Hey Golf (Equipment) Gods, if you're listening . . .

[18th Legion]

Where have our favorite brands gone - or are going?

Hey Golf Gods, in case you’re listening . . . due to economic factors and a few previous bad decisions, some of us are concerned about the future of golf equipment companies. Well, those of us Equipment Ho’s, or people who are just generally interested in the golf equipment industry. I don’t know exactly why, but this stuff always interests me.

And yes, I know there will be those of you who want to say "You're an Idiot and quit living in the past, it's a waste of time!" Well, maybe so.

Anyway, one would think in this economy that in order for some of the smaller brands to survive, some consolidation may be in order.

Listen up GG, a few things that might be cool to see:

Hey Callaway please sell the Hogan name to Adams. Adams please do not run this as a separate division, but sell Ben Hogan forged irons under that name with say, Adams on the hosel. You could sell three distinct, but blendable sets (similar to Bridgestone J36). You could also sell Hogan Wedges. It's a natural, Ben Hogan was from Texas, and Adams is based in Texas. This would give instant credibility to Forged Irons and Wedges carried by Adams. Come on – Puglielli Wedges? How about Hogan Riviera by Adams? Hogan Edge by Adams? Got a nice ring to it.

Someone buy Yes! Putters. Wouldn’t a couple good possible suitors be Cobra or Nike? I like the idea of Cobra as this would give them an alternative to Titleist. "Yesssssss" Get it? Although replacing the exclamation point at the end of the ‘YES’ with a swoosh is not unimaginable.

Speaking of Cobra . . . Solus wedges are unique and would be a nice fit for them. Again, Cobra is positioned well to have some alternatives to Cameron and Vokey. The more out-of-the-box, the better. Solus would be a good addition to a Cobra or Tour Edge.

Someone buy Rife Putters already. This should be easy because in a Golfweek a few months ago, the Founder announced that he wanted to sell the business. It would be nice to see a company without much of a putter business keep them going, such as Nickent, Tour Edge, someone . . . someone please! They want to retire to the islands so bad, they keep naming product after them.

How about Nickent and Heavy Putters? The Heavy Pipe Putter line. Doubtful Nickent would merge with anyone as long as Hoeflich is there. He has a great track record, but can he really design everything?

Puma; get in the game already, will ya’. You make golf shoes, clothes, and so on. Maybe purchase Nickent, possibly Tour Edge? Wilson golf might seem like a natural (Both are owned by European concerns), but surely Puma would want their name on the clubs, so if they purchase someone, the name will change. Honestly, who would miss the names Nickent or Tour Edge? Both make very good equipment and have decent distribution, but changing their name isn’t like losing the Ben Hogan brand. Think about it; ‘Puma Exotics.’

So what about MacGregor? (See my WITB Signature) God’s please don’t have them bought and sold to a Retail Company. Like Tommy Armour/Ram to Sports Authority, or Hagen and Maxfli to Dick’s, or Lynx to Golfsmith. Please, please, someone keep the MacGregor name alive. Keep the Don White name going and bring back Bobby Grace. Why not appeal to those who use true Players Irons? Forged Irons and Wedges? Custom club works. Green grass accounts. Get back to the Green and Gold.

Another thought, do you think Jack is still so mad at MacGregor that he wouldn’t consider merging them with his Nicklaus Premium equipment brand? Would he rather see it die?

Well, regardless of MacGregor’s future, I do hope Don White wedges and Bobby Grace putters find permanent homes. I mean, come on, is there any doubt that Bridgestone, Cobra, Nickent, Tour Edge, or Wilson would not benefit from the use of both of their names and designs?

Oh, OOOoooh, Oh, Oh, how about a new company named Founders Club, that would include signature names and bring together; Ben Hogan Forged Irons and Wedges, Tommy Armour Cast Irons, Bobby Jones Hybrids and Fairways, Tony Penna Drivers and Fairways, Don White Wedges, Bobby Grace Putters . . . Hell yay!!! Where's my checkbook?

. . . Uh . . . nope . . . no ideas for Powerbilt and Ram . . .

Anyway, hope this provides for an interesting topic and discussion. Hope maybe this gives someone in position and with the capacity to effect change, some ideas.

Well, that’s about all I have to say about that . . .

[Range-Rat]

Interesting ideas, not sure if it will happen but a good read :lol:

[evnpar1020]

Founders club has been around as long as I can remember, and I still won't touch them.

 

Yes! and Rife putters are nice, but should stick to putters, no company buying them do that company any good really. Hard times weed out the weak. Maybe drawback the price.

 

Hogan, well sad to say, dead! I'm not to happy about it either, but neither were the guys playing Sam Snead irons, which I learned to play on. There is nothing to do to bring them back, other than Hogan himself. Example, go ask some youngster who is Ben Hogan? I bet he looks at you like you are some idiot.

 

Solus wedges, well nice job. Hope you keep up. It's a tough market. There is nothing astronomical about your wedges. A wedge is a wedge, and to most average joes, your's don't stand out enough, because no one has ever heard of you. I wouldn't buy you, call me brand conscious, oh wait, I play sonartecs.

 

MacCregor, well hard to say it but you fall in the same category as Hogan. While both companies made wonderful clubs, your marketed was less to be desired, or non existent. Thanks for finally giving players black irons, to bad they are wholesale now, and still struggling to sale. It's fate, you should have seen it coming.

 

Edit:Cobra, I don't have many words, but I don't care for stuff.

 

Puma, cool gear, DO NOT get in the club making industry. You will die. See the previous.

 

Wilson, good luck, keep on trucking, a major can't even get people there, maybe more money on "PR" would help.

Birdgestone, keep thriving, but put out more marketing.

Tour Edge, don't be the next Sonartec.

 

I hope that was crude enough. All other Major OEM's, keep marketing to the masses.....they will come.

 

I hope I was blunt enough.

[hoosiervolunteer]

Good read. I like the nostalgia that all of us have shown for the historical brands. The only negative I will say about your post is that it will be a cold day in hell before Acushnet lets Cobra have a putter or wedge that even comes close to challenging Cobra or Vokey.

[Herky]

A few years down the road -- wherenever this global recession ends -- historic brands like Hogan and MacGregor might be revived in some form, possibly as very small boutique stand-alone companies or divisions of larger golf/sports equipment companies.

 

But for now, only the big boys are in a position to weather this economic storm. Acushnet (Titleist and Cobra), TaylorMade and Callaway are likely to dominate the golf equipment market.

Also on the survival list are those global companies that have golf divisions but make most of their profits from other sports equipment and apparel, such as Nike, Mizuno and Wilson. These companies appear to be in relatively good shape because they don't rely on the golf industry for the bulk of their profits.

 

Bridgestone Golf and Cleveland (now Srixon) are divisions of huge corporations and should be fine.

 

Ping, a golf-only company, with an extremely loyal customer base and significant tour presence, should be going strong for years. The real question for Ping might be will it be able to remain independent in a few years?

 

Beyond that -- who knows?

 

In this economy, many companies are fighting just to hang on. And the golf equipment industry is very vulnerable to the effects of this unrelenting recession.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a big development later this year, maybe a merger or bankruptcy.

[slahitou]

FWIW, Adams made an offer to buy yes! putters at the end of 08, it was declined by yes!, so unless the offr is unreal, they will continue to be on their own.

[Herky]

FWIW, Adams made an offer to buy yes! putters at the end of 08, it was declined by yes!, so unless the offr is unreal, they will continue to be on their own.

 

Very interesting.

That's a smart move by Adams. Maybe, Yes! will eventually say yes.

Adams is one of the great stories in the golf equipment industry. They have come a long way from the old days of infomercials for the tight lies fairway wood.

They now have a very impressive product line. Their recent irons, hybrids and drivers are innovative and get great reviews.

[Rambler]

I like all the ideas except the Puma one. I don't think they'd do very well at all

[18th Legion]

bump

[obsessedgolfer]

Good read. I like the nostalgia that all of us have shown for the historical brands. The only negative I will say about your post is that it will be a cold day in hell before Acushnet lets Cobra have a putter or wedge that even comes close to challenging Cobra or Vokey.

 

Cobra does make there own putter, just no wedge here is a link to there putters

http://www.cobragolf.com/putters/details.asp?id=16