Edwin Watts Golf’s THINK GOLF IT’S FRIDAY TOURTM Reaches More Than 55,000 Golfing Consumers Throughout Inaugural 2011 TOUR

Interactive Activities Included Thousands of Performance Club Fittings, Equipment Demos, Short Game Clinics, Prize Giveaways

(FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla.) - By hosting more than 55,000 golfing consumers, and conducting over 2,000 custom club and ball fittings, every day was Friday at Edwin Watts Golf Shops in 2011, as golfers across the south and southeast came out en masse to participate in over 60 events during the inaugural THINK GOLF IT’S FRIDAY TOURTM (TGIF TOUR).

Edwin Watts Golf Shops, one of the world’s largest specialty golf retailers, created the 2011 TGIF TOUR to promote the game of golf heading into the weekends.  With all events free and open to the public, the TGIF TOUR evolved from a series of two-day events into a week-long schedule of activities, becoming the golf industry’s largest grassroots consumer retail tour throughout the year.

All TGIF TOUR events encompassed a breadth of interactive activities, providing consumers with the opportunity to test out the latest new product innovations from golf’s leading brands, tune-up their game with performance club & ball fittings, register to win an assortment of prizes, enjoy special deals and much more.  Several PGA TOUR stars made appearances throughout the year, and the leading equipment manufacturers supported the events with their retail and TOUR vans on-site, while providing an assortment of giveaways.

“Golfers of all ages and skills levels came out to our locations to experience the excitement surrounding the TGIF TOUR, and I’m thrilled we delivered positive experiences,” said John Watson, CEO, Edwin Watts Golf Shops.  “We are committed to not only promoting the game of golf, but helping drive its growth, and this grassroots retail tour proved to be a great vehicle to get core golfers, beginners and families into our stores, while getting them excited about the game.”

The inaugural TGIF TOUR included 15 events hosted at EWGS locations on the same weekend that a professional tournament (PGA Tour or Champions Tour) was visiting that respective market, providing an exciting complementary event for golf aficionados, while the remaining 50+ events took place in conjunction with Edwin Watts Golf’s popular tent sales.  Thus, in addition to the incredible deals that have become synonymous with the annual tent sales, golfers of all skill levels enjoyed a stable of interactive activities and had the opportunity to win an assortment of great prizes.

Custom fitting was one of the primary activities at each respective TGIF TOUR event throughout the year.  Edwin Watts Golf store associates and field representatives from the leading equipment brands utilized the Company’s in-store launch monitors and swing analysis software to conduct performance fitting sessions at all TGIF TOUR events.

Watson added, “The TGIF TOUR was created to provide golfers with an opportunity to test new equipment and work closely with our trusted associates who offer the industry’s finest turnkey custom fitting program.  Playing the game with properly fit golf clubs is a key to improvement, and it makes golfers not only enjoy the game more, but motivates them to play more often.”

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