Tuesday, December 28, 2010

2011 PGA Merchandise Show: The Disney World of Golf

This January marks the 18th official PGA Merchandise Show, a conglomerate of about a thousand golf retailers showcasing everything from new equipment to the hottest looks in fashion.There will be over 100,000 golf products in one place, educational seminars, Demo Day and short game competitions. What would a golf show be without a friendly challenge?

 

Over the next few weeks, Golf for Beginners will introduce you to exhibitors, products and special events which could very well turn O.C. Convention Center into its very own Golf Disney World!

 

 

Probably the most important place to start our journey are reasons why exhibitors wait to introduce their new offerings until the PGA Merchandise Show...aside from the obvious New Year, new product consideration.

 

Brian Whitcomb, former PGA of America President and owner of Lost Tracks Golf Club states,

"For me, the PGA Merchandise Show is all about the new and exciting products and services that are available."

 

 

John Lyberger, PGA Director of Golf at Congressional CC in Bethesda MD agreed with Mr. Whitcomb adding Networking and Education, to his list of priorities.

"Networking gives me the opportunity to reconnect with my peers.

From tournament prizes, favors or solutions, there are a plethora of items at the PGA Show. Apparel is an important part of the Show. The demo day really allows me and my team the chance to preview the latest equipment that the industry has to offer.

Learning each day is the key ingredient to one's success. With so many talented professionals in our business and industry...taking advantage of educational opportunities can be rewarding on many levels."

 

Who attends the PGA Merchandise Show? Any golf-related individual or business looking to build strategic alliances, introduce a new product or service, discover/set industry trends, learn about new technology and just about anything from travel to equipment in the world of golf.

 

One of the most fascinating events of the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show is sure to be the New Inventors Spotlight. Located right on the Show Floor, you will be able to see up-close, the newest golf-related inventions before they hit the market and watch as they are judged for inclusion into Inventor Digest Magazine. Isn't this like Disney World's EPCOT "Future World"?



 The 2011 PGA Merchandise Show will take place January 26 (Demo Day) and 27-29th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

 

Thanks to social media, you can follow on twitter: @PGAGolfShows (or #PGAMR11) and/or friend on Facebook. Golf for Beginners will also be updating readers on the seminars, golf fashion and equipment as they are introduced...stay tuned!

 

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Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Tiger Woods wish list for 2011?



Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods stole 2010 golf headlines not through the "win" column and not through a commitment to being "the best a man can get". Instead, Woods became media fodder by being trounced on the golf course and through an infidelity which rocked the golf world.

Tiger lost his top PGA Tour standing, millions of dollars in endorsements as well as the respect that he used to easily command from fans and the media.

With 2011 just around the corner, many of us participate in the New Year ritual of compiling resolutions to improve upon our weaknesses and enhance our strengths. If Tiger Woods is embarking along the same journey, perhaps he is starting with these few declarations.

A new and improved golf swing. As Tiger Woods says in his blog, Sean Foley is helping to rebuild his golf swing but, "It just takes time to build. You just have to go piece by piece. Before, I couldn't even do it on the driving range and now I can. Now, after working with Sean Foley, I can do it on the golf course sporadically, then it becomes more consistent. Eventually, it becomes a full 18 holes and beyond that, a full tournament."

Not only will it take a new golf swing for Woods to be successful but also a renewed mental toughness which Tiger has shown in the past.

Win a tournament in 2011. Breaking the ice and being in the winner's circle again will change the entire world of Tiger Woods. Fans love a winner and are very forgiving when their idols make dramatic comebacks! In the case of Tiger Woods, even a single win will give TW the confidence he needs to move forward and turn 2010 into a distant memory.

Break Jack Nicklaus' record.   Although Woods would need a grand slam in 2011 in order to break Jack Nicklaus' major wins record, Tiger Woods is only a breath away from leading the all-time list of PGA Tour wins.

Career wins on PGA Tour: 73 - Nicklaus, 71 for Tiger Woods
Major Tournaments won:   18 - Nicklaus, 14 for Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open hobbling around the course on injured knee: it stands to reason that his mental game is only bruised, not beaten.

New endorsement deals. Tiger Woods' recent loss of his Gillette endorsement brings the total number of advertisers who nixed the golfer to four for 2010. Although IMG Worldwide made light of the loss by saying that "Gillette is ending their 'Champions' campaign. That is the reason for not continuing," it still is a blow to the Woods camp.

On the flip side, don't feel too bad for Woods. According to CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell, if all deals remain the same, Tiger Woods' earnings should stand at about $55 to $60 million!



Tiger Woods Ouch
Renewed respect for a fallen hero?: Once revered by millions of fans for his quiet, ethical demeanor, Tiger Woods' fall from grace was the single most publicized golf event of 2010. With a televised apology and numerous connections with fans over the course of the past few months through Twitter and blogging, Tiger is desperately trying to show fans that he really is a good guy who made mistakes.


Forgive? Forget? How about golf news stories that don't involve Tiger Woods' personal life? Would interest in golf wane without all the fodder?


To be on top of the PGA Tour standings and perhaps PGA Tour golfer of the year once again. Becoming top golfer in the world would probably help to achieve all of the above wishes for Tiger Woods. He would regain the respect of fans, the media and the bevy of other golfers on tour who believe that Woods is now beat-able.



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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Back9 Network tees up new golf entertainment channel

EXCLUSIVE GROUND-BREAKING NEWS:

The Back9 Network, being touted as the world's first multimedia lifestyle and entertainment golf television network, has signed Kevin O'Brien to it's roster of industry professionals.



Mr. O'Brien, a well-known television executive, has successfully led many stations to prominence including WTTG in Washington DC and KTVU in San Francisco.

"Kevin's background running some of the most successful television stations and broadcast groups in the country will serve us well in implementing our launch strategy," says Back9 Network Co-Chairman, President and Founder Jamie Bosworth. "He's a perfect complement to our already strong, core golf industry team."



The Back9 Team is made up of fourteen industry professionals (like a matched set of golf clubs) including Dennis Allen who heads up Global Business Development (and speaks fluent Japanese), Reid Gorman who is a former President of MacGregor Golf Company, Kathleen Hessert, a nationally renowned reputation management consultant and former award-winning TV anchor and Bosworth, a former senior executive for Callaway Golf and Top-Flite. Read more about the Back9 Network Leadership Team here.

The Back9 Network plans to provide simultaneous distribution of it's golf and lifestyle programming over the internet and through mobile devices.
Non-traditional broadcasting on Back9 Network, according to O'Brien, is meant to attract and engage viewers as well as "encourage social media interactions to give a voice to our audience."

Golf fans can now chat with @Back9Network on Twitter (#B9N) and can sign up for the Back9 Facebook launch.

"Golf is a lifestyle, a social and business opportunity, a personal yet shared experience and that's exactly how we intend to cover it. We'll be all the things traditional golf media is not," affirmed O'Brien.
I personally am looking forward to the shows on Back9 Network as a breath of fresh air and a innovative slant on the entertainment of golf.

Shanks fore the golf warning New York!

May the "FORE's" be with you!

 

The golf term "FORE" is understood throughout every language as a warning, a way to let golfers around you know that your shot may be heading their way. Most of the time all is forgiven as we have all hit errant shots during a round of golf.

In New York (and California according to the New York Times), the term "FORE" now has less of an impact.

Many news outlets have picked up on the ruling made yesterday that there is a risk whenever playing a dangerous sport such as golf.

DANGEROUS? The sport could be as golf balls travel at high speed and, when taking a swing, a 7-iron can do a lot of damage if you're standing too close!

Golf is only dangerous if and when other golfers don't rely on proper etiquette during a round.

 

Here are a few tips to make golf more safe:
 
Always keep an eye on your playing partners: if a golf club is out of their bag, assume a shot is being taken.

Stand behind the golfer taking the shot. You will most likely avoid being hit by a golf ball.

 

Duck and cover your head if you hear the word "FORE!".

 

Golf-related litigator Dalton Floyd mentioned that courts have traditionally found that golfers are not responsible for hitting players who are not in their intended path.

 

What about little old ladies who intentionally approach the forward tees before all playing partners have had a chance to tee-off...it is up to the other players to yell "FORE"?

 

Remember that golf is a game of patience.

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Monday, December 20, 2010

Last minute golf accessories and golf gifts for Christmas

Last minute holiday shoppers with golfers on their gift list have no fear: you can still buy great golf accessories and gifts before Christmas!

Here are a few notable golf gifts ranging from kitchy to cool!


Axis1 golf putter 1. Axis1 Eagle golf putter:

The Axis1 Eagle golf putter was created by Industrial Designer Luis Pedraza to be perfectly balanced so that it resists being pulled open when twisted in your hands.
A lighter grip and perfect balance = less stress and fewer off-line putts.

With a long list of accolades including BusinessWeek's Design Excellence Award and 2009 PGA Show winner "Best in Show", the Axis1 Eagle golf putter will make your significant other want to get out and practice putting on the green, even in the cold of a New York winter...brrr.
Still available for Christmas by heading over to either TGW.com, Edwin Watts Golf or to the Axis1Golf.com website.
Listen to this great interview with Luis Pedraza and Phil Long about the Axis1 putter on the Golf Club Radio Show with Danielle Tucker.



2. Golf jewelry for the lady with almost everything:
From beginner golfers to those players with more than a few years under their belt, there still is the outside chance of unwittingly omitting a stroke or two after a snowman hits your scorecard.


Golf scoring beadsCombining beauty with functionality, the golf score counter, a bracelet from GlamorousGolfer.com, is handcrafted with love (and crystals) by individuals with mental and physical difficulties. You will not only look great but feel good helping others at this time of year!




3. Adidas Golf aG Strike stand bag:

Adidas Golf aG Strike stand bagAdidas has created one of the most lightweight and durable golf stand bags on the market with its new aG Strike. Colorful and stylish for both men and women, this golf bag will not disappoint! There are plenty of pockets, insulated water bottle area and the new FAS-TEK system which allows a golfer to attach everything from GPS to cell phone right onto the bag.

The Adidas aG Strike stand bag will not break your budget and will give your golfer the biggest golf gift under the Christmas tree!




4. Kodak Playsport Camera:

Kodak Playsport CameraI originally wrote about this tiny Kodak PLAYSPORT Camera not only because its really cute, lightweight and waterproof but also because it can help a golfer to analyze the golf swing at close range. Yes, there are hundreds of cameras on the market to choose from but the little Kodak is created with the golfer in mind. Playback on an HDTV or upload your golf swing onto Youtube.com for the whole world to watch and rate!


5. For those with unlimited funds, how about the Porsche of Luxury golf carts? Costing about $50K, the Garia Soleil de Minuit will make an impression on the golfer who has everything but wants more!


Don't know what to get and don't have much money to spend? A gift card can be impersonal but on the flip side, the golfer can buy anything they want.


If presents are more fun for your family during the holiday season, why not put together a package of golf balls, golf gloves (remembering to check for the correct golf hand), golf ball markers (with swarovski crystals for the ladies?) and divot repair tool from G-Clip?


Need more ideas? Just ask golfforbeginners@aol.com


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Friday, December 17, 2010

2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Holes 13-18 with Rory McIlroy, Martin, Mazo and more!

Abu_Dhabi_Golf_Course
Abu Dhabi Golf Course

 Q: How do you make one of the best tournaments on the European Tour schedule even better?

A: Lengthen the course, toughen up the bunkering and bring in one of most innovative sponsors in golf.
Tim Maitland sat down with some of the world’s top players to work out how to plot your way to success at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.


A great event is just about to get better. The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and the Abu Dhabi Golf Club have produced some great championships and some great champions: Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey, who seem to have taken out a time-share on the trophy, would feature on anyone’s list of Europe’s elite golfers.


In part three of this series, Tim Maitland asked a group of European Tour golfers including Roger Morgan, Gregory Bourdy and Rory McIlroy how best to navigate holes 13-18 of the Abu Dhabi Golf Course.


Abu_Dhabi_Golf_Course
Abu Dhabi Golf Course

Hole 13 Par 4 414 yards 378 metres

Roger Morgan (New Zealand)
Caddied for Sandy Lyle MBE in the 1990s, including the last big win of a great career at the Volvo Masters in 1992. More recently worked for Pelle Edberg and several other Swedes. Last season was spent with Fredrik Andersson Hed.  

It is a short par four. If you hit driver you have got to hit it over the right edge of the bunkers on the left, but they’ve added another bunker in the landing area this year to make that shot more complicated. 

You have to make sure you don’t pull it because the rough on this course can be quite severe. If you happen to push it you’re bringing the trees and more rough into play on the right-hand side.

If you hit a good drive you can go in there with a nine iron or eight iron, even a wedge sometimes, depending on the wind. 

It’s a difficult green. You have to be on the right level if you’re going to make birdies.

When the pin is on the right, it’s a very difficult green to hold – especially coming out of the rough – so you have to make sure you get on the fairway. You have to be quite specific with your judgement there. If you spin the ball too much you can leave yourself with a very difficult putt. It looks very large, the right portion of the putting surface, but your judgement has to be spot on because if you go long you leave yourself a downhill chip and short of it, you’re going to be in the trap. 

It’s quite an innocuous looking hole, but it can bite you!

The mistake you don’t want to make: Going right off the tee. There’s a footpath on the right side and if you get there, if you’re not in the thick grass, you can be in the sand and you’ve got trees to negotiate.

Hole 14 Par 4 490 yards 448 metres

Abu_Dhabi_Golf


Mark Mazo (USA)
Caddied for Rhys Davies’ 2010 win in Morocco. Formerly with Garrett Willis on the PGA Tour.

It’s a pretty big hole and they’ve made it even bigger this year. When we had it, it was playing straight down wind. Even first out on a Friday morning we were still hitting a three wood. Later in the day, we were hitting soft three woods.

You play the three wood, despite the holes length, simply because the tee shot plays short and the bunker (at the corner of the dogleg) comes up pretty quickly. Ideally you get it down to the right half of the fairway, just short of the right fairway bunker, and that’ll leave a mid-iron in; a five or six iron. The fairway bunker on the left extends further into the fairway now, which is interesting.

It’s a pretty accommodating green. You do have to be a bit careful to some of the pin placements – especially the one short left, because it’s very, very easy to miss the green short-left chasing that particular pin. It’s not the easiest up and down. There’s enough severity on the slopes where, if you are short-sided, it’s very difficult to get up and down.

Although the green is seemingly quite big, it’s actually quite shallow, it’s just broad. If you can get the ball to pitch in the middle of the green you’re never going to be too far away. The pins on the right side are bad to chase. The one straight at the back is probably the easiest one to get to; where you can play to the middle and it releases, great, and if it doesn’t you’ll always have 25 feet.   

The mistake you don’t want to make: Getting too aggressive on the tee when it’s playing down wind. The fairway on the right comes up pretty quick because it plays down wind and the whole fairway runs away from left to right. You don’t need too be aggressive, because it’s just a high-draw seven iron, which at that point becomes a scoring club.

Hole 15 Par 3 177 yards 162 metres

Pablo Martin (Spain)
Winner of the 2009 Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in South Africa. Became the first amateur to win a European Tour event when he captured the 2007 Estoril Open de Portugal.

Hola! Fifteen is a great little par three and it’s a great birdie chance. You’ll be really disappointed if you don’t get a birdie on this hole. Together with 18, out of the last four holes these are the clear birdie opportunities if the wind is not blowing. 

You can go right at every flag, because you’ve got some tough holes coming up; 16 and 17 are really tough and 18 is a great risk-reward hole. 

You’re probably hitting between a nine iron and a six iron, depending on the wind and how the flag is positioned. It’s a calculated risk, but it’s a clear option for a birdie. It’s a par three and every par three you’re happy with par, but this one you’re looking more for a birdie than a bogey.

It’s a tricky green. You definitely need to hit it close from the tee, because you can get some funny putts with a lot of break in them.

The mistake you don’t want to make: Short-siding yourself. If the flag is long and you’re over, then you’ve got a really tough up and down. Anything long on that green is not good.

Hole 16 Par 4 475 yards 434 metres

Gregory Bourdy (France)
Winner of the 2009 UBS Hong Kong Open, the 2008 Estoril Open de Portugal and the 2007 Mallorca Classic.

This one and the two holes after, they are very exciting! It’s a very good finish.  16 is a tough hole. We need to use driver or three wood; for me it’s a driver because it’s a long hole.  We need to drive between the two bunkers, one on the right and one on the left. Then we still have a long shot to reach the green! Depends on the wind, but it something like a five iron. 

You’ll see guys in among the trees. It’s not really tight – the fairway is quite large actually – but we like to cut the corner a little bit to get a shorter second shot. Sometimes we get too greedy and out the ball in the trees, the bunker or the rough. 

It’s important not to be too far from the hole. It’s quite a huge green with some hills, not big, but you can still have a difficult putt, so it’s better to stay close to the pin. 

The mistake you don’t want to make: If you miss with your driver it’s a very tough hole. The mistake is to be in the trees, the bunker or the rough.

Hole 17 Par 4 483 yards 441 metres

Rory_McIlroyRory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)
Won the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship three days short of his 21st birthday to become youngest PGA Tour winner since Tiger Woods in 1996. Winner of the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic. Member of Europe’s 2010 Ryder Cup-winning team.

It’s a pretty long par four, over 480 yards, and it usually plays into the wind. You’re usually trying to hit it just to the right of the fairway bunkers, maybe hitting it 280 up there because it’s usually into the wind. You’re leaving yourself something like a mid- to long-iron into the green. Last year I was probably hitting six and seven irons in there and it’s a pretty flat green.

The toughest pin position is the one on the front right, which is guarded by the front-right bunker. 

When the wind drops you can get it up there and leave yourself with a short iron and then if the pin is anywhere on the left side of the green it is quite a good birdie chance.

Otherwise it’s a tough hole: 16 and 17 are holes where you’re just trying to make par and hope to pick one up at the last. 

The mistake you don’t want to make: I remember last year I birdied it on the last day to give myself a chance, so I have fond memories of this hole. Making birdie to be just one behind made a big difference. It was big for me, definitely! It’s definitely a deciding factor in who is going to win this tournament.

Hole 18 Par 5 557 yards 509 metres

Matteo Manassero (Italy)
Won the 2010 Castello Masters near Valencia, Spain at 17 years and 188 days to become the youngest winner in the history of the European Tour. Also broke the legendary Seve Ballesteros' record as the youngest-ever full European Tour member.
Ciao! Bongiorno! This is a very good par five, because if you’re long you have to hit the first straight and well. If you’re not that long, the lay-up is not that easy and the second shot gets complicated.

For the long hitters the eighteenth can be a reachable hole. The first shot can be very tricky because you’ve got water and wasteland on the right and usually you’ve got thick rough on the left and a bunker.

I’m not one of the big hitters so my line is always just to the right-hand side of the bunker; on that line I’m never going to run out into the bunker or rough. That gives me 230 or 240 metres to the green. That’s not reachable for me. So the lay-up, the big bunker on the right is the direction for the lay-up. 

We’ll aim at the centre/right-side of that trap with either a rescue or a four iron to keep between 70 and 55 metres and leave that big right-hand bunker out of play.

Then we’ve got a third shot which can change a lot because the green is 50 meters long. Usually there are two flags on the front and two flags on the back, which makes a lot of difference; it can be a wedge or a little 58 [degree wedge]. It’s difficult to get the distance right. It’s a very good hole, a very good hole.

The mistake you don’t want to make: Not so much mistake, but this hole is different for the long hitters. I remember Alvaro [Quiros], the superstar, last year being over 280 metres off the tee, finishing just before the water. The water and the bunker comes much more into play for the long hitters. It’s a more tricky first short, but then they have a second shot to quite a wide green. That makes the hole easy for them, but they have to be very precise with the first shot. 

Abu_Dhabi_Golf_Club_18th
Abu Dhabi Golf Club - 18th Hole



Thanks again to Tim Maitland for his interview of European Tour Golfers for the 2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship!



photo credits: Getty Images/Tim Maitland


How to negotiate holes 1-12 of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club can be seen on the Golf for Beginners blog:
2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Holes 1-6
2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Holes 7-12




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