Equipment
Worldwide Golf acquires Edwin Watts Golf Shops
Worldwide Golf, the largest golf specialty retailer on the West Coast, has acquired Edwin Watts Golf Shops, the largest golf specialty retailer in the southeastern United States.
In joining Worldwide Golf, Edwin Watts now operates alongside a stable of leading specialty golf retailers, including Roger Dunn Golf Shops, Van’s Golf Shops, The Golf Mart and Golfer’s Warehouse in forming a powerful national golf retail conglomerate.
Edwin Watts has a reputation based on its strong customer service, experienced club fitters and talented club repair staff. The retailer also touts a price-match guarantee on all new equipment and has earned the title of “America’s Golf Club.”
“This acquisition will also give Worldwide Golf a national presence in the very competitive golf retail landscape, as Edwin Watts Golf provides us with the leading Southeast golf specialty retailer and rounds out our formidable stable of brands that now operate from coast to coast,” said Al Morris, president of Worldwide Golf.
As part of the acquisition agreement, Worldwide Golf will operate 45 stores in 13 states and will retain the Edwin Watts Golf Shops name. Additionally, Worldwide Golf will operate the five Uinta Golf Shops in Utah and rebrand those stores back to the original Uinta Golf name.
The most noticeable change consumers will notice will be the implementing of Worldwide Golf’s 90-day, 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed policy. The policy will be implemented immediately in all Edwin Watts locations in-store and online. Customers are able to try new equipment for up to 90 days with the option to return it for a full refund if they are not fully satisfied with the product.
For those wondering what this acquisition means for the average golfer, the answer is probably not much. After all, the retail prices are still determined by the manufacturers. However, golfers can now take advantage of Worldwide’s (or any other golf retailer’s) customer satisfaction policies. The sales associates at stores that have these kinds of policies are extremely knowledgeable about equipment and are trained to give you the best possible recommendation based on the information you provide them about your golf game. Furthermore, these policies allow you to try equipment under the conditions in which you normally play.
It’s easy to swing well in the simulators many stores have or putt well on the store’s Augusta-esque artificial turf greens, but will you trust the equipment when you are put under a little bit of pressure? Will that putter still roll the ball the same way when you take it outside? How does that set of irons perform when you get in thick rough? Will that wedge dig too much when you hit it on real grass? There’s only one way to find out!
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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- Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS (9 degrees @7.2, 2 grams lead tape heel, 4 grams toe)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X (44 7/8 inches, tipped 1 inch)
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (15 degrees @13.9)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X (43 inches, tipped 1.5)
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW Prototype (19 degrees @17.8)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (21 degrees) Buy here, Callaway Apex TCB Raw (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 125 S+
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S @49, 54-10S, 60-08C @61)
Shafts: KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X
Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird 380
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Split
Grips: Iomic
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
More photos of Akshay Bhatia’s WITB in the forums.
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- Emiliano Grillo what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX
5-wood: Cobra LTDx Prototype (18.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Callaway MD3 Milled (46-08S), Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S, 54-10S, 60-08T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Emiliano Grillo’s clubs here.
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Chris
Feb 16, 2014 at 7:58 am
If I recently bought the X2 Hot Pro and feel like I made a mistake in my choice….does the 90 day policy apply to new iron sets as well? Or is there limitations to it
Mike
Jan 31, 2014 at 11:11 am
i’m in utah and the uinta stores were just bought by edwinn watts a couple years ago and rebrand to reflect the change. i’m surprised that after all that they’re going to just change the utah stores back to uinta. i live right in between two of these shops and both have several simulator bays which are usually all out of service. whenever i ask if they’re planning to repair them, i’m get this question in response..”do you know how much these cost to repair?!” hopefully the big boys that just bought them will invest in something useful rather than just the sign out front.
markb
Jan 31, 2014 at 4:38 pm
Good news Mike. The rebranding back to Uinta from EW is GREAT for us in Utah. One of the reasons why those simulators were always “broken” is that the EW staffers were so disillusioned with the change and fear of impending liquidation that they had all but given up. Now they have new life, are hoping for a return to the old Uinta policies (specifically with regard to used equipment buybacks) and things are definitely upturning.
The Orem store just picked up a new GC2 monitor and there are lines to use it. Of course, they only want to let you use it if you’re fitting for new clubs, but a sawbuck can usually buy you time if they aren’t busy.
The used club bins (always Uinta’s strong suit) are starting to fill up again with decent and decently priced stuff. My store had a full stock of just about everything newly released from Apexes to Tour Preferreds. I couldn’t be happier and who knows, in my giddiness maybe I’ll stop buying clubs on-line at half off.
Tony Lynam
Jan 31, 2014 at 6:14 am
We have two Edwin Watts here in the greater Tampa area, with one in Tampa closing down (a huge Golfsmith was just down the street). The other Edwin Watts is in the Tampa suburb of Brandon. It is small, run down and has hardly any product in the store. The sales associates there for the most part are stuck up and have attitudes. I recently ordered a pair of golf shoes from Edwin Watts and received, after about three weeks of waiting for them, the wrong color, style and size. It took over a month to get it straightened out as it turned out the shoes I originally ordered were not even in stock to begin with. Golfsmith’s retail store here is the best. They have huge hitting bay’s and the sales associates are helpful and friendly and the store is always well stocked. It did not surprise me that EW went under and was acquired.
Bob
Jan 30, 2014 at 7:56 pm
The 90-day return policy will give you back full amount spent in store-credit, but not a full refund. There is a difference. It’s still a great policy.
Dakota
Jan 30, 2014 at 2:11 pm
I would love to have one in our area have to drive an hour to get to either Golf Galaxy or Golf Smith.
Billy
Jan 31, 2014 at 1:32 am
Best in the business policy. I don’t even bother to shop at PGA, Golfsmith or any golf retailer anymore.
The golfsmith near me is the size of a pro shop. Horrible service as well.
t
Jan 30, 2014 at 12:53 pm
Golfsmith hq is located in Texas
michael
Jan 30, 2014 at 12:00 pm
thats funny they just closed down I beleave 2 in dallas texas, seems golfsmith is more popular and has more stores through DFW.