway Golf, Mike Tinkey, Deputy Director, NGCOA, Mike Purkey, Senior Editor, Golf Magazine, Joe Louis Barrow, Executive Director, The First Tee, and Terry Anton, President of SNAG Golf.
All
agreed that one of the biggest problems with growing the game is the
time it takes to complete a round of golf. We are living in a 2-hour
society; two hour movies, two hour dinners, etc. A four or five hour
round of golf just doesn't fit into a beginners schedule.
Another problem is getting the youth of America to join the game. The Tiger effect notwithstanding, the younger generation just doesn't see the long-term benefits of golf, as the college age group does (business relationships, non-impact exercise, family fun, etc.) The youth of today don't see the fun aspect of the game, with such diversions as TV, video games, skateboards, etc., which all also fit into the two-hour society.
The conclusions of the panel were:
- Encourage course owners to open blocks of time for "family golf" or "kid's golf", possibly from 3 - 5 p.m. (For example, Mid-Pines in North Carolina is offering $1 golf to the Boys & Girls Club, and free lessons at certain times).
- More on-course instruction is imperative. Golf is the only game where they teach at one place, then send the student out on their own into battle, without any further instruction.
- Consider building more four or five hole practice areas. These help beginning golfers learn such important lessons as speed of play and etiquette, without taking four or five hours to complete. It also keeps beginners from holding up the more advanced golfers that are on the standard course.
- Teach in groups, to promote the social aspects of the game. The current growth areas in golf are women and youth. It is very easy for a beginner to become intimidated on the practice range with an instructor. If they were to be taught in groups, it shows them that they are not the only ones who are struggling, and promotes camaraderie among other beginners.
-
The
afternoon was spent on the practice range. Of course, I tried every
club that I could. I recently purchased a custom set of irons, so I
focused my efforts on drivers, fairway woods, and to a lesser extent,
wedges and putters. I am not as well versed in the technical terminology
that goes into a club, but I did find a few that I particularly liked.
(For reference, I use a 10.5 degree Taylor Made driver, with a regular
shaft.) For drivers, I liked the Wilson Deep Red Fat Shaft. I was able
to consistently hit the ball, produce a slight fade, and get a lot of
distance. What more do you want from a driver? I also liked the Powerbilt
Citation Beta Ti with the multi-material shaft. Explosive distance,
and a great sound. For wedges, I liked the Pixl Golf 
Forged
wedges. When hit correctly, they produce the truest feel I've ever experienced.
Unfortunately, when mishit, they aren't as forgiving as a 16 handicapper
needs. If you are a better player who hasn't seen what a Pixl club looks
like, visit their web site at http://www.PixlGolf.com.
As far as putters, I tried all that there were to offer, but I still
like my Taylor Made Nubbins mallet the best. It produces a soft yet
solid feel that I haven't found in any other putter.
Following
the Range Demo, we were invited to the Rick Smith Tradition Course for
a 9-
hole
skills challenge. We were asked to bring only our spikes and a glove,
with balls and clubs being provided. My sixsome included Jack Bacot
of Golf Business Magazine and Kate Pophal of IMG in one cart, Martin
Kaufmann of Maximum Golf Magazine and Karen Roggenburk of IMGin another
, and Brian Roggenburk of IMG and myself. We didn't win anything, but
had a great time trying out new clubs under actual conditions. Kudos
to Steven Asman of Gustbuster for sponsoring the beer cart!
I
was invited to dinner by the wonderful group from IMG, and we went to
the Big Buck Brewery in downtown Gaylord. We had a few drinks, some
great steaks, and all agreed that this is a great forum for meeting
like-minded people. I was impressed with the friendliness of the entire
conference, but especially the great group from IMG. Thanks again for
adopting me as one of your own! Wednesday
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