Connect with us

News

Bob Parsons explains why PXG Gen2 irons cost $400, but are “probably worth $1000”

Published

on

As part of the launch of its new 0311 Gen2 irons, Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) offered me time to interview the man himself, Bob Parsons, who’s the founder and CEO of PXG. Parsons founded GoDaddy.com in 1997, among other companies throughout his professional career, and depending on how much you trust Forbes’ Net Worth estimates, he’s worth $3 billion.

So why did he start a golf equipment company, and what makes PXG so different? In my interview with Parsons (who’s quite the character, as you’ll find out), we discuss those questions and much more.

I encourage you to watch the entire interview (obviously), but for your viewing convenience, here are the topics we covered and the timestamps from the 12-minute interview above. Enjoy!

  • Scottsdale National Golf Club upgrades and new Gen2 irons (0:37)
  • What made you start a golf company? (1:25)
  • Spending $350,000 a year on golf clubs (2:24)
  • Recruiting Mike Nicolette and breaking the mold of product releases (2:48)
  • Were you nervous it took three years to upgrade the irons? (3:45)
  • New COR2 technology and its benefits (4:33)
  • Did you set out to disrupt the industry? (5:30)
  • PXG’s growth in size and Tour presence (5:55)
  • What’s your favorite country to play golf in? (6:41)
  • What’s your relationship with the military? (6:55)
  • What’s in your bag? (8:55)
  • What’s your relationship with GolfWRX? (9:45)
  • Why are these irons $50 more expensive? (10:09)
  • When can we expect new metalwoods and Gen3 irons? (11:18)
Your Reaction?
  • 117
  • LEGIT19
  • WOW5
  • LOL31
  • IDHT6
  • FLOP36
  • OB25
  • SHANK349

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

71 Comments

71 Comments

  1. BlackR1

    Nov 2, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    Message to Bob Parsons:
    I’m as PRO Capitalism and Free Market Enterprise as they come, but you sir, can eat a BUFFET of d****….

  2. Biddles

    Apr 19, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    The logo and clubs are ugly as sin.

    To each his own, though.

  3. Robin

    Apr 18, 2018 at 12:24 pm

    I joined the Marine Corp out of high school. Best choice I ever made .
    If you never had the balls to be pushed, then you never know what Bob is really talking about.

  4. Brian

    Apr 11, 2018 at 6:09 pm

    I LOVE my PXGs, but if you don’t like them or think they’re too expensive, don’t buy them. But let’s not judge people who do buy and enjoy them. Golf is my only hobby and I’m all-in on it.

  5. Mike

    Apr 2, 2018 at 12:21 pm

    I have to say, I’m pretty shocked at these comments. He’s promoting his company and his products… what else would you expect him to say? He’s obviously a smart guy, so he wouldn’t increase the price unless it made sense. The fact that they are priced out of some people’s range leads to some of the criticism, I’m sure.

    As far as the products go, I’m a low single digit hcp and I can say with 100% certainty that misses w/ the PXG irons produce significantly better results than anything else I’ve ever hit. Center shots in any iron are great, but that’s not what its all about. Its up to the consumer to put a value on that, but to say this is not a top-of-the line product is inaccurate.

  6. Miles

    Mar 30, 2018 at 9:58 pm

    It’s a joke that PXG pushes all this military naming of their clubs and Bob is always talking about his service in the Marines yet PXG doesn’t offer any sort of military or veteran discount when many of the others like Ping, TaylorMade, etc. do offer one.

  7. Steve Wozeniak

    Mar 30, 2018 at 5:59 pm

    If Tour players had to buy them, don’t think they would be in many bags…….they would play another brand that is just as good. Simple as that, he has not cornered the market on physics

  8. Darryl

    Mar 19, 2018 at 9:01 am

    Who cares? If you can afford them and want them, buy them and enjoy them. Just don’t expect them to turn an 18 handicapper into a Walker Cup player.

    I’d never tell anyone how to spend their hard earned coin, but I do reserve the right to point and laugh when they get taken in by snake oil salesmen.

    Who am I to talk anyway, I’ve got 6 Scotty Camerons (until PXG, the ultimate in form over function) and I bought an ERC!

  9. SImms

    Mar 17, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    If you can afford and WANT to play PXG clubs go for it, golf is not just shooting par it about having FUN and enjoying it….just as playing Walmart clubs for years and then one day getting that set of Pings can make golf a wonderful experience, even going from a TopFlite to a PROV 1 can bring 18 holes of bliss…..

  10. rebfan73

    Mar 17, 2018 at 6:55 pm

    After watching this, Parsons reminds me of Chris Farley in “Tommy Boy”…..

  11. Scott

    Mar 17, 2018 at 4:49 pm

    Drop da mic…

  12. Stephen

    Mar 17, 2018 at 9:58 am

    I’ve tried the gen 1 irons and they are superb and came very close to buying a set. In the end I upgraded my whole bag for less than a set of PXG irons would have cost me. Then there’s the reality setting in when you hit your lovely new PXG iron into a hidden stone that takes a chunk out of it! That doesn’t stop me being a fan of what he’s doing.
    You can spend £20k on an Audemars Piguet watch but a Casio will tell the time more accurately so it’s whatever you want to do with your money. I was more astonished by the price of the accessories – £500 for a stand bag, £200 for a sweater. That’s when you know Parsons wants PXG to be a luxury brand for those with enough money not to worry about the cost.

  13. John B

    Mar 17, 2018 at 9:35 am

    Mr. Parson’s let me explain why I will never pay $3200 for a set of irons… because I can pay $1200 or less for the same quality and shoot the same scores as I would with your irons.

    • George

      Mar 17, 2018 at 1:26 pm

      Why exactly would he be obligated to explain anything to you. He can charge whatever he wants. It is your choice to buy or not.

  14. Dave

    Mar 17, 2018 at 9:33 am

    Lot of hate towards a guy just doing his thing.I could write a list a mile long of products that are “overpriced”. I respect anyone who is a self made billionaire. Being a former Marine who served in Nam,I’m sure he’s hurt by the comments of a bunch of jealous dudes behind a keyboard. I don’t own any of his products and probably never will but I find it hilarious how so many can’t stand others success.

    • doug

      Mar 17, 2018 at 5:20 pm

      It’s not about envy, Dave, more to do with a certain amount of fatigue that many of us feel in the face of some of the more egregious marketing spin and BS.

      As many have observed on the topic of sports gear generally…’It’s the Indian, not the arrow’.

      While I have no doubt that Bob’s clubs are well machined and all that ( though I’m curious to know what it actually costs to build one of his irons)the reality is that- to use an analogy – a Hyundai Santa Fe will get you from A to B with pretty much the same features, comfort and safety as its BMW SUV equivalent…at half the price.

      Parson’s clubs are for braggin’ rights. Or to use Ely Callaway’s own words when asked ( years ago) to justify the price of his drivers….” It’s like the cosmetics industry; I’m selling the dream”.

  15. Brett Weir

    Mar 17, 2018 at 9:16 am

    As a former CDN soldier, I have an enormous amount of respect for The Marines and the US Military but this Parsons guy is so arrogant and narcissistic.

  16. Brett Weir

    Mar 17, 2018 at 9:00 am

    PXG…for people who wants to buy a game and too lazy to learn it.

  17. Bob Parson Jr.

    Mar 16, 2018 at 10:21 pm

    Hahahahaha, this dude is full of stinky Parson.

  18. dat

    Mar 16, 2018 at 10:17 pm

    He could charge $10K a club and someone would buy them. Doesn’t mean they are any good. I wish he would stop saying they are the best clubs in the world, because they just aren’t. They are the most expensive for the mass market though, he could say that from the rooftops and be correct. Very few JDM brands come close.

  19. Speedy

    Mar 16, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    They look like machine shop mistakes.

  20. Mat

    Mar 16, 2018 at 7:58 pm

    Price-eXcessive Golf.

    Everything Bob Parsons touches is of mediocre quality, vast amounts of marketing, and stripper glitter.

  21. Bob Pearson

    Mar 16, 2018 at 6:45 pm

    My wife looked over my shoulder when I was reading & watching the video. She asked me why my name was on the headline…then realized that it wasn’t her Bob on the PC. So she said that Bob Parsons must be nearly family and perhaps he should send a set of clubs over to the Algarve in Portugal, for his “family” to test. 🙂

  22. Sean Foster-Nolan

    Mar 16, 2018 at 6:32 pm

    Great interview, I enjoyed it. I like Bob Parson’s passion and enthusiasm. As a former 0311 my hat is off to PXG. Great looking equipment, but a bit beyond my budget. 🙂

  23. DaveyD

    Mar 16, 2018 at 6:12 pm

    I like the look of the clubs and the notion that if I got a set, I could finally hit my slice with class.

    • Zero Ott

      Mar 17, 2018 at 2:35 am

      How can that be? They have the sweet spot the size of Texas! :-p

  24. Joe

    Mar 16, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    This whole thing is just marketing. Why are the clubs expensive? Because some people want to pay for expensive things. Why is Tiffany silver jewelry more expensive than the same silver jewelry without the Tiffany name? Because the name itself is a luxury. PGX are simply luxury products. The claim of spending $350k on clubs in a year, before he owned a club company, however, is just pure BS. That would mean that if he bought all $400 clubs ($400 per club, every club), he would buy 62.5 full sets of clubs in a year. There aren’t that many club sets to buy. He could buy damn near every club set made and probably refit all of them with four different sets of shafts, and still not spend that money, much less actually play with them. It’s just marketing BS. But it works, so he goes with it.

    • joro

      Mar 17, 2018 at 9:37 am

      Joe, you are right about 350K a year and if he really expects people to believe that, he must be total BS about his Golf Club. This guy is a lot of noise with no background other than being a loudmouth and BSer.

  25. Robert Parsons

    Mar 16, 2018 at 5:29 pm

    I’m so jealous, I’ll hate on them! Yes, jealous of Ping irons with some screws stuck in them! Call me jealous, but I’m buying screws in bulk to one day perfect my plain ole irons!

  26. Jim P

    Mar 16, 2018 at 5:16 pm

    they hate us cuz they aint us

  27. Mitch

    Mar 16, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    i guess inclusion ain’t part of his vocabulary…

    • Steve Egender

      Mar 16, 2018 at 5:16 pm

      Go Bob Go, lets build some house around that beautiful property in North Scottsdale and maybe a grocery store and some restaurants. SEMPER FI! Your irons are the best!

  28. Egor

    Mar 16, 2018 at 4:18 pm

    GoDaddy = mediocre hosting for way more than the competition
    PXG = (probably) decent clubs for way more than the competition

    Marketing baby.. The golf world is a lot smaller than the hosting/domain market so there are only so many people who will eat the bovine excrement before they figure out what it really is.

  29. Steve

    Mar 16, 2018 at 3:45 pm

    The elephant cortex has as many neurons as a human brain, suggesting convergent evolution.

  30. Billable Hours

    Mar 16, 2018 at 3:42 pm

    The PXG hate always makes me laugh – grown men jealous of another man’s toys

    • preston

      Mar 16, 2018 at 4:17 pm

      You assume that it’s jealousy. I can assure that I’m not jealous of any man’s pxg “toy”.

    • Bob Parson Jr.

      Mar 16, 2018 at 10:23 pm

      Your comment says more about you Thant the alleged haters.

  31. Ell

    Mar 16, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    Has PXG won more pro tournaments than Calloway, Taylor Made, Ping or Wilson? If not then why not if they’re supposed to be so damn good? How many majors have these clubs been in the winners’ bags?

    • steve

      Mar 16, 2018 at 6:27 pm

      “Calloway” has literally won ZERO pro tourneys.

  32. JS

    Mar 16, 2018 at 2:48 pm

    If those irons were not so ugly, I’d think a second longer about taking them for a test ride … but would still say “no chance” when asked about buying them. IMHO, if you’re considering spending this much for irons, go buy a set of Miura’s. If you don’t have the game for the Miura’s, then go invest in lessons. PXG is nowhere in this equation.

  33. Gmatt

    Mar 16, 2018 at 2:17 pm

    Bob, maybe you should have spent that (sic $350k) for new clubs on some lessons and that “scratch golfer inside of you” might have come out years ago….

    This guy is so full of BS his eyes are brown

    • Bob Parson Jr.

      Mar 16, 2018 at 10:24 pm

      In the industry we call it a Full of Parson.

  34. Ryan

    Mar 16, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    You know, I’ve heard him previously say that the year before he started PXG he was spending $250k on clubs, now it’s 350k. I guess when the Gen3’s get to market it’ll be a half million.

  35. joro

    Mar 16, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    IF he did make the perfect club how many people are capable of using them the way they are meant to be used. It is nothing but an ego thing for hackers to show they have the money to afford them and show off to their friends who are still taking their money.

  36. Donald Dubyak

    Mar 16, 2018 at 1:15 pm

    these Golf Club manufacturers whether it’s ping Titleist TaylorMade Callaway pxg or any of the other well known companies get fitted for your golf swing other than that I have some bad news you can’t buy Talent

  37. SY

    Mar 16, 2018 at 1:12 pm

    Where’s that military discount Bob? Lets knock off a few $$$ for ID holders.

    • Jim

      Mar 16, 2018 at 4:44 pm

      HooYah that! Especially for a lot of my disabled vet students. Some could really benefit from the softness & super performance from off center hits

    • Jerry

      Mar 16, 2018 at 4:46 pm

      I’d like a rebate for buying the Gen 2 after buying Gen 1 — all of that research for Gen 1 went to Gen 2. I know – Fat Chance. Slim and none, and Slim left town.

    • Jim

      Mar 16, 2018 at 5:34 pm

      No joke. We have a waiting list for heads to arrive & for pretty much every client it is indeed a significant investment.

      More ‘rich guys’ in 65K cars blab “400 a club – I’ll just tell my wife kisd my ass” never come back. The guy who already knows their a lot, tries one, comes back a week later & asks to demo it again and then asks how much are they really…and we explain the Trackman fitting, shaft prices, our in-house SST Puring and they say “I’m gonna ask my wife” – THAT’S the guy who comes back with 2000 cash to order the heads & book his fitting.

      The fitting starts with his irons, then some hits with same shaft on various other brands before getting the PXG with what we feel (kinda know 4/5 times) that’ll work best and if it doesn’t put up better numbers, the feel and confidence it gives that person is what sells it… they never ‘under perform’ and the off center & mis hits are quantifiably better than anything else.

      Sometimes the good hit numbers aren’t significantly better distance wise, and in virtually every single fitting I’ve ever done- 2000+ especially with drivers, someone always crushes one or two longer – even 10yds on occasion than the head/shaft combo they buy which they ultimately hit it better more consistently

  38. vince guest

    Mar 16, 2018 at 1:08 pm

    You know what, how can you not like Bob, he’s a character, enthusiastic and PXG are creating some excellent clubs. I don’t play them but I have hit them, unfortunately they’re just priced outta my ballpark.

    • Tim Armington

      Mar 16, 2018 at 7:54 pm

      Totally agree with you! I find Bob very likeable. After watching the video i was “daydreaming” about owning a set!!! Guess my jpx tours will have to do. Great interview too. I have no doubt that he spent that much $ on equipment before starting PXG. You would have to if you were startin a company like PXG.

  39. Paul

    Mar 16, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    Bob tells you why his snake oil is not only the best, but that its so good, it should be valued even higher.

  40. Travis

    Mar 16, 2018 at 12:49 pm

    They cost $50 more because anyone who bought PXG before will inevitably shell it out again. PXG is spending a fortune in marketing and sponsorships that they need to make up the cost somehow.

    PXG clubs may be fine and all but Parson’s is a joke. Probably should have spend $350,000 a year on lessons and not equipment. But maybe that would’ve been too hard of work for him.

  41. Andrew Pavlov

    Mar 16, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    Can we get his taradiddle bagged? My garden can use the fertilizer.

    • Joe

      Mar 16, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      Seriously? I honestly thought I had heard of every word there is but you pulled that out?

      • Andrew Pavlov

        Mar 16, 2018 at 2:33 pm

        Well … I could have just said BS I guess… but I was trying to take a higher road..lol! P.S> Crossword puzzles are good for this sort of obscure word thing.

  42. dc

    Mar 16, 2018 at 12:33 pm

    They cost that much because there are other really wealthy people willing to pay that much regardless of the performance.

    • doug

      Mar 16, 2018 at 4:55 pm

      A bloke in work boots, a hi-viz vest, carrying 20 YO blades in an old leather bag over his shoulder – who really knows how to golf his ball – will beat most of us regardless of how much we fork over for irons designed by Parsons, Elon Musk, Karl Lagerfield or whoever.

      As some others have observed; you can’t buy talent. But as Parsons clearly recognises, there are enough folk out there willing to spend vast amounts of dineros chasing the by-product of talent.

      I’ve heard it called ‘the Mercedes Benz Syndrome’. Don’t make ’em affordable or the potential market won’t respect the product.

      After recently handing over my Mizuno and Titleist heads to be reshafted, gripped and weight adjusted for my golf-crazy 11YO, I bought a 2nd hand set of Ping i25s. Had ’em adjusted for my height and expectations…and have since dropped to a single figure GA with these comfy work-horses.

      So thanks but no thanks Mr Parsons. You keep selling the sizzle, but let me play the game my way.

  43. Carmen Sandiego

    Mar 16, 2018 at 12:31 pm

    Where in the world is your audio engineer?

  44. HDTVMAN

    Mar 16, 2018 at 12:30 pm

    LOL. Those irons aren’t worth any more than Callaway Apex, Ping i200, TaylorMade P790, or Titleist AP2/3. I sell and fit irons, and once the customer has picked out the iron set he hits and likes best, we try different shafts, then do the fitting, which I can do in 5 minutes. Parsons’ says his shafts are better? The steel shafts everyone sells, from KBS to Project X, to True Temper are found on tour as well as in our store. Graphite shafts can get expensive, up to $500+, but those are not for the amateur. Unless you swing in excess of 115 mph, and the average amateur is 75 to 95, you will not get the benefits of these expensive shafts, and stock & basic upgrades are perfect. Parsons is a marketer, that’s it! Now, if you are looking to buy new irons, you will notice that the prices are up at least $100. This is called the Parsons’ Effect. Companies such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping, & Titleist feel that if people (a very tiny percentage) will pay a premium price from one company, they will pay more for their new products. Bottom line…PXG are HIGHLY Over-rated and Over-priced. It’s called MARKETING 101, and Bob Parsons is a very good teacher.

  45. James T

    Mar 16, 2018 at 12:02 pm

    Bob’s a billionaire… it’s a hobby, he doesn’t need to turn a profit. Do any of the rest of us amateur golfers turn a profit? Or do we pay out and play for fun?

    • Andrew Pavlov

      Mar 16, 2018 at 12:50 pm

      Nonsense, this is not a hobby for BP and he became wealthy because he understands that he needs to turn a profit on all his business ventures. I would agree it may not be his primary business focus but he wants it to be run in the black just the same.

      • Richard

        Mar 17, 2018 at 7:43 pm

        Absolutely. Couldn’t agree more. You don’t become a billionaire by giving things away. Actually, generally speaking, the only way you become a billionaire is stepping on people’s heads in one form or another for most of your life so no way he’s going to run this company in the red. His ego wouldn’t allow it.

  46. Jerry

    Mar 16, 2018 at 11:58 am

    Okay, it’s good to hear from Bob. Not any substance, but it’s good to hear an owner discuss his clubs and his take on the industry. He’s definitely “one of a kind.”

  47. Andrew

    Mar 16, 2018 at 11:56 am

    Has PXG made a cent of actual profit yet?

    • Jerry

      Mar 16, 2018 at 11:59 am

      I hear that question a lot with PXG. Haven’t heard an answer.

      • ML

        Mar 16, 2018 at 1:43 pm

        Does it matter? They’re a private company and they keep operating and expanding.

    • DB

      Mar 16, 2018 at 1:50 pm

      We might be surprised. I know just one fitter who told me he was selling a full set of PXG every single week. I couldn’t believe it.

      I would be in the market for the irons if the cost was reasonable, maybe $175. But I understand the high cost is part of the appeal for many golfers.

      • Bob Parson Jr.

        Mar 16, 2018 at 10:26 pm

        Yeah, they are appealing for the high handicappers, lol……

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos

Published

on

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Houston Open gets underway.

1. Wyndham Clark hurts back…still hopes to play

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Reigning U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark injured his back while working out at home Monday, but he hopes to play in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course.”

  • “Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world, said he was lifting weights and “got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and [his] back went.”
  • “It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn,” Clark said. “I’m trending in the right direction. I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day. I’m going to give it my best effort tomorrow and hopefully I can play and compete. If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”
Full piece.

2. DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.”

  • “We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.
  • “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
Full piece.

3. Charley Hull’s course management problem?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.”

  • “After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.”
  • “While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.”
  • “I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.
  • “The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.
  • “In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else.
Full piece.

4. Sahith’s interesting idea

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Which brings Theegala to his big idea: “There’s got to be something, like a fan challenge or – I think it would be awesome to see a scratch handicap go out and play like the Monday after a tournament, keep the same conditions and see what they would shoot just to put it into perspective how hard a PGA Tour golf course is.”

  • “Theegala loves the thought so much that he’d even come out and watch.”
  • “Shoot, I’d commentate on it,” Theegala added before continuing, “I have a pet peeve, sometimes when I watch golf on TV, a great example is hole 8 at Valspar last week. It’s a 230-yard par 3, the green’s 12 yards wide and someone will hit the middle of the green and, you know, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, really smart shot there.’ I’m like, ‘Well, no, he’s absolutely laced this 4-iron in the middle of the green, that’s right where he’s looking and to hit a 4-iron that straight is really, really hard.’ … Even like chipping, a lot of the stuff just looks flat on TV, but then when you get over the chip, like, oh, great, I have to land it over a mound on a downslope down grain?”
Full piece.

5. Top am Rachel Heck not going pro

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”As Rachel Heck nears the end of her college golf career, she has decided that the LPGA isn’t for her.’

  • “Heck, the 22-year-old Stanford senior who won an NCAA individual title as a freshman and has climbed as high as second in the world amateur rankings, penned a first-person essay for No Laying Up in which she explained her reasoning for remaining amateur after graduation this summer and starting an internship not in professional golf but rather private equity. Heck, a political science major, also will be pinned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.”

Read her piece on No Laying Up: https://nolayingup.com/blog/why-im-remaining-an-amateur

Full piece.

6. DJ’s new LIV signing

Golf Monthly’s Elliott Heath…”Dustin Johnson‘s LIV Golf team 4Aces GC has announced former TravisMathew CEO Chris Rosaasen as the side’s new General Manager.”

  • “Rosaasen, who is a long-time friend of Johnson, is also the founder of the team’s apparel sponsor Extracurricular and has been CEO of the Omniverse Group for the past four years.
  • “He joins with more than 20 years of “brand-building, marketing, and business leadership” according to LIV Golf, which says his “record of innovation in the golf industry will strengthen and accelerate the growth of the 4Aces GC brand.”
Full piece.

7. Photos from the Houston Open

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
Full piece.
Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

News

Four books for a springtime review

Published

on

One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

        

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

Your Reaction?
  • 4
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW0
  • LOL1
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK3

Continue Reading

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

Published

on

GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

Your Reaction?
  • 19
  • LEGIT4
  • WOW2
  • LOL4
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending