Brian Manzella
Administrator
This was my 25th consecutive PGA Merchandise Show.
This was the first one where myself and many others said they didn't see any thing new.
(Notwithstanding Martin Chuck's Tour Striker of course
)
TrackMan rules. Sam Putt Lab? Ditto. Ping's nFlight fitting, the best.
They were all there last year, though.
Clubs?
How many different way can you make the same basic clubs?
Putters?
The same.
Clothes?
Not much change there either.
The "Show" was down a few vendors, and a few less attendees, at worse.
Where is the Golf Business Heading?
Treading water right now overall.
What's next?
I think that internet golf will keep getting bigger, and the club pro biz will continue to get smaller.
The big equipment companies will have to find new ways to get the right club in golfer's hands. Maybe they will have stores in major cities.
PGA Superstores have gone under, so the paradigm is ready to be moved to something smaller, better and different.
I am very excited, because it is all right there for the taking.
Someone will be the new Edwin and Ronnie Watts, someone will be the new Karsten Solhiem, and someone the next Gary McCord.
The Golf Business is ready for a takeover.
Multiple takeovers, actually.
More Tom Doak, less Tom Fazio.
More TrackMan, less bull$#!+.
More science, less guessing.
More talented, less talentless.
Easier courses, faster rounds.
When?
Maybe not tomorrow, but I am very hopeful it will be soon.
Where is the Golf Business Heading?
For bigger a better things.
Remember when Tom Watson was the #1 player, and then started to fall?
Who would be the next Nicklaus?
The pundits said, that will never happen.
It took a few years in limbo, but we got Tiger.
That's the way I feel about the biz.
In a holding pattern, waiting for the next big thing.
Or Things.
This was the first one where myself and many others said they didn't see any thing new.
(Notwithstanding Martin Chuck's Tour Striker of course
)TrackMan rules. Sam Putt Lab? Ditto. Ping's nFlight fitting, the best.
They were all there last year, though.
Clubs?
How many different way can you make the same basic clubs?
Putters?
The same.
Clothes?
Not much change there either.
The "Show" was down a few vendors, and a few less attendees, at worse.
Where is the Golf Business Heading?
Treading water right now overall.
What's next?
I think that internet golf will keep getting bigger, and the club pro biz will continue to get smaller.
The big equipment companies will have to find new ways to get the right club in golfer's hands. Maybe they will have stores in major cities.
PGA Superstores have gone under, so the paradigm is ready to be moved to something smaller, better and different.
I am very excited, because it is all right there for the taking.
Someone will be the new Edwin and Ronnie Watts, someone will be the new Karsten Solhiem, and someone the next Gary McCord.
The Golf Business is ready for a takeover.
Multiple takeovers, actually.
More Tom Doak, less Tom Fazio.
More TrackMan, less bull$#!+.
More science, less guessing.
More talented, less talentless.
Easier courses, faster rounds.
When?
Maybe not tomorrow, but I am very hopeful it will be soon.
Where is the Golf Business Heading?
For bigger a better things.
Remember when Tom Watson was the #1 player, and then started to fall?
Who would be the next Nicklaus?
The pundits said, that will never happen.
It took a few years in limbo, but we got Tiger.
That's the way I feel about the biz.
In a holding pattern, waiting for the next big thing.
Or Things.
