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Acushnet launches Union Green golf ball brand

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You might expect the announcement of a new golf ball brand to fly under the radar. With the launch of Union Green from Acushnet, the parent company to entrenched golf brands Titleist and FootJoy among others, however, there’s no danger of that. This golf ball launch is different and signals a shift in consumer interaction for one of the largest companies in golf.

What is Union Green?

“Golf has the power to unite us all. With Union Green all are welcome.”

That single statement is the ethos of Union Green—to bring people together on the golf course, to be inclusive, inviting, and at the end of the day, to have fun.

Union Green seeks to represent the new age of the golfers that look to golf as a way to hang out with friends, relax, and have some fun along the way. From a branding standpoint, it’s the 9-hole muni down the street rather than the high initiation private club that you can’t see past the gate: both are great in their own way, but one is more relatable to the majority of the golf population than the other.

The new company will be largely direct-to-consumer, but considering Acushnet’s deep penetration in both on and off-course retail. you can expect to see the full lineup of lifestyle softgoods and accessories beyond the two new golf balls in shops around the country and beyond. Does that mean exclusive private clubs? Probably not. But at your local public course looking to offer a more value-priced golf ball, absolutely!

So, about the golf balls…

In the cluttered space that is direct-to-consumer golf ball brands, from a product standpoint alone, Union Green separates itself in a way that no other current company can. Its golf balls are made in the United States under the same strict quality control standards that other balls under the Acushnet brands are made, including Titleist TourSoft.

 

Union Green Pindrop

A three-piece ball built to offer greenside performance without giving up distance or trajectory—simple as that.

The tech details are light, but that’s OK. The golfers these are targeted at aren’t worried about the newest urethane mixtures being used to build the cover or some compound infused into the core to make them faster. It’s all about performance and value, and with Pindrop you get a three-piece (non-urethane covered ball) for $27.99 per dozen.

Union Green Teebird

A two-piece ball built for distance and designed to fly straighter. Once again simple and to the point. Plus, for only $19.99 per dozen, the Teebird offers great value for the golfer who might lose a few during a round. Not everyone can shrug off smashing a $6 ball into a pond, but at only $1.67 apiece, it’s an easier pill to swallow.

What does this mean for Acushnet?

This is the million-dollar question. Union Green is not Titleist Light or a Pinnacle replacement, it’s a totally new upstart to fill the void for golfers serious about having fun while playing golf—those who don’t relate to the stuffy atmosphere that is often associated with the sport.

Lifestyle brands in and out of golf tend to go in two directions: high-end and luxurious or more value and consumer-accessibility focused. The well-branded UnionGreen.com website, with long-haired, backward cap-wearing “dudes” and casually dressed legging-wearing women golfing, tells you everything you need to know about what they represent and who they are hoping to connect to.

Union Green has hit the nail on the head. As a millennial golfer myself who spends a lot of time playing public golf with people from all age demographics, this is a growing segment of the golfing population. Golfers, regardless of age or gender, who care less about what shaft is in their driver and more about making sure fun is had on the course with friends.

As an equipment-obsessed, fully tuned-in golfer, this might not relate to you, but I’m sure you know or play golf with someone that fits right into Union Green’s target market. Acushnet is hoping the brand messaging lands, like a high, soft wedge into three green.

It will be interesting to see if it does.

 

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Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

33 Comments

33 Comments

  1. Mike

    Feb 15, 2020 at 6:01 pm

    Many of these ‘non-golfers’ now use range balls, which cost like 10 cents each when you pocket one. But I did hear you’ll get a free craft beer coupon w/ each dozen.

    Who on earth would order these balls when you can buy distance balls CHEAP at Walmart? And for ‘non-golfers’, DOES “DISTANCE” REALLY MATTER??? So, now, w/ this Union ‘distance’ ball, you’ll dribble your shot 18 yards off the tee instead of 15?

  2. ShortHitter

    Feb 13, 2020 at 7:42 am

    They’ll make good margins on the direct to consumer segment by cutting out retailers. If they charge for shipping, you could be paying $30+ for a surlyn cover ball. Makes complete sense for folks that pay $15 for a phone order $7 sandwich with delivery and service fees.

  3. Will Johnston

    Feb 12, 2020 at 11:25 am

    The ball will be a huge success if they denounce toxic masculinity and only use gender neutral pronouns.

  4. golfraven

    Feb 10, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    Some execs at Acushnet: so what are we doing about the Corona virus? Well, lets bring out a new ball brand and call it Union Green. Sounds Chinese to me and make us look like as we would care about next generation on this planet.

  5. Funkaholic

    Feb 10, 2020 at 4:12 pm

    This is “woke” capitalism in action, a bunch of old white haired guys sitting around the boardroom asking each other “how do we reach millennials?” Naturally the answer is to Bart Simpson up a brand of cheap balls. Everything about this is stupid. When will executive realize, you can’t brand “cool”. Most of the young people I see on the golf course are as serious as anybody. You aren’t going to win over the stoned Frisbee golfers and nobody wants them on the course anyway.

  6. jgpl001

    Feb 8, 2020 at 3:55 pm

    I have heard some nonsense in my time but this is total BS.
    What are they talking about with this inclusive, eco rubbish???
    And a few cheap, non descript golf balls – Give me a break
    Anybody who buys these needs serious treatment and antipsychotic medication

  7. Marty

    Feb 8, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    Completely incongruous. The logo doesn’t look like it belongs on a golf ball and the brand name sounds like some sort of house-brand one might find on sweatshirts and warmups at the GAP or some other big box store.

    Also, how people approach the game of golf is not a “Lifestyle” or a “Lifestyle Choice”.

  8. Chip2win

    Feb 8, 2020 at 6:23 am

    I’m going to make it my personal mission to avoid purchasing all Titleist/Footjoy products.

    • Brian

      Feb 8, 2020 at 2:57 pm

      Ditto. Why buy these when high-performing urethane balls are available for just a few $ more?

  9. Chip2win

    Feb 8, 2020 at 5:14 am

    I’m going to make it my personal mission to avoid ALL Titleist/Footjoy products in the future.

  10. Daniel Whitehurst

    Feb 8, 2020 at 4:35 am

    So this is introduced for the basic player that isn’t interested in the balls makeup or materials at a lower cost than the $47 prov1 at $27. You can get a great ball like Wilson DUO at $20 or Callaway supersoft at $22. What the point of this. I thought it was a eco friendly ball with GREEN in the name. Or maybe a non conforming ball for distance.

    • JThunder

      Feb 10, 2020 at 2:52 am

      Yes – Duo, Supersoft and several others compete with Tour Soft, but all at lower price than Tour Soft or Onion Green.

      • Danny Boy

        Feb 10, 2020 at 9:26 pm

        Onion Green – Now that’s something I can get behind

    • Steve Sanders

      Feb 10, 2020 at 3:21 pm

      Yeah Vice and Snell already offer high quality golf balls for less than this and even the big name brands already have plenty of products made of higher-quality materials in the $20-25 price point. Who in their right mind is looking for a “message” in their golf balls? I’ve never bought a 15-pack of cheap pinnacles at a course and thought to myself “But does pinnacle speak to my personal opinions on inclusivity and casual enjoyment of golf?”

  11. Rich Douglas

    Feb 8, 2020 at 1:10 am

    This is a press release, nothing more.

    How could these balls be any different from the rocks they sell under the Pinnacle line?

    How is it that these balls are some form of “lifestyle brand”? Seriously, what’s the lifestyle or the brand?

    If I’m running Callaway, I’m talking to the legal department about suing for infringement…on the TopFlite line!

    And if one of your selling points is that the ball is cheap to lose, well….

  12. MadMex

    Feb 8, 2020 at 12:55 am

    Good lord !!!!! All they needed was the race angle,,,,
    ” para todos ustedes que no pueden pagar el precio de las Pro-V1 les ofrecemos esta basura !!!”

    Translation: “For those of you who can’t afford the price of Pro-V1 balls, we offer you this garbage!”

    Yes, I am Mexican and do speak and write fluent Spanish,,,,,,,,,,

  13. hwt

    Feb 7, 2020 at 11:08 pm

    This is clearly an attempt to get into the vice/snell/tbc/sugarloaf sector. Too bad it looks like it was thought up by a heavy handed dumbo in the corporate office. Won’t be even testing these bc this is such a corporate facepalm moment.

    Also interesting they say that the ball get the same quality testing as…….the truesoft? Why in the hell would you promote that when you have the #1 ball in golf?

  14. JP

    Feb 7, 2020 at 10:35 pm

    Laughable

  15. 2putttom

    Feb 7, 2020 at 8:50 pm

    kewl, appealing to the millennial golfer.

  16. Michaele11111

    Feb 7, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    Was that an advertorial?

    No matter what dog patch you play at or how high your handicap is, I hope you are enough of a golfer that you wanted to vomit after reading that article.

    Whoever sold the Acushnet CEO on this one better have their resume up to date.

  17. Alexander Schilling

    Feb 7, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    This is dumb

  18. SV

    Feb 7, 2020 at 5:38 pm

    Bring back the Acushnet Club Special!!

    • Shallowface

      Feb 9, 2020 at 3:49 pm

      Nah. That name isn’t inclusive enough. “Club” implies exclusivity.

      Looking forward to the next decade when the children of these people turn on, tune in and drop out.

  19. James

    Feb 7, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    History has proven repeatedly that collectivist words like “inclusive” are dead ends and lead to complacency and laziness. Careful, Titleis… I mean Acushnet. The Ball is DOA.

    In other news, the Truvis already owns the cool-kid ball market.

  20. Moosejaw McWilligher

    Feb 7, 2020 at 5:18 pm

    By definition, something new from Acushnet – or sub-brand thereof – cannot be called an “upstart” (or startup).

    The “green” part of the name had me expecting something eco-friendly. That has been the near-exclusive connotation of “green” for decades now. Since that doesn’t seem to be the case, it feels like false advertising, which doesn’t endear Acushnet to me.

    • DL

      Feb 8, 2020 at 9:21 am

      Green means eco-friendly but it’s not so it’s false advertising hahhaha

      Maybe Union Green has to do with uniting people through golf which is played on a golf course that has greens… hence Union Green lol

      • Rascal

        Feb 8, 2020 at 11:42 am

        The green obviously relates to marijuana, come on guys.

        • Moosejaw McWilligher

          Feb 10, 2020 at 2:48 am

          In that case, $27.99 for a box that size is a good deal!

    • scooter

      Feb 8, 2020 at 11:44 am

      Yeah, probably the only way this ball has a chance in h*** is if Acushnet were to promise most of the profits go to true green (environmental) causes … ain’t gonna happen … just a $$$ marketing scheme

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Equipment

Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

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As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

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A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

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Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (3/28/24): L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick putter with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft.

From the seller: (@hibcam): “L.A.B. GOLF Mezz.1 Max Broomstick- LA Golf Paige Spiranac Shaft- 44″/79.5. Brand new, never used brown leather cover. The head was professionally anodized from Orange to Blue (Orange looked bad with the Pink shaft so I had it changed). Only a few rounds on this combo. Please see last pic- slight ding on back corner. 8.5-10 condition. THE SHAFT COST $475/ THE PUTTER $625. $799 shipped in the US. ONLY $699 SHIPPED.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.

However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.

“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”

Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.

Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.

Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.

One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play with an additional degree of loft to help dial in his desired launch.

We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!

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