The Golf Watch

Callaway in legal battle with Titleist's ProV1

Gene Yasuda has the latest on the patent dispute between Callaway Golf and Titleist.  It seems that Callaway won big in U.S. District Court, limiting the sale of the current line of ProV1 balls.  But according to Yasuda, this shouldn't have too big of an impact...

...the injunction, even if it takes effect, is unlikely to derail the Pro V1 franchise, a juggernaut that has dominated on professional tours as well as at retail since its debut in 2000. According to research firm Golf Datatech, the Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls together accounted for 22.6 percent unit market share in September – more than all the ball models sold by any single, rival manufacturer.

U.S. equipment sales decline

Adam Schupak files an interesting report in the August 9 issue of Golfweek about a significant drop in second quarter equipment sales.  That's right, the second quarter, which is known as one of the most profitable, had Acushnet and Callaway citing double-digit declines.  Schupak writes:

Retailers and analysts say consumer spending domestically has stalled over concerns about an economy wracked by foreclosures and soaring fuel prices. Adverse weather has limited rounds played in key areas, which also is affecting equipment sales, they say.

But what jumped out at me most is something we don't hear enough about...

Retailers also say they’re being hurt by shorter product life cycles. The growing practice of launching products in almost rapid-fire succession is conditioning consumers to wait, say six months, to buy a premium-priced driver because they know it will be marked down. That consumer behavior has become more pronounced during a sluggish economy.

“That mindset has come back to bite us,” (Mark) Marney (CEO of The Golf Warehouse) says.

"The only club in your bag guaranteed to keep you out of the woods"

When I first saw this on Gizmodo, I thought to myself, "Is this for real?"  Apparently, it is. 

Floyd E. Seskin, a Board Certified Urologist (I checked), has created the Uroclub ($49.95), a 7-iron, with a cap at the top of the grip that opens up and holds a half liter of fluid.  Seskin writes on the official website:

This may sound like a joke, but it’s not.  I am a Board Certified Urologist, practicing in Florida, a place where Golf is played year round.  Every day I hear these same complaints from my patients because they suffer from urinary frequency (a condition that can begin in men, as early as their mid 30’s).  Even if you don’t have this problem, let’s face it, there are not too many bathrooms on the golf course.

Just when you thought you'd heard it all...

Some professionals still use older equipment

Worried that you aren't using the latest driver or ball?  Well, breathe a sigh of relief, because some of the top players in the game are still using older equipment.  E. Michael Johnson of Golf Digest writes that players like Joey Sindelar and Jeff Sluman haven't conformed to the latest technology. 

According to Johnson, Sindelar uses an old Taylormade R510 driver and a 1-iron from 1988.  He also uses the Titlest Pro V1 ball from 2003, which Sluman plays with as well. 

This still doesn't make me feel any better about using Maxfli XS Tour balls with John Huston on the cover. 

Golf World: Cleveland Golf to be sold to Srixon

E. Michael Johnson of Golf World reports that "the long-rumored sale of Cleveland Golf has come to fruition."  A source close to the negotiations told Golf World that Cleveland Golf will be sold to SRI Sports, Ltd., the parent company of Srixon, for $132.5 million.  Srixon currently sponsors 70 tour players including Jim Furyk and Henrik Stenson, while Cleveland Golf has Vijay Singh under it's label.  The deal is expected to be finalized by late January.

Cleveland Golf Driver nonconforming

The Bomb and Gouge blog announced that "Cleveland Golf’s HiBore XL 10.5-degree right-handed driver is going on the USGA’s nonconforming driver list for exceeding the CT test for spring-like effect."  Other drivers that have been announced as nonconforming include the Nike Sumo2, Callaway Big Bertha 460 13-HT and Cobra HS9 F, 9 degree.  The Characteristic Time (CT) is the measure of the spring-like effect of a club.  Golf Digest Equipment Editor Mike Stachura writes, "...while not surprised another club has zipped past the speed limit, what people really want to know other than how an 11-year-old kid bagged this sucker is this: Are we freaking done yet?" Read the full entry here.