The Mark Twain quote most often repeated in golf circles is the one about the game being a good walk spoiled. But there is another quote from the noted American author that seems especially apropos for the golf industry these days: “Whiskey’s for drinking; water’s for fighting over.”

Larry Gilhuly, the colourful west region agronomist with the United States Golf Association, has no doubt about what the biggest issue facing golf will be in the coming years. “It’s water,” Gilhuly said in a lively presentation to the annual general meeting of British Columbia Golf at Tsawwassen Springs.

“There is no question. Whether you’ve got or don’t got it (sic), it will be an issue in the future. It will drive everything in this industry. That is something to think about because in North America, we get it wrong. Green is the ‘holy grail’ but healthy grass is not necessarily green.”

Gilhuly, a former assistant superintendent at Seattle Golf Club, has worked for the USGA for the past 33 years and has some strong opinions on sustainability, which was the topic of his hour-long presentation.

He joked about the Monday after the Masters being the toughest day of the year for golf course superintendents in North America. Golfers will have spent much of the past week watching the drama unfold at Augusta National Golf Club in absolutely pristine conditions and wondering why they can’t get that at their courses.

“What you are looking at is not real,” Gilhuly said. “What I mean by that is the course is closed for five or six months a year. Their problem is they have too much money and they have to get rid of it somehow. The greens are underlaid with heating systems, during the summer they have tents over them, the bunkers have plastic over them. There is no play. You can’t compare your golf course in any way to Augusta National. It is not sustainable.”

Gilhuly called last summer’s near-drought conditions in the west one of the best things that has happened in years because it forced the golf industry to start thinking more about its use of water. He said the industry has a perception problem when it comes to water and suggested it must work hard to change that.

“The public perception of golf course(s) is not good as far as water use,” he said. “It is not good. (The public is saying) ‘you are water hogs and why should we be faced with water restrictions, while the golf course down the street just throws water away’. It’s perception and we have to fight it.”

Gilhuly said North American golfers must adjust to having their courses less green. To conserve water, courses must use that precious resource on areas where it’s most needed, most notably greens, fairways and tees. Far too much is wasted, he said, watering areas like the rough and driving range landing areas. “You can have a little brown on your golf course, especially the rough,” Gilhuly said. “Players like the rough when there’s not a lot of thick grass. You can find your ball and move along.”

Gilhuly said courses in places like Scotland and New Zealand get it right. “Green grass equals more green (dollars),” Gilhuly said. “You will spend more money at your club keeping grass green. It’s a fact. That’s why the Scots have it right, it’s why the Kiwis have it right. . .They have (maintenance) staffs in Scotland to this day that are five to six people. How do you maintain an 18-hole golf course year-round with five or six people? Don’t fertilize it too much, the grass won’t grow as much. Don’t water it as much, the grass won’t grow as much and that means you don’t have to mow it as often. That means you don’t need as much labour. . .that’s sustainable golf.”

The California golf industry knows better than most about how big an issue water has become. Kevin Heaney, executive director of the Southern California Golf Association, spoke to the AGM about how the industry there has banded together under what is called the California Golf Alliance to lobby government on its behalf.

The industry had success working with government to change some potential restrictions that could have put some courses out of business. Heaney said courses in the Los Angeles area had been told they were going to be limited to watering just two days a week. “What we came to know was that LA wanted 15 per cent reduction in water usage,” Heaney said. “Our comeback to them was if we give you 20 per cent can we water every day? They were thrilled about that. That was all they needed to hear.”

But like Gilhuly, he cautioned that the industry must be more proactive when it comes to managing its water. “We have a lot of golf courses that don’t know how much water they use,” he said. “That is crazy.”

Gilhuly had a number of other suggestions about making the game more sustainable. He spoke at length about slowing down green speeds and presented a chart showing that Stimpmeter readings had increased by three or four feet over the last 30 years on a number of Seattle-area courses.

“Unfortunately, courses have been taken over mentally by single-digits (handicaps). . .They are not the majority of golfers. In fact, they are the minority by a mile. Maybe five per cent or less of golfers in the United States are five handicap or less. . .Greens should be set up for the regular player. The average male player is a 14.5 in the U.S. for ladies it is 28.9. I’m sorry, but 28.9 players should not be playing on greens that have 11 foot of speed. It’s not fun, it will hurt the game, it is not sustainable.”

Gilhuly is also a proponent of shorter forward tees, noting 5,400-yard front tees used by women equate to about 7,200 for men. “Any guys want to play 7,200 yards all the time? Have your third shot into a par 4 with a long iron? That’s fun. . .Everybody is moving forward, It’s not a gender issue any more. Older guys finally are getting over their ego problems and playing tees that are appropriate for their distance. It’s a distance issue.”

Carlsbad, Calif. (March 29, 2016) – Cobra Golf has introduced its KING Utility Iron, the brand’s first adjustable hollow body utility iron that offers multiple loft settings in a single club. The KING Utility is available in a 3-iron, featuring a large sole with a hollow head, and is packed with COBRA Golf’s game-changing metalwood technologies including MyFly8 that allows golfers to seamlessly adjust the loft to best fit their games.

The KING Utility Iron provides the feel and performance of an iron, combined with the forgiveness and slightly higher flight of a hybrid. The club’s 17-4 hollow body design and a new 455ss L-Cup Face, combined with its 67 gram tungsten weight strategically positioned low and back in the head, deliver optimal Center of Gravity (CG) and high MOI. The new L-Cup face design produces increased speed and higher launch, the key performance benefits golfers look for in a utility iron.

The true game-changer in the KING Utility 3-iron is the use of MyFly8 Technology in an iron. A first for COBRA and a first for golf, this proprietary technology affords golfers an ability to fine-tune their designed launch conditions from a 3 iron at 21^o down to a 2 iron at 18^o.

“This club is perfect for the golfer whose last iron stops at 4 and needs a 3i, or the golfer whose longest iron stops at 3i and needs  2i distance somewhere throughout the round. The KING Utility iron allows a player to perfectly gap his long iron game and offers three draw settings to fine tune trajectory,” said Tom Olsavsky, Vice President of R&D, COBRA Golf. “We designed this Utility iron with Rickie Fowler in mind – he currently uses this iron at courses he deems a match for this style of play.”

The KING Utility iron (MSRP: $259.99 steel; $299.99 graphite), available in RH only, will be available May 1, 2016. It comes equipped with a Steel KBS C-Taper Lite shaft in X-stiff or Stiff flexes; or a Graphite Aldila Rogue Black 85g in X-stiff, Stiff or Regular flexes. Loft range: 18^o, 18.5^o, 18.5 ^o draw, 19.5^o, 19.5^o draw^, 21.5 ^o, 21.5 ^o draw and 22 ^o.

For more information on the entire KING family of products, visit cobragolf.ca.

Ever imagine what it might be like to play a round with Canada’s three top male golfers? If so, imagine no more.

The latest commercial from Shaw, titled The Showdown, follows Graham DeLaet, David Hearn and Adam Hadwin as they play a friendly match. The trio use their slyest tricks to try and gain an advantage. Check it out below.

FJ has unveiled the new VersaLuxe™ footwear category, a line pegged to be versatile and loaded with high-end luxurious materials and details.

VersaLuxe shoes were designed to provide luxurious comfort on and off the golf course by utilizing golf’s finest leathers, stunning details and a fashionable, yet versatile, spikeless outsole.

From the rich, super-soft premium SuppleLuxe™ leather by Pittards® of England and fine-grade stitching to the cork covered fit-bed and suede inner heel pocket, every detail has been meticulously considered in order to deliver a shoe that is the pinnacle of style, comfort and craftsmanship.

“For this assignment, our design team was challenged with creating a shoe that featured the ‘best-of the-best” so a player could experience luxurious looks and feel on and off the golf course,” said Doug Robinson, FJ Vice President of Design and Development Worldwide. “Our inspiration here was that timeless, super soft, supple leather chair that fits you perfectly after years of wear. These shoes were created with a similar commitment to exquisite materials, superb craftsmanship and the highest quality.”

“We want this shoe to be something you look forward to wearing for years as it molds to your foot over time and becomes more comfortable with every wear.”

Some of the line’s features and benefits include:

·        Premium super soft SuppleLuxe waterproof leather by Pittards of England
·        Suede inner-heel pocket, no slip comfort fit
·        Full leather linings for mold-to-feet custom fit
·        Genuine cork-covered soft, ultra-comfortable fit-bed
·        Versatile spikeless outsole
·        New Lane last features a rounded toe character, full fit across the forefoot allows toes to spread and grip.
·        Contrasting and Tonal lace options included
·        2 year waterproof warranty

The line is now available and pricing starts at 220 CAD MSRP.

For more details, visit: www.footjoy.ca.

Carlsbad, Calif. – Cobra Golf has introduced its new KING wedges – designed to improve feel and performance on shots that really count.

In addition to a new muscle shape, the KING wedge collection utilizes progressive grooves, variable face roughness and three sole grind configurations, to provide golfers with superior feel, increased spin consistency and personalization for different swing types.

“We’ve been working on these new wedges for nearly two years to create the best performing specialty wedges for golfers,” said Jose Miraflor, Director of Product Marketing at COBRA Golf. “Our COBRA engineers collaborated with our tour players, including Rickie Fowler, Jonas Blixt and Lexi Thompson, and conducted extensive research and testing on the KING wedges. Through that we’ve greatly improved wedge feel and versatility, giving golfers the confidence to hit a variety of shots around the green.”

One of the most important attributes of a wedge is feel and COBRA engineers used modal analysis to help tune vibrational frequencies (or shape) to deliver the softest feeling wedge to date.

The KING wedges (MSRP $150) are designed and manufactured using new Progressive Milled Grooves which feature wider grooves and gapping on higher lofted wedges, and traditional groove spacing on lower lofted wedges. The wider groove design allows higher lofted wedges (56-60*) to grab the golf ball imparting increased spin, and making spin more consistent throughout the wedge set. The new grooves are combined with Variable Face Roughness (VFR), a face milling technology that maximizes both RA (average roughness) and RY (max peak to peak depth) to the USGA limit.

To provide the ultimate wedge customization and performance, the KING wedges feature Three Sole Grind configurations that have been combined with the iconic COBRA Notch, which provides golfers with the ability to choose the perfect wedge to match their game and turf conditions. Each unique sole grind has its own set of advantages:

• The Versatile sole features a medium bounce (8-10*) to provide overall versatility on medium to firm turf conditions.
• The Classic configuration has a high sole bounce (11-12*) and a narrow sole for ease of use on all turf conditions.
• The WideLow option has a low bounce (4-7*) with a wide sole that works well on medium to soft turf conditions.

The KING wedges, available April 1, 2016, feature a new, durable Satin Nickel Chrome plating finish that helps diffuse light and prevent glare along with True Temper Dynamic Golf S200 (Stiff) shafts and Lamkin UTX grip.

For more information on the entire KING family of products, visit cobragolf.ca.

TORONTO – The National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) has announced an official marketing partnership with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, a marketing body responsible for promoting the Caribbean island of St. Kitts as a travel destination.

The collaboration will see the tourism organization leverage NGCOA Canada as a marketing platform to engage with the millions of Canadians playing golf across the country and position the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis as a premier leisure destination.

There are approximately 5.7 million Canadian golfers who play roughly 60 million rounds of golf annually. They account for more than 1 million golf related trips per year, and are responsible for driving $19.7 billion in golf industry direct spending – $4.6 billion of which is spent on golf related travel and on-course spending outside of the country.

Over the course of the multi-year relationship, St. Kitts will work with NGCOA Canada to leverage the Association’s network of over 1,200 member courses, directly connecting with this highly influential and valuable group of travelers, while solidifying St. Kitts as a top-of-mind and preferred destination for Canadian’s golf and leisure travel.

The partnership’s core programming will be St. Kitts-sponsored “Club Nights” at select, targeted NGCOA Canada member facilities. Typically the most attended day at a golf course in any given week, integrating via “Club Nights” provides the St. Kitts Tourism Authority with a captive audience to build both brand awareness and directly educate consumers on the world-class St. Kitts & Nevis golf and hotel properties. The partnership will kick off this spring with over 40 event integrations planned for the 2016 golf season.

“The Canadian passion for golf- and especially golf travel- is very significant to St. Kitts and a key driver behind our partnership with the Association. With two championship courses, another in its final phase of construction and grow in, and the fourth now carved into the landscape, St. Kitts as a destination offers an amazing golf experience- designer courses surrounded by beautiful warm Caribbean sightlines and world class resorts”  states the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce.

“The NGCOA Canada is a forward looking association that prides itself on delivering exceptional value to our members. Our partnership with St. Kitts Tourism Authority will create sponsorship opportunities for our members, enhance the consumer golf experience, and help build awareness for St. Kitts and Nevis as a world-class golf vacation destination. This partnership is a true WIN for our members, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the NGCOA Canada”, says Jeff Calderwood, CEO, NGCOA Canada.

The partnership stems from the integrated marketing platform developed for the NGCOA Canada by SportBox Entertainment Group, the Association’s agency of record for strategic partnerships. With the volume and purchasing power of Canadians playing golf at clubs across the country, SportBox Group and the NGCOA Canada embarked on a strategic relationship, building a framework that would provide brands with opportunities to directly connect with targeted audiences.

“The NGCOA [Canada] provides customized, scalable coast-to-coast access to 5.7 million Canadians that are responsible for billions of dollars of economic activity – that is a highly sought-after consumer for almost any brand,” said David Corelli, Chief Strategy Officer, SportBox Group. “This marketing vehicle provides an uncluttered and direct channel for brands, such as St. Kitts, to engage with a demographic that have a high propensity to spend in many consumer categories.”

Toronto – The University of the West Indies has announced that Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Stephen Ames will be one of five leaders of Canadian and Caribbean origin to be honoured at its annual Toronto Benefit Gala on Saturday, April 2, 2016, at The Ritz-Carlton.

Ames will be awarded with the University’s Vice Chancellor’s Award, which is given to people of Caribbean heritage who have made significant contributions within their organizations and communities.

Ames, 51, was born in Trinidad & Tobago. He turned professional in 1987. In 2004, he enjoyed his first PGA Tour victory, reached the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and was awarded the Chaconia Medal, Trinidad & Tobago’s second highest honour. He initiated the Stephen Ames Cup, an international Ryder Cup style competition that pits CJGA Team Canada against Team Trinidad & Tobago. He also co-hosts an annual charity golf tournament for kids and owns the Vintage Chophouse in Calgary.

Under the theme “Light, Learning and Liberty”, The University of the West Indies Toronto Benefit Gala provides funds for scholarships -awarding nearly in the past six years.

For tickets and a full list of honourees, please visit www.uwitorontogala.com.

Nearly 15 years ago to the month, Canadian Ralph Dunning was in Hawaii with his wife watching friends race in an Ironman triathlon, the most grueling of all physical challenges. A longtime designer and manufacturer of clothing for cyclists, Dunning told his wife he was going to start a golf company, and bring the fabric technology he knew from cycling to a golf-specific product.

Fast-forward to today, and Dunning Golf is in 100 pro shops across the country, another 1,300 in the U.S., and just experienced 25 percent growth year-over-year, almost an unheard-of feat in today’s unpredictable golf climate.

And it all started in Dunning’s basement.

“I went to all my mills and factories and I wanted to build a complete line,” reflects Dunning, fresh off a successful trip to Orlando, FL for the PGA of America’s annual Merchandise Show.

Dunning laughs when he is asked to recall his first meeting with a big Canadian golf company in 2001.

“I sent Golf Town a catalogue I made on my printer at home,” he says. “I was working out of my basement with no real inventory, just a concept.”

Dunning explains he didn’t know who Stephen Bebis (the then-CEO and founder of Golf Town) was, but he knew Golf Town was “a pretty fun place to go shopping.”

According to Dunning, Bebis told him the Dunning concept was “going to change the golf industry” and gave him a huge order.

“I had to figure out how to build this company,” he explains. “It was a grass-roots company in my basement.”

Despite Bebis’ vote of confidence, there were a lot of skeptics of Dunning’s tech-fabric idea. However, a handful of ‘visionary’ people put Dunning in their pro shops, and the name started to grow.

Ralph Dunning

The Dunning brand got a boost in 2002 thanks to Mike Weir, who started to wear the Dunning outerwear by choice – he was not on a contract to do so. There was an iconic picture on the cover of The Globe & Mail featuring Weir wearing a Dunning rain suit during the waterlogged Masters that year.

“(Weir) was the first guy to really embrace what we were doing,” explains Dunning. “It helped get the word out across the country.”

At the 2005 PGA Merchandise Show, Dunning says his company was the first to have a full system designed for golfers, and the elements golfers face while playing.

“We had a point of difference,” he says. “People were starting to understand the fabric, and we became known for having the better fabric.”

A decade later, although Weir no longer wears the brand, Dunning counts David Hearn as one of their key PGA Tour ambassadors along with Charles Howell III, Brendan Steele, Russell Knox, and European Nicolas Colsaerts.

“Signing David was a really big deal for me, because when he first turned pro we got a phone call asking if we wanted to sign him and we couldn’t. We couldn’t afford it,” says Dunning. “When the opportunity came up this time, I really fought to have him be part of our roster.

“We couldn’t have hand-picked a guy who is better for the brand than David. He just fits all the checks for Dunning.”

The brand, according to Dunning, has stayed true to its understated design principles as it has evolved. However, it hasn’t ignored trends in menswear either. Dunning introduced a sportswear line this year that was influenced by its PGA Tour ambassadors and their on-the-road lifestyle.

“The sportswear side, we’re seeing all the pro shops want to carry that now because, if you think about it from a business perspective, how do we grow our industry? How many golf shirts do you really need?” explains Dunning. “You want to wear brands that are a reflection of your lifestyle, and that’s where the whole sportswear theme came in.”

As the brand continues to find new success, Dunning is cognizant that the global growth of his company will be a key factor moving forward. He says that the biggest takeaway from the recent PGA Merchandise Show was the number of accounts from Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Japan were keen to learn more.

“All of a sudden, Dunning is becoming a global brand that is known for its quality and its premium position as this clean-styled brand,” Dunning says. “As Canadians, we’re a hybrid between what goes on in the U.K. and what happens in America, so that’s why there is this global thing going on.”

Global expansion, North American growth, and a roster chalk-full of PGA Tour stars – a far cry from an idea in a basement.

Visit www.dunninggolf.com to learn more.

Ralph Dunning, Jonathon Wong, Adam Stanley

CARLSBAD, CALIF. –  TaylorMade Golf today unveiled M2 drivers, fairways and rescue clubs to complete the M family. In M2, engineers have utilized the same proprietary multi-material combination, including the seven-layer carbon composite crown found in the M1, to develop a line of products that deliver two highly sought-after performance benefits: distance and forgiveness.

Similar to M1, the M2 product line meets the challenge of delivering more performance to players of all skill levels with the utilization of multi-material construction (driver and fairway). From the outset, the key product deliverable for the M2 line has been to deliver maximum forgiveness without sacrificing distance. TaylorMade has achieved this by leveraging the weight savings from the carbon crown and redistributing the discretionary weight to the sole of the club, resulting in a low and slightly farther back centre of gravity. This ultimately gives many golfers what they want: distance and forgiveness, without compromise. The result is a family of clubs that deliver hot trajectories with massive sweet spots and maximum forgiveness.

Multi-Material Construction (Driver)

Similar to the composition of M1, the use of TaylorMade’s carbon composite crown design in the M2 driver has resulted in a significant decrease in overall crown weight and with that, engineers have been able to lower the CG considerably. The total weight savings of 5g creates a dream scenario for our engineers, giving them enough discretionary weight savings to generate a remarkably hot trajectory with maximized forgiveness. Whereas the savings in weight in the M1 was used to develop the company’s revolutionary T-Track System, the combination of the carbon crown with titanium casting technology in the M2 driver has enabled engineers to move the CG into a position of simultaneous speed and forgiveness.

Sweetspot & Ball Speed Protection

With forgiveness a priority in M2, TaylorMade engineers focused on three key performance features that deliver ball speed protection on shots struck away from centre-face: inverted cone technology (ICT), a redesigned Speed Pocket; and increased moment of inertia (MOI).

The M2 driver utilizes inverted cone technology (ICT) to increase the size of the high-COR area of the clubface. ICT utilizes a thinner clubface, which would be above the legal limit for COR at the centre if it were uniform thickness. However, the inverted cone feature is then added to the centre of the clubface to bring that section back down to the legal range, while the higher COR remains out on the heel and toe areas of the face.

M2 also features a redesigned Speed Pocket. It allows for greater face flexion than with a traditional, more rigid connection. More flexibility means greater energy transfer at impact made low on the face and thus, more protection of ball speed.

Lastly, the centre of gravity in the M2 driver has been positioned low and slightly further back in the clubhead. In M2, the moments of inertia (MOI) are among the highest of any club we’ve ever produced. The increased MOI resists twisting at impact, resulting in farther and straighter shots when struck off-centre.

Design Aesthetics

Like M1, the M2 driver head is designed with a classic club head shape and fast, aggressive aesthetics where the black carbon meets the white titanium. The design suits the eye of better players from address but delivers performance for all, with maximized aerodynamics, face area, and a low centre of gravity. The structural changes in the design of the club head include a lowered front face area that still has the traditional rounded face shape from address, as well as a raised front crown and sloping rear crown section to maximize low CG without compromising the aerodynamic benefits.

Personalization

The 12 position loft sleeve of the M2 driver provides up to four degrees of loft adjustment. In addition to the stock Fujikura Pro shaft, TaylorMade will offer upwards of 30 additional premium custom shaft options at no upcharge.

Availability and Pricing

Available beginning February 19 at $499.99 CDN, the M2 driver is available in 9.5°, 10.5° (RH & LH) & 12° (RH only) loft options.

M2 Fairway

Similar to the M2 driver, the multi-material carbon crown on the M2 fairway has created 5g of discretionary weight savings, allowing for an extremely low CG. The shallow head design delivers versatile playability from the tee and fairway. A new, fluted hosel design provides superior sound and feel without compromising distance. In all, the M2 fairway is engineered for dominant performance in every detail of the club, delivering exceptional distance and superior look and feel.

Redesigned Speed Pocket

In 2012, TaylorMade redefined the metalwood category and changed the state of the industry with the introduction of RocketBallz and the creation of the first ever Speed Pocket. Since then, company engineers have been relentlessly working toward creating a longer, faster and more forgiving product, taking everything learned from the success of the best-selling fairway model in company history and improving on it to design and engineer a product demonstrably better in every way.

A new, completely redesigned Speed Pocket significantly increases the flexibility of the low club face area; the most flexible Speed Pocket the company has ever designed. The increase in low face flexibility translates into a higher COR, which results in higher ball speed for shots struck low on the face. This is primarily achieved by creating more flexibility in the Speed Pocket.

Availability, Pricing and Personalization

Available starting February 19 at $299.99 CDN, the M2 fairway is offered in five lofts – 15˚, 16.5˚, 18˚ (RH & LH) and 21˚ & 24˚ (RH only), equipped with a TaylorMade Reax 65 (S, X), 55 (R, M), or  45 (L).

M2 Rescue

Born from TaylorMade’s fairway wood DNA, the M2 Rescue is designed to deliver effortless launch and maximum distance from anywhere on the course. The redesigned open channel Speed Pocket creates a large sweet spot for maximized distance and forgiveness with low spin, and the low centre of gravity delivers a hot trajectory for longer, more consistent shots. Aesthetically, the low profile shaping more closely mirrors the shaping of a fairway wood, leading to a more confidence-inspiring, easy to hit product.

Availability, Pricing and Personalization

Also available on February 19 at $249.99 CDN, M2 Rescue is offered in four lofts: 19°, 22°, (RH & LH) 25° & 28° (RH only) is equipped with a TaylorMade Reax 75 (S), 65 (R), 55 (M), or 45 (L) shaft.

“The M2 line utilizes our new advanced multi-material construction to break yet another performance barrier, delivering once again the hot trajectory that TaylorMade is known for while at the same time providing game-changing forgiveness,” said Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation. “With the entire M2 line of product, we’re delivering golfers what they want and need; distance, trajectory and forgiveness.”

For more information, visit TaylorMadeGolf.ca.