Odyssey's newest putters let you control the counterbalancing effect.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Schniederjans takes college as learning experience
Georgia Tech's Ollie Schniederjans is taking his college career as a learning experience for the pros.
Southern Tide's Palmetto Island Sport Polo
Southern Tide is a lifestyle brand that focuses on making quality clothing that is built with a purpose.
5 Things: Perez, Lee shine early; Mickelson struggles
Pat Perez and Danny Lee managed 4-under 68s to hold the clubhouse lead at the Valero Texas Open, while Andrew Loupe was 4 under through 11 holes before play was halted due to darkness on Thursday evening.
It turns out, Siri is a golfer
VIDEO: College Central, Golf in 5-10 years
Golfweek's Lance Ringler and Julie Williams joined Golf Channel's Steve Bartkowski and Ryan Lavner to talk about the future of college golf, as well as a look back at the illustrious career of Ron Balicki.
VIDEO: College Central, Best Women's Teams
Golfweek's Lance Ringler and Julie Williams sat down with Golf Channel's Steve Burkowski to discuss the best women's teams in the nation as the countdown to the NCAA Championships continues.
VIDEO: College Central, Best Men's Teams
Golfweek's Lance Ringler joined Golf Channel's Steve Burkowski and Ryan Lavner to chat about the best team's in men's college golf at this point in the season, including who Ringler and Lavner thought were the favorites for the NCAA Championship.
Annika Sorenstam to have monthly radio show with Golf World/Golf Digest's Ron Sirak
SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio's launch of programs hosted by current and former tour professionals continued Thursday with the announcement that Annika Sorenstam will have a monthly show on the satellite radio network.
Related: Annika Sorenstam career highlights
The Annika Hour will debut April 2, a day prior to the start of the LPGA's first major championship of 2014, the Kraft Nabisco Championship. The program will cover action on both the men's and women's tours, with Sorenstam taking calls and discussing her experiences in golf and business.
"I'm really looking forward to sharing my thoughts about the game with fans while also giving them a glimpse into my day-to-day routine since stepping away from competitive golf in 2008," Sorenstam said.
Co-hosting the program will be Golf World executive editor Ron Sirak, who chronicled Sorenstam's Hall of Fame LPGA career for the magazine and Golf Digest. Sirak watched her win 46 times (out of 72 overall victories) and covered eight of her 10 major championship victories.
"It's a thrill to host a show with someone whose work I have watched and respected for so long," Sirak said. "Other than her caddie, Terry McNamara, I have probably seen Annika hit more shots in competition than anyone else."
In the past six months, SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio has launched programs hosted by tour pros Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Rich Beem and Ben Crenshaw as well as instructors Hank Haney, Jim McLean and David Leadbetter.
UA Hunter Mahan Championship draws 43 Texans
Forty three Texans will compete Saturday through Sunday at the Under Armour/Hunter Mahan Championship at Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco, Texas.
Bryan National Collegiate draws competitive field
The Bryan National Collegiate will take place in Greensboro, N.C., Friday through Sunday at the par-72 Champion’s course at the Bryan Park Golf and Enrichment Center.
Muirfield moves toward possible vote to allow women
Twenty-four hours after the Royal & Ancient Golf Club decided to hold a vote on allowing female members, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield looks set to do the same.
Stanford returns to action at The Goodwin
Stanford is back to host The Goodwin Friday through Sunday at the par-70, 6,727-yard Stanford (Calif.) Golf Course.
Nike Golf introduces golf shoes for 2014 Masters
Nike Golf has introduced three limited edition footwear styles – the Nike TW’ 14, Nike Lunar Control and Nike Lunar Clayton – for the 2014 Masters.
Watson, Faldo to play in April's RBC Heritage
Tom Watson and Nick Faldo have committed to playing in the upcoming RBC Heritage Classic (April 17-20), the week after the Masters.
Balicki: Howard’s end came with personal dignity
Ron Balicki passed away after an eight-month battle with cancer on Tuesday. He is best known for the man that he was, but he could also write with the best of them, including this award-winning feature on Barclay Howard.
Cobra Golf Brand Survey – The Results
For whatever it’s worth, Cobra is (for me anyway) one of the most intriguing brands in all of golf. Granted, I’m a guy who loves color – and I know that some of you don’t. I’m also a guy who happens to love performance (and I don’t know many of you who don’t), and while they haven’t always fared well in our head to head tests, with just a little bit of tuning Cobra’s products have proven to be some of the most exceptional I’ve ever had in my bag.
Hell, I spent most of last year with a Cobra driver and irons in my bag. In early fall I added their wedges. And then it snowed and I’ve spent that last several months being miserable, but I digress.
For all the crap you guys give me about being a TaylorMade guy, those who know me best would probably tell you I’m a Cobra-PUMA guy at heart, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why more of you aren’t giving the brand a chance.
Of course, if the moves Cobra has made in the last year – things like bringing in Tom Olsavsky from TaylorMade to head their R&D team, and the rollout of a state of the art new fitting system (that’s selling the capabilities short) – pan out the way I think they will, the future of Cobra could be an exciting one.
You won’t be able to ignore them. My 2 cents…Cobra is one of two brands I think has the most potential for growth in the coming years.
That said, my record at predicting the future is spotty at best, and our survey wasn’t about what the future holds, it’s about what’s happening right here and now.
To that end, here’s what you think about Cobra Golf.
If you’re Cobra you probably want to be known more for performance than marketing, but both the innovation and performance numbers are solid. From top to bottom this chart really isn’t that different than what we’ve seen in our surveys of other companies. Thus far only Titleist is shown to have created the perception that Quality and Performance are the greatest differentiators. What’s perhaps more telling is the responses from the Other field.
Far and away Color (in one form or another) was the most popular response. Some suggested they like the bold colors. Others…umm…not so much. What it tells us is that, for now anyway, Cobra is inextricably linked with the same colors they feature on the their clubs.
Cobra is color. Color is Cobra.
When Cobra was acquired by PUMA the introduction of color into the lineup was a simple (and effective) way to differentiate themselves from the rest of the industry, while infusing part of the PUMA identity into the Cobra lineup. To achieve wider acceptance (growth) in the market, they’re probably going to need to come back to the middle a bit, and with the reintroduction of black into the lineup, and refinements to PUMA’s golf offerings, we’re starting to see just that.
To a large extent, the responses to this question mirror what you guys wrote in the Other field. The top responses are all image-related. It suggests you see Cobra as a colorful, trendy company that targets a younger demographic. Yeah…I am Captain Obvious.
The good news is that shows that Cobra has emerged from Titleist’s shadow and firmly established its own identity. The bad news is that it’s a somewhat exclusionary identity. We know that there is a segment of golfers who won’t consider products because of the color. We also know that part of that same segment doesn’t believe Cobra is serious about performance.
In that lies the challenge for Cobra Golf. How do you maintain the identity you’ve built while getting your performance message out to the masses?
Performance needs to be at the top of this chart, and while I believe that internally at Cobra it is, convincing the consumer of that is no easy task.
Just over 53% of you reported that you don’t have a single Cobra club in the bag.
Why the hell not?
While the driver number is solid (somebody is playing Cobra drivers), it’s really the fairway (16.02%), hybrid (18.23%), and iron (18.23%) numbers that stand out. The origins of Cobra trace back to the fairway wood. Actually, the original Baffler was more of a hybrid, but whatever you want to call it, the legacy remains strong.
The irons are almost a curiosity. We’re talking about a company that offers a competitive product for every type of golfer, and more often than not, they do it for less money than any other serious player in golf. What’s the issue here?
As for the wedges…don’t get me started. The new(ish) Tour Trusty is probably the single most underappreciated product on store shelves right now. You owe it to yourself to at least try it.
This particular question seems to always yield similar results. You definitely want to be seen as improving significantly, and that’s apparently how most of you see Cobra.
Here’s my follow-up question: why? What about Cobra has improved your perception of the brand.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m very much inclined to agree with you. What I see in terms of corporate structure, the people they’ve brought in, and the things they’re doing with products and services is exceptional, but most of that stuff hasn’t yet trickled down to the consumer.
There is tremendous potential with the brand, but I’m not convinced the last 3 years reflect that. Keep an eye on the next 3.
63.66% of you said Cobra targets a wide-range of golfers. That next biggest chunk (54.41%) is for Invests Heavily in Marketing. You guys always think it’s about the marketing. You guys might be right.
The good news is that between 25%-30% of you said that 1)Product engineering is superior 2)Products are manufactured to tight tolerances and 3)Cobra invests heavily in research and development.
All of the negatives (products are mass-produced and cheaply made, does not respect the game, does not care about custom fitting, etc.) registered fairly low as well.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Everybody in golf cares about what other companies are doing. All of them. No exceptions.
That said, Cobra is certainly more willing to step out of the box than most, and I probably wouldn’t classify them as either a leader or a follower. They definitely march to their own drummer, the challenge is getting all of you to dance along.
We already know that Cobra doesn’t make golf balls or putters. The former is a notorious money pit, while the latter Cobra insists they’ll only tackle if and when they have something of actual consequence to contribute. Basically they’re not going to make a putter just to have a putter.
While nothing really stands out, I suppose there is good news to be gleaned from the perception that some of you (55.44%) think that Cobra’s Metalwoods (drivers, fairways, and hybrids) are slightly better to far superior. It’s also encouraging that 33.26% of you think the same about the irons.
I can’t say this enough…you guys are missing the boat on the new wedges. More than 25% of you believe that Cobra’s wedges are slightly or significantly worse than its competitors. That’s insane. The original Trusty Rusty, with its game-improvement slant, wasn’t for everyone. And perhaps Cobra made a mistake by bringing it back for the sake of nostalgia (and for the sake of being able to offer something in the wedge category), but the new Tour Trusty…it’s totally different, and totally deserving of another look.
With most companies, the average range (at, or above) is always going to dominate the responses. No surprises here.
Where I think several of you missed the boat is in the value category. Cobra consistently offers products (especially irons) and prices that are often $100-$200 less expensive than others in their class. Look no further than AMP Cell Pro Irons. The going rate for a forged muscleback from Titleist, Mizuno, and others is $999. Cobra offers you an iron that’s comparable in every respect for $799.
We’re not talking Wal-Mart here, we’re talking about a top quality product at a better price. Isn’t that what everyone says they want?
You guys more or less nailed it here. You’re not going to see any overnight game-changers, but Cobra is a company that’s taking steps to become more of a force in the industry. There’s absolutely no guarantee it’s going to work. I can’t promise you that in 3 years Cobra won’t be worse off than they are today, but I believe they’ve had some exceptional products over the last couple of years, and they’re certainly going to make every reasonable effort to build on those.
Cobra will never be TaylorMade, but it’s not content to be where it is right now either.
Move along…probably not much to see here. Basically we’ve found that golfers who follow golf companies are 50%-60% likely to follow any particular brand.
Among those who do follow golf companies, but don’t follow Cobra, the Not a Fan number (33.33%) is perhaps a little on the low side. The more interesting info comes from the Other box where responses were things like:
“Marketing is annoying to me”
“Can’t follow everyone”
“I don’t think they market to people like me”
“Only follow companies whose equipment is in my bag”
The companies who excel at Social Media are generally the ones who execute a specific plan, and are most active on Social Media. Generally speaking, Cobra is more engaged than many other golf companies, but there’s is a lack of consistency (periods of absence or limited activity), and they don’t always give the impression there’s a cohesive Social Media plan beyond “let’s tweet something”.
While I’m still not certain on the direct impact to the bottom line (see the next question), I do believe that Social Media can have a direct bearing on our perceptions of a company, and while that might not translate directly to sales, it can certainly work against sales.
Maybe I’m alone here, but Social Media efforts rarely improve my perception of any given brand, but poor Social Media, or Social Media that rubs me the wrong way has most certainly negatively impacted the way I view certain brands.
Invisible is better than bad. Fortunately for Cobra, not many of you see their efforts as negatively impacting perceptions.
For just about every brand we’ve surveyed this result has been largely constant. 60% of you report that Social Media has had no impact on your buying decision. It raises two questions for which I don’t have solid answers.
Is it possible you’re being influenced without realizing it?
Is the 10% or so of the audience that tells us that Social Media has positively influenced the buying decision a big enough number to justify the efforts?
What’d We Miss?
Do you have anything else to add to our conversation about Cobra Golf? We’ve got a comment section below. Feel free to use it.
Pepperdine claims victory in Hawaii
Pepperdine won its third title of the season at the Anuenue Spring Break Classic in Maui, Hawaii, by finishing with a 6-over 870.
Tour Tracker: Valero Texas Open, first round
Phil Mickelson leads a strong stable of PGA Tour notables trying to put the Masters out of their minds and post a strong Valero Texas Open first round. Keep up with all the first-round highlights right here!
SCORES: Valero Texas Open, 1st round
Follow the leaderboard from the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.
WIN: Cobra BiO Cell Driver
The Cobra BiO Cell Driver is becoming one of the most talked about products on the course these days. Like their vibrant and exciting staff TOUR player, Rickie Fowler, the BiO Cell Driver features technology that provides extreme distance off the tee, a huge sweet spot for more forgiveness on off-centre hits, customisable loft settings to maximise performance under any course conditions, and a collection of bold, vibrant colours that make a real statement in your bag.
We took the Cobra BiO Cell Driver out for a Test Drive, and we now know why Rickie is always smiling.
The first thing we noticed is the long, sleek, wing-like shape of the clubhead, which felt great at address. The balance and weight felt just right in our hands, which gives that little boost of confidence that is so very important off the tee.
We also noticed how simple and quick it is to change the loft settings. With a simple twist of the tool prior to your round, you can choose up to eight different loft settings. This helps you to optimise the driver to match the conditions of the day, or to just get that extra distance on those longer par-4s or par-5′s.
Using a launch monitor, we hit plenty of shots at each loft setting: 9.0°, 9.5°, 9.5°D, 10.5°, 10.5°D, 11.5°, 11.5°D and 12.0°. And we noticed a significant difference in ball flight with each setting. So whether you want to hit it low and under the wind, or smack it high and let it fly, the options are there. And with a slight draw bias on some of the settings, you can get those long, beautiful draws that run forever. Importantly, we were very pleased that, despite the loft changes, the face was always square at impact. This is due to Cobra’s SmartPad Technology, and we reckon it is a real winner.
The sound at impact was a satisfying and soothing “Crack”, which is a far cry from the dull “Thud” or tinny “Tink” from some other drivers. And the large sweet spot was extremely forgiving on our less-than-stellar swings.
Overall, we were extremely impressed with the BiO Cell Driver. Available at an RRP of $379, it comes in the following colours: Blue Aster, Barbados Red, Vibrant orange, Silver and Black.
www.cobragolf.com.au/bio-cell-driver
WIN: A Cobra BiO Cell Driver, signed by Rickie Fowler
Inside Golf and Cobra Puma are giving away a Cobra BiO Cell Driver, signed by Rickie Fowler, to one lucky reader. (Right-handed only, Shaft: stiff or regular flex.)
To enter the giveaway, click here
Good luck!
Mickelson readies for first Texas Open since '92
Phil Mickelson spent plenty of time practicing Wednesday for the Valero Texas Open -- even until his last putt couldn't be seen falling into the cup -- although TPC San Antonio requires different strategy than Augusta National.
ACTRESS KRISTY SWANSON LAUNCHES COLLECTION OF LADIES GOLF WEAR AND ACCESSORIES
A recreational golfer for fifteen years, Swanson competes year round in a variety of golf events including charity fundraisers and celebrity tournaments. It wasn’t until March 2012 at the Murray Bros. Caddyshack Celebrity Golf Classic that she realized she was on to something big. While preparing to head out to the golf course, Swanson wanted to wear something comfortable, yet fashionable but had seen enough of the men’s polo shirts morphed into so-called “ladies golf wear.” So instead, she went with a piece from one of her favorite designers, Eva Varro, and her arrival at the event said it all. Immediately, she was asked where she purchased her dress, who was the designer, where could one be bought and it seemed that what she wore caught everyone’s eye… the idea for aDRESSitGOLF was born.
Swanson immediately teamed up with famed International designer and clothier Eva Varro to begin her dream of creating something unique, versatile, high fashion but with attention to quality and detail. Her husband and business partner, Lloyd Eisler, Two Time Olympic Bronze Medalist in Pairs Figure Skating and Member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, lends his expertise as a pro-athlete who knows the importance of clothing during competition and why staying dry and comfortable is crucial.
In between being a mother, wife and working actress, Swanson spent two years with Varro designing, creating and testing their pieces so that they met all the needs and desires of the female golf community. “The world of ladies golf is about to change from a fashion standpoint,” explains Swanson. “I saw the need for some ‘style’ on the golf course, and aDRESSitGOLF is sure to provide fashionable yet comfortable clothing for women no matter what their choice of wear is…pants, shorts or a dress.”
Swanson and Eisler will, once again, be participating in the Murray Bros. Caddyshack Celebrity Golf Classic on March 27-28 at the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida. aDRESSitGOlf will be a featured “hole sponsor” to showcase the entire line. In April, Swanson will also be attending the Kraft Nabisco Challenge at Rancho Mirage in Palm Desert, California where she will continue to promote aDRESSitGOLF to celebrities, golfers and fans in attendance. In addition, she and Eisler will attend the final round of THE MASTERS as guests of golf legend Gary Player who will be hosting the Gary Player Invitational. Both will be playing and Swanson will be wearing a specific from the aDRESSitGOLF collection which will be auctioned off the evening at the welcome reception & dinner.
Swanson was born in Laguna Beach, California and has been a successful actress for the past thirty five years. She’s best known for her starring role in the TonyTonyTwentieth Century Fox film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which remains a cult classic. Swanson has appeared in both starring and supporting roles in films such as Hot Shots!, The Program, The Chase, Flowers in the Attic, and her most critically acclaimed role as Kristen Connor in John Singleton’s Higher Learning. Swanson has also appeared in the film adaptation of the comic-book The Phantom and played the girlfriend of Adam Sandler in Big Daddy. Her TV credits include a long list of guest-starring television appearances in episodes of Just Shoot Me! CSI: Miami, Growing Pains, Knots Landing, Early Edition, Psych, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Television movies include holiday season favorite, A Christmas Wish, The Bouquet, What If…, and Operation Cupcake with Dean Cain.
Next up for Swanson are the April 12th release of Lesson in Love for Hallmark Channel and the Summer 2014 release of Beethoven’s Treasure with Jonathan Silverman for Universal Home Video.
aDRESSitGOLF is manufactured in Los Angeles, CA with offices located in Valencia, California. For additional questions or information, please contact info@aDRESSitGOLF.com
Notes: Walker's moving days; Johnson's 80; more
Jimmy Walker returns to his hometown event, the Valero Texas Open, for the first time as a PGA Tour winner, while Zach Johnson looks to erase an 80; plus more in PGA Tour news and notes.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
EurAsia Cup gives Europe chance at Ryder prep
Graeme McDowell says the EurAsia Cup needs to become part of Europe's preparation for the Ryder Cup, especially in finding pairings that work.
Masters Mood Guide: Podcast edition
Now that you have a nice playlist to get you going to set the Masters mood, it's time to hear some old stories in a new medium. Mitch Laurence, whose worked on both sides of the camera and the microphone, has put together several TheGolfDirector.com podcasts that will get the Augusta juices flowing. Mitch's passion for the game is evident in his research and preparation for interviews, as I can attest having been the subject of a recent chat about this year's Masters.
Related: Our guide to being a fan at the Masters
But of far more interest are Mitch's chats with Ben Wright, Frank Christian and John Derr.
Wright talks about all things Masters and shares some stellar stories, while indirectly reminding us what a shame it is not to have him part of the broadcast team.
Christian, the longtime club photographer who followed his father in that role, tells us about a hickory club and a lesson given to him by Bobby Jones and shares insights into Augusta National's co-founder.
And Derr is the 96-year-old former professional who played in the 1935 Masters, befriended O.B. Keeler and got to meet other sportswriting legends Grantland Rice and Damon Runyon. Even better, Derr talks about playing in the Masters at 17 and his memories of that week 79 years ago prove to well worth listening to.
Related: Masters Mood Guide, Music Edition
Even better, hearing the old stories serves as another reminder of the great heritage of the Masters, which is now less than two weeks away. Soak it up!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)