Joe Steranka, TaylorMade-adidas Golf, SNAG and SwingSmart Among ING Industry Honors Winners

TaylorMade-adidas Golf took home three first-place finishes, and retired PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka was honored for all he has done for the golf industry in the 20th edition of the ING Industry Honors, announced at the PGA Merchandise Show.

Called by some the “Academy Awards of the Golf Industry,” the ING Industry Honors program recognizes outstanding achievement in the golf business.

Nominees in a dozen categories are submitted throughout the year from anyone in the golf industry. Sub-committees that include experts in each category then trim the entries to the top three in each category. ING members then vote electronically to determine the winners, who are announced and recognized at the Industry Honors Presentation Press Conference.

The TaylorMade RocketBallz Tour Fairway Woods won in the Product Ingenuity-Market Leading Companies category. The matte-white finish and larger head is easy to align and launch. The Speed Pocket in the sole boosts ball speed dramatically for more distance. TaylorMade-adidas Golf also won in the PR category for a promotion in London prior to the Olympics, and for its print ad, “Love Comes With A Money-Back Guarantee.”

Capturing the Product Ingenuity-Emerging Companies category was SwingSmart, with its Golf Analyzer Sensor, which attaches to the underside of the shaft and provides swing statistics critical to improving your swing.

Another big winner in the ING Industry Honors was Steranka, who retired last year after 25 years of service with the PGA of America, the last seven as CEO. Among his many accomplishments was steering a new industry government relations program We Are Golf, designed to achieve legislative and public affairs goals on behalf of the multi-billion dollar golf industry.
In the important Player Development category, SNAG was a winner in close voting over Tee It Forward and PGA Professional Rick Grayson. In 8,000 schools and 42 countries, SNAG Golf seems unstoppable at introducing golf around the globe.
A complete list of winners is below. The presentation took place Friday in the ING Hospitality Room, and was followed by a Q&A with Paula Creamer.

THE 2012 INDUSTRY HONORS RESULTS

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT
Winner: Joe Steranka, CEO, PGA of America; Also Nominated: Rick LaRose, Head Golf Coach, University of Arizona; Jack Purcell, President and Publisher, LINKS Magazine.

GOLF COURSE DESIGN
Winner: Ben Crenshaw & Bill Coore, Bandon Preserve, Bandon Dunes Oregon; Also Nominated: Martin Hawtree, Trump International Golf Links, Aberdeen Scotland; Rod Whitman, Cabot Links, Inverness, Nova Scotia.

PLAYER DEVELOMENT
Winner: SNAG; Also Nominated: Rick Grayson, PGA Teaching Professional, Springfield, MO.; Tee It Forward program from the PGA of America.

PRINT ADVERTISING – Product & Services
Winner: TaylorMade Golf – Loves Comes With A Money Back Guarantee; Also Nominated: The Golf Channel – Big Break Greenbrier; Mizuno Golf – The Gospel According To Luke.

PRINT ADVERTISING – Trade
    Winner: Yamaha – How To Handle Rush Hour; Also Nominated: Exsite – Clean Up Your Game.

PRINT ADVERTISING – Travel & Real Estate
    Winner: Pinehurst – Championships Define It; Also Nominated: Central Oregon – Memories; Primland – Picture Scotland With A Blue Ridge Backdrop.

PRODUCT INGENUITY – Emerging Companies
Winner: SwingSmart Training Tool; Also Nominated: Innovex V-Motion Tour Golf Ball; SCOR4161 Scoring Clubs.

PRODUCT INGENUITY – Market Leaders
Winner: TaylorMade RocketBallz Tour Fairway Woods; Also Nominated: Adams Idea Tech V4 Hybrids; Titleist AP2 (712 Series).

PR/PROMOTIONS
Winner: Adidas Golf – Olympics In London Promotion; Also Nominated: Bionic Gloves – The Humorous Signs Campaign; Golf Mesquite Nevada – Exposure Through Events

TOURNAMENT SERVICE
Winner: Billy Casper Golf’s World Largest Golf Outing; Also Nominated: Harmon’s Heroes Foundation; The Western Amateur

TV COMMERCIAL
Winner: CBS Golf Promo - Commentators In Costume; Also Nominated: Cobra – It’s Go Time, with Rickie Fowler; Kia – Michelle Wie Shooting Skeet

TV COMMERCIAL SERIES
Winner: Bridgestone Golf – David Feherty In The Lab; Also Nominated: LPGA – It’s Different Out Here; PING – Scenes With Bubba and Hunter.

The 9th ANNUAL GOLF SHOW AND THE GOLF SEASON ARE NEAR!

Out, Out Damn Snow! The Lament of the Golfers in the Northeast in wintertime.

Sadly, No golf here until at least mid-March.

But wait- there is a great alternative. One that gets golfers back in the Swing and the frame of mind for The Golf Season.

It’s the 9th Annual Golf Show March 9th and 10th at the Westchester County Center. The only Golf Show in the Northern Suburbs of New York and The Hudson Valley!

It’s an antidote to the Winter blues and an outlet for the pent up energy golfers have been building all winter!

Here are some highlights:

Driving Range – try the newest 2013 Clubs from Major Manufacturers

Free Lessons – From Met Section PGA Pros

Pro-Shop – Save 50% and more on shoes, bags, apparel and more

Free small bucket of balls from Fairview Golf Range

Two Fore One Golf at Westchester County Courses. Pick up a voucher at their booth

WIN – in the Hourly Prize Drawing

Win – In the Empire City Casino Putting Contest

Designated Women’s Learning Area

Hourly Demonstrations and Discussions on The Demo Stage presented by the Metropolitan Golf Association

Special Q & A on the College Recruiting process for Junior Golfers and their parents. Sunday 10:30AM.

Meet Bobby Grace – creator of the Bobby Grace Putter and an expert in putter fitting.

Plan a Golf trip near or far with Special Golf Show Deals from Area Courses and those far away- Barbados, Casa De Campo, Ocean City, Vermont and more!

The 9th Annual Golf Show is Saturday and Sunday, March 9th and 10th at The Westchester County Center, White Plains. Show hours are 10AM -5PM each day. Admission is ten dollars, nine dollars for seniors. For more information visit lohud.com/golfshow or contact JAZMC@aol.com.

CASA de CAMPO OFFERS SUMMER GOLF AND TENNIS ACADEMIES FOR TEENS

Two- and four-week sports camps combine expert instruction
with summer fun, activities, and a unique cross-cultural experience

Living up to its billing as the number-one resort in the Caribbean and the hub of The Sporting Life, Casa de Campo is offering all-inclusive two- and four-week golf and tennis academies this summer for boys and girls ages 10 to 16.

The camps are conducted by Golf & Tennis Academy (GTA), which was founded by Juan Arteaga, Jr., and Marisa Farrell, lifelong sports enthusiasts who are also parents. They formed GTA to provide an alternative to the typical sports camp, offering a more complete experience that included many activities beyond traditional sports instruction.

The golf camp features daily instruction under the direction of Casa de Campo’s golf professional staff, including Eric Lillibridge, Director of Instruction at the resort’s Jim McLean Golf School.  Along with learning every part of the game (with a 5-to-1 student-teacher ratio) students get to play the famous Casa de Campo courses, 63 holes of challenging golf designed by legendary architect Pete Dye. Daily non-golf activities include swimming (pool and ocean); beach time; soccer, volleyball, and other sports; movies; and access to GTA’s on-site recreation center.

The camp also includes full-time adult supervision, lodging at the Pete Dye Golf Lodges, all meals, weekly laundry service, transportation around the resort grounds and nightly activities. Campers will be treated to daily trail rides, Astronomy Night and outings to Altos de Chavon, the recreated Medieval European village and artists’ community situated within the resort high above the Chavon River, where art, language and cultural classes are available from the prestigious Parson School of Design.  Skeet and sporting clay and polo instruction is offered based on each camper’s assessed competency and interest in each sport. A special awards banquet closes out each session.

The tennis camp offers many of the same activities, highlighted by expert instruction by a team of USPTA-certified pros with a 4-to-1 student-teacher ratio.

Two-week sessions are July 14-27 and July 28-August 10, 2013. Campers may enroll for both sessions. Two-week camps cost $3,200 for golf and $3,000 for tennis, including accommodations. Non-boarding students are $1,600 for golf and $1,500 for tennis. The full four-week camp is $5,760 for golf and $5,400 for tennis for boarding students; $2,880 for golf and $2,700 for tennis for non-boarders.
For more information, contact www.golftennisacademy.com or call 305-793-3407.

ABOUT CASA DE CAMPO: The 7,000 acre Casa de Campo resort offers an unmatched array of experiences found in a Caribbean including choice accommodations - in hotel rooms and suites or spacious villa homes; a variety of dining in restaurants such as The Beach Club by Le Cirque and La Cana by Il Circo; unequalled sports experiences like 63-holes of Pete Dye designed golf on three courses: the Teeth of the Dog, Links and Dye Fore; 13-court La Terraza Tennis Center, a Shooting Center, Equestrian Center, Polo Club, Marina for deep sea and river fishing, a Yacht Club, private beaches,  the Casa de Campo Spa, the Altos de Chavon artists village with museums, art galleries, boutique shopping, a Church, 5,000 seat Grecian style amphitheater, site of international touring concerts. Casa de Campo is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Exotics Fairway Wood Places 1st at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am!

An Exotics fairway wood was in the bag of the winner at the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am.  The 1st place finish marks four top-10 finishes in a row in five starts and the Exotics fairway wood is proud to be a part of this phenomenal success. (one 1st place finish, two 2nd place finishes and one third place finish)

For more information, visit www.exoticsgolf.com or www.touredge.com or call (800) 515-3343.

Located in Batavia, IL, Exotics is a division of Tour Edge Golf Manufacturing.  Exotics golf clubs are for those who demand the finest performing golf clubs in the world. With experienced designers and smaller production runs, Exotics by Tour Edge can bring futuristic technologies to the marketplace months, even years, ahead of its time. Exotics’ manufactures the finest quality, high-technology golf clubs and hand-assembles them one set at a time.  The company’s clubs are distributed throughout the United States and the world.   Availability ranges from some of the finest green-grass locations in the country to the largest discount golf shops.

The Swing Jacket Golf Training Product Returns...Better Than Ever!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Swing Jacket golf training product has risen from the ashes, literally, and is back in the market, better than ever.

The new product was officially launched at the Tour Edge Media Classic in January of PGA Merchandise Show week. And it was met with rave reviews.

"The Swing Jacket is a very well thought out and constructed training aid that I find works equally well with full swings, chip shots and putting," said freelance golf equipment writer Ed Travis.

 When it debuted over a decade ago, the Swing Jacket became an instant success as a golf swing trainer, a rarity in the golf industry. Unlike competing products the patented Swing Jacket automatically trained golfers to repeat the core fundamentals of a simple, repeatable, efficient swing. Developing an effective swing was no longer such a daunting challenge.

In 2007, however, the Swing Jacket went up in smoke. The company's factory burned down, along with all the dyes, molds and product. It was a complete loss.

Most people would have buried the company in the ashes of that fire. But Bill Walsh isn't most people. After some time of mourning, Walsh regrouped, organized new financial backing, recreated the product, and brought Swing Jacket back to life - better than ever.

Walsh is pleased that the long road back is now official.

"I believe we had just scratched the surface with Swing Jacket before the fire," said Walsh, based in Calgary, Canada. "The product can really serve as a player developmental tool for the golf industry, because it makes learning the proper golf swing very simple. One of golf's issues is that people walk away from the game because they find it just too difficult to learn. Swing Jacket addresses the issue head-on."

The Swing Jacket is the only product that physically guides golfers through a connected, on-plane swing. Whether you use the Swing Jacket hitting whiffle balls in the back yard, taking practice swings in the living room or on the practice tee, each swing is automatically training your body to repeat that optimal swinging motion. By imposing a level of consistency on each swing, the Swing Jacket locks key swing fundamentals into muscle memory.

"The product had developed such a strong reputation of delivering great results that after we ran out of inventory, used Swing Jackets were selling on E-bay for up to 1.5 times our price," said Walsh. "I was getting phone calls and e-mails every day from people looking to buy the product. Now that we're back on the market with an even better product, demand has been really strong."

 

The Swing Jacket wasn't just an afterthought when it reached the marketplace. 

"We spent 2.5 years and almost $1M to bring the product to market," said Walsh. "We retained the world renowned Human Performance Laboratory to help us understand the bio-mechanics of the optimal swinging motion and then distill that motion down to the core fundamentals that characterize it.

"We tested 52 prototypes on hundreds of golfers before we arrived at the design we sell today. Used properly it will absolutely help any golfer. We've sold over 100,000 units in 54 countries ranging from PGA Tour players who use it to refine their motion to the raw beginners who want to develop sound fundamentals right out of the gate."

To learn more about Swing Jacket, visit www.swingjacket.com. To see the Swing Jacket in action visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgLvtzIDrqs

ABOUT SWING JACKET

The patented Swing Jacket is the only swing training technology that physically guides athletes through a fundamentally perfect golf swing.  Described by some of the top teachers in the country as "Golf's Ultimate Swing Teacher", the Swing Jacket automatically trains golfers to memorize a connected, on plane swing by making each swing so consistent. Now everyone can experience the FEEL of hitting shot after shot long and straight without having to think about how they are going to improve their swing.  The only product that comes with an unconditional "Great Swing Guarantee".

Orlimar Introduces TourGroove Wedge

Orlimar has added a new forged wedge to its equipment line-up for 2013. The TourGroove wedge debuted at the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 23-27 in Orlando, Fla.

The TourGroove features the traditional tear drop shape and is made from 1025 soft carbon steel  with U-Grooves. The wedge is packed with performance features that make it a must in every golfer's bag. The soft carbon forged steel provides golfers with a soft feel while absorbing unwanted vibration. The deep cavity back promotes perimeter weighting for more forgiveness on off-center hits. The wide sole allows for a low center of gravity to help get the ball up high on tight lies and bunker shots. The USGA-conforming grooves provide maximum spin for pinpoint accuracy. The TourGroove is offered in three lofts - 52, 56-and 60 degrees.

"The TourGroove wedge feels soft yet gives you a solid feel on the approach shots," said Alex Resnik, product marketing specialist. "The golfers who have tested the wedge during the development stage liked the look, feel and especially the performance of the TourGroove. The wedge is very consistent in all types of lies and designed to get the ball up high and land soft."

The suggested retail for TourGroove is $99 and will be available February 15.

TourGroove Specs:

Lofts: 52 /8 bounce; 56/12 bounce, 60/6 bounce
Shaft: Dynamic Gold
Grip: Golf Pride Decade

Available: Feb. 15, 2013

Suggested Retail: $99, Men RH only

Orlimar has been manufacturing and distributing golf equipment since 1959 and offers a complete line of performance golf products including clubs, bags, balls, carts and accessories. Headquartered in Flushing, Mich., Orlimar is owned by King Par LLC, a privately held company. For information on Orlimar call 888.502.4653, visit www.orlimar.com.

Exotics Fairway Wood Captures 2nd Place at Phoenix Open!

The Exotics fairway wood was in the bag of the 2nd place finishers at the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open.  This marks two weeks in a row that an Exotics fairway wood placed 2nd in a PGA Tour event.

For more information, visit www.exoticsgolf.com or www.touredge.com or call (800) 515-3343.

Located in Batavia, IL, Exotics is a division of Tour Edge Golf Manufacturing.  Exotics golf clubs are for those who demand the finest performing golf clubs in the world. With experienced designers and smaller production runs, Exotics by Tour Edge can bring futuristic technologies to the marketplace months, even years, ahead of its time. Exotics’ manufactures the finest quality, high-technology golf clubs and hand-assembles them one set at a time.  The company’s clubs are distributed throughout the United States and the world.   Availability ranges from some of the finest green-grass locations in the country to the largest discount golf shops.