Here Come the Renegade Equipment Manufacuters
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 23, 2010 4:22 PM EDT
in Playing Golf
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PrintRemember Rebel With A Cause? The James Dean film defining a generation of youth who would give lip back to their parents? I don't, though my equivalent might be The Breakfast Club or Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Either way, the theme is the same: the Man can't hold me down.
Feel Golf, a small OEM with annual sales of about $1 million, feels the same way about their, um, Men - the USGA and the R&A. They have decided to continue selling wedges with grooves conforming to old and new specifications until consumer demand runs out for older grooves.
And some of you thought I was crazy when I suggested earlier in the week that the USGA and R&A are effectively powerless to stop companies like Feel from doing this.
The case for Feel Golf is easy. Economics, baby. Sales are up for wedges with grooves that mostly won't be sold after December 31, 2010, so why not shake things up and offer the wedges straight to amateurs? It should help their bottom line.
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why not ? Feel isn’t going to scare any of the big boys who pay players to use their equipment – and the grooves won’t be truly “illegal” for another 14 years except in state and national tournaments. The biggest reason the USGA rule calls for the end of sales of the old grooves is to make it easier for tournaments to be 100% sure that players are using conforming grooves.
it still comes down to this – MOST people couldn’t tell the difference between the new and old grooves if their lives depended on it.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
If they can get some extra cash in the kitty for it, have at it.
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroom, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
And the best of all for Feel Golf: That little company just made perfect PR. Who would know or talk about such a small company, if it was not for that. Congratulations!
Der Exilgolfer – Golf in Schweden
by Der Exilgolfer - Golf in Schweden on Sep 24, 2010 3:29 AM EDT reply actions
This guy gets it.
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroom, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 24, 2010 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s 10:22 eastern right now – the CEO of Feel Golf is going to be on Sirius/XM/PGA Tour Radio in just a few minutes if you want to listen in.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
How did it go with BK?
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroom, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 24, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
pretty interesting. the guy says it’s a business decision and he’s at least being above board about it. (which, I’m assuming, means that there will be other people manufacturing the old wedges past 2010 – who would know ?) I’m hoping Dom will pull the interview for me and I’ll send it to you. I’m having some computer problems and my recorder isn’t working.
in all honesty, it sounds like they’re going to force the USGA to either move this ridiculous 2024 date up closer to the present or allow manufacturers to keep making the old grooves for a while longer. It still seems like a ridiculous argument – most of us will never be able to really tell the difference – and how many people truly obey all the rules when putting in scores for their handicap ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
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