http://jimgolfrank.com Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:37:24 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Of all the statistics I heard at the PGA Show last week, the most depressing was that 7 out of 10 golfers are overweight. Define overweight anyway you want—body-mass index, too much belly falling over the top of your pants (what a friend calls “dunlap disease”: Your stomach dun lap over your belt), or your clothes don’t fit. You know when you’re overweight and most of us are. So says golf’s leading food and weight-loss coach Larry ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/instruction/3449/weight-loss-for-golfers-no-more-hitting-it-fat At one end of the PGA Merchandise show each year are the booths and hitting bays of the equipment companies, while at the other end are the fashion firms. In the middle is a little bit of everything, from golf cars to cigars, markers to magnets. That middle ground is also home for instructional training aids, some with more straps and buckles that a dominatrix’s guestroom. But no matter what one thinks of the products (and ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/equipment/3424/medicus-new-findings-power-new-golf-instruction Even if you don’t usually get excited about golf towels you will love these because they feature two terrific caricatures based on “Caddyshack”—inarguably the best golf movie and one of the funniest movies ever made. Created by artist David O’Keefe and made by Devant Sport Towels, the towels actually have names (hey, this is fine art after all): “A Cinderella Story” and “Bushwood—A Tribute to Caddyshack.” If I have to explain who any of the characters are ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/equipment/3415/caddyshack-golf-towels-do-you-get-a-bowl-of-soup-with-them There have been 59 PGA Merchandise Shows and I’ve been to the last 28. While I’ve obviously missed a few, I’m willing to bet that it’s rarely been more difficult after a show is over to know where the golf industry is headed. According to the official tallies, more than 42,000 visitors looked at wares from more than 1,000 exhibitors. More than 6,000 people attended Demo Day. I shudder to think how many balls were hit. Yet ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/equipment/3380/pga-show-28-reading-the-tee-leaves One of my favorite fashion-forward golfwear companies is Abacus, a Swedish firm that mixes style and performance with more than a bit of European flair. I first wrote about Abacus after the PGA Show two years ago and make it a point to check in from time to time. This year's show, which is nearly done, was the perfect place to look in again. Shirts, pants, rainwear, sweaters, ruggers, accessories—Abacus offers a full line for both ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/3361/pga-show-day-2-abacus-is-swedish-for-style It happens every year: I’m never as tired as I am after walking the floor of the PGA Show. Today was the first day of the show having moved indoors, into the way too spacious Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. There are thousands of exhibitors, from the major golf club manufacturers to tiny start-ups hoping to make a go of it with something clever and exciting. It would be easy to spend a week ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/equipment/3340/pga-show-day-1-first-looks-at-fun-new-golf-proucts The PGA Merchandise Show has begun. Golf’s biggest trade show opened this morning in Orlando with Demo Day, a huge, outdoor, beat-balls-till-you-drop fest at the Orange County National Golf Course, which is somewhere the other side of Mickey Mouse. I’m proud (or maybe deluded) to say that this is my 28th consecutive PGA Show, which means 1) I’ve seen a lot of change in the golf industry, 2) I’ve made a lot of good friends in the ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/equipment/3327/faldo-procare-sir-nick-wants-to-save-your-skin One of the really cool things about this job (if you can call this a job) is the opportunity to see new products before they are introduced to the public. Back in October, a contingent from Nike Golf came to New York, where I was given a sneak peak at what’s new. The new golfwear for 2012 is very colorful and graphic (below), featuring performance fabrics like DriFit and a choice of lines from sporty to ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/equipment/3301/nikes-new-putter-a-very-interesting-concept-indeed In our consumer-driven culture, the emphasis is always on new, new, new. The “what have you done for me lately” dilemma. While I’m as interested in technological advancements as the next guy, our desire for the next big thing can cause us to overlook the tried and true, the old reliables, those products and services that might need a tweak every now and then but certainly not an overhaul. Case in point: The Boulders, in Scottsdale, ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/3292/the-boulders-between-a-rock-and-an-easy-place I’m jealous. Just a little, not a lot. But a foursome of my golf-writing brethren is in Scottsdale, Arizona, right now, playing a week’s worth of courses and no doubt eating and drinking two weeks’ worth of food and booze. (If you know golf writers, you know what I mean!) My jealousy is limited because I actually was in Scottsdale myself a few weeks ago—a post on that trip will appear soon—but in the meantime, you ... ]]> http://jimgolfrank.com/golf/golf/3281/win-a-golf-trip-to-scottsdale-arizona