No winter rest for manufacturers

Nothing stays the same, certainly not as far as golf equipment is concerned. While most players were content to lock away their clubs for the winter by shoving them under the stairs, into the garage or out to the garden shed, the manufacturers were busy making ways for us to hit our shots longer and straighter and more consistently than ever.

Which is why we've seen the Great White Shark himself, Greg Norman, in the television ads telling us how Cobra have developed a cure for the slice . . . and David Leadbetter explaining why Callaway's new irons make it easier to teach the game . . . and Ernie Els, aka The Big Easy, insisting that his Taylor Made clubs are responsible for his lazy swing. And on and on and on it goes. The golf market is now so competitive that clubs which were launched a mere two years or so ago have been superseded by new models as the manufacturers make some subtle and other not-so-subtle changes to the designs.

So, now that the winter cobwebs have been brushed away and, weather permitting, the invasion of the fairways will develop into a stampede, the assault by the manufacturers is on to tempt the consumer to part with money to upgrade to the newest and latest equipment. And, given that most of us need all the help we can get, it's hardly surprising that the market is a very lucrative one indeed.

Among the main developments over the winter months were Karsten's launch of the Ping TiSi titanium headed driver, Callaway's launch of the new X12 irons, MacGregor's launch of the Tourney Forged Personal Irons and Tourney PMB irons, Wilson's release of the Fat Shaft titanium woods and Taylor Made's decision to replace its big-selling Oversize irons with the new Burner LCG.

The need to improve in the quest for perfection is an obvious one, hence the desire of manufacturers to put large amounts of money into research.

Ping

The new Ping titanium driver (above left) signals a new era for the Karsten company, featuring as it does a 31 Occ head and a multi-functional hosel which allows for the versatility of custom fitting. The TiSi has a clubhead design which has the roof and the floor of the head essentially parallel, which they say allows for greater energy transfer and, therefore, greater distance. The custom fitting aspect of the club stems from a hosel design which can be set in one of ten different positions.

Callaway

Callaway's X-12 irons are - in the words of company president Don Dye - "the best, and the best looking, stainless steel irons" that the company has ever produced and are also claimed to be a sleeker and more classic looking iron that their Big Bertha predecessors. The X-12 incorporates several new features which include a multi-layer design effect on the back of each club. Each layer represents about 1/ 20th of a thousandth of an inch difference and it affects the feel, sound and strength of each club.

MacGregor

MacGregor have launched two new products which confirm their status as manufacturers of quality. They have introduced the Tourney Forged Personal Irons (which only have a capacity of 100 sets a year) which are one-of-a-kind, made to order clubs retailing at around £4,000 - but the Tourney PMB (progressive muscleback) irons (above right) give players wishing to play MacGregor forged irons another, attractive option. These clubs are 100 per cent chrome plated from the company's renowned custom department.

Wilson

Wilson have nurtured an image of a "game improvement" company rather than a traditional equipment company in recent times, and their development of the Fat Shaft is being marketed in this way, too. Their development of these titanium woods has an oversize tip for greater stability and reduced torque. The Fat Shaft irons were launched last year and went down well in the marketplace.

Taylor Made

Taylor Made are emphasising the fast-changing nature of the business by replacing their Oversize irons after just two years with the new Burner LCG (low centre of gravity) irons. The key features are a significantly lower distribution of weight in the oversize iron face, low heel-and-toe weighting for stability and the use of the lighter, stronger, more stable Burner 2 shaft.

Travel

This week's US Tour moves on to Hilton Head, which is preparing for an Irish invasion of a different sort this summer.

The Mater Hospital Foundation, in association with Carr Golf and Corporate Travel, are holding their inaugural Corporate Golf Challenge in Hilton Head, South Carolina, in order to raise funds for a new Accident and Emergency Department for the hospital. The event, staged over four days, will be played on four of the finest courses on the east coast of the United States: the George Fazio course plays host to the practice round, the Robert Trent Jones course to the foursomes, the Arthur Hills course to the fourballs, and the Harbour Town Golf Links, home of the MCI Classic, will stage the singles on the final day.

The programme includes flights, accommodation, golf, welcome and farewell cocktail reception and dinner, prizes and gift packs. For further information, contact Helen Cosgrove (01-830 3482/830 2086).

Development

Whatever happened to Irish amateur Tommie Campbell who hit a record drive of 392 yards at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club back in July 1964, which went into the books as one of the longest in history?

Now, Campbell, using his extensive knowledge of the carpet industry, has teamed-up with an English firm, Huxleys Grass Machinery based in Hampshire, to in- stall and maintain his own brand of synthetic turf.

Campbell Turf is already used on a number of well-known courses in Britain, including The Belfry, St Andrews New and Sand Moor. For further information, contact Huxleys on 0044-1962-733222.