Opinion & Analysis

How TaylorMade’s marketing slayed Callaway and saved golfers money

Published

9 years ago

Oct 23, 2014

I’m going to start this one with a disclaimer. Understand that I have no motive outside presenting an accurate historical accounting.

Back in March of 2012, TaylorMade-adidas purchased Adams Golf. At the time, Adams was a public company and the decision to sell had been made by a sufficient number of shareholders that a positive vote to a good offer was decided in advance. At the time I was a minor shareholder, so my votes had no impact on the decision and I voted with the majority. Further, I had no relationship with TaylorMade and to this day I have never met any executive within their organization.

Now the story.

Back in the early 1980’s, the golf equipment industry was all about Ping. The company had effectively replaced the old guard — Wilson, McGregor, Spalding and Powerbilt — as the hot brand. Ping’s EYE-2 irons became the best-selling iron in the industry and the introduction of investment in casting and perimeter weighting led the way for thinking about designs far advanced of blade irons and persimmon woods.

In the mid 1980’s, a marketer with a passion for golf by the name of Ely Callaway acquired a company called Hickory Sticks, which in 1988 became Callaway Golf. He attracted investors, brought out irons with no hosels and eventually released an oversize titanium driver called the “Big Bertha” after the famous German howitzer.

Here’s a bit of insider history. When tested, the first Berthas didn’t perform as well as hoped. They tended to go low and right (not unlike the infamous oversized Bridgestone “J” driver designed for Jumbo Ozaki) when folks finally got them. The Callaway folks noticed that their 11-degree driver worked fine; it was the 9-degree model that was giving golfers problems. The fix? When the clubs made it into production, the 9-degree driver actually had about 11 degrees of loft and the 11 degree had about 13 degrees of loft. Aided by strong marketing, the clubs were a huge success spawning line extensions that went on for years.

Here’s another digression: The reason the 9-degree Big Bertha driver (and the J driver) didn’t perform very well was that its center of gravity (CG) was too close to the face. That made it very low spinning compared to what golfers were used to and also very hard for average golfers to square the face. Does the low-spin, high-loft story sound familiar in today’s marketplace?

I started in the golf equipment business in 1987 and registered somewhere below obscurity until a club called “Tight Lies” became popular in the late 1990’s. Along the way, I got to know Ely Callaway. In fact, we had an informal exchange of phone calls on Friday afternoons.

Ely told me that when he entered the golf industry he was not impressed with the marketing he saw. Further, he discerned that more distance was the great elixir to the public and that a combination of a strong tour staff, creative marketing and innovative product would allow his company to dominate. And boy did it ever. All respect to Ping (one of my all-time favorite companies), it became an also-ran with everyone else as Callaway set new standards for sales volume at previously unheard of high retail prices, generating margins held in envy. Cleveland and Cobra had some good numbers, but nothing close to Callaway.

Now ask yourself a question. You have just been given the CEO job at a competing company. Your dream comes true. You face this 400-pound gorilla called Callaway that has more money, huge market momentum and unheard of market acceptance. How do you compete? Do not say that you’ll make great product and sell it cheaper. The product can’t be just cheaper. It will have to be much cheaper — like half — and you’ll have to spend a ton of marketing money to convince the public that it’s as good. That’s not exactly a thrilling message. This is a recipe for going broke, as history teaches.

That CEO’s name was Mark King. He was the vice president of golf ball sales for Callaway and he got recruited to TaylorMade as CEO. He had Adidas money behind him and a seemingly impossible challenge. He came up with a unique strategy — speeding up the new product release cycle — and figured that Callaway couldn’t react to his speed, or at least by the time Callaway did TaylorMade would have already shifted momentum. He got Addidas to underwrite a huge presence on Tour because without it, no strategy would have worked. It takes big money as it becomes a bidding process for faces on television.

The strategy succeeded beyond most people’s dreams, maybe even King’s. He not only disrupted Callaway; he disrupted all the companies. The low-price market disappeared, and consumers could now buy discounted product that was only a few months old. This was highly preferable to buying products from low-price brands. TaylorMade became the volume and innovative leader and along the way attracted millions of loyal customers. You see, without this strategy everything would probably still be full retail price like it was before.

The problem is that the strategy can’t endure forever. Every year, the market inventories increased and along came the storm. We have to realize that since 2000 golf has lost some 40 percent of the folks who pay 71 percent of all expenses including equipment. Retailers sniffed the impending adjustment and dumped inventories, cut back personnel and reduced buys. Some decided golf equipment was a lousy business and looked to other products.

Momentum shifted, business magazines wrote stories about the fall of the golf industry and nobody was optimistic. They still aren’t.

And you, Mark King, took heat as TaylorMade’s sales dropped significantly and got “promoted” upstairs. Members of the golf community including consumers and internet readers made you out to be a bad guy. The truth? One can argue that the speeded up cycle had to crash that there was no other way to stop it. Maybe, maybe not, but King did a great job fighting the Callaway juggernaut and saving consumers money along the way.

For those who complain about equipment prices, here’s a bit more history. In 1995, three woods and nine irons from Callaway retailed for $2325! Now assume that King hadn’t been successful with his strategy, factor in normal price increases and consider what golf equipment retail would be like today. The long-term strategy may have been flawed and the drop in play hurt, but over the years Mark King saved consumers a lot of money.

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Barney Adams

Barney Adams is the founder of Adams Golf and the inventor of the iconic "Tight Lies" fairway wood. He served as Chairman of the Board for Adams until 2012, when the company was purchased by TaylorMade-Adidas. Adams is one of golf's most distinguished entrepreneurs, receiving honors such as Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in 1999 and the 2010 Ernie Sabayrac Award for lifetime contribution to the golf industry by the PGA of America. His journey in the golf industry started as as a club fitter, however, and has the epoxy filled shirts as a testimony to his days as an assembler. Have an equipment question? Adams holds seven patents on club design and has conducted research on every club in the bag. He welcomes your equipment questions through email at [email protected] Adams is now retired from the golf equipment industry, but his passion for the game endures through his writing. He is the author of "The WOW Factor," a book published in 2008 that offers an insider's view of the golf industry and business advice to entrepreneurs, and he continues to contribute articles to outlets like GolfWRX that offer his solutions to grow the game of golf.

124 Comments

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JEFF

Jan 9, 2015 at 1:33 pm

Wow, how NOT interesting!

Reply Report comment
- George
  
  Apr 22, 2015 at 12:09 am
  
  Barney is right, and you Jeff, are a clown!
  
  Reply Report comment
Pingback: Mark King- Consumer Killer Or Savior? - The Golf Shop Online Blog
Jeff

Oct 25, 2014 at 2:03 pm

Mr. Adams, might I suggest throwing some quotation marks around the word SAVED in article title?

Reply Report comment
Carl Paul

Oct 23, 2014 at 10:33 pm

Barney, your comment about the ineffectiveness of the Bertha 9 degree is only half right. With the cg close to the face, the club head has less effective loft at impact. the farther the cg from the face (everything else being equal to avoid mixing variables) the greater the effective loft and thus the higher launch angle and yes, greater backspin. With the cg close to the face, there is less effective loft and less spin (as you correctly said).

Reply Report comment
- barney adams
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 11:37 am
  
  Carl, please send me an email on the Gmail address listed. Without attempting to get into an intricate design debate, Callaway was concerned about face caving on their very first drivers so the faces were thicker that the springs of today. couple that with them being much deeper than anything else and you had a 9 deg driver that didn’t spin enough hence the “quiet ” switch to 11 deg.I find that ironic given some of today’s new technology of lower spin and higher lofts.
  
  Reply Report comment
Doc Adams

Oct 23, 2014 at 9:37 pm

Mr. Adams, I must disagree with some of your article.

1. Adidas had more money and global resources than Callaway, so money was not a barrier King faced.

2. 2003 was the year TMaG started growing rapidly. 2002 was also the year Mark King became President and CEO of TMaG. King states in published articles that TMaG operated autonomous from Adidas (something Adidas is regretting currently). My point is King designed a business model that was not sustainable. Acushnet is a sustainable business model. So is Ping. Great companies build sustainable business models. TMaG’s model was a high speed train that has derailed in 2014.

3. TMaG under Mark King has the highest turnover of management of any company in the golf industry.

4. King stated in 2013 that TMaG would do 2 billion in 2015. He made that statement full well knowing the context of the current and past golf participation levels.

5.Consumers are best served when they receive value for their spend. TMaG frequent product cycles devalued earlier models rapidly. Where is the consumer value in paying $300 for a TMaG driver that is selling for $99 in six months or less.

If Mark King ever did anything for the consumer, it was an accidental by product of cramming a size 14 foot in a size 10 industry.

Reply Report comment
- barney adams
  
  Oct 24, 2014 at 11:40 am
  
  Doc ( maybe you are a long lost relative ?? ) TM was frustrated with their sales vs Callaway hence the hiring of King. My story was about the industry , what happened and what might have been. I have tons of opportunities to get into personalities and choose not to .
  
  Reply Report comment
golfiend

Oct 23, 2014 at 5:58 pm

Mass chinese production and increased supply is what brought down prices for the recreational golfers. It’s simple supply and demand economics backed by smart marketing. Get your brand name recognition, then make as much as you can, and sell the excess inventory at a discount to take market share from smaller competition. It’s been wonderful for all the club hoes out there. It’s American and it’s Capitalism.

Reply Report comment
Rex

Oct 23, 2014 at 3:54 pm

This POV is just that… It is also a gross historical distortion.

I believe you do a disservice to the thousands of supply side employee’s and shop owners who have lost their passion and livelihood as a direct result of the decisions made at TM.

Reply Report comment
- Barney Adams
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 6:36 pm
  
  Read my comment under Dave. The industry needs to look within.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Rex
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 6:58 pm
    
    Simple math and simple excuses… Too often the NGF’s data has been used to tell half truths. Especially this year. So by your reckoning, golf equipment and soft-good sales should be down in excess of 40%…heavily compounded by TM’s price cascading business model (i.e., a blended decline in avg. retail price). Not even close. Furthermore, you choose to ignore any impact (perhaps conception) of depleted pent up demand as a function of relentless innovation in a conforming constrained category. I could go on and on… but you get a pass today.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Patrick
      
      Jan 3, 2015 at 5:34 pm
      
      Dumb it down for us golfers…what’re you trying to say? lol Once again, a comment that has been chosen to be one that is not responded too. In this case, using too many business words that make you sounded like gargamel from the smurfs. Sorry, but we should not demean what he says, it is just an opinion article. Remember, Mr. Adams did it…we have not.
      
      Reply Report comment
- Dan
  
  Oct 26, 2014 at 10:11 pm
  
  I agree
  
  Reply Report comment
Nick

Oct 23, 2014 at 2:14 pm

Frankly, I have always been a fan of the companies that DIDN’T shorten the release cycle. I don’t disagree it may be better for the company but how bad does it suck to have your shiny new Callaway or TMAG obe old hat a few months later.

I am a Titleist fanboy and sure, you pay a pretty penny. No doubt about it. But my Ap2 712s and 913’s are several years old and still don’t feel like old tech despite the release of a newer line in each category bt Titelist. Meanwhile, your TMAGS are like 6 generations old, and while it probably doesn’t matter, they FEEL older because they have all this fad trendy stuff that’s now passe. I’m sure it means more sales for the company but as a player, I’d rather shell out a big wad once every 7-8 years then buy a new set every 2 that felt old 6 months into ownership. In the end, its less money and I can get fitted for shafts, etc. without knowing I’ll be shelling out again for the custom components in 2 years time.

Reply Report comment
Dave

Oct 23, 2014 at 11:58 am

Mr. Adams your thinking is really flawed. To say Mark King’s strategy was a positive for consumers is like saying Countrywide (and other lenders) were great for the housing industry. Sure people lost their homes because of greed and an industry tanked but look on the bright side, a lot of folks got some great deals on foreclosures!

Reply Report comment
- Barney Adams
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 6:35 pm
  
  In 2000 there were 10.3m Avid Golfers who picked up 71% of all golf related expenses ( source; NGF) today the category has 6.4m. Speeding up the supply cycle had nothing to do with the decline. The industry needs to self examine.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Dan Cohen
    
    Oct 24, 2014 at 11:13 am
    
    Barney, I disagree. if we unnaturally grow over the correct and natural growth, we get a temporary growth to 10.3m from the natural 6.4m, This causes the excessive building of extra courses, overproduction by the Callaways and TaylorMades. Losses of companies such as Tommy Armour, Hogan, Maxfli, and Top Flite who can’t keep up with the discounts. Now when the bubble bursts, we think we have lost that 3.9m golfers,when they were probably only there due to the discounts and played the minimum 15 rounds to be considered “avid”…and now we are about to lose Adams golf as well. Speeding up the supply cycle and the discount cycle is the cause of the bubble bursting and one can only hope we are finally at the end of the correction period.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Barney Adams
      
      Oct 27, 2014 at 5:34 pm
      
      The minimum rounds were 24 and picking up 71% of all golf related expenses isn’t minor. I too hope the equipment cycle returns to normalcy. ( definition ? )
      
      Reply Report comment
Tim Baker

Oct 23, 2014 at 4:23 am

I am a long time admirer of Adams, especially tight lies.
One of the most difficult shots in golf for a mid-high handicapper is the fairway wood off the deck. The original tight lies gave me so much confidence and also the first wood that could be used from the rough.
Ever since I have carried an Adam wood of some description in my bag.
Only gripe is that they are not as readily available in the UK.

Reply Report comment
JP

Oct 22, 2014 at 11:56 pm

Who cares about product life cycles?? If you like what you bought, does it matter if a new model comes out. My toaster works great, does the job, I don’t care if a new and improved toaster comes on the market. TaylorMade, Ping, Callaway and Titleist are the golf innovators and drive each other to make better products so we can have fun. Sometime they hit a home run with a product and some times they don’t, but at least they keep trying. It’s fun to see product, maybe a little less often with some companies, once a year is perfect. Every 2 years launching clubs, to me is too long.
Companies don’t make you buy their products.
Ebay killed the golf biz anyway.

Reply Report comment
- Stubaka
  
  Jan 9, 2015 at 6:57 pm
  
  Exactly. Ebay and the used club market expanding killed golf. I don’t understand why people are so angry at Tmag for speeding product cycles. They come out with cars, cell phones, tablets, shoes, and clothes every year. You are not required to buy anything you don’t want or can’t afford. Every year product cycle is fine.
  
  Reply Report comment
China

Oct 22, 2014 at 9:21 pm

Here are your companies using Chinese manufacturing…please give them a round of applause.

Nike
Calloway
TaylorMade
Ping
Titleist

Reply Report comment
- Guy in the business
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 11:28 pm
  
  Take ping off that list. They’re one of the only ones was with foundries still in the US.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Matt
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 9:26 am
    
    All cast irons and Titanium woods are produced and polished in China, even Ping. Many of the forged irons in the market are produced elsewhere, but they are then sent to China to be polished. Ping was the last manufacturer to actually cast the clubs in the U.S., but they stopped doing that roughly 8 years ago. There are no heads cast in the U.S.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Scooter McGavin
      
      Oct 23, 2014 at 4:00 pm
      
      This.
      
      Reply Report comment
    - Christosterone
      
      Oct 24, 2014 at 4:51 pm
      
      No you are wrong. Ping golf has foundries in Japan and US only.
      The Japanese foundry specializes in deflationary protractred recession forging(Ansers for example).
      The S56 was the first batch of Ping ever fully cast outside the US and it was in Japan. NOT china.
      
      Reply Report comment
- JP
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 11:40 pm
  
  How is your USA made cell phone or computer? Who cares where it’s made. It is spelled Callaway.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - MHendon
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 1:58 am
    
    I kind of care where its made. When U.S. companies move manufacturing overseas the only Americans making money are the company owners. Our middle class is almost extinct.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - JP
      
      Oct 23, 2014 at 10:39 pm
      
      Most parts for golf clubs are made over seas, but assembled here. We can’t make things here and have the same wholesale cost. Labor is so cheap there we can’t compete, unless you want to pay triple for items made here it’s not going to happen.
      So once again, who cares where the parts are made, there are thousands of US people these companies employ. You want to boycott products made over seas you are hurting people here. Call customer service at ANY major golf company, guess what? All here in USA. Call tech support for your home computer, good luck on getting someone here in US.
      Please tell me I am wrong.
      
      Reply Report comment
  - John McClain
    
    Oct 25, 2014 at 11:00 am
    
    I care where stuff I buy is made. I would pay a little extra to be made in the USA. I want jobs back in the USA. On a side note companies that have clubs built and assembled in China are spending a lot of money to stop counterfeit products. Acushnet has an entire department with teams that hunt down counterfeiters.
    
    Reply Report comment
- barney adams
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 10:53 am
  
  who isn’t
  
  Reply Report comment
Billy Crenshaw

Oct 22, 2014 at 7:52 pm

Mr. Adams,
Prior to presenting a story like this, I think it would be wise to present all the facts.
Your story makes Mark King out to be a super marketing strategist that could look in a crystal ball, develop a plan to take down Callaway Golf or anyone else, WHEN HE IS NOT!

What was going on at Callaway Golf was this:
1. Ely was in the process of retiring.
2. Callaway Golf was introducing a new golf ball and as Ely had always done, he doing it in a first class manor. He over spent!
3. He hired Chuck Yash (Spalding) and Mark King (from TaylorMade) to run the golf ball side of the business. The golf ball company hired it’s on sales force.
4. Callaway Golf had released Bruce Parker as Vice President of Sales and hired Mick McCormick from Nike Golf to run the sales side of Callaway Golf. Mick’s strategy was to align Callaway Golf with major retailers like, Edwin Watts or Golf Galaxy which was the new retail leader in the golf business out of Minnesota.
5. Callaway Golf hired Ian Rowden from Coca Cola to support its new marketing strategy.
6. Mike Galeski and the tour department were going to loose most of their budget to support the management pay of Mick & Ian and their marketing plans. Needless to say, Mike Galeski and the tour department were not happy!

With all the above said, Mark King knew Ely’s & Callaway Golf’s plan, so he did what anyone would do that had inside information. Similar to having inside information on stock! With inside information, Mark King invested highly in the tour and bringing out new products, which is what anyone, would do with a minor in business.

Mark King did nothing more than use inside information to his advantage and Callaway Golf. Callaway Golf could not respond because it had already invested everything into bringing and new golf ball to market, high priced management and a new marketing strategy!

And if I am correct, you and your group (Adams) were in business at that time and if you knew what Mark King knew would have done the same……

Reply Report comment
- barney adams
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 8:10 pm
  
  I thought you might have some merit until you said Adams could have done the same. Except for being 100m or so short in marketing money we might have done something but it wouldn’t have been to speed up the product release cycle.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Andrew
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 9:39 am
    
    Good come back Barney!
    
    Reply Report comment
- Brett
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 10:35 pm
  
  The lesson here was that Taylormade gave us too many options and their equipment worked. You can’t follow up Rocketballz with Jet Speed and SLDR.
  The next great equipment move in golf will be adjustable loft / lie irons.
  
  Reply Report comment
- barney adams
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 10:56 am
  
  I cut my comment short; you may not be a King fan but the truth is he went to TM, shortened the production cycle and the rest is history.
  
  Reply Report comment
Jeffrey Yoder

Oct 22, 2014 at 7:39 pm

Great article. Callaway seems to be following in TMAG’s footsteps. Thanks for taking the time!

Reply Report comment
- Jeff
  
  Oct 25, 2014 at 1:49 pm
  
  Wondering when someone would say that. Does anyone think Callaway is in for a great 2015 and 16? Because this article lays bare the gains and eventual losses of the sped up product cycle. Anyone want a set of Apex Pros w/ C tapers? I wanna try the MP-15s anyway, ha.
  
  Reply Report comment
wendell

Oct 22, 2014 at 6:29 pm

I find it funny that you start your post with a disclaimer stating that you were not responsible for the sale to Taylormade and that you voted with the majority. From my point of view you were the face of Adams golf and if you had made it clear to other shareholders that you didn’t want the company sold then maybe the outcome would have been different… and maybe Adams would have survived instead the brand being cheapened by Taylormade before being destroyed. Mr Adams it is sad that you allowed your company to die by selling out. For that reason you have no credibility with your rants about equipment pricing from other companies. What was really important was lining your pockets with cash… the consumer was the last thing on your mind.

Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 3:25 am
  
  Whatever. Mr. Adams has industry knowledge as a high level executive. You? How often does someone like that share his knowledge to the public? However tainted you think those views are, they’re still more unique. Not to mention easier to write than a reporter having to dig all this history up.
  
  Reply Report comment
- barney adams
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 10:59 am
  
  Wendell. I appreciate your assessment of my power, unfortunately it’s completely innacurate.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - barney adams
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 11:02 am
    
    inaccurate ! before the spelling police arrive.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Wendell
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 8:31 pm
    
    Voting against it just seems like a better move regardless of the end result. It looked like you were trying to make a move to get aligned with Taylormade. Voting against it would have caused some waves for sure. Again it’s all about perspective… How it looks from the outside… How that move looked to lack integrity… From a man who I understand was well respected in the industry… I am shocked that you didn’t vote to not sell to Taylormade. Ask anyone what they remember from Adams golf… Most will say you and I would bet a few bucks on that. I can’t imagine that you walked away without a fight… Without at least a vote to say … No
    
    Reply Report comment
nikkyd

Oct 22, 2014 at 5:57 pm

I love lamp

Reply Report comment
- Jeremy
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 7:54 pm
  
  I love how my legit, coherent comments always have to await moderation, but this…
  
  Reply Report comment
Matthew Bacon

Oct 22, 2014 at 5:48 pm

Two main things Mr. Adams failed to address. TaylorMade’s Pittsburgh Persimmon and Burner series metalwoods were just as popular and were more groundbreaking than the S2H2, so they weren’t the little engine that could. The internet and EBAY! Online stores and auctions created a secondary market that facilitated the re-sale or discounting of golf products. If they didn’t exist and individuals could only buy products at ProShops and big box stores the club industry would be a graveyard.

Reply Report comment
Dpavs

Oct 22, 2014 at 4:58 pm

This grows a bit tiresome. If you look at the actual statistics regarding equipment sales according to the National Sporting Good Association, in the past 10 years golf equipment sales bottomed out around 2009 coincidentally with the housing and market crashes. Go figure! Since 2009 sales have continued to steadily increase since then and 2014 sales will be very close to what they were in 2007. References to market state over 10 years ago hardly seems relevant given the changes in equipment prices and marketing strategies. It’s great history but not much more at that point. Oh we could look at those peaks back in the 90’s but that’s another subject as to why, when and how they occurred and how the market re-stabilized after some abnormal fad growth spurts.

Reply Report comment
- plusfore
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 5:47 pm
  
  Tm’s “rapid release strategy” did not seem to effect Titleist’s marketing strategy at all, perhaps Calloway was weak and vulnerable from the start.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - MHendon
    
    Oct 26, 2014 at 11:57 am
    
    Didn’t effect Titleist because titleist has a lock on the Holy Grail of the golf equipment business, the golf ball market.
    
    Reply Report comment
Golfraven

Oct 22, 2014 at 4:03 pm

The Q2 2014 http://www.adidas-group.com/media/filer_public/2014/08/11/ap_q2_2014_internet_final.pdf reports says that TMaG had lower margins (down 5% vs ~1% for Adidas group) and sales. Shareholders don’t care how many great woods and metals TM introduced, they care about profits which are generated by consumers who rightly walk away feeling ripped of. TMaG will pay for the greedy way of doing business and shortened release cycles and righly so. Times are tough and people don’t have the cash to burn – except thise idiots who don’t care about worlds economy.

Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 3:29 am
  
  If you paid attention, Adams actually is saying that Mark King screwed Taylormade. They thought they were winning when the rapid release cycle was actually cheapening their product and making the sales bin more relevant. Maybe that was their plan all along too though. To allow people who wanted to always get the latest products get them, and also for cheapos like me get used/slightly dated equipment for mucho cheaper.
  
  Reply Report comment
teddy nucks

Oct 22, 2014 at 3:55 pm

SLDR TP – $400
SLDR TP Fwr – x2 = $600
SLDR irons (only 8 irons)= $1000

Total = $2000

Reply Report comment
- Dave
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 4:59 pm
  
  And, the $2k you mention is not time adjusted, the prices given in the article are historical prices.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - teddy nucks
    
    Oct 22, 2014 at 6:14 pm
    
    ah yes inflation! still underwhelmed
    
    Reply Report comment
- jcorbran
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 10:29 am
  
  Jetspeed driver $200
  Jetspeed fairway x 2 $360
  Rocketbladez irons $400
  
  Total $960
  
  Less than half price in 9 months.
  
  Reply Report comment
Ed

Oct 22, 2014 at 3:51 pm

Interesting read.

To Correct. The Original Big Bertha as noted was not Titanium, But cast stainless.

Taylor Made didn’t save anyone anything. if anything, they destroyed the Golf Course Pro shop. Especially the smaller ones. No Pro Shop these days is going to take a flyer on 50 new drivers OF ANY BRAND When there will be an endless supply online a few days after release, new and used.

Saves Golfers Money? Maybe. Destroyed a sector of the business for many who had been in it for years. Indeed.

Reply Report comment
- RG
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 8:00 pm
  
  Uhh, I guess you don’t know sarcasm when u read it. Mr. Adams point is that TM flooding of the market has destroyed the market.
  
  Reply Report comment
Duffing

Oct 22, 2014 at 3:42 pm

It’s funny now that people who bashed TaylorMade’s RSI irons now agree with Adams’ words.

Reply Report comment
sweetcity

Oct 22, 2014 at 3:26 pm

I enjoyed the post. In all honesty the thing that no one talks about is demo programs. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s demos were an afterthought. No companies like Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade etc all expect green grass shops to take demo packages. At year end these packages get sent back and then sold through secondary channels like 3balls, global golf, and 2nd swing. What this has done is saturate the market. Now instead of buying a 915 Titleist driver, there will be 10,000 913 demos floating around in 2015.

Demos are what have killed the industry

Reply Report comment
- drew r
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 4:46 pm
  
  Wow you just described how my entire bag. Even after customization its still cheaper to modify demo irons and buy adjustable woods.
  
  Reply Report comment
Regis

Oct 22, 2014 at 3:22 pm

Spot on Mr. Adams. Spot on. I’ve been an avid golfer for 50 years. I bristle when “newbie” golfers blame TMAG for the demise of the golf business. Up until the 70’s all golfers played Wilson Staff or Mac Gregor. There were no Golfsmiths, Dicks, or Golf Galaxy’s. Even when Ping introduced their irons which were game changers, they were only available in Pro shops and there was a 2 month backlog between order and delivery. The Spalding Executive was a market changer. But what really revolutionized the game and lead to the explosion which brought in new golfers was when Taylor Made introduced the metal wood in 1979. Then graphite shafts, It took a while for it to gain acceptability but the industry never looked back. Then they introduced the “hybrid” or as they called it the Rescue which replaced the long irons which were unhittable for all but single digit players, then adjustable hosels. TMAG bashers are either disingenuous or lack historical perspective. Taylor Made made the game easier to learn and play and more affordable. Now they bash TMAG as the company that single handedly is responsible for the demise of the sport. Ridiculous.

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James

Oct 22, 2014 at 3:07 pm

In essence, TM did to Callaway what Callaway did to Ping.

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Bert

Oct 22, 2014 at 2:59 pm

I believe “Price Fixing” has and continues to be a problem that is hurting the consumer. Companies set their prices and will not allow the seller to compete. Those companies really do compete with each other, but not really. The buyer should be able to purchase from a seller that can adjust prices. Nothing turns me away from a purchase than “certain company”requires us to set this price and we cannot provide any incentives; not even free shipping. Of course the buyer is starting to wise up; they have stopped buying the products as they did and now wait for the inevitable price reduction after another new product hits the market. However they most likely purchase at the price the product should have sold for originally.

Reply Report comment
- Jason
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 7:52 pm
  
  Ummm……yeah a $400 driver costs on average $300 maybe you can get it down to 280 or $270…..maybe. I used to own a golf shop where we could almost do $900,000 in total sales. The real problem for the “little guys” is if we have 20 drivers we can’t sell then the “company” drops the price to $299 and I get 6 or 8 “free” drivers to make up my net down now I have 28 or 30 drivers I still can’t sell so then you expect me to drop the price on those? So it’s just an endless stream of clubs that I can’t sell or that I’m just discounting so I can break even……not many businesses stay in business by breaking even.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jack
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 3:33 am
    
    Interesting that they give you free product to bring the average cost down.
    
    Reply Report comment
Shallowface

Oct 22, 2014 at 2:52 pm

TaylorMade saved me a lot of money by making stuff that was so ugly I wouldn’t have it in my bag. A lot of their clubs looked like they were designed by Mattel. And unfortunately, much of the industry followed suit.

The newest TaylorMade product looks a lot better. Hopefully the industry follows suit once again.

Reply Report comment
- Regis
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 3:24 pm
  
  So I guess you are still playing Persimmon?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Shallowface
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 2:47 pm
    
    Not always, but I do play a good number of rounds with persimmon.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Cally
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 3:51 pm
  
  Lol clueless
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Shallowface
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 2:52 pm
    
    Maybe, but I retired at 46, play over 100 rounds a year, and have zero debt.
    
    Clueless is spending so much money on the latest and greatest that there’s nothing left for green fees, purchasing all of it on credit, and having to kowtow to the boss because without that job it’s the soup line.
    
    Contentment is wonderful.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Double Mocha Man
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 9:24 pm
  
  I hope you’re not ragging on the 2010 Taylormade Superfast Burner TP driver. That is one ugly beast and I’m still playing it and still outdriving all my golf friends.
  
  Reply Report comment
Jim

Oct 22, 2014 at 2:24 pm

Thank you very much Mr. Adams. I enjoyed your article and history lesson very much. I still have my 10-degree Big Bertha as well as the persimmon-headed MacGregor M 65 W Eye-O-Matic that it replaced. But today, as Danny mentioned above, I play a Ping G25 driver, 5-wood, 20 and 23-degree hybrids. I also play Titleist AP1 irons and Vokey SM5 wedges. I play those two brands because I believe they are both high quality products that fit my game well.

Previously, I had played Mizuno irons (MX-20 and MP-32) for over 10 years as I loved forged heads and believed they were the premier iron company. But age has stolen strength and swing speed as well as some eye-hand coordination. Going back to the Ping and Titleist brands after a few years, has been a great fit for me as I believe they offer superior products. I did play a TaylorMade R7 driver for a season but never felt that it offered the consistency of the Titleist 905 or Ping TiSi that it replaced. When initially considering going back to Ping metals, I did try the TaylorMade SLDR for a month after it was first introduced, but it was too light and simply didn’t work for my swing.

I am slightly biased against TaylorMade as I believe they are too much of a marketing machine and overhype what their products will do. However, that may simply be a generational thing as my son, age 24, loves TaylorMade and won’t consider anything else. He views Ping and Titleist brands as clubs for old farts, like his old man, and never understood why anyone but a Pro would want to play blades. He’s on his second set of TaylorMade irons and probably third or fourth TaylorMade Driver, and even plays TaylorMade balls!

So maybe the younger generation will continue buying TaylorMade and Callaway clubs with their claims of extra distance as they jack down their lofts, while brands such as Ping, Titleist and Mizuno continue offering more conventional clubs, relatively speaking. Regardless, the economy has to improve for the game to begin attracting a broader base of players, in my humble opinion. Thank you again Mr. Adams, for everything you have done to help the game of golf.

Reply Report comment
- Alex
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 6:19 pm
  
  Such a common misinformed point of view.
  
  Check the lofts on those “traditional” companies. Then compare them with others. You’d be surprised.
  
  Reply Report comment
E

Oct 22, 2014 at 2:15 pm

Nice article. But internet/eBAY HAS made and broke the golf business.

Reply Report comment
- Jafar
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 2:41 pm
  
  Not exactly. Ebay might be sustaining golf. If someone paid $1000 for golf equipment and could not use it, it would just sit in their garage. Instead they sell it, buy other equipment and continue playing, while someone on ebay gets a discount and either starts playing golf or continues to play golf.
  
  Reply Report comment
Maverick

Oct 22, 2014 at 2:06 pm

I see just the opposite. Taylormade puts out so many different versions on each new model they crashed the market buy flooding the market with drivers, FW wood and irons. Also the gimmicks, racing stripes, movable weights, quick change shafts, and a continuing change in head size has had a hand in ruining golf.
Barney Adams has had some weird ideas about trying to increase the hole size, drastic equipment changes all of which create another game which is not golf.

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- Shallowface
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 2:40 pm
  
  Those ideas (increasing the size of the hole, etc.) of which you write belong to Mark King, not Barney Adams.
  
  Reply Report comment
- barney adams
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 8:00 pm
  
  excuse me!! Barney Adams has ideas about hole size and other weird changes. Someone is spiking your Ovaltine.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Shallowface
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 3:07 pm
    
    Sorry Barney. I thought you were opposed to such nonsense. My mistake.
    
    Reply Report comment
Jafar

Oct 22, 2014 at 1:57 pm

Cool story.

Explains everything.

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Ty Webb

Oct 22, 2014 at 1:50 pm

eBay killed the golf biz not Mark King…….although he played a small role IMO.

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Busterpar

Oct 22, 2014 at 1:43 pm

I’ve said for years after my first stint on the retail side of the biz that if the Nicklaus or Palmer golf companies had had access to Callaway’s marketing dollars at the time – there wouldn’t be a Callaway company now. They made such superior equipment with good shafts in comparison to the crap shafts Ely used. But the general public ate it up and wondered why they couldn’t hit the ball straight.

Reply Report comment
- MHendon
  
  Oct 26, 2014 at 12:20 pm
  
  I don’t know maybe you or someone else can answer this for me. How did Callaway as a new start up have more marketing capital than already established brands as Nicklaus and Palmer. I took up the game around the time Callaway was getting big and their products seemed better to me than anything Nicklaus and Palmer where putting out. I know my dad who had been playing since he was 12 had at the time Ping eye 2’s in the bag and Callaway woods, S2H2’s.
  
  Reply Report comment
dan360

Oct 22, 2014 at 1:22 pm

Mr. Adams, your insight is priceless. I thoroughly enjoy your articles about the “inside” of the golf equipment industry and look forward to much, much more.

Thank you, again, for taking your valuable time to share with us. Dan C.

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JertyBirdWatcher

Oct 22, 2014 at 1:09 pm

Barney – thanks for a gutsy, “tell-it-like-it-is” take. At one time, TMag boasted they employed 37 full-time R&D guys. Now we know what they were all doing; they had a Wheel of Fortune-type spinner with the terms, “speed” “blade” “rocket” and “balls”on it. ‘Nuff said…

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Kevin

Oct 22, 2014 at 12:28 pm

Loved this article. TMaG ruined themselves by flooding the market through Dick’s and Golf Galaxy. Those big box retailers bought in huge bulk and had product they could make more money on and sell cheaper than the green grass guys could. Green grass couldn’t stock TMaG clubs and expect to compete. TMaG turned themselves into a big box brand. Will be interesting to see how they try to get back into the pro shops.

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- Bill
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 2:12 pm
  
  Kevin, they are already in the pro shops. There marketing presence has made it almost impossible for on course buyers not to stock the product. If a shop doesn’t carry it, they risk that their member goes to golf galaxy or Dicks to get what they want.
  
  Reply Report comment
Rudders

Oct 22, 2014 at 12:14 pm

Self-serving would be a simple answer. I don’t see any golf company that issues new clubs just about every 6 months, and tell you the last release is passe, is saving anyone.

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Chip Hunt

Oct 22, 2014 at 12:01 pm

It’s seems through all the turmoil Ping has remained true to their business model and have maintained a healthy company and brand. I have no idea what their bottom line is or how they have performed on a year to year basis, but I can’t recall ever hearing that Ping was in financial turmoil like Taylormade and Callaway have experienced. It’s as if Ping just lets Taylormade and Callaway fight it out and they keep doing what they are doing. And nothing made golf clubs cheaper over the long run than high quality cast clubs, which were first introduced on the mass market by Ping. Oh and there is that putter design called the Anser. How much money does Titleist/Cameron and other manufacturers make off that design? Don’t get me wrong I love my Cameron putters and my cavity back AP2s…just sayin.

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- HackerDav31
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 1:26 pm
  
  You’re exactly right. The big difference? Ping is privately held. TMaG and Callaway are both publicly traded entities, and that means growth and profits have to be driven every single year, or else that year is a failure…
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Bill
    
    Oct 22, 2014 at 2:16 pm
    
    Hacker, you hit the nail right on the head. Back before Callaway and TM were the big boys on the block, the vast majority of clubs were bought at on course golf shops. The golf professional, who probably owned the shop, made huge margins. As soon as companies became public, the pressures you mentioned kicked in. The off course market grew and the on course shop could no longer afford to stock product that they had to sell for slim margins.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Gwillis7
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 4:10 pm
  
  Perfectly said. That’s why I love Ping…they stick to what they do and don’t care, some people call their products ugly or ‘old tech’, but they just work. Period.
  
  Reply Report comment
duffer888

Oct 22, 2014 at 12:00 pm

Another spot on article by Barney.

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AllParz

Oct 22, 2014 at 11:58 am

How does this explain the Golf Ball business?

Titleist sells ProV1’s for $48/dz — they sell more of these than anything else they make (or anyone else) – they should be the cheapest to manufacture due to the volume and costing no more than a Noodle. Srixon/Callaway/Taylormade make competing balls with very similar performance that sell for the same amount. I don’t believe the materials are more expensive, even if they were the volumes would take of the premium.

Shouldn’t an upstart be able to price a premium Tour Quality ball for less and take market share from Titleist? Is this just collusion among the manufacturers?

or is it that golfers are sheep and require themselves to pay $48/dz for what is considered “Tour Performance”?

Reply Report comment
- larrybud
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 1:51 pm
  
  Prices aren’t determine by cost, at least, not for the long run. They are determined by demand. Titleist charges $48/dozen because they *can*, and people will buy them.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Dave
    
    Oct 22, 2014 at 4:53 pm
    
    Remember when Titleist’s premium balls (Professionals and Tour Balatas) were $50 per dozen in the late 90’s, adjusted for CPI that’s ~$68/dzn. Not sure why the prices came down (on a real basis), I think there is a lot more competition in the urethane covered balls, but manufacturing could have come down too. I’m sure glad “premium” balls are not that price anymore and they are a lot more durable now.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Kevin PGA
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 5:38 pm
    
    Titleist doesn’t charge the $48 for the dozen Pro V-1’s, the retailer sets that shop’s price. And the shop is making about $10/dozen on the sale.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Bill
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 2:19 pm
  
  There are balls on the market for much less than the Pro V1 that perform just as well. For some reason people associate quality with price. Titleist, Callaway, Srixon, etc make HUGE margins on golf balls. Back in the 80’s Spalding came out with the Tour Edition golf ball. It was in a very fancy gold and navy blue box. The box cost more to mfg than the dozen balls inside!!
  
  Reply Report comment
- Bill
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 4:53 pm
  
  You answered your own question. Do you think that all the people who play Pro V actually need to use Pro V1’s?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jack
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 3:39 am
    
    Yes, I do. Those distance balls make me look amateurish. LOL. Kidding aside, I mostly play used balls. People tend to lose them quite early in their life cycle.
    
    Reply Report comment
Larry

Oct 22, 2014 at 11:51 am

Firsr article I ever read over the internet some years ago was by Ely Callaway…..he said the first big Bertha driver cost $15 to make and had a retail price of $199. He also said that they knew the shaft was in question and they fully exspected as much as 50% returns on the first runs. He said it took time to get a shaft tip strong enough for the hoselest head and they needed to release the product. He stated what Mr. Adams did about spending all his profits on tour players and advertising.

Reply Report comment
- Dave
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 4:45 pm
  
  I thought the Big Bertha woods were not titanium until the “Great” and “Biggest” Big Berth lines of woods came out?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Matt
    
    Oct 23, 2014 at 9:16 am
    
    You are correct. The Big Bertha was stainless steel. The Great Big Bertha and the Biggest Big Bertha were Titanium.
    
    Reply Report comment
Dan Cohen

Oct 22, 2014 at 11:51 am

Wow. I am surprised. As someone who’s legacy is about to be destroyed by Giant. Someone who’s company is about to be turned into history the way of Powerbilt by that Giant, you would write an article with such veiled truth. Not sure if inferior products at lower prices count as saving consumers money. The products are lower priced, but they also hold no value. Of all the people in Golf, one would have guessed you would be the most upset at TaylorMade for their destruction of the golf business. This false bubble and the current correction we are in is the fault of TaylorMade and Mark King. Your namesake, and all the employees of you company losing their jobs is the fault of Mark King and TaylorMade. I am not even sure long-term, money has been saved by the consumer, unless one holds on to the set.

Yes Individual equipment is less money, but longterm costs of equipment is higher for equipment that is no longer customized to the golfer. To me, it is kind of like saying the 40% less golfers and courses closing is good for golf because greens-fees are lower and reducing services like mowing and taking care of traps is good for golf because with reduced greens-fees that is the only way to keep the doors open.

Reply Report comment
- Gary
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 5:32 pm
  
  Hi Dan,
  
  Can you give me some specific reasons on how TaylorMade has caused the destruction of the golf business? Thanks
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Dan Cohen
    
    Oct 24, 2014 at 10:27 am
    
    It is a bit of an exaggeration, but they have done just what Barney is say by doing the multiple releases and discount process. But what the casual reader doesn’t realize is that TM helps create a situation of oversaturation of product in the market, which then creates a sell at a loss, or hold product until it sells (which, excess doesn’t, until one sells it below cost. At face value this helps the consumer by giving them access to less expensive product. But, long run, experienced qualified fitters and stores leave or go out of business. Leaving only less qualified or box stores to fill the equipment needs of the players. In my opinion (whatever value that has) makes it harder for the consumer and the qualified fitter. In the end, the consumer is buy a less expensive product, that is probably not well suited for his/her game and then ends up trying to buy a game rather than being fitted for proper equipment which will enhance their game. my statement is an opinion based on experience of watching what is happening from an insider’s position in the golf business world. The companies I see caring about the game, are more concerned with proper fitting and quality, rather than dominating the market share reports with discount product. I only see 3 companies doing that in the present market.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Gary
      
      Oct 28, 2014 at 8:40 pm
      
      Thanks for the comments. Very interesting. Most of my bag is Taylormade. It’s always seemed to fit my eye and game. However, there is a little something about buying a club and it already feels outdated after 6 months. It’s almost the same as buying a new car and then they totally change the design in the next model. I think one reason Mercedes/BMW have been successful is that they keep all the design fairly similar. When Taylormade came out with the SLDR irons they had to know they were about to release the RSI line. Aren’t the SLDR and RSI 2 almost exact except for the slots in the face? Seems like it would have been better to just wait and come out with with RSI line.
      
      Reply Report comment
Merty Huckle

Oct 22, 2014 at 11:48 am

Dang that was an interesting read. Now if we could only get the inside scoop on the rest of the OEMs. Let’s start with Don.

Reply Report comment
Mark

Oct 22, 2014 at 11:33 am

Cue the wrx flaming on market flooding in 3… 2… 1…

Reply Report comment
Danny

Oct 22, 2014 at 11:23 am

This article is why I buy Titleist and Ping clubs. Callaway and Taylormade are marketing firms that sell people golf clubs, Titleist and Ping are golf companies that make quality clubs for people to purchase.

Reply Report comment
- HackerDav31
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 11:44 am
  
  This is business, not a love affair. Titleists’ success isn’t based on clubs, its based on balls. And they market more than Callaway and TMaG COMBINED on their golf balls. Ping isn’t publicly traded and getting a look at their books isn’t possible as a result, but you can be sure both companies are in it to make money. That’s the bottom line.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Bill
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 4:42 pm
  
  Not sure I would buy or not buy a club because of their product cycle. As Hacker mentioned, Titleist is in for golf ball sales. Their goal is to be the number one ball in golf and they will spend accordingly. The margins on golf balls is through the roof. Not so much on hard goods.
  
  Reply Report comment
- LMB
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 10:40 pm
  
  Not that I don’t think Ping isn’t a good company, but have you seen the “quality” of delamination on the I20’s and I25’s?? They have great customer service though for returns, but so does every equipment company nowadays. I really don’t think any manufacture at this time (the big name ones) makes junk golf clubs. People like yourself need to stop drinking the Titleist traditionalist cool-aid in that those are clubs for “real players.”
  
  Reply Report comment
Floor-is

Oct 22, 2014 at 11:11 am

I remember buying a PING driver in 2001 for €700 (about $950 at the time). Now we’re all pointing at the ±$400 driver as being very expensive. I don’t know how to tell you guys: stuff is cheap nowadays. (Also: if you’re looking what should cost most in your bag.. It’s the putter as you use it most!)

Reply Report comment
- bradford
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 12:30 pm
  
  While I agree about the cost/use–there isn’t nearly as much tech in your putter as there is in a driver, contrary to what the high priced putter companies will have you believe. Scotty and Miura are among the most expensive around, and both are very simple milled face putters. Don’t get me wrong, I carry a Miura–but it’s WAY overpriced for what it is. So while I agree with the notion that it’s the most important, it should even cost what it does in most cases.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Shallowface
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 2:48 pm
  
  I would bet they sold more putters back when they were $20 and could be characterized as “impulse buys.”
  
  It also hurt a lot less when you spent $20 for a putter and found out that it didn’t read the greens or help you hit it the right speed. Nowadays you drop big money for one, it fails, and oftentimes is butt ugly to boot.
  
  That really hurts.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  Oct 23, 2014 at 4:11 am
  
  Why are you comparing Europe to the US? Different taxes, different prices. Clubs are more expensive in Japan too. You’re not doing apples to apples. BTW, a more expensive putter doesn’t make you a better putter LOL. It is the stick that you hit the ball most times with though, so yeah it should be the most expensive, especially since you’re likely to keep that for longer too.
  
  Reply Report comment
Tom Bowles

Oct 22, 2014 at 10:56 am

Well Mr. Adams, despite history, you will successfully stir the pot. Hope you have your flame suit on. 🙂

Reply Report comment
- Justin
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 11:09 am
  
  That’s what I said on Facebook, I can’t wait until the reactions come in…”Buuut the golf shops! They’re going out of business because of TM and Cally!” Adapt or die, it’s what almost every industry has had to go through at one time or another, it’s normal.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Bill
    
    Oct 22, 2014 at 4:45 pm
    
    Look how on course golf shops have change in the past decade. There aren’t too many that stock many sets of clubs. Most carry Drivers, putters and wedges. Most depend on soft good sales (shoes, shirts, etc) for their profits. It’s also why most shops are now owned by the club and not the golf professional.
    
    Reply Report comment
- barney Adams
  
  Oct 22, 2014 at 12:15 pm
  
  I took some pills
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Tom Bowles
    
    Oct 22, 2014 at 1:58 pm
    
    Very good. HA!
    
    Reply Report comment

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle

Published

19 hours ago

Apr 15, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.

Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.

The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.

Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.

Past Winners at Harbour Town

2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
2019: CT Pan (-12)
2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
2016: Branden Grace (-9)
2015: Jim Furyk (-18)

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).

Key Stats For Harbour Town

Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
Tom Hoge (+1.27)
Corey Conners (+1.16)
Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
Cameron Young (+0.93)

Good Drive %

The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

Brice Garnett (88.8%)
Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
Sepp Straka (+85.1%)

Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.

SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:

Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
Brian Harman (+1.89)
Sungjae Im (+1.58)

4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)

Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.

SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds

Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
Taylor Moore (+1.02)
Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
Andrew Putnam (+0.83)

5. Greens in Regulation %

The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.

Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:

Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
Corey Conners (+69.0%)
Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)

6. Course History

Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.

Course History over past 24 rounds:

Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
Cam Davis (+2.05)
J.T. Poston (+1.69)
Justin Rose (+1.68)
Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)

The RBC Heritage Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)

Shane Lowry
Russell Henley
Scottie Scheffler
Xander Schauffele
Corey Conners
Wyndham Clark
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Matt Fitzpatrick
Cameron Young
Ludvig Aberg

2024 RBC Heritage Picks

Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)

With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.

Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).

Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.

Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)

I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.

The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.

Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)

Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.

Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.

Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)

Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.

In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.

Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.

Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)

When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.

Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.

Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.

Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)

This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.

Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.

Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.

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Vincenzi: The 6 biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters

Published

22 hours ago

Apr 15, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The 2024 Masters offered up plenty of excitement throughout the week with Scottie Scheffler delivering when it mattered to live up to his pre-tournament favorite tag. With the year’s opening major now in the books, here are my six biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters.

Scheffler In a League of His Own

In the most impressive way possible, Scottie Scheffler won the Masters without having his absolute best stuff. For the week, Scottie ranked 19th in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is a category the number player in the world typically dusts the rest of the field in. After a strong approach day on Thursday, the 27-year-old lost strokes to the field on approach on Friday and Saturday, before gaining on Sunday. The iron performance was more than solid, but it was an all-around game that helped Scheffler get it done around Augusta National.

For a year or more, the narrative around Scheffler has been, “With his ball striking, if he can just putt to field average, he’ll be unbeatable.” At Augusta, his ball striking came back down to earth, but his touch around the greens and ability to manage the golf course demonstrated why he is the best player on the planet right now. For the week, Scheffler ranked 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 24th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

For the time being, there is a major gap between Scottie Scheffler and the second-best player in the world, whoever that may be.

The Future is Now

Ludvig Aberg went into his first back-nine at the Masters with a legitimate shot to win the tournament. When he teed it up on the treacherous 11th hole, he was one behind Scottie Scheffler, who had just stuck one to a few feet on the 9th. By the time he approached his tee shot, which was perfectly striped down the left side of the fairway, he was two behind. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old got too aggressive with his approach at the 11th and found the water, making double bogey. Ludvig rebounded nicely and finished the event in solo second place.

With the Masters now in the rearview, it’s never been more evident that Ludvig Aberg is no longer an “up-and-comer” — he has arrived. The Swede has been an integral part of a winning European Ryder Cup team and has now contended at Augusta National. With a calm demeanor, a picture-perfect swing, and a build and stature that appears as if it was built in a lab, Ludvig Aberg is already amongst the world’s best. I’d be extremely surprised if he wasn’t in the mix at next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.

Nostalgia Wins

I try to avoid as many cliches as possible, but there’s something about the Masters that brings out the sentimentality in me. Tiger Woods strategically making his way around Augusta National without all of the physical tools that made him arguably the most dominant athlete in the history of sports will always be riveting, regardless of what score he shoots. Woods made it interesting until a tough stretch of holes on Saturday, but he ultimately wore down, shooting 16 over for the week in difficult conditions. It’s remarkable that the 15-time major champion was able to put together a few solid rounds of golf despite barely playing any competitive golf in 2024. As long as Woods tees it up at Augusta, we will all continue to be mesmerized by it.

Verne Lundquist’s 40th and final Masters Tournament was also a must-watch aspect of the event. The iconic voice of Lundquist and his calls throughout the years still give me chills each time I hear them. Verne is an icon of the game and will be missed in future renditions of the Masters.

The Masters also brings another element that is unique to the tournament. Former champions turn back the clock to battle with the golf course again which creates some amazing stories. There are a few that stick out this year and were an absolute pleasure to witness. 61-year-old Vijay Singh made the cut for the first time since 2018 and shot a pretty incredible even-par, 72 on Sunday. 58-year-old José María Olazábal made the cut as well, reminding us why fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm sought his valuable advice prior to his Masters victory in 2022.

Regardless of who wins, the Masters always delivers.

Bryson Moves the Needle

Plenty will disagree with me on this point, but outside of Tiger Woods, and potentially Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, no one moves the needle in golf as much as Bryson DeChambeau. The uniqueness in which Bryson approaches the game has always been fascinating, and if he gets near the top of the leaderboard at any major championship, whether it’s to root for him or against him, people are interested.

It began on Monday with a pretty bizarre story of DeChambeau using 3D-printed irons that got just got cleared for use by the USGA when the week began. It once again felt like a storyline that would only be possible with a character as eccentric as Bryson. He then raced off to a first-round lead in tough conditions, reminding the world of what made him such a great golfer to begin with. He made some mistakes on the weekend, but still finished a career best T6 at The Masters.

Bryson is more than just quirky; he is a former U.S. Amateur Champion and U.S. Open who I believe will contend for more majors in the future. I will continue to root for DeChambeau, but I’m perfectly content with the fact that plenty will root against him, and I encourage those people to do so. That’s what makes it fun.

LIV Walks Away Empty-Handed

Last year, there were a multitude of questions about LIV players coming into the year’s first major. They had played very limited tournament golf, and critics of LIV questioned whether the 54-hole events were enough to sharpen the players enough to compete against the best in the world on the biggest stage.

The results were fascinating, with LIV players all over the leaderboard. Brooks Koepka held the 36- and 54-hole lead, with Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed finishing T2 and T4, giving LIV three golfers in the top-4 of the leaderboard.

This season, with even more time removed and with some more massive additions to the roster, the intrigue surrounding LIV players at Augusta was once again palpable. While some players, including Bryson DeChambeau, exceeded expectations, I can’t help but walk away from the Masters feeling underwhelmed by the performance of the LIV players.

Brooks Koepka finished runner-up last season and is a certified major championship killer. The 5-time major champ was never involved and simply didn’t have it at Augusta. Dustin Johnson put together a putrid performance, shooting 13 over for his two rounds, making it fair to wonder if his days of contending at major championships are over as he rapidly approaches his 40th birthday.

Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann were both players who were amongst the favorites this week, but Rahm was faced with the daunting duties of defending champion and Niemann proved he was still not quite ready to master the quirks of Augusta National, bleeding strokes both around and on the greens.

To be fair, when all was said and done, LIV had four players in the top twelve at The Masters. Tyrrell Hatton stormed the leaderboard early on Sunday, finishing T9 and earning himself an invite back to Augusta next season. Cam Smith and Patrick Reed put together gritty performances, which isn’t too surprising considering the fact that they both absolutely love Augusta National, but neither ever felt a real threat to win. There’s no doubt the players on LIV are good, and that’s why some encouraging leaderboard positions aren’t enough. They needed to contend.

With no players part of the storyline on Sunday, I view the first major of the year as a disappointment for LIV. The players will head into next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla with a lot to prove.

Rory’s Struggles Continues

Rory struggling at Augusta National is no surprise at this point. The four-time major champion has now had 10 attempts to complete the career grand slam and has never had a chance to win. His T2 in 2022 was deceiving, the Northern Irishman stormed the leaderboard on Sunday, but was never in contention, and never got within three shots of the winner, Scottie Scheffler.

I didn’t expect Rory to win, but I have to admit that this year felt a bit different. McIlroy played the week prior to the Masters, which he typically doesn’t do, and finished third at the Valero Texas Open. He gained 7.56 strokes on approach and 2.0 strokes off the tee, which told me that his visit with world-renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, after the Players Championship paid dividends.

McIlroy also approached the media quite differently. He cut his pre-tournament press conference short after only 10 minutes and seemed to be laser-focused on just playing golf.

Despite the different approach to the Masters, the results were the same. McIlroy struggled over the course of the week, finishing T22 (+4) and never sniffed a decent weekend position on the leaderboard. It’s back to the drawing board for McIlroy, and I have doubts that he will ever figure it out at Augusta.

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Vincenzi: The 8 best prop bets for the 2024 Masters

Published

7 days ago

Apr 9, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

We’ve finally reached The Masters and excitement is at an all-time high. The world of golf has been fractured for the better part of two years, but for a week at Augusta National, all of the outside noise will disappear. All of the best players in the world will be together seeking to make history.

RELATED: Vincenzi’s 2024 Masters betting preview: Niemann to play star role at Augusta National

In addition to betting on The Masters champion. This is one of the few weeks of the year where there are so many more markets to explore, with value to be had in plenty of different categories.

Throughout this article, I’ll discuss all of my favorite props and players for the 2024 Masters.

Placement Bets:

Tony Finau Top 5 +750 (DraftKings):

I badly wanted to include Tony Finau in my outright betting selections, but I simply ran out of room on my card. Additionally, it’s slightly difficult to see him hitting the putts necessary to win the Masters on back nine on Sunday. However, I do strongly believe he will play great golf this week at Augusta National.

In his past 24 rounds, Finau ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach is always amongst the best drivers of the golf ball in the game. Back in 2019, Finau had a great chance to win The Masters. I expect him to be hanging around over the weekend once again in 2024.

Gary Woodland Top 20 +550 (DraftKings), Gary Woodland to make the cut -110 (DraftKings):

Last season, Gary Woodland had his best ever finish at The Masters in his eleven tries. The 39-year-old finished T14 and played incredibly steady across all four rounds.

In Woodland’s most recent start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, he struck the ball incredibly well. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+8.8) and Strokes Gained: Ball Striking (+10.0).

Gary has been working with Butch Harmon and absolutely flushing the ball both in tournaments and during practice.

Woodland appears to be healthy once again and in a great place physically and mentally. If he can build off his impressive performance at Augusta last year, he can place inside the top ten in 2024.

Additionally, the make the cut number on Woodland seems generous considering the number of players who miss the cut will be relatively small this week. Woodland is striking it well enough to make the cut even if he’s hindered by a balky putter once again.

Thorbjorn Olesen Top 20 +400 (FanDuel):

The Thunder Bear, Thorbjorn Olesen, made his Masters debut in 2013 and finished an incredibly impressive T6 for the week. In the two additional starts he’s made at Augusta National since then, the Dane has continued to be incredibly solid, finishing T44 and T21.

This week, Olesen heads into the week playing some good golf. He gained 3.8 strokes on approach and 5.52 strokes around the green at last week’s Valero Texas Open on his way to a strong T14 finish. Back in January, he won the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour.

Olesen has the skill set to be successful at Augusta and seems primed for a good performance this week.

Top Nationalities:

Sergio Garcia Top Spanish Player +280 (DraftKings):

I believe Sergio Garcia can get into contention this week with the way he’s striking the ball in addition to his good vibes with a refurbished version of the Scotty Cameron that he used at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah.

I am slightly concerned about the emotional letdown he may face after losing in a playoff at LIV Miami, but I believe a veteran and former Masters champion should be able to regroup and focus on an event far more meaningful.

This is essentially a tournament head-to-head with Jon Rahm at +280. While Rahm deserves to be respected this week, the history of the lack of success of defending champions at The Masters is difficult to ignore.

Joaquin Niemann Top South American Player -230 (FanDuel):

While I hate paying this much juice, I don’t see a world in which Joaquin Niemann isn’t the top South American this week at The Masters. Joaco comes in playing better golf than anyone in the world not named Scottie Scheffler and has a serious chance to win the green jacket.

He only needs to beat two players: Emiliano Grillo and Camilo Villegas.

Tournament Head-to-Heads:

Justin Thomas -110 over Collin Morikawa

JT isn’t having his best season but is playing a lot better than he is getting credit for at the moment. In the past three months, there are only six players on the PGA Tour who have averaged 1.7 Strokes Gained: Tee to Green or better. Justin Thomas (+1.7) is one of the six and is currently tied with Rory McIlroy (+1.7).

Morikawa, on the other hand, has been extremely poor with his irons, which is incredibly uncharacteristic for him. I can’t help but feel like something is completely off with the two-time major champion.

Tony Finau -110 over Wyndham Clark

I explained in the placement section why I’m so high on Tony Finau this week. With how well he’s striking the ball, it seems as if his floor is extremely high. I’m not sure if he can make the putts to win a green jacket but I believe he will be in the mix similarly to 2019 when Tiger Woods emerged from a crowded pack of contenders.

Clark is a debutant, and while some debutants have had success at The Masters, it certainly poses a challenge. I also don’t believe Augusta National suits Clark as well as some of the other major championship venues.

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