Adams XTD

By ED TRAVIS

Adams Golf new XTD family includes a new driver, fairways, hybrids and forged irons but the driver and irons are especially interesting.

“Quite frankly, these XTD products are the best we make thanks to a spare-no-expense mindset to create game-changing technology,” said Justin Honea, Senior Director of Research and Development. “We ignored convention, built with premium materials and pushed the limits to deliver jaw-dropping ball speed increases off the face for every club in the bag.”

The XTD driver according to the company has the hottest face of any on the market which combined with an aerodynamic clubhead plus the “Cut-Thru” slots Adams pioneered produces exceptional results. In addition each XTD driver is tested four times during manufacturing to ensure the clubface is as close to the USGA limits for flex as possible.

“We’re touting that it’s the hottest face in golf by using the strictest manufacturing tolerances,” said Honea. “Every feature we’ve built into the XTD family is distinctive, and we’ve merged them all together into the ultimate driver.”

XTD irons are made by a multi-piece forging process and have the Cut-Thru Slot also along what Adams describes as a floating face and hollow design with tungsten weights in the sole. Each set will have low-spinning Adams DHy hybrids for the 3- and 4- irons with forged cavity-backs (5-7) and musclebacks (8-PW) irons.

XTD drivers ship December 15, 2013 with a MSRP of $399.99. The Ti fairway woods and hybrids will be out November 15 at a MSRP of $299.99 per club.

Shipping on December 1, XTD forged irons include KBS C-Taper steel shafts for an MSRP of $1,099.99 or Aldila RIP Tour 115g graphite shafts with an MSRP of $1,199.99.

ED TRAVIS | Golf News & Opinion

Golf Illustrated

Things A Little Brighter For Callaway

 By ED TRAVIS

Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) published their third quarter financial results yesterday showing sales up 38% compared to last year same quarter and a significant paring of the quarterly company’s loss. For the nine months of 2013 sales increased by 13% versus results for the first three quarters of 2012 and profits were $28 million, up from a $10 million loss last year.

In a prepared statement Chip Brewer, President and Chief Executive Officer said, “Market conditions during the third quarter were better than we had anticipated as we entered the quarter, due in part to improvements in weather and rounds played in both Europe and the Americas… Moreover, our inventory levels, both internally and at retail, are in good shape, positioning us well for the balance of this year and the start of the 2014 golf season.”

Callaway also is estimating sales for 2013 will be $836 million with a small profit (estimated less than 1%) which would be a significant improvement over 2012 when sales were $831 million but a loss of $131 million.

“While we are pleased with our first nine months results, which provide evidence that our turnaround is working, we are fully aware that we have more work to do to return to acceptable levels of performance,” continued Brewer.

This is good news for one of the golf equipment industry’s most prominent companies. They are needed for both their stature in the eyes of consumers and for their technical innovation to help the entire equipment business be profitable and healthy.

However, there are some other facts worth noting. One of, if not the primary, reason for the increase in profits was Callaway selling the Ben Hogan and Top Flite brands to Dicks Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) in 2012 and the resulting reduction in cost accompanying the loss of revenues. Dicks with more than 500 big box retail stores and ownership of Golfsmith, is a major reseller of golf equipment and apparel but at the same time is competing with companies such as Callaway with its own brands.

Callaway also sold its non-core apparel brands to Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ:PERY) which allowed reductions in personnel and expense but with a negative impact to sales figures.

The largest equipment company, TaylorMade-adidas Golf (OTCMKTS:ADDYY), meanwhile is on the way to another record setting year for sales and profits with over $1 billion in sales for their first six months of the year and double digit sales growth in some product categories. TaylorMade has a dominate share of the metalwood business taking the lead from Callaway several years ago in spite of Callaway’s early success with the original Big Bertha driver.

Callaway has a long way to go to regaining their position from TaylorMade but cost reductions and the resulting increase in operating margins are a good start.

ED TRAVIS | Golf News & Opinion

Old York Country Club at Chesterfield - Unlimited Weekly Play Special

Gulf Shores Golf

Gulf Shores Golf

By ED TRAVIS

 

When it comes to golf in the state of Alabama there are many fine courses from which to choose but on the peninsula running across Mobile Bay south of Mobile golfer's will find three good reasons to visit.

 

Kiva Dunes Golf Club in Gulf Shores and the nearby Peninsula Golf Club are worth a special trip to play and the Beach Club, located in between is the place to stay.

 

The peninsula splits the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay and at Kiva Dune designer Jerry Pate used this location which has to deal with ever present wind, to build a really fun and challenging layout. Large fairways gradually narrow as you approach the green complexes whose putting surfaces only can be described as immense.

 

A good example is Kiva Dunes' par-4 finishing hole. Tee shots have plenty of room between the trees on the left and bunker on the right (with water further right to get a really sprayed tee ball). A couple of trees to the left of the green makes you want to favor the right with your second shot but caution is needed since the bunker your tee shot contended with runs all the way to the green. So like the other holes here, a good test of your skill and fun regardless of the outcome.

 

Kiva Dunes is a very nice course and at 7,092-yards from the back tees it's more course than most can handle. However, since there are three other tee sets, there are yardages to match anyone's game down to a very friendly 5, 006-yards.

 

At the Peninsula Golf Club adjacent to the Bon Secour Wildlife Preserve, designer Earl Stone built three nine-hole layouts and head pro Mike Weiler says visitors comments are very favorable. "They like a lot of things. Each nine has its own character but I know almost everybody talks about our course conditioning and the greens especially."

 

There are ample scoring opportunities offered by the greens and greens complexes as on the Lakes course par-4 ninth where being on the left side off the tee while avoiding a fairway bunker is a must to have the best line for your second shot. Then you'll have a middle iron to the large three-tiered green framed by bunkers but a miss left feeds into a chipping area while a miss to the right may be bunkered. So, as is often the case, hitting to the middle of the green will mean a reasonable putt for a birdie.

 

Between Kiva Dunes and Peninsula is the Beach Club resort. A special place for sure and one people return to year after year for the convenience of the location and quality of the accommodations not to mention the first class service. There are plenty of activities for everyone but our focus was on the beach and the dining.

 

Staying in one of the gulf front condominiums puts the beautiful sand of the Gulf beach close by and whether you're in to long walks next to the water or sand castle construction this is the place to indulge yourself.

 

Food at the Beach Club is memorable and the responsibility of Brody Olive the Executive Chef at the resort. His talents are certainly on display at the Coast Restaurant with its lovely view of the Gulf. Guests rave over Chef Brody's Grilled Snapper caught right in the Gulf as is the grouper which he also grills with a red pepper Aioli sauce you have to try to believe.

 

Dinnertime is also sunset time so the experience of enjoying one of Chef Brody's entrée creations and watching the sun's end-of-the-day spectacular is something you will never forget.

 

The combination of golf at Peninsula Golf Club and Kiva Dunes Golf Dunes with a stay at The Beach Club is a trip sure to build lasting memories.

 

 

ED TRAVIS | Golf News & Opinion

Adams Golf means to really change iron performance

By ED TRAVIS

Adams Golf means to really change iron performance for less skilled golfers with their New Idea Hybrid Irons that are shipping now to a golf shop near you. The basis of this change is a wraparound slot that Adams says gives the ball higher speed, i.e. more distance, and added forgiveness for impacts that don’t quite catch the center of the clubface.

Research showed that golfers with handicaps over 15 hit the ball one-half inch forward of the sweet spot most of the time. So Adams engineered these New Idea super game improvement irons to help them, the golfers who need it the most.

"With a concentration on developing technology that golfers really need, we created these industry-first wraparound slots on the toe to compensate for a very common mis-hit,” said Justin Honea, Senior Director of Research and Development. “New Idea irons are definitely our easiest to hit, with measurable improvements in ball speeds and forgiveness where players require it most."

The new slot design creates a spring-like effect across the face so the sweet spot is made larger. Adams testing showed compared to Adams Idea a12 OS Hybrid Irons, the New Idea Hybrid Irons give 44% additional ball speed on off-center hits and 24% more ball speed on center impacts because of increased flex from the unsupported faces.

A standard set of the New Ideas will include 3-, 4- and 5-hybrids Adams designed with sole slots that help to get the ball in the air.

“These are our easiest to hit hybrids ever, period, as we continue to expand the sweet spot,” said Honea. 

Nike VR Forged Pro Combo Irons

Nike Golf found professionals and low handicap amateurs like irons that give them high trajectory with lots of forgiveness and Nike is bringing to market the VR Forged Pro Combo Irons ($1,000 November 1) to fill that wish.

As an update to the previous irons of the same name the new ones have a pocket cavity in the 3 through 6 and split cavity in the shorter irons. The long iron pocket cavities help to produce a higher ball flight that means more control on distance. There is a polymer in the cavity that Nike says makes for better sound and feel and helps create a softer feel.

“Our Tour athletes wanted higher ball flight and better gapping in the long irons,” says Tony Dabbs, Nike Golf Global Product Director, Golf Clubs. “We added the polymer to create a Tour-caliber set with long irons that are easier to hit, and players still see the profile they want at address without compromising on look, feel and sound.”