Nothing makes us feel worse about what our country is doing in Iraq than seeing America’s valiant, courageous young servicemen and women coming home missing limbs.
Yesterday, at Carlsbad’s TaylorMade Golf headquarters three young amputees were treated like PGA pros. They received complete sets of golf clubs and swing training with the world renowned golf coach Jim Flick, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
This day was dubbed “Operation: Game On!” by Tony Perez, the San Diegan who had the idea for the project. Perez, the president of the local Pin Pals golf program for underprivileged youth, is a Vietnam veteran who wanted to do something special for wounded military personnel.
Thanks, Tony and TaylorMade for setting such a great example for all of us.
Steven Russolilo of the Dow Jones Newswires checks in with Callaway Golf. Will the company’s “relatively wealthy customers” save it from the perils of a tanking golf market?
The consumer wasn’t super strong last year, yet Callaway couldn’t keep its $499 driver in stock because there was such high demand for it,” said Bill Chappell, an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Inc. Callaway’s 2007 net sales rose 10 percent, to a record $1.12 billion. . . . Despite Callaway’s growth drivers, its sales could take a hit as consumers struggle with rising gas prices and paying their mortgages. . . . It’s very easy for a consumer to say they have enough golf clubs sitting in their garage that they may realize they don’t need a new set of Callaways,” said John Shanley, an analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group.
While reading this story we were reminded that market analysts are professional guessers. But yet, we all seem to care what they have to say when it comes to business. Why is that?
Top-Flite (Callaway’s golf ball brand) has had some sales trouble, but the Carlsbad company is not down and out. While rap commercials have almost unilaterally sucked, this one is pretty damn funny. And it was all filmed in Carlsbadistan. Notice anything familiar?
On Sunday April 5, 2008 the San Diego Golf Academy which they claim is the “oldest and largest golf college in the world” (and we won’t argue because we don’t golf) is throwing an open house to celebrate the opening of their new campus.
The onsite radio broadcast by 101 KGB-FM will feature the classic rock station’s on-air personality Bromo, who is widely known for the bizarre acts he performs during broadcasts typically due to losing bets on rounds of golf with co-workers. The open house will also include facility tours, prize giveaways, food and refreshments. . . . “We are very excited to have Bromo attending this event. He is an entertaining disc jockey and an avid golfer who always has a good time on the course, win or lose,” says Richard Iorio, SDDGA’s San Diego campus director. “SDGA teaches many concepts surrounding the game and business of golf, and among the more important lessons is simply to enjoy the game.”
The party runs from 11 AM to 5 PM at 1950 Camino Vida Roble. While we can’t really figure out a reason why we’d want to go, we’re sure golfers will be able to figure something out. They’re so good at rationalizing pointless exercises.
According to BrandWeek, Carlsbad-based company TaylorMade is suing competitor Nickent over ads that the company has been running on TV and in print that “lead consumers to believe that its 4DX driver is the No. 1 driver model on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour.”
“Occasionally fringe companies in the industry try to encroach on our territory as the No. 1 driver in golf by misrepresenting the facts,” said Bob Maggiore, TMaG’s vp-marketing. “Being the No. 1 driver model at a Nationwide Tour event does not equate to being the No. 1 driver on tour. TaylorMade has been the No. 1 driver brand on the PGA Tour, as well as the Nationwide Tour, since 2001. That more than qualifies us to question Nickent’s logic and judgment in making claims that are misleading at best, and blatantly false at worst.”
See what tough times in the golf industry lead to? Semantics battles.
Carlsbad golf clothing company Ashworth has today reported that they lost $7.4 million in the first quarter on $34 million in revenue. That’s compared to losing $2.4 million in the first quarter of 2007.
Revenue for the quarter ended Jan. 31 fell to $34.5 million from $38.3 million. Shares of the Carlsbad, Calif.-based provider of golf apparel and sportswear closed the regular session down 5 cents at $2.65, but rose about 5.4%, or 14 cents, to $2.79 in after-hours trading.
Utah-based golf bag manufacturer OGIO has filed a lawsuit in Utah Federal Court “citing Callaway Golf Company for patent infringement.”
OGIO, the golf bag manufacturer renowned for innovative design, currently holds more than a dozen individual patents for acclaimed bag components. One such design – the OGIO Woode organizing top – was such a high-demand feature when it was first introduced in 2002 that Callaway Golf Company requested the design on its OGIO-engineered bags. OGIO provided original equipment manufacturing services for Callaway from 2000 through 2005.
Despite the companies agreeing to part ways nearly three years ago, a patent-violating version of OGIO’s organizing top continues to appear on Callaway- designed golf bags including its 2008 golf bag collection.
The Carlsbad-based golf company TaylorMade-adidas is “teeing off” it’s largest advertising campaign in the company’s history according to a story in BrandWeek. The $35 million spend kicks off in March with ads in “Golf Digest, Golf, Gold World, Sports Illustrated and PGA magazines” and on April 1 with three 15 second sports will begin airing on Golf Channel. Seems like they could have spent a little of that money on their new “overarching theme:”
“Don’t just play it, wear it,” will be adidas’ new overarching theme for its golf footwear and apparel. “These are more than just shoes, shirts, jackets. This is equipment for your body,” said Bob Maggiore, vp-marketing at TMaG, Carlsbad, Calif.
Carlsbadistan’s other golf company TaylorMade announced last week that they have sold Maxfli and relatedtrademark to big box sports retailer Dicks Sporting Goods.
Now that we’ve fully developed the TaylorMade brand as our premium ball franchise, we’re committed to growing our business through our Tour Preferred and Burner families,” said Mark King, TaylorMade-adidas Golf President and CEO. “Dick’s Sporting Goods has been a fantastic business partner of ours for many years and we know they will do a great job with the Maxfli brand.”
It is the oldest golf course in the world and now Carlsbad’s Callaway Golf has purchased the right to plaster the St. Andrews Links name on all kinds of golf equipment and accessories.
Official St Andrews Links products by Callaway Golf will include golf balls, putters, wedges, golf bags, and luggage, among other items. . . . Purchases of the official merchandise will contribute to the preservation and maintenance of the links, including the Old Course in Scotland, Callaway said.
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Nothing makes us feel worse about what our country is doing in Iraq than seeing America’s valiant, courageous young servicemen and women coming home missing limbs. 
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