Equipment
The Next Korean Wave
It’s been 10 years since the world was introduced to the antics of PSY, the outrageous Korean pop star who rocked the world with Gangnam Style. As a Korean-Canadian, my western side was first perplexed as to why his music video became so popular the world over. After all, the lyrics are in Korean, and the context of the video is so satirical as to make even Gangnam residents pause for meaning.
Nonetheless, if you’ve ever put your hands together for the horse dance or chant Oppan Gangnam style! Then you too, have experienced the Hallyu Wave.
The Korean word Hallyu translates to Korean Wave. After some research, I learned that the term was coined in the late 1990s with the goal of bringing our pop culture (K-music, K-drama, etc) to the world stage to promote tourism, culture export, and familiarity with Korean history.
Apparently, it worked. K-pop (read BTS, BlackPink) now has practically taken over the teen music scene, while re-runs of K-dramas are played in households throughout the world. Squid games captivated audiences across the world on Netflix, Samsung mobile phones continue to sell as much as Apple, and Hyundai/Kia cars can easily be seen on the roads of most North American cities. To be honest, I’ve never imagined a day when English speakers would sing along to a Korean song better than me. But since that has already come to pass, I would now like to put forth the idea that a whole new Korean wave, this time in golf, is sweeping over the world.
Pandemic + Golf Boom = Golf Wave
There is no denying that the coronavirus helped drive the growth of golf here. With the limitations placed on overseas travel and severe initial restrictions on outdoor activities, many Koreans needed new ways to ease their boredom and spend their disposable income. While golf had always been regarded as a sport for the more well-to-do, the timing was ripe for the younger, hipper newbies to discover the joys of golf.
Due to the ease of accessibility, the screen golf industry here was the first to enjoy a huge increase in business. As hundreds of thousands of newcomers flocked to the game and became addicted, they were not satisfied with using house rental clubs and shoes. As such, sales of exotic golf brands along with renowned OEM brands flourished as trendsetters quickly set out to purchase equipment that helped to express themselves. Soon, as restrictions on outdoor activities lessened, most of the newbies eagerly headed to the golf courses, which also began to reap profits generated by the new golfers.
It seemed as though the main demographics of Korean golfers shifted almost overnight. Whereas the 50-60s age group was the main driving force before the pandemic, the momentum seemed to have shifted to those in their 20s-30s, who now make up about 1.15 million or 22% of Korean golfers.
Due to the incredible enthusiasm of the MZ generation, golf manufacturers and suppliers scrambled to meet the new demand. New golf brands in every category sprang up to add fuel to the fire – including but not limited to fashion, golf bags, tees, satchels, club covers, shoes, the whole nine yards. And now, as strange as it may sound, I have reason to believe that our style of stylish, flashy, over-the-top golf is slowly being taken up by golfers outside of Korea.
Perhaps the best new innovative tech to come out of Korea in recent years is the Autoflex golf shaft, which offers ease of swing and more accuracy and distance in an ultralight shaft. I’ve covered this unicorn in detail in the past, so I won’t get into it here. In addition, both the Puttist and Ficor bands that I have introduced before have proven to be just as popular outside of Korea.
Below are several more golf items and trends that may soon turn golfers’ heads outside Korea.
Diamond With Wings?
Once you get over the cringy name that is Diawings, you just may feel that your prayers for distance may have been answered. The Korean-made 2-piece ball has made an enormous ripple in the Korean golf scene over the past two years as THE long-distance ball. For those of us chasing more distance, Diawings claims to increase distance by as much as 20% through faster ball speeds off the clubface.
Ho hum. So what else is new? Aren’t there already dozens of distance balls out there that promise to make short work of long par 4s and 5s? Yes. But what sets Diawings apart is that these balls are legit. Not only do they perform as advertised, Diawings golf balls actually conform to the rules of golf. Of all the distance balls that I have encountered over the years, Diawings is the only one of its kind that has been recognized as legal for tournament play. No longer do you need to fear ridicule from your playing partners for playing a non-conforming ball. And unlike their namesake, they cost only a fraction of the more recognized premium golf balls.
For All Your Golf Needs
Even more so than the golf equipment sector, the Korean golf apparel and accessory sector exploded and thrived with new brands emerging every month. After all, how can we be expected to enjoy this great game to the fullest if we don’t look our best?
According to the Korea Institute of sports and leisure, the golf wear industry reached a staggering 6 billion dollar mark in 2022, making up nearly half of the entire golf-related industry. For every fashion statement cared to be made, whether athletic, street-casual, or chic & modern, there is something for everyone with almost all brands offering their own interpretations of the next golf look.
Tech Skin is one such brand, which covers the chic & modern spectrum in offering everything from hologram golf bags, shirts, and inner layers, all the way down to the minute details that complete your golf game. In fact, that’s their company motto, and it’s hard to find a golf bag here that doesn’t have at least one of their products in it.
And I’m betting, sooner or later, that it will be the case with many golfers in the west.
One of the biggest factors that helped churn the waves here is the many influencers on social media. Once golf was deemed to be the next “in” thing, hordes of young social influencers went all out in displaying the awesomeness of the sport on their respective platforms. It soon became all the rage to flaunt our latest golf outfits (#gootd #fieldlook) and accessories on Instagram and YouTube, which in turn attracted more non-golfers to take interest in what the hubbub was about.
As the popularity of golf gained more and more traction on all fronts, popular TV personalities and comedians also began to create diverse golf-themed shows on YouTube, making it easier for non-golfers to understand and relate. The long-held notion that golf is a boring pastime for seniors was quickly replaced with one of fun, flair, and fashion.
There are currently four TV channels that are devoted to 24-hours of golf in all forms, and user-created content has begun to be showcased on mainstream media as well.
The golf show formats are varied and entertaining. I enjoy shows where competition is the focus, where older alumni of rival high schools compete with each other, or the club champions of different courses compete to see who has the bragging rights for the year. My wife, on the other hand, enjoys fashion-related shows that showcase the latest looks and gears, and golf variety programs which are a cross between a talk show, match play, and American ninja. I’ll leave it to your imagination.
While these types of golf shows and programs may not be traditional and perhaps even annoying to the purists of the game, it nevertheless has helped to create a new generation of golfers here who continue to grow the game.
In the past, I had written about how different and difficult it was to play golf here, what with the limited number of golf courses and the sky-high cost. Yet, if we managed to increase the enjoyment of golf to the level of adding millions of new golfers despite these obstacles, think how easier it may be for countries outside Korea who are blessed with access to thousands of courses at a fraction of our cost. So, if growing the game in your part of the world includes attracting new golfers, maybe give some of the above a go. It can’t hurt, right?
Now, if I can only convince BTS members to pick up the game, we would see millions of new young golfers overnight. Now, that would truly be a tsunami of a Korean wave indeed.
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Equipment
Limited-edition gear spotted at the PGA Championship
The second major of the season is here, and with it, custom gear aplenty! Taking inspiration from both Louisville, Kentucky, and host course Valhalla, the OEMs have been having some fun with the designs.
Check out PGA Championship staff bags, some custom kicks, and a very cool putter grip from SuperStroke.
2024 PGA Championship staff bags
Callaway
PGA Championship Staff Bag Giveaway ? See below how you can win the bag and headcovers being used this week by #TeamCallaway at the second major of the year:
-Follow @callawaygolf
-Tag 2 friends in the comments pic.twitter.com/8HbGdPHiFK— Callaway Golf (@CallawayGolf) May 13, 2024
Cobra
TaylorMade
From the stables to the fairway. ?
This year’s PGA Championship staff bag and accessories pay homage to the Derby City with callouts to the run for the roses, the fastest lap in track history and more.
Dive into all the details of this beauty: https://t.co/afhEVKHWLj pic.twitter.com/8eoP6tDZq1
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) May 13, 2024
Scotty Cameron’s putter cover features the Scotty Dog in Viking helmet
Bettinardi’s KFC-inspired putter covers
Ping’s bourbon-inspired putter cover
Rory McIlroy’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail-inspired Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 shoes
FootJoy x Todd Snyder Mint Julep Premier Series
Brooks Koepka’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail-inspired Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour shoes
SuperStroke’s PGA Championship grip
Check out all of our photos from Valhalla here.
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Whats in the Bag
John Daly WITB 2024 (May)
- John Daly WITB accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Newton Motion 6-Dot
3-wood: Ping G430 LST (15 degrees)
Shaft: Newton Motion 4-Dot
Hybrids: Ping G430 (17, 22, 26 degrees)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold
Irons: Sub70 659-CB (6-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S300
Wedges: Sub70 TAIII (50, 54, 60)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S300
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Milled One T CH
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: SuperStroke custom
More photos of John Daly’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Toulon Golf collaborates with Valhalla Golf Club for latest Small Batch putter
Toulon Golf has today officially announced its latest Small Batch putter — the Valhalla.
Discussing the putter, Preston Toulon of Toulon Golf said: “This putter is a collaboration with the club at Valhalla and incorporates three of the many things that make the state of Kentucky great – horseracing, bourbon and championship golf. The head of the putter and headcover have several allusions to a jockey’s silk and there are thoroughbreds on the sole.”
Inspired by Toulon’s classic tri-sole Santa Monica design, the company sought to modernize the profile and design leveraging its 904 stainless steel and 6061 aircraft aluminium across the sole. Toulon describes the Valhalla’s profile as “slightly oversized blade whose proportions are meticulously balanced to maintain the look and feel of the Santa Monica, while increasing the putter’s inertia to create one of the most forgiving putters we have ever designed.”
Throughout numerous prototypes, Toulon paid particular attention to the L-neck, with its full shaft of offset, adding a bit of length for better blending with the slightly wider and longer blade.
On the rear of the putter are homages to horse racing in the form of jockey silk diamonds and Churchill Downs-inspired font.
The sole of the putter features a large cavity covered by a 6061 aircraft aluminum sole plate. According to Toulon, this allowed for the addition length to the putter and improved inertia as well as moving more mass to the perimeter for greater forgiveness.
In another nod to Valhalla, Toulon uses a milled watermarked limestone pattern, a reference to stone featured widely on the property.
As with all the Toulon Small Batch putters, the team paid particular attention to the topline thickness and radius to achieve a desired look. “Soft yet crisp was the design intent,” according to the company.
Toulon Golf Small Batch Valhalla specs
- Material: 904L Stainless Steel/6061 Aluminum Sole
- Face Mill: Fine Double Fly with Big Tuna
- Finish: Kentucky Bourbon PVD
- Grip: Custom Toulon Collection Vintage Blue Pistol
- Shaft: Chrome Stepless Steel
- Headcover: Valhalla Custom Leather
- Head Weight: 355 g
- Toe Hang: 40 degrees
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Lie: 70 degrees
Pricing and availability
The Small Batch Valhalla is available for purchase today via the company’s website — ToulonGolf.com.
Supply is extremely limited. The price is $1,800.
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Ron Popeil
Sep 5, 2022 at 5:51 pm
Nice Infomercial!
Ohh Herro
Sep 2, 2022 at 4:24 pm
Kuhweah numba whun
Trump Lord
Sep 6, 2022 at 5:06 am
Trump is a criminal
Mark
Sep 2, 2022 at 3:56 pm
BTS’s V and Danielle Kang actually did play a round together it seems.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcebuO6gtWL/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=e112f8fb-5283-4163-8a4c-5111b66784d2