The Golf Watch

PGA Merch. Show attendance slightly down

Even though attendance might be slightly lower at this week's PGA Merchandise Show, most of the big name golf manufacturers will be present.  As Jon Show reports:

Attendance at the event, which runs Wednesday through Sunday, is expected to be down about 5 percent from the 44,500 that attended last year. The number of exhibitors this year is approximately 1,000, down about 200 from last year, primarily the result of consolidation in the industry and fewer registrations from smaller companies, said show organizers...

One of the marquee topics being addressed is an obvious one: educating companies and professionals about how to combat the adverse effects of the economy.

Furyk edges Harrington at Grand Slam (zzzz)

I subscribe to Golfweek, Golf World and Golf Digest.  I run a golf news Web site.  I am a golf junkie.

Yet, I've been out of the loop for a couple of days and haven't been able to read or see much in the way of golf.  Now that I'm back in the swing of things, I noticed that the PGA Grand Slam of Golf just took place.  Really?  So how did I know the Justin Timberlake tournament was taking place this week and not the Grand Slam?

I guess a lot has to be said for how much the tournament has been put on the backburner without the presence of Tiger Woods.  It's been quite some time since the world's number one golfer has been involved, and it shows--from the lack of coverage, and my lack of interest.

The golf mat as a preferred practice surface?

I'm not quite sure what this means for the Ryder Cup, but the PGA of America announced on it's Web site that they have entered into an agreement with National Golf Products to install The Golf Mat as the preferred practice surface at the PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

The Golf Mat, a practice system that offers the same sensation of "give" at impact as taking a divot off natural grass, will be installed at the 35-acre PGA Learning Center, including the short-game area, as well as the award-winning PGA Golf Club and PGA Country Club. It will also be used on the practice range at Valhalla Golf Club.

Vijay Singh, a backer of the product, has said that this new turf is much more forgiving than the traditional golf mat. 

I wonder though: What better preparation is there for a tournament then practicing on actual grass?