Thursday, February 10, 2022

Go Deep with Club Champion Super Bowl Giveaway: Driver Fitting and Custom Driver of Your Choice

This is a giant week for sports.  We have the Super Bowl.  We have one of the PGA Tour's most popular events, the Waste Management Phoenix Open.  And this year to make it all absolutely bananas we also have my PGAPappas Go Deep with Club Champion Giveaway.

The Rams and Bengals will be going deep at SoFi Stadium.  The best players in the world will be going deep at The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale.  And one of you will be going deep from the tee box this year as I'm hooking someone up with a free driver fitting at Club Champion and custom driver of your choice!

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Tour Edge Develops New Exotics 722 Series Metals with Ridgeback, RyzerSole, and Diamond Face Technologies

Tour Edge has announced the all-new Exotics 722 Series metalwoods in their biggest Exotics launch in company history.

For the first time in an Exotics lineup, the 722 Series will offer two distinct ranges covering every product category in the series, the E722 and C722. This means there will be two separate drivers, fairways, hybrids, and iron designs. There is also a new Ti-Utility iron being launched on the C side of 722.

PING Golf Announces New i525 Irons

PING Golf has announced their new i525 irons, players distance irons designed to deliver distance gains and improved sound and feel.  Custom fittings are available beginning today, February 8th.

“What’s most satisfying in the i525 iron from an engineering standpoint is how our team has been able to maximize the flexing of the metal-wood-style face structure while creating a pleasing sound and feel,” said John K. Solheim, PING Golf president.

Style Meets Function with New Adidas REBELCROSS Footwear

In the past, it was assumed that golf shoes needed to look a certain way.  Adidas is continuing to challenge that mindset and has introduced REBELCROSS.  It’s yet another silhouette Adidas is adding to their adicross range meant to capture the cross-section between streetwear style and a pin-seeker attitude.

REBELCROSS is Adidas sleek and progressive design that subtly gives golfers the performance they would expect from a golf shoe.  Built on the comfortable YEEZY last, the rubber spikeless outsole features GRIPMORE in the forefoot so golfers get a great combination of wear-anywhere versatility and high-level performance.

Neurospeak Pro Unlocks Zone Like Performance with First of it's Kind Precision Breathing Training Device

Neuropeak Pro, a Precision Breathing, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and brain performance company that trains elite athletes to enhance performance under pressure, introduced today the first-of-its-kind mobile, real-time precision breathing training device and performance app designed to unlock optimum performance.

Wearable “trackers” are everywhere. Neuropeak Pro’s NTEL BELT is different. It’s a real-time training device designed to align diaphragm-based performance breathing and HRV. Each training session is scored, enabling users to track their performance gains through the App. The wearable Bluetooth device (MSRP $399) is positioned around the torso, while the app and instructional videos guide users through training sessions designed to optimize an individual’s ability to respond to stress and unlock “zone-like” performance potential.

The Home Course Will Host 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that The Home Course, in DuPont, Wash., will host the 8th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship. The dates of the championship are May 13-17, 2023.

This will be the second USGA championship to be held at The Home Course, which hosted the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. The course also served as the stroke-play co-host for the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, each of which was contested at Chambers Bay. The U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship returns to the Pacific Northwest for the first time since the inaugural event was played in 2015 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Bandon, Ore.

Callaway Golf Renews Women's Golf Day Sponsorship

Callaway Golf has announced a three-year extension as the Official Golf Club Sponsor of Women’s Golf Day (WGD). The equipment manufacturer will support this year’s global initiative and Women’s Golf Day on June 7, 2022.

WGD and Callaway share a vision of empowering, supporting, and engaging with the diverse female golfer community across the world. As the Official Golf Club Sponsor since 2020, Callaway is demonstrating its commitment to elevating the women’s game and recognizing the important role that WGD plays in bringing together women who play or are interested in finding out more about golf.

Reynolds Lake Oconee to Host Top Men and Women Collegiate Golfers

Reynolds Lake Oconee will serve as the epicenter for top collegiate golfers during the next four weeks as it plays host to women’s and men’s intercollegiate golf tournaments, including the 17th annual Linger Longer Invitational (LLI) next month.

Hosted by Mercer University, the Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational — set for Friday, Feb. 18 to Sunday, Feb. 20 — will attract some of the country’s top women college players. Other highly ranked programs include East Tennessee State, defending champion North Florida, Chattanooga and Wisconsin.

Two Time Major Champion Stacy Lewis Rejoins Mizuno Golf

 Mizuno is delighted to confirm that two-time Major champion and former World Number One Stacy Lewis has rejoined Mizuno and will be playing Mizuno equipment on the 2022 LPGA Tour.

As well as playing Mizuno equipment,  including the new ST-X 220 Driver and JPX921 Forged irons, Lewis will also become a mentor to Mizuno’s younger talent.

Friday, February 4, 2022

Arccos and TaylorMadeGolf Expand Partnership with Launch of Track Better Play Better Program

Arccos – the pioneer of big data and Artificial Intelligence for golf – today announced the expansion of its partnership with TaylorMade Golf, providing new club purchasers with the opportunity to receive a free set of Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors, free shipping and a 45-day trial membership to the award-winning platform by visiting taylormade.arccosgolf.com.

Golf’s first Artificial Intelligence platform, Arccos Caddie automatically tracks your shots while delivering in-round insights and personalized Strokes Gained analytics. The system is highlighted by an A.I.-powered rangefinder, smart club distances and caddie advice for every golf hole on earth. These innovations helped new Arccos Caddie members who played at least 10 rounds lowered their handicap index by an average of 5.78 strokes in 2021.

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Titleist Introduces New TruFeel Golf Ball for 2022

Already the softest golf ball in the Titleist golf ball family, the new TruFeel has been re-designed for more distance than ever before in combination with even softer greenside feel. Now available in golf shops worldwide, Titleist Golf Ball R&D was able to deliver the enhancements by engineering a larger and faster core along with high-performance aerodynamics to deliver longer distance. A thinner, reformulated TruFlex cover provides the improved feel and control for shots around the green.

“The TruFeel golfer is primarily focused on long and soft, but also seeks overall performance,” said Frederick Waddell, Director of Golf Ball Product Management, Titleist. “That is where TruFeel stands out in its category, where the golfer doesn’t have to sacrifice performance and can trust the quality and consistency of Titleist.”

Titleist Introduces New Velocity Golf Ball for 2022

Power breeds confidence and the new Titleist Velocity golf ball is engineered to provide increased speed with high flight for golfers with one main objective – long distance. This is accomplished through a new higher compression core and reformulated cover combination that delivers the longest, best performing Velocity yet.

“This golf ball is fun for our team,” said Frederick Waddell, Director of Golf Ball Product Management, Titleist. “We‘re designing for a golfer looking for distance, and that allows us to be singularly focused on speed and overall distance through the bag. We were able to achieve the performance goals of longer driver and iron distance while maintaining its high flight and greenside playability through new and reformulated core and cover technology.”

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Edel Golf Rolls Out Putter Fitting Systems to 130+ GOLFTEC Locations

Edel Golf and GOLFTEC are proud to announce the rollout of the Edel EAS Putter Fitting System to over 130 GOLFTEC locations. GOLFTEC, the world leader in golf improvement, is providing a platform for a significant leap in putter fitting to its current and future student base with the further rollout of the EAS Fitting Cart. After a successful year one, this next step highlights the success between the two companies and the commitment to improving the games of golfers everywhere.

“It’s really been a great relationship that has blossomed over the past year,” said Chris Koske, Edel VP of Sales and Marketing. “Edel Golf and GOLFTEC have very similar beliefs when it comes to improving the ability of every player it touches. GOLFTEC’s commitment to understanding, teaching and embracing such a thorough putter fitting process is incredibly impressive.  It’s fun to work with like minded strategic partners.”

Club Champion Experiences Record Growth in 2021 - Looks Upward and Onward for 2022

The game of golf requires a certain optimism — players keep coming back regardless of the challenges. The golf industry has seen the perseverance of that optimism in recent years, with 2021 being the biggest year on record for many golf brands. Club Champion, the nation’s top custom club fitter and builder, was no exception.

The fitter’s dynamic vision has led Golf Digest to include them in the bi-annual Top 100 Clubfitters ranking since the inception of the list. The company’s thorough processes and attention to detail have gained a strong recognition among golfers, leading to overall revenue growth of 58% year-over-year and over 90,000 fittings in 2021.

Evnroll Sets Gold Standard in Golf Digest Hot List

Evnroll putters continue to receive the highest levels of industry recognition for their innovation, design, production quality, and performance. The company has received Golf Digest ‘Hot List’ awards in the blade and mallet putter categories for a second year running.

In this year’s prestigious Hot List, renowned media outlet Golf Digest has presented Evnroll with two gold awards for its hugely successful V-Series – in both the blade and mallet putter categories.

Gainbridge LPGA Winner Used Graphite Design Tour AD in Win

Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts, Inc. announced today that the winner of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio held at the Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton, FL was playing the Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-6 Stiff flex wood shafts in her PXG #3 and #5 Fairway Metal woods and a Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-65 R1 (Regular) flex hybrid shaft in her Ping G425 hybrid.

“Congratulations to the LPGA champion on her seventeenth LPGA Tour victory.  Her ability to birdie 3 holes on the back nine on the last day of the tournament to win by one stroke certainly was an exciting moment”, stated Bill McPherson, Vice President of Sales, Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts, Inc.

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Daniel Island Club Selected to Host Two USGA Championships

The USGA today announced that the Daniel Island Club, in Charleston, S.C., has been selected as the host site for the 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur and 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championships. These will be the first two USGA championships held at Daniel Island Club.

“The commitment of two USGA championships to Daniel Island is a testament to the enthusiasm of the club and the challenge that its two courses will provide to competitors in both stroke play and match play,” said Mark Hill, USGA managing director, Championships. “We are proud to add Daniel Island Club as a championship host site and look forward to bringing the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Four-Ball Championships back to the state of South Carolina.”

PGA Tour to Expand Trackman Tracer and Tracking for Every Shot in 2022

The PGA TOUR and TrackMan announced today they are expanding golf’s most advanced club and ball tracking and tracing solution. By combining TrackMan’s cutting-edge Doppler Radar and club and ball tracking technology, TOUR events will have tracing capabilities for every golf shot hit during the season. This will significantly enhance how fans experience the world’s best golfers by providing more detail for television, OTT and digital platforms.

This agreement will double previous ball-in-motion tracing capabilities on the golf course, allowing nearly every shot to be traced and automatically shared with television and OTT partners and across TOUR digital platforms such as PGATOUR.COM and the PGA TOUR app. The arrangement with TrackMan begins in 2022 for PGA TOUR LIVE and TOUR digital platforms, while the domestic television partner agreement begins in 2023. This expansion will immediately offer fan enhancements such as the visualization of ball flight paths for shots inbound to the green in TOURCast.

Shot Scope Pro LX+ Earns Rave Reviews at PGA Show and Books Over $130K in Pre-Orders

Shot Scope, a leading international manufacturer of GPS-based distance tracking and game performance systems, earned rave reviews at the 2022 PGA Show as the new  PRO LX+, golf’s first laser rangefinder to feature GPS-powered distances and Artificial Intelligence for personalized performance tracking, was met with overwhelming approval as the Company added over 50 new accounts and booked more than $130,000 in pre-orders.

“Shot Scope has redefined the rangefinder category with a 3 in 1 product system highlighted by the PRO LX+,” said David Hunter, CEO, Shot Scope. “While we knew traffic at the PGA Show would be light in 2022 due to the pandemic, we far exceeded our expectations as PGA Professionals and golf retailers alike fully embraced our innovation. Adding 50 new accounts and over one hundred thousand dollars in advance orders made for a great launch week.”

The Sea Pines Resort Offers SwingFitAI Club Fitting

The Sea Pines Resort—home to three outstanding golf courses, including Harbour Town Golf Links, site of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing—has taken another step forward in golf amenities with the addition of SwingFitAI Club Fitting to its award-winning Golf Learning Center.

Developed locally on Hilton Head Island, SwingFitAI is the first artificial-intelligence-powered swing-fitting system in golf. Working with 8 cameras recording 360 frames a second (collecting more than 30,000 data points per swing) SwingFitAI helps the Golf Learning Center’s master fitters better understand how the golf club and shaft interact with each golfer’s unique tempo and movement.