A few new things caught my eye today, and here’s a fast look at three of them.

TRUE Linkswear. I can’t wait to try these shoes on the course, having slipped on a pair and walked around the booth of this company committed to making shoes that are comfortable and promote a better game. A wee bit funky looking and worn by PGA Tour pro Ryan Moore (who is also known for sporting cardigan sweaters and ties with his golf shirts), TRUE Linkswear shoes let your feet feel the ground. Referred to as a “slipper with traction,” they are wide and soft like the best bedroom slippers, and very low to the ground. I’m especially fond of the wide toe box (having rather long and large feet, as I’m written before): Just walking in the booth I could tell my feet will be secure yet comfortable, with no squeezing of the sides. Here are two models, the Stealth (left) and the phx (right), which like all their shoes have leather uppers (models are waterproof or water resistant), a flexible rubber sole, ergo-fit insole, and the company’s proprietary “TRUE barefoot” platform. Women’s models are also available, with pricing from about $100-$200 a pair. Truelinkswear.com.

JumboMax Grips. I’d always heard that playing with overly large grips restricts the player’s hand rotation, leading to slicing. Not so, according to JumboMax, which makes grips for all clubs that are significantly larger than standard (just look at the photograph for a comparison). Again, I haven’t had a chance to try them on the course, but some practice swings in the booth reveal that the hands aren’t stopped from rotating; in fact, just the opposite as the hands feel more natural and relaxed. The larger size means more of the hands actually is on the grip, and relaxed hands are less tense, which means more speed and distance. Company tests say the JumboMax generates 38% more turning power, actually increasing consistency and accuracy. It’s a good story, one that I look forward to testing for myself. JumboMax.com.

Innovex Golf Balls. Here is a product I did try on the course, new golf balls from Innovex. The V-Motion is a Tour-quality, urethane ball that is being compared to Titleist’s Pro-V1 ball for its high spin and feel. However unlike the bigger-name balls, the cost is only $32.95 a dozen. The E-Motion is a three-piece ball designed to fly farther, spin faster, and feel softer than comparable balls, and costs only about $20 a dozen. I preferred the E-Motion (I saw a little more distance and preferred the feel even if it was a little harder than the other ball), but at those prices it’s easy—and smart—to compare for yourself. Both balls also come with a money-back guarantee. Innovexgolf.com.

Some companies are just fun to write about, and one of the most amusing—as well as innovative and successful—is Sun Mountain. Operating out of golf-mad Missoula, Montana, and run by a former club pro, Sun Mountain introduced the world to a golf bag with built-in legs nearly 25 years ago, to be followed by numerous innovations in outerwear, carts, travel covers, and other smart stuff.

What’s fun about Sun Mountain is its willingness to make products that truly improve the game. For example, after creating a foldable, lightweight “push cart” in 1999, a motor was added a few years later and the original Speed Cart became self-propelled.

More recently, a totally waterproof golf bag debuted, cleverly called H2NO. The Zero-G stand bag (right) has a hip belt that moves weight to the golfer’s lower body so carrying it feels almost weightless. The ClubGlider travel cover has retractable legs, with wheels, that support the weight of a golf bag and make it easy to maneuver through airports and parking lots.

Keeping with the transportable bag theme, this year’s cool product is the Mantys (above), a four-wheeled, rechargeable, electric vehicle that is more scooter than golf cart. With the bag mounted in front, the player stands on two running boards and steers the Dutch-made device—which can reach a top speed of about 15 mph—by shifting his weight. A handle-mounted lever operates hydraulic disk brakes, shock absorbers promise a smooth ride, and a full charge should last 36 holes. At only 75 pounds and fitted with pneumatic tires, it won’t harm the course; after the round it collapses and fits in most car trunks. When the Mantys becomes available this spring, the price will be $3,250.

Also new to the catalogue are three ClubGliders (left), varying by size and price—from $269-$349. There’s an electric version of the company’s lightest push cart, the Micro ($799; non-motorized is $239), as well as a new bag designed specifically for either Micro, the MCB ($209).

Perhaps thanks to its Montana home, Sun Mountain makes a wide variety of outerwear good for golf and other activities. The new top-of-the-line Rainflex comes as full-zip jackets, half-zip pullovers, short-sleeve pullovers, and pants. All the pieces are lightweight, stretchable, breathable, and, of course, waterproof (guaranteed for two years) with adjustable cuffs and waist, plus other features. Prices range from $145 to $210, in a wide spectrum of colors.

A stretchable half-zip pullover called ThermaFlex (right) can be worn as a light jacket or under raingear ($70). It joins a full family of thermal gear with multiple uses.

Check out the details on all Sun Mountain products on the website while I anxiously await the next cool thing.

But the best players in the world are nearly unanimous when it comes to their golf-bag travel cover: More than 90% of the pros on the PGA and Champion Tours use a cover made by Club Glove. And none of them are paid to do so.

The mainstay of the Club Glove collection is “The Last Bag”—so-called for its durability—which is available in 16 colors (black to pink champagne) and in two sizes: Standard (below) and XL for those gargantuan bags the pros use. All Club Glove products are made of a nylon fabric called Invista Cordura, which is extremely strong, lightweight, well padded, and won’t tear, scuff, or lose its color.

I shudder to think of the abuse that’s been heaped on my Last Bag (yes, I own one and have used it for more than 20 years) during its tens of thousands of miles of travel; other than some stretching at the seams, it’s still good to go.

At the recent PGA Show I was told that there’ve been some improvements to the wheels (the same ones found on in-line skates) and the high-impact plastic base/back. And the zipper that runs the length of the cover has been extended to the very top, making it easier to get a golf bag in and out. As well as the shoes, laundry, rain gear, and other crap we bring along on our golf road trips.

Club Glove also makes a line of luggage from the same material, zippers, wheels, straps, and plastic. These bags—duffels, carry-ons, suiters, etc.—fit a preposterous amount of stuff. This year, the company introduced a system it calls “Train Reaction” (above), which connects three pieces of the luggage (with or without a golf bag) in such a way that they are easier to move as a single unit than if they were loaded on a cart.

“Even petite people can move heavy gear such as golf clubs in any direction with hardly any effort,” says Jeff Herold, Club Glove’s president. “There’s no assembly or external hardware needed.”

Herold says Train Reaction eliminates all downward and upward forces on the handles, even when the bags aren’t perfectly packed. By shifting the train’s center of gravity, the bags feel almost weightless whether being pushed or pulled. You can see the Train in what the company says is actual use in two videos (one with golf bag, one without).

The Last Bag retails at $289; the XL is $319. The Train Reaction runs from $667 to $757 depending on which bags are connected. More information, including ordering, is on the website.

CB3 Tour driver

XCG-3 driver

Once upon a time, Chicago was the center of the golf industry, home to such iconic brands as Wilson, TaylorMade, Northwestern, Tommy Armour, and Ram. But beginning in the 1970s and ‘80s, the balance of power tipped to the West Coast (where TaylorMade headed years ago), leaving the remaining Windy City stalwarts to shrink or vanish. Only Wilson remains, hoping—yet again—to return to glory with the help of Padraig Harrington.

Which means the top Chicagoland golf company today is Tour Edge, a 25-year-old brand that has made its mark by supplying quality and innovation at affordable prices.

Tour Edge was founded in 1985 by David Glod, a local golf pro with an eye, and mind, for club design. Still the head of the company, Glod is an inveterate tinkerer who isn’t afraid to experiment with new designs, materials, and manufacturing techniques as he builds equipment for both the high- and mid-priced segments of the market.

The high-end products go under the name Exotics, and in the past few months Glod has busily added to that line. Two Exotics drivers recently came on the market: the XCG-3, for the majority of golfers, and the CB3 Tour, for better players.

HT Max irons

Both clubs exhibit a key characteristic of the Exotics brand: light weight, which translates to faster swing speeds. The 460cc XCG-3 combines a lightweight carbon crown with a thin face and body made of lightweight titanium, plus two heavy tungsten weights in the sole to lower the center of gravity and make the club more forgiving. The CB3 Tour has a slightly smaller (430cc) head, permitting good players to work their shots: Its crown, body, and hosel are titanium while the sole is heavier steel, and like the XCG-3 the components are combo-brazed (chemically bonded) together rather than welded for what the company says is a more efficient transfer of energy at impact. The center of gravity in the CB3 is a little higher to produce the low, boring flight good players want.

Tour Edge has earned praise for its fairway woods, which are in the bags of a number of Tour players, and there are new models to accompany the new drivers. XCG-3 fairway woods have the thinnest titanium face the company has ever made, as well as a tungsten sole, which together hit shots with less spin, more speed, and more forgiveness. CB3 fairway woods fix a titanium face to an all-steel body in a slightly smaller size that allows for more workability.

The XCG-3 and CB3 driver retail at $349. The fairway woods are $299.

XCG-3 irons

In irons, the new XCG-3 is a slightly oversized blade design fitted with a lightweight carbon/plastic insert in the back of each head for feel. The insert in the long irons (3-6) is firm and helps create more distance; the short irons (7-sand wedge) have a softer insert that results in better touch and more spin. Like all Exotics clubs, the faces vary in thickness for consistent distance no matter where the ball is struck. The irons are priced from $599-$699, depending on the shaft (and more than 13 “stock” shafts are available).

Players looking for quality products at low prices should check out the Tour Edge line. The new HT Max irons have a wide sole and an undercut cavity behind the face; they are very forgiving both in shotmaking and price, retailing at $299 for 8 clubs with steel shafts, $399 with graphite. The matching HT Max woods are a 460cc titanium driver ($149), fairway woods ($119), and hybrids ($99), all with the latest technology, aerodynamic shaping, and lifetime guarantees. The Tour Edge line also includes TGS wedges for $39 and $49, and Backdraft putters at $39.

HP7 Varsity set for teens

If your kids are ready for golf, Tour Edge makes a number of sets for them. Bazooka Geo Max Jr. clubs are built and sized especially for age groups 3-5, 5-8, and 9-12 (or definable by height: under 3’-3”; 3’-3” to 4’-4”; and 4’-4” to 5’-1”). The clubs—driver, fairway wood, hybrid, irons, wedges, and putter—come in different set make-ups beginning at $79. The driver has a 350cc titanium head, all the clubs have extra-flexible graphite shafts and other design features to help get shots airborne, and each set also includes a stand bag.

Once the kids get a little older, they can move up to the HP7 Varsity set, a 12-piece package designed for teens that includes a 460cc driver, fairway wood, hybrid, two oversized cavity-back irons, two wedges, and a putter, as well as a stand bag and headcovers, for $219.

There’s much more about Tour Edge and Exotics clubs and accessories on the website.

From here...

A few years ago, there were just one or two companies exhibiting GPS systems at the PGA Show. Then came more, and more, until it appeared they might crowd out the club manufacturers.

This year, GPS-based course-mapping and yardage-reading products remained popular. But the growing use of social networking and smartphones has changed the industry landscape—or, more accurately, cyberscape—and is allowing this technology to come to us in ever more convenient formats.

...to here

If you want yardages, hole maps, and all that cool stuff, but the idea of bringing another battery-operated device into your life is too scary, take a look at iGolf, software that downloads to your smartphone: It already works with the iPhone, Android, Palm Pre, and others, and will soon be available for the BlackBerry.

Relying on its own team of people to map courses (no Google Maps or other existing cartography here), iGolf has listings of more than 33,000 courses and is the brains behind many other companies’ devices, such as those manufactured by Bushnell. Signing on with iGolf also provides access to thousands of course and equipment reviews, the ability to track handicaps, keep and store scores and statistics, and contribute to a growing social network of other golf nuts.

There’s a free trial available, then the service costs $5 a month or $50 a year, which is much less than the stand-alone devices out there. And it’s one fewer thing to break, lose, drop in the toilet, or throw at your partner after he misses a crucial four-footer.

The golf-specific line includes more than 20 frame designs, each with a set of three interchangeable lenses.

–GT (golf-tennis) lens is a smoky green: It’s for full sun when you want to see the ball in flight, and is likely to be your everyday lens.

–EC (extreme contrast) lens is purple, and as its name implies, it offers the most contrast, enabling you to see contours and other characteristics washed out by sun and glare, making it the choice for reading greens.

–AC Red (which actually looks more orange) means All Conditions, so it works anytime but is especially good in overcast conditions, early in the morning and late in the day, in low light and shadow.

Tifosi lenses also feature a bit of technology called “decentering,” something I heard about from a number of optical companies at the PGA Show. Some manufacturers make (or buy) their lenses with the maximum point of no distortion in the center of the lens, which is fine for many activities. However, as a golfer think how often you look through somewhere other than dead center: Addressing the ball, both on a full shot and putting, you’re actually looking down and through the lower part of the lens; decentering moves the non-distortion spot a little lower for those times when clarity is vital.

I was also impressed by the frames, made of durable nylon so they are extremely flexible. The temples and nosepiece don’t only bend to fit your head size and shape, they’re also hydrophilic, which means they grip better when wet (i.e., sweaty). And some of the lenses feature Fototec, gradually darkening in brightening sunlight.

Tifosi sunglasses can be found at more than 3,500 retail locations including Edwin Watts Golf, PGA Tour Superstores, and GolfDom; there’s a dealer locator, including online outlets, on the company website, where you can see all the options and learn more about the technology.

Every Tifosi sunglass comes in a hard-shell case that has pockets for the other lenses and a cleaning cloth. They also come with a lifetime warranty and can be fitted with prescription lenses.

As I said, a lot of bang for not a lot of buck.

Golf gloves have been around since the turn of the 20^th century: The early ones often were fingerless or backless. They didn’t catch on with the pros until the 1930s, with Sam Snead among the first to wear one regularly. By the 1960s, they were part of the golfer’s kit, a way to reduce wear and tear on one’s hands securing a better grip on the club. However, other than improvements in the material (usually cabretta leather, from the skins of sheep that have hair instead of wool), not much has changed in glove design over the decades.

About 10 years ago, the Hillerich & Bradsby Company—the same people that make PowerBilt golf equipment and Louisville Slugger baseball bats—started a division called Bionic that creates specialty gloves for sports such as baseball, hockey, and weight lifting. In 2005, the first golf glove was introduced, having been entirely rethought and redesigned under the auspices of a noted orthopedic hand specialist, Dr. James Kleinert.

At the PGA Show, I attended my third or fourth Dr. Kleinert press conference over the years, every one a fascinating look at our prehensile, multi-fingered body parts, to use Wikipedia’s definition of “hand.” Each meeting has also been the introduction of a newer and better version of the Bionic glove.

The latest is called “Performance Series” (shown both above and right), which was three years in the making, claims 44 ergonomic features, comes in 24 sizes, and conforms to USGA Rules. There are detailed discussions of the technology on the website, but in short, the fingers are actually shaped like human fingers (which are not straight but curl in from the sides), the seams are placed so they don’t restrict flexing, the insides are layered with leather and terrycloth in select spots so the gloves conform to the hand and absorb moisture, and Lycra is used in the “flexion zones” so the glove doesn’t bunch and the whole thing can breathe and ventilate.

There’s more, but it starts to get pretty technical. The bottom line, according to Dr. Kleinert, is a glove that offers enhanced comfort and feel, more flexibility, is lighter in weight (so the hand doesn’t have to work as hard, reducing fatigue), breathes and dries faster, and is durable. The retail price is $29.95.

For golfers looking for different features, Bionic also makes the Pro model, which is ultra-thin, tight-fitting, and designed for low-handicap players; the Silver Series, designed for arthritic relief; and the original Classic (now being worn on Tour by Paul Azinger). I’ve used various models of Bionic gloves over the years and have been impressed with each one. I expect the same from the new Performance line.

And if you are interested in keeping your Bionic, or any other, glove from drying out and turning stiff between rounds, check out The Glove Saver. For about $7 you get a resealable plastic bag with a special insert called Humidipak that maintains the relative humidity at around 69%. The company also makes a product for cigars, keeping them fresh and moist. For more information on The Glove Saver, including how to find a nearby retailer, check the website. Humidipak has its own website, which explains its technology and products.

Weir Golf Signature Series Grinder Mela-Lens Polarized

Over the past few years, the definition of “golf equipment” has expanded to include shoes, gloves, spikes, and even tees as manufacturers have argued that with technological improvements, their products can affect a player’s performance.

So why not sunglasses?

Quality shades can help your game as well as your well-being. Besides protecting you from harmful ultraviolet rays, glare, and the onset of headaches, advances in lenses can make it easier to see the target, read greens, and judge distances. Correct information can make you more confident, and as every instructor will tell you, confidence leads to better shots and scores.

Hunter Mahan H Mela-Lens Tour Series

Over the next few weeks, as I write about what I saw at the recent PGA Merchandise Show, I’ll introduce a number of sunglass companies that impressed me with their products and technology. The order is purely random, having nothing to do with quality or preference. I think they’re all good.

First up is Sundog Eyewear, a Canadian firm that boasts Paula Creamer, Hunter Mahan, and local boy Mike Weir on its staff.

Last year Sundog introduced Mela-Lens, lenses infused with synthetic melanin—the chemical in our bodies that produces freckles and tans and protects us from the sun’s harmful effects. Like nearly all the products I saw, Sundog glasses block 100% of UVA and UVB rays (which can cause all manner of eye damage, including cataracts) without any distortion of the image or color. Mela-Lens lenses are said to be especially good at improving contrast by filtering, rather than blocking, harmful “blue” rays, sharpening detail without distorting colors.

Paula Creamer Collection Captiva Mela-Lens

Mela-Lens—available in the Paula Creamer and Hunter Mahan lines and the company’s Core Collection—come in two colors: brown and gray. Gray is the all-purpose choice, especially good in brighter light. Brown produces better contrast, making it the choice in low-light and shadow. New this year, Mela-Lens is also available in either polarized (glare-reducing) or Photochromic (the lenses darken as the light gets stronger) versions.

Sundog offers a lot of tech at a reasonable price, most of their glasses costing between $45 and $150. They’re available at many off-course golf stores, such as PGA Tour Superstores, Golf Galaxy (U.S.), and Golf Town (Canada), and at more than 5,000 top public and private clubs around the world. For much more information, check out their website.

Meanwhile, somewhat lost in the ballyhoo is a strong lineup of new clubs, with more offerings for a wider variety of player.

Since Nike’s founding in 1972, the company mantra has been “athletes first.” The runners, swimmers, kickers, dunkers, smashers, and golfers who use Nike products guide the company in many ways, notably with input on new products. In golf, this means that the likes of Lucas Glover, Justin Leonard, Suzann Pettersen, Paul Casey, Anthony Kim, Michelle Wie, and Tiger have contributed much more than just their two cents. The result is the Victory Red (or “VR”) line, which is being marketed as the better player’s club and already is in the bags of nearly all Team Nike’s pros.

The most notable feature of the new VR Tour drivers (available in an adjustable STR8-FIT—shown left—or non-adjustable version) is the “compression channel,” a groove cut into the sole that runs parallel to the clubface. The channel allows the face to compress at impact, producing higher ball speeds, and also helps produce a lower ball flight, something better players want—especially those really talented ones who make big money hitting a “stinger” off the tee.

“The Compression Channel technology takes the rigidity out of the sole and provides more flex in the heel,” says Tom Stites, Director of Club Creation for Nike Golf. “By adding this technology, we have made the VR drivers more forgiving for the better players when they miss it in the lower zone of the heel.”

The STR8-FIT driver can be adjusted to 32 different face-angle settings; the non-adjustable version is slightly smaller and has a more traditional pear shape. According to my sources, Team Nike is about evenly split between the adjustable and single-setting models.

Matching VR Fairway Woods are adjustable; hybrids are single position. The VR drivers cost $399, the fairway woods $249, and the hybrids $169. A new promotion, called “signing bonus,” gives buyers credit for up to $200 in Nike goods with specific club purchases; ask about it at your favorite shop.

Nike “makes no apologies to the average golfer about Victory Red,” I was told. In other words, if you’re not good enough, don’t screw yourself by playing the wrong clubs. The right clubs from Nike for most players would be those labeled SQ Machspeed.

The SQ Machspeed STR8-FIT driver (right) is the latest iteration of Nike’s distinctive square-head technology. Modifications to the head’s shape and the sole are designed to improve aerodynamics so the club moves faster during the swing. A “speed slot” and indentations in the sole change how the club cuts through the air: Wind-tunnel testing showed a reduction in drag (wind resistance) of 30%; Justin Leonard, speaking golf rather than physics, says he’s hitting his drives 10 yards longer. (Leonard is the notable Nike pro using the SQ driver rather than VR.)

A lighter-weight women’s driver is available, as are matching fairway woods and hybrids. The men’s and women’s drivers are adjustable to eight positions; the other clubs are single position. The drivers are $299, fairway woods $199, hybrids $149, and all qualify for the “signing bonus” program.

New Machspeed irons (left) are also for the majority of golfers and represent what designer Stites has been trying to do with game-improvement clubs for years. In fact, they were described to me as Slingshot irons—Nike’s original game improvers—“on steroids.” A deeper center of gravity puts more mass lower in the club, where most of us actually make contact, while the steel material and method of construction create a thin, hot face. There’s lots of bragging about this being the fastest Nike iron ever, and fast means long. A set of eight clubs (4-iron through approach wedge) goes for $699 with steel shafts, $799 for graphite. The Slingshot irons are now $499 for steel, $599 for graphite (those sets include seven irons and one hybrid).

All Nike pros are playing one of the VR iron lines. All the more reason the rest of us should take a good look at the SQ Machspeed. For much more information on Nike equipment, check out their website.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll write about what I saw, especially new-product information on clubs, clothes, and more. I can’t say I saw every exhibitor, every booth, but I did see a great deal of new, interesting, and fun stuff. And I hope to hear from some of the many companies I missed.

Till then, a few observations.

In clubs, the three buzzwords were aerodynamics, lightweight, and price—drag, weight, and cost are all down. This is a good time to look for top-of-the-line technology at prices we haven’t seen in years. It’s tough going in the golf industry and manufacturers are not only being forced to lower their prices but to smile while they do so.

Although I didn’t see nearly as many fashion companies as I would have liked, what I did see was fascinating. Like the story I posted on Quagmire Golf before heading south, there’s no shortage of energy and excitement in soft goods, with both forward-looking and terrific throwback looks hitting golf shops soon.

Lots of electronics—GPS systems, launch monitors, transportation devices. I also conducted an informal survey of sunglass companies as I’ve long thought they were overlooked as golf “equipment.” Not only do we not take very good care of our eyes during four-plus hours in the sun, but the best glasses actually can make the game easier (and less of a headache, both figuratively and literally).

Plus tees, luggage, gloves, shoes, practice devices… Please keep reading and letting me know what you think.

Again, to all those companies that I missed, please get in touch with me.

And to all you very kind people who had words of congratulations for my ING writing awards, my sincere thanks. I’m still stunned, as well as sore from having to carry the plaques in my knapsack on the way home. (My suitcase was six pounds overweight and what do you know, two wooden plaques weigh six pounds!)

Photographs courtesy of The PGA of America.