On a windy day that, at times, seemed a good gust away from a downpour, thousands of manufacturers, buyers and media members converged on Orange County National's 360 degree driving range to check out golf's latest products. Not surprisingly, most of the talk centered on the current economic downturn and its impact on the golf industry. Let's put it this way, one manufacturer said "Everyone's feeling it, and if they say they aren't, they're lying." (Only one company said business was "as usual," and we actually believed him.)One of the best things about demo day is that we get to see things that somehow have slipped under our radar. Like this go-go gadget push cart, the Clicgear model 2.0. Look how small it is when folded up!:
The 2.0 model features a hand-brake, umbrella holder, beverage holder, airless tires and some nifty accessories (ad ons) including a sand bottle, GPS holder, mittens for cold days...
...and a shoe brush
There are two putting greens on the outer perimeter of the OCNGC range. That's where we stumbled upon the full lineup of Mizuno's BC (Black Carbon series). They're now up to 7 models.
And Rife's newest offerings.
Look for the newest Rife putter to roll into stores this April. It's called the IMO (as in "Inline Momentum") and was used last week by Jesper Parnevik when he coasted to a 61 at the Hope. 85% of the weight is directly behind the ball, but the best thing may be its recession-friendly price: $149.
There was a long line to test Nike's newest sticks, including the Victory Red irons. Rather than taking a number, we geeked out on the disembodied clubheads.
For those of us who've been to Asia, we know the most prestigious golf clubs are made by the Japanese manufacturer, Honma. (I once saw a set in Hong Kong that rang up for $40k. And, no, that's not a mis-print. If memory serves they were gold-plated.)
One of their lines is called Beres.
Here's an interesting training aid from Momentus. They're called, appropriately enough, Forearm Swing Weights and tip the scales at 3 lbs. By the look on this gentleman's face, they seem to have worked.
After using those weights for a couple weeks, you can probably hit it as far as this guy:
Even grips have their own place on the range. Check out this rainbow of flavors from Winn
And Golf Pride. Note the subtle "Vyne" the creeps down the grip.
UST has officially changed their name to UST Mamiya. Mamiya has owned UST for some time and representatives told Golf Tips the name change will help consolidate operations in Japan and Fort Worth.
We're not sure what this is, but we like it. According to a recent press release it's "a unique, asymmetrical UV golf umbrella" called "Mibrella."
It's all about transportation at the Demo Day. Whether you take a shuttle or park your car a mile away and hoof it. Unfortunately these vehicles weren't available to us.
Speaking of PING, they're currently celebrating their 50th anniversary. Congratulations!
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