Sport

Golf Expo 2000 tees off

Against a figure of £1.15 billion in world sales for balls alone, Ireland's golf industry is understandably modest

By DERMOT GILLEECE
Thu Mar 09 2000 - 00:00

Against a figure of £1.15 billion in world sales for balls alone, Ireland's golf industry is understandably modest. But its importance on a national level will be emphasised at Golf Expo 2000, which takes place in the Main Hall of the RDS on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

This is the second staging of an event which now has The Irish Times as a joint sponsor, along with Northern Rock, Tipperary Crystal and McGuirk's Golf. And the expectation is that last year's total attendance of 15,000 will be comfortably surpassed.

With over 150 exhibition stands on display, the organisers have found it necessary to move from the Industrial Hall to the Main Hall of the RDS. Among the leading manufacturers with display stands will be adidas, Callaway, Dunlop/Maxfli, MacGregor, Mizuno, Slazenger, Spalding and Taylor Made.

"I would estimate annual sales of golf equipment in this country at around £50 million," said John McGuirk of McGuirk's Golf. "The general emphasis remains on the top names such as Callaway, Ping, Taylor Made and Titleist and this has been reflected in our sales, which we expect to be up 25 per cent on 1999."

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McGuirk's will be selling at the show, as they did last year. This means that if patrons like what they see at a certain stand they can test it on the putting green or the driving bays and then make a purchase at McGuirk's, which will be the only company actually selling.

We are informed that the exhibition is intended to be "action-packed" for maximum enjoyment. Dunlop are installing a 1,000 square metre putting green where a large variety of prizes may be won; pitching skills may be tested at the Tildnet unit, while the driving bays will be complemented by a computerised practice net where the quality of the shot will be evaluated.

Apart from the club-makers, who will have their latest models on display, exhibitors will also be targeting the home and overseas golfing-holiday market, golf gifts and accessories, as well as golf on the internet. In fact there will be a draw for a weekend for two to Malmo, Sweden.

The show will be officially opened by singer and sometime golfer Joe Dolan at 2.30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. It goes on until 9.0 tomorrow night; from 10.0 a.m. to 6.0 p.m. on Saturday and from 11.0 a.m. to 6.0 p.m. on Sunday.