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PGA Golf Show Orlando Florida.
30 January 2008
 
 PGA Merchandise Show OrlandoFlorida.
     55th annual show focus on the business of golf
By Oliver McCann
 
The Merchandise Show is the PGA’s annual look at the global golf industry and it takes place at the Orange County Convention Centre .Orlando, Florida each January
The show is all embracing, featuring a bewildering array of the newest in golf club making and technology. state of golf seminars, economic impact studies, the latest wearing apparel and a multitude of new products and indeed new  improved older ones.
Manufacturers are out in force with their merchandise, offering opportunities to try out their latest technology, with presentations and demonstrations all through the week. Everything you ever wanted as a golfer is here with price tags ranging from 99cents to $11,500.
You can avail of the latest golf tees which for 99cents guarantee  4 more yards on your drive, and to save you walking those extra few yards why not a Cadillac golf cart at a mere US$11500.
The exhibition proudly proclaims 10 square miles of vendor booths, show aisles and club testing areas. In all there were 1250 vendor booths with a surprising number relating to golf’s fashion industry.
The event is essentially a trade show; open to people in the business of golf, in particular PGA club professionals, but not to the general public.
All the major world players on the manufacturing side such as Callaway, Ping, Srixon Nike, Cleveland, MacGregor, Nicklaus, Adams Wilson ,etc were there offering their latest innovations to help you spend your money.
The most noticeable absentee was Titliest.
 
Economic impact
A new golf economic study, supported by all the major industry players was presented at the show and provided some interesting reading.
It determined that golf in the United States generated a total economic impact of US$195 billion in 2005, creating approximately 2 million jobs with a wage income of US$61 billion. Staggering stuff indeed.
China Golf
Another event of great interest was the Golf in China Forum presented by the China Golf Association in association with the Octogon Company.
Here again more startling figures.
·       100 cities in China will each grow by 3 million people in the next ten years.
·       There are 350 golf courses in China
·       100 more golf courses will open this year
·       Golf courses will grow by 30% each year
·       Biggest golf complex in the world is Mission Hills in Shenzhen with 216 golf holes (12 Courses)
·       There are 3 million golfers in China today, and there will be 10 million by 2020.
·       Future golf course development may be hindered by an official reluctance to convert farmlands and by a shortage of water.
One request that came strongly from the Forum was the Chinese expressed need for foreign professional help in all areas of their golf development. It would seem that there are great opportunities for overseas involvement at all levels of the game.
 
 
 
So what’s new for 2008?
The week’s big news was the adjustable club rule recently adopted by golf’s governing bodies the R&A and the USGA. What the new rule means in essence is that the club golfer can now change the shaft on his driver between rounds. Obviously you are not allowed change the shaft during the round. This puts the average golfer on the same par as the professional Tour players who have access to a myriad of shafts in the club equipment trailer at Tour events.
As the manufacturers come to terms with the rule change, expect to see a blitz of new equipment heading your way incorporating the new technology, complete with a set of wrenches/, power driven tools etc to help you make the change.
New products
With such an array of new products on display it is not possible to cover all of them.
Here are a few of the more interesting ones:
 
GPS Golf Buddy
One of a range of GPS aids now available to golfers. This one is reasonably priced, has 20,000 golf courses world wide, hi resolution colour, is multi lingual, has rechargeable batteries and has no annual or golf course download fees
More information available at www.gpsgolfbuddy.com
 
 
At Your Feet
This is a golf training aid that straps to your foot with a visible screen which contains golf tips that you wish to keep in mind as you practice. It can say things like “Keep your head still” or “Transfer weight” or any number of tips that you may have learned from a lesson with your Pro. Messages can be personalized to suit your game and can be changed or updated at will.
 With At Your Feet it’s like having the teacher with you all the time as you practice.
Information at www.atyourfeetgolf.com
 
 
Ontic Putter
How many times do you change your putter, or how often have you gone home with a new one and find when you get out on the course that it is not what you thought it was? It might be the wrong weight or the shaft may be at the wrong angle for your stance etc. Well here is a product that takes the guessing out of all that. It is called the ONTIC M-Pulse putter. What it offers is the ability to change the weight of your putter to suit you or the playing conditions. How it does this is by designing in a removable barrel in the putter head .The barrel can be removed completely to give you a very light putter, or can be adjusted by weights(supplied) which you insert in the barrel to achieve the desired result. And that’s not all. The putter also comes with an adjustable shaft which allows you to adjust the angle of the putter on the ground to suit your stance. This just might work.
 
 
RedEye Putter
 
And while on the subject how about a putter with a High -Tech laser guided system. Well I suppose it was only a matter of time!
This one has an inbuilt red laser beam which extends along the path to the target giving you the perfect alignment. Can’t miss? Well you still have to mentally figure out the amount of break on the putt, and calculate the distance away.
This one is only for practicing but can revert to a “normal” putter for competition days.
Information at www.redeyegolf.com
 
Reading Glasses for greens
 
Endorsed by golf guru Dr Bob Rotella, the latest offering in sports performance eyewear comes from PeakVision Sports. Incorporating “two different technologies into a noticeably unique and differentiated lens by integrating multiple colour management filters into a golf lens made from a revolutionary new optical polymer”-and you thought they were just sunglasses!
Essentially what they do is to act as sunglasses on the top half of the lens ,but are a shade lighter at the bottom half giving you a clearer picture in the area of the lens that you use to “read” the greens. They do make a noticeable difference.
 
 
Something for Her!
When it comes to design flair it is hard to beat the Italians,and true to form Conte of Florence has come up with a beauty.
It is called Golfette and is claimed to be a distinctive icon of golf. Although Golfette somewhat resembles a miniature golf bag, it keeps intact all its charm and elegance. The cylindrical form typically curved. The buckled shoulder belt and a peculiar “all round” opening make it a unique object whose sporting soul blends in perfectly with the world of fashion. You heard it here first.
Only Italians could make a golf handbag into an art form. And in truth it looks stunning.
 
 
Trion:z-,ionic gear for active lifestyles.
Endorsed by both Butch Harmon and David Ledbetter, Trion:z produce a range of  magnetic ionic bracelets and necklaces which claim to bring your body back into balance after the stress of active living.
This is done using minus ions, magnetic therapy and Hormesis.
 Minus ions counteracts the positive ions and increases concentration, performance and well-being.
Magnetic therapy loosens muscles and increases the blood flow to facilitate healing and cell generation. Hormesis is the stimulant effect of combined controlled doses of ions and magnetism. They come in a wide range of colours and can be hand washed without affection the ions.
Information www.trionz.com