Golf Magazine Names True Spec Its Best Fitter, Neglects To Mention Key Fact

…that the operation is owned by…the owner of Golf Magazine.

Now, we always knew there was a good chance that the 8am Golf family of brands would get special coverage from Golf Magazine and Golf.com after the man who owns it all took charge.

So far things have been good, with writers doing their thing and the print product receiving nice reviews. But there have been hiccups with disclosures and questionable choices, like a blatant rip off of Fried Egg’s template hole series, down to using the same holes as examples.

And overall, to Howard Milstein’s credit, there were no signs he gave the Nicklaus Designs firm any favoritism in the latest Golf Magazine Top 100, restoring luster to the most credible of all rankings (there was, however this painful Nicklaus Design puff piece quietly posted in January and a very random best renovation award last year. Nicklaus Designs is another Milstein outpost).

That Valley of the Eagles renovation award at least received a disclosure of the 8am/Golf/Milstein ties.

But True Spec getting the top fitter ranking bequeathed this February? No.

Now, I’ve been to a few True Spec facilities and they are wonderful. For all I know True Spec is worthy under the criteria, but to not disclose the ties is inexcusable and a credibility killer. The news has not gone unnoticed.

https://t.co/HnMCoszfLA pic.twitter.com/79bvyTicus

— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) February 18, 2020

True Spec and Golf dot com are owned by the same company. So one guy's company is awarding his other company a top honor. Super. https://t.co/JymitTEzXf

— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) February 18, 2020

And other fitters are not pleased…

Wonder if Golf Mag is going to charge True Spec $3,000 for the "Top Fitter" logo

— Garrett Morrison (@gfordgolf) February 24, 2020

Breaking Shock Flash! Titleist Says All Is Well, Distance Study Undervalues The Athleticism Of Today's Players

I know this stuff works on some people, and I do appreciate that Acushnet CEO David Maher’s tone is much more agreeable (sorry Wally). But it’s hard to buy the claims of a CEO whose company advertises a product going longer and straighter also saying that it’s not going longer and straighter, but instead, all on the amazing skill and athleticism of these kids today.

If that sounds like a bizarre crossover with the PGA Tour messaging on the distance debate, it is.

Here is Maher’s stance, admirably posted after the USGA and R&A released their Distance Insights Study and the first significant rebuttal from a manufacturer to those excellent reports. Though don’t expect even some light cherry-picking of the report.

Maher writes:

In the spirit of contributing additional perspective to this discussion and the game’s timeless, and healthy, debate between Tradition and Technology, we believe the conclusions drawn in this Report undervalue the skill and athleticism of the game’s very best players and focus far too much on the top of the men’s professional game and project this on golf and golfers as a whole.  Furthermore, we believe that existing equipment regulations effectively govern the prospects of any significant increases in hitting distance by the game’s longest hitters.

So any claims we have made a new product going longer will probably need further study?

Like all sports, golf is played differently today than it was centuries, and even decades, ago – from the people who play, the rules by which we play, and the equipment we use.  Almost all would agree this progress has been a great benefit to the game and that innovation in golf equipment has been an important contributor to this progress. 

Participation peaked in 2001 and has dropped many million since, if that’s progress. Shareholders looking for value may not agree.

Golf is bringing younger players into the game sooner and keeping older players longer than ever; professional golf is as dynamic and entertaining as it’s ever been; and the game remains a healthy challenge for all players and at all levels.

More exciting than ever, just not to Nielsen families.

In fact, the Report itself shows that hitting distance on the PGA Tour decreased in 6 of the past 13 years, including 2019. 

I guess we’re going to ignore the increase years?

We believe this helps to affirm the effectiveness of regulatory efforts, particularly those adopted since the early 2000s, which continue to achieve their desired intent of setting boundaries around future distance increases while also rewarding skill and encouraging innovation.

That’s wonderful you support regulation! Maybe just a smidge more for the good of the game?

Ok let’s get to the good stuff.

The Report, however, suggests that consideration be given to a “Local Rule option that would specify use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances.”  We believe that playing by a unified set of rules coalesces our game, is an essential part of its global understanding and appeal, and eliminates the inconsistency and instability that would come from multiple sets of equipment standards.  We think it should be preserved for these reasons and those outlined in the article entitled, The Case for Unification.

Wally! You’re back! At least, a nice link back to that old gem.

Serious question though: if playing under one set of rules is so important, then how come no one actually knows the rules?

We appreciate that the Distance Insights Project was fueled by the best intentions of The R&A and USGA acting in what they believe to be the game’s best interests.  We also recognize that golf is best served when its stakeholders advance and advocate what they understand to be in the best interests of the game. 

Just not when it comes to our product.

We also appreciate The R&A and USGA’s commitment to the November 2011 Vancouver Protocol and its established processes for the consideration of equipment changes, and we look forward to continuing to work with the game’s stakeholders over the coming months and years to advance the best interests of the game.

Great. Take some dimples off and let’s light this candle!

Acushnet Unveils Lifestyle Brand Ball: "Decidedly more flat brim and quite a bit less white sport coat"

Undoubtedly after millions of R&D and research costs, here is MyGolfSpy’s summary of the new pro-union, cool kids ball from Titleist.

The Union Green is as much about creating a culture as it is delivering performance. Compared to Titleist, it’s decidedly more flat brim and quite a bit less white sport coat. The Union Green vibe is cool and casual, and the intent is to appeal to a demographic for whom golf isn’t life itself, but instead is one of a varied number of excuses to hang out with friends, toss back a few beers, and have a good time. No polo shirt, no golf shoes, no problem. Dogs allowed, apparently.

A lifestyle brand golf ball for the cool kids!

Now, if we could get a lifestyle brand ball for the Golden Age-worshiping woke “architect gurus”!

Titleist's Off-Shoot Brand Makes Fun Of The Titleist Lifestyle

They don’t wear Footjoys, tuck in shirts and this from Titleist/Acushnet’s new faux under par lifestyle brand’s website, launched Friday with two low-priced golf balls for people playing for reasons, well....

We’re not the golfers you see on tour. We’re different. The ones playing local, taking mulligans, over celebrating and always going for it. Club Championships, rule books, 18 holes every time - that's not our game. We’re here for golf that fits our life. For fellowship. For the love of the fairway. We're united by the game.

how incredible to see the Acushnet, parent company of Titleist, mocking the very world its Titleist brand lovers embrace—club championships, rule books, 18 holes, playing the game the right way and cherishing tradition. And paying handsomely for the dozen balls that signify a certain belief in a classic American-made product.

Wild.

I’ve seen some tearing down of amazing businesses in hopes of attracting three millennials, or the attention of the CEO’s children. But I never thought the day would come with one of America’s most storied brands, built on a perceived respect for the core values of the sport, would seek to outdo the PGA Tour’s loathsomely silly Live Under Par campaign.

Anyway, amazing times! Good luck Union Green. I’ve got “Website Not Responding” a year from now in the GeoffShackelford.com office pool.

Take Note Golf: MLB Faces Class-Action Suit From DraftKings Players Over Astros, Red Sox Cheating

Thanks to reader F.X. for seeing the below story and recalling back when Patrick Reed was knocking away sand last December that some saw such a cheating effort as pretty terrible.

And it will be exponentially worse when America legalizes betting. As the opportunities arise to gamble on golf—with the PGA Tour actively encouraging the action—gamblers will not be comforted that Reed took a 2-sroke penalty like a gentleman when he goes on to keep contending in an event he should have been disqualified from.

(Reed’s case is just one example of the potential issues arising from controversial rulings by a tournament staff.)

Carson McCullough of Courthouse News writes about DraftKings players suing MLB. While some will laugh off the suit, expect these shenanigans when questionable behavior during competition is not addressed properly.

What fantasy players were not aware of, according to the lawsuit, was that despite this wholehearted support of DraftKings and their competitions, the MLB was hiding the fact that the games themselves were anything but fair.

“Throughout this period, MLB was well aware that its member teams were engaging in corrupt and fraudulent conduct that rendered player performance statistics dishonest and undermined the validity of its fan wagers on DraftKings’ fantasy baseball contests,” the complaint states.

The suit claims that the MLB failed to inform their fans and player base of the truth behind these games, leaving devoted players to put money and time into contests the MLB knew or should have known were corrupted.

MLB also has a partnership with DraftKings.

PGA Tour: Data Sales A Big Part Of Sports Betting Push

We’ve previously learned that the PGA Tour hopes to reap 1% of the billions projected on sports betting. Based on estimates, that would put their annual haul at $7.5 million, or the price of one above average event’s purse.

Not much given the headaches that could come with legalized sports betting in golf.

But of further interest is this reveal in an unbylined AP story regarding the PGA Tour selling ShotLink data in lieu of a more direct partnership with betting houses.

The leagues argue that they are creating new betting products by enhancing the data that they sell to gambling companies. That is part of the reason these companies have been willing to pay for a product instead of simply writing the leagues a check.

The PGA Tour says it is creating new betting opportunities through its complicated (and expensive) ShotLink technology.

“ShotLink gathers data from every shot; there are more than 30,000 shots in a golf tournament,” said Andy Levinson, senior vice president for tournament administration with the PGA Tour. “We’re collecting multiple data points, and they are going to be potential betting points. There’s going to be opportunities over a season to have millions of markets created in golf. You’re talking about distance, ball location, whether it’s on the fairway or in the rough. If a player has a 10-foot uphill putt, there’s going to be historical data on that shot. Our sport is perfect for it.

“That requires 60 people every week; we have to lug 5 miles of cable,” he said. “We have cameras, laser systems around our greens. It’s an extremely expensive process.”

Volunteers man a majority of the Shotlink towers that gather information, though increasingly the Tour is leaning on an automated setup. Nonetheless, I do wonder how volunteers will feel about their job when it’s better known they are working to fill Tour coffers on the back of sports betting. Most probably won’t know or care, but it certainly is another element of the efforts to incorporate betting into PGA Tour golf.

Topgolf Targeting $4 Billion Valuation, IPO May Come In 2020

Gillian Tan, Scott Deveau and Kiel Porter all contribute to a tidy Bloomberg report on Topgolf’s long awaited march to an IPO, with banks selected and the all-important valuation targeted: $4 billion.

The Dallas-based company is working with banks including Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp., said the people, who asked to not be identified because the matter is private. Its IPO could come as soon as this year, they said.

Topgolf, led by Chief Executive Officer Dolf Berle, has $525 million in outstanding debt, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Given the incredible success of Topgolf, it should be interesting to see how much the state of the golf industry is characterized during the process, and after the official launch.

First World Alert: Thanksgiving Passes Without New PGA Tour TV Contract

To many, the notion of urgency in a sports television negotiation amounts to a silly notion. Especially one that does not change hands (potentially) until 2022.

But as I explain for Golfweek, with the passing of Thanksgiving weekend, the hoped-for conclusion to the PGA Tour’s media partner future came and went. Not surprising, really, with something so complex and uncertain. Nonetheless, the intrigue continues and with two high-profile events over the next two weeks, resolution to what is a major behind-the-scenes power struggle involving America’s biggest media companies, remains a huge topic of conversation within the golf business.

Boca Blues: City Asks for New Architects Of Proposed Project Over Cost

The day many always thought would come arrived in Boca Raton. Maybe there have been previous examples, but it’s hard not to read about Boca’s kibosh on architects Tom Fazio II and Nick Price over the $13 million budgeted for their creation of 18 holes and a par 3 course.

Despite winning the project bid over many other architects, the city said the price was simply too high and will be asking for new bids. All over price, reports Christina Hristoforidis.

On the Tuesday night joint meeting between the City Council and the Boca Beach and Parks District, the idea for an RFP was approved.

In regards to the current project’s architects, Price/Fazio can submit in the new RFP and have the option to be compared to the resented from the RFP for the best golf course design.

According to WPTV, this decision left the President of Golf Association Greg Galanis, feeling betrayed.

For years the sport has been told the economics of building a new course was spiraling too far out of control. So it should come as little surprise that a city finally said not to the price of a golf course.

A story from February, 2019 broke down why the cost of the project was so high and while USGA greens weren’t mentioned, the overall cost to build a course has become unsustainable when coupled with infrastructure costs.

Building the golf course alone will cost about $15 million, said Wayne Branthwaite, spearheading the project for Price/Fazio Design.

“But there are several other costs from items that have to be done: Landscaping, irrigation pumps ...” Branthwaite said. The district also has to build the clubhouse (about $3.4 million), a maintenance facility (about $2.6 million) and a tunnel to cross Northwest Second Avenue, which cuts through the golf course (about $2.4 million), according to a Price/Fazio report.

Golf Inc's Most Powerful People In Golf Continues As A Peculiar Compilation Of Outdated Stock Photos

It’s hard to take any list seriously that includes David Pillsbury—in the No. 2 spot no less—but Golf Inc. has published their annual compilation of golf’s most powerful people. At least, powerful in terms of the golf development world, which would explain how Tiger Woods lands 7th and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan slips to 4th behind company-killer and former PGA Tour exec Pillsbury as well as the Topgolf CEO.

I don’t know why you would want to invest much time in the least diverse list of lists—all male and only two who aren’t white guys—other than to see who has submitted the most awkward, outdated, airbrushed stock photo.

Endeavor: IMG Owners Scrap Planned IPO

While IMG has a different presence in golf than in years past when they were known primarily for representing players, Mark McCormick’s brainchild remains a major player in tournament operations, licensing and consulting.

Purchased in 2014 by WME, the conglomerate scrapped its IPO at the last minute. The impact on golf is not clear, though a possible change in direction for the operation now known as Endeavor could lead to big changes.

From Ryan Faughnder and Stacy Perman in the LA Times on Endeavor leader Ari Emmanuel:

Emanuel built his reputation and that of Endeavor on a series of bold, risky moves and unexpected acquisitions, including Professional Bull Riders. The IPO slated for Friday was his biggest gamble to date, intended to catapult Endeavor into a global juggernaut, one that would shape the future of media and entertainment. Now that is all on hold and Emanuel is going to have to define a new future for the company.

Costco's Latest Foray Into The Golf Business Fizzles Fast

MyGolfSpy made Costco’s original “K-Sig” ball a hit, insanity then ensued, lawsuits even happened and the new ball briefly put a dent in Titleist’s business until it became apparent Costco was selling a one-off run of Taylor Mades.

Now MyGolfSpy has exposed the latest version of Costco’s inexpensive ball as, uh, not up to snuff. Or being struck by modern equipment.

Costco is now refunding customers based on the MyGolfSpy testing. The Tweets and link to their latest pod discussing their findings.

Is the NEW Kirkland Signature Performance One the modern day Balata?

FIND OUT ON EPISODE 16 of #NoPuttsGiven

WATCH NOW👉https://t.co/t0RLRoaZmm pic.twitter.com/0v6DkE9ua0

— MyGolfSpy (@MyGolfSpy) September 23, 2019

pic.twitter.com/MtHH7MhGiT

— MyGolfSpy (@MyGolfSpy) September 24, 2019

AT&T: Stephenson Makes Exit Plan Known, Activist Investor Pounces And Lodges Proxy Fight

And we in golf just want to know what will happen to one of the best corporate partners in the game.

The Wall Street Journal’s Drew FitzGerald, Shalini Ramachandran and Corrie Driebusch lay out in fascinating detail how AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson signaled his forthcoming exit and set off an activist investor proxy by Jesse Cohn of Elliott Management. The battle for AT&T is sure to have ramifications for golf down the road and more immediately, upcoming PGA Tour television contract negotiations where the company is reportedly prepared to offer a new golf-only channel.

The next day, Elliott Management issued a 23-page report that publicly questioned the logic of AT&T’s $49 billion takeover of DirecTV in 2015, shortly before cord-cutting accelerated, and its $81 billion deal last year to buy Time Warner, home of HBO and Warner Bros, only to replace almost all of its experienced entertainment bosses.

Elliott’s report Monday also questioned whether Mr. Stephenson’s presumed successor could successfully integrate the conglomerate into a force able to compete for advertising dollars against the likes of Google and win a costly battle for streaming supremacy with rivals like Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co.

Plans for Mr. Stephenson’s triumphant exit, as early as next year, now threaten to turn into a monthslong fight over the direction of the $280 billion telecom company and a test of the board’s loyalty to his long-term vision.

The challenge issued by Elliott pits the 59-year-old AT&T chief executive against a 39-year-old Wall Street manager known for pressuring his targets to shake up their operations.

The letter does not question any of AT&T’s investment in golf, which includes sponsorship of two PGA Tour events and the Masters. So there’s that.

Callaway Investing $50 Million Into Its Ball Plant After MyGolfSpy Exposes Issues

First Costco and now Callaway.

It’s a fairly remarkable day when an independent equipment review site can turn a Costco ball into a must have, but even more remarkable to get a pledge from a major golf company to improve their production efforts.

In this unprecedented case, it’s MyGolfSpy having exposed an off-center core in a Callaway Chrome Soft and unleashing a firestorm in the equipment forums. Apparently there was something to it, since Callaway executives Sean Toulon and Alan Hocknell have since visited MyGolfSpy’s testing facility and pledged a $50 million investment to improve quality control in their ballmaking process.

They discuss how it all went down on their podcast and it’s pretty fascinating stuff, though I’m not sure as many golfers as they think were aware of their initial discovery and the outrage expressed by gearheads as they think.

Bloomberg: "The Disruption of the Golf Ball Market Is in Full Swing"

Thanks to reader Glenn for sending Michael Croley’s Bloomberg story suggesting a shift in how people buy golf balls.

Direct-to-consumer models without cumbersome pro-golf contracts is the name of the game, with elements lifted from other sectors that have bypassed retailers and other outdated approaches. Golf Datatech says golf balls account for $420 million of the $5 billion equipment selling industry (anyone else think that sounds low?).

Anyway, the headliner is Snell, at $33 a dozen to Pro V’s going for $52, though Bloomberg’s story also notes several others like Vice Golf and OnCore.

Regarding Vice:

Instead, after seeing the success of Dollar Shave Club, Harry’s, and other consumer brands, they set out to give golf-ball marketing a makeover with cheeky commercials you’d expect from Old Spice or Geico.Vice sells a dozen balls for anywhere from $34 down to $11, if you buy in bulk. They come in lime green, neon red, and traditional white, or you can mix and match all three. And you can pair the brand’s logo—which rides the line between edgy and gaudy—with a picture of your own or a rival’s face. The company also sells flat-bill caps, golf bags, and waffle-knit towels and has teamed up with the NBA so basketball fans can tout their favorite team on the fairway.

Another competitor, Buffalo-based OnCore Golf Technology Inc., is taking a more technological approach. Its first ball had a hollow metal core, which helps drives stay straighter, and eventually forced the U.S. Golf Association to rewrite its rulebook. Its Genius ball, making its debut in the second quarter of 2020, will have an internal GPS to measure shot velocity, spin rate, total distance, trajectory, and apex, all while telling you how far you are from the green. Brokerage founder Charles Schwab joined as a shareholder in January, and the brand was renewed in April as the official ball of the New York State Golf Association. Its premium Elixr sells for $35 per dozen, but buying in bulk can drop it to $30.

Presumably the subscription model is next and why not for a product no one needs to buy in person unless they’ve run out mid-round.

Just thinking out loud here, but if these companies are eating into the major brands that would mean they are doing so based on product quality, marketing and value.

Will they grow or succumb and get taken over?

There would seem to be major ramifications should they remain independent and undercut the current model of golf ball sales built on professional golfer endorsements, counts and usage.