GolfBuddy Kicks-Off Launch Of Next Generation GPS Rangefinder With "GolfBuddy Getaway" Sweepstakes

Global leader in GPS rangefinder technology to award Hawaiian golf vacation

(La Palma, CA) - GolfBuddy, the global leader and first GPS rangefinder company to offer preloaded courses with no annual subscription fees, is proud to announce the launch of the "GolfBuddy Getaway" sweepstakes. This promotion, which kicks-off the launch of GolfBuddy's most recent GPS rangefinder, the World, will offer one lucky winner a dream golf vacation to Hawaii. The sweepstakes will run from April 1 through May 31, with the winner being selected in early June.

The "GolfBuddy Getaway" winner will receive:
• 2 rounds of golf at Turtle Bay Golf Course for winner and guest;
• Round trip airfare for 2;
• 4 days/3 nights at Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu, Hawaii (dates to be determined by winner and availability);
• A free GolfBuddy World to use on their trip.

To enter the "GolfBuddy Getaway" and to view the official contest rules, visit the sweepstakes website at: www.GPSGolfBuddy.com/sweepstakes.

"We are excited to offer one lucky winner these once-in-a-lifetime prizes," said Harry Jung, president of GolfBuddy. "I can't think of a better way to launch the GolfBuddy World, than by giving away a golf trip to Hawaii. It will be an excellent chance to utilize the GolfBuddy World while playing on one of the most picturesque and challenging golf courses in the world."

The GolfBuddy World is the next generation, easy-to-use GPS rangefinder with a high resolution, color touch screen. The World has the capacity to hold 40,000 courses in its memory, and comes preloaded with more than 32,000 courses worldwide. Like all GolfBuddy products, the World is fully operational right out of the box and doesn't have any subscription charges or extra download fees.

The GolfBuddy World displays a full layout view of each hole plus an overhead view from the tee box to the green. By using the innovative Touch Point Technology, one touch of the screen provides an instant yardage reading from the ball to the green.

Additionally, the user can zoom-in to the green and adjust the pin placement to an exact position on the green. The display features the actual shape of the green, allowing the golfer to calculate exact yardage on approach shots and resulting in greater confidence and precision.

The GolfBuddy World is priced at $299.99 and is available for purchase at a golf retailer near you. For more information on GolfBuddy, visit www.GPSGolfBuddy.com.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

Abacus Debuts Spring 2011 Collection

Abacus Pitch 59 Offers The Very Best In Rain Wear.

Swedish apparel maker, Abacus, markets and sells leisure clothing with golf at the heart of its inspiration. The company's collections combine functionality, design, and quality in a way that has given Abacus a very strong international presence in just a few years.

Wind and sea. Sun and sky. Crisp and clean. Golf in Scandinavia is played with a backdrop of these pure elements. On the course, Scandinavians also like to dress in clothes that are stylistically simple--something that blends in but also stands out. The Abacus 2011 Spring Collection embodies that clarity in Scandinavian nature. But Abacus has infused something extra: color.

Abacus has gathered together the marine palette and let it explode. The Swedish archipelago inspires the whole collection. The collection is submerged in light tones and includes all the shades of the Swedish islands: starry-white gliding over sky blue and gleaming indigo tones and white stripes on pastel backgrounds. The result is elegant and extravagant.

It should also be said that Abacus' precision in fabric choice and function is as stringent as ever. Storms and rain force you to focus on keeping warm, dry and comfortable. To be challenged by both the golf course and the weather is something that golfers are used to. Without neglecting any detail, Abacus has developed a technical collection with outstanding waterproofing and breathable stretch fabric, which is lightweight, flexible and with functional details. The collection is for those that want to test their own and nature's limits.

Pitch 59 Full Stretch Rain Jacket
Abacus' best and most sold rainwear, the Pitch is made from a four-way stretch OPT 15,000 fabric for maximum comfort and freedom of movement. The easy-to-swing feature created by the special sleeve construction and lining, in combination with the lightweight and quiet fabric, makes the Pitch the ideal outerwear for the most demanding players. The OPT stretch fabric is a 2-layer stretch material.

Extremely flexible and covered with DWR, it provides excellent water repellency and stain protection. The Pitch is windproof, features sealed seams, and is waterproof tested to 15,000 millimeters of water-proofness and 30,000 grams of breathability. It comes with a two year guarantee and is available in men's and women's. Plus, once again, Abacus is the official apparel provider for the 2011 European Solheim Cup team.

Material: 100 percent polyester / poly knit stretch / poly ripstop lamination / 10,000 waterproofness / 10,000 breathable / sealed seams / stretchable
Men's Sizes: S-XXL; Women's Sizes: XS - XXL
Colors: black; dark grey
U.S. SRP Women's: $325 / U.S. SRP Men's: $365

For more information on Abacus apparel, call Caulfeild apparel at (800) 268-7939.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

Miura Golf Introduces Passing Point 9003 (PP-9003) Forged Cavity-Back Irons

(Vancouver, British Columbia/Himeji, Japan) - Japanese golf-club manufacturer Miura Golf-which has been making the world's highest-quality forged irons for 44 years-is officially introducing its Passing Point 9003 forged cavity-back irons.

The Passing Point concept is Miura's recognition of golfers' lifelong steps to improvement. While there is a passing point when you pass from acquaintance to friend, from novice to serious student, from casual golfer to committed competitor, golf clubs can also have a passing point. When clubs are taken to a new level, they become more than just 14 tools in a bag. They become friends in their own right.

In the Miura tradition of melding functional golf design with an artistic eye, Miura crafted a wider sole to help with effective turf interaction. Yet the sole takes an elegant shape that doesn't look oversized. Likewise, the offset is designed to flow naturally into the clubhead to preserve a confident look at address, but still benefit players who need some help squaring the clubface at impact.

The cavity has been carefully designed to assign just the right amount of weight to the most effective places in the head. The thoroughly researched and tested PP-9003 design places the center of gravity low for a high, soft-landing flight that still holds its line and never balloons. And as with all Miura clubs, the weight and balance are obsessively consistent throughout the set.

The worldwide introduction of the Passing Point 9003 or (PP-9003) irons was April 1. The launch is exciting news for golfers, as Miura Golf-which has never had a fixed time frame for new-product introductions-only debuts new models when the quality of new technological advances demands it.

The PP-9003 is available in a 4-iron through pitching wedge set (plus gap wedge) in right-hand only. The PP-9003 can be tested by visiting www.miuragolf.com to locate the closest Miura dealer. Pricing begins at $225 per iron.

Miura is a family company, and the development of this club brought out the best in two generations of Miura expertise. Company founder and chairman Katsuhiro Miura worked with his sons, Yoshitaka and Shinei, to make a "friendly" golf club. Together, they created a club of surpassing utility, ease of play and, yes, friendliness. The PP-9003-with its wider sole, higher launch angle and perfect amount of offset-is designed for all levels of players, but seniors, women and high-handicappers will particularly benefit from the iron's performance characteristics.

The friendly PP-9003 irons are easier to address with confidence; they promote well-balanced ball trajectory in terms of distance, direction and height; and there's no variance in shape, weight or balance between each club in the set, which provides golfers with confidence.

"The PP-9003 irons are not only aesthetically pleasing, but the incredible technology will help golfers of all handicap levels get the most out of their games," says Adam Barr, president of Miura Golf. "We are confident golfers will fall in love with the PP-9003 irons, especially after they see their games improve."

Positioned as a stepping stone to the Miura clubs intended for better players, Passing Point is Miura's way of reaching out to all golfers. Anyone who plays the game deserves a great forged club-and Passing Point is the newest place to begin that eternal journey towards golf excellence.

"Mr. Miura, Yoshitaka and Shinei have created another superb addition to the Miura club line with the Passing Point 9003 irons," says Bill Holowaty, Executive VP - Product Strategies for Miura Golf in North America. "The PP-9003 irons feature timeless Miura styling and peerless Miura performance, and if you think the visual impact is strong, wait until you hit it."

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

Why a Performance Tee is Crucial: Part 2

ZFX - The 4 Prong Ultra Performance Tee

(Oakbrook Terrace, IL) - One of the first questions Zero Friction is asked when introducing the ZFX is "Why did you create a 4-prong golf tee?" The answer really is quite simple. Zero Friction is dedicated to creating high quality, performance products with innovative technological advancements, so why not create a high performance 4-prong golf tee? The other reason why we created the ZFX is that it is slightly easier to place the ball on the tee with the added stability of four prongs.

The second question we are usually asked is why are the prongs facing the way that they are? That answer is also quite straightforward. The patented 4-prong design is very similar to the original 3-prong ZF golf tee, in that its unique blueprint reduces the contact area between the ball and tee by 66 percent, which ultimately leads to longer straighter drives. The only way to achieve the 66 percent less coverage was to place the prongs in this way to upkeep the performance.

Once again, similar to the ZF there are a few tricks to having the ZFX perform at its best. First, for optimum performance, point the prongs outwards of the target; by doing this, you are allowing for nearly 50 percent of the ball to hang in midair, allowing for the most club to ball contact as possible, leading to a longer drive.

Second, if you have trouble placing your ball on either the Zero Friction Original 3-Prong Golf Tee or the ZFX 4-Prong Golf tee, there's a simple explanation to help. If your ball falls off, your tee is not straight. The only way both the ZFX and ZF are completely effective is if the tee is placed straight in the ground, due to the design of both products it ensures that this is the case because if not straight the ball falls off. Compared to a standard cup or other performance tees, if the tee is not straight, the ball is still able to nestle in the cup, keeping it on the tee. This creates more dispersion and less distance off the tee.

The ZFX is available in 2 ¾" and 3 ¼" sizes in four colors: lemon-lime, magenta, citrus orange and white. Each size and color offers the superior performance of the Zero Friction™ brand.
Next time you head out to play a round, choose a Zero Friction Tee for the best performance and allow your golf tee to help improve your game.

The only question left is what tee will you choose the ZF 3-Prong or the ZFX 4-Prong?

Keep up to date with Zero Friction by reading Part Three of the series: Why a Performance Tee is Crucial later this week.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

Report shows Sun Mountain best selling golf bag

(Missoula, Mt.) – Sun Mountain is proud to announce that Golf Datatech’s annual retail market share report for 2010 was recently released and revealed Sun Mountain has the highest market share in golf bags. The report includes sales in carry bags and cart bags, at on-course and off-course golf specialty shops.

To learn more about the Sun Mountain line of lightweight carry bags, walking cart bags and riding cart golf bags, visit www.sunmountain.com or call 800-227-9224.

Ed Kowachek, President of Sun Mountain said, “We are extremely proud of everyone on the team, from design to production to shipping to customer service and sales, for pulling together to earn Sun Mountain’s spot as the top selling brand of golf bags.”

This is not the only good news the company has received so far in 2011. Earlier this month, Sun Mountain was named “Best Golf Bag Brand” following months of consumer voting on About.com.

According to the Golf Datatech annual market share report, Sun Mountain is the top selling golf bag brand with a 16.5 percent share of sales. Breaking the numbers down, Sun Mountain has a 20.4 percent share of sales at on-course shops and 14.7 percent at off-course golf specialty stores. The report showed that on the whole, golf bag sales were down 1.67 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, while Sun Mountain’s share of sales increased by 0.7 percent.

The Golf Datatech retail golf market share program provides timely and accurate data on market share, unit sales, dollar sales, inventories and distribution. The research includes results for the categories of golf balls, golf clubs (woods, irons, putters and wedges), golf bags, golf shoes and golf gloves.

In addition to golf bags, Sun Mountain is dedicated to finding the most innovative fabrics, the latest manufacturing processes, and the best designs to create a line of performance outerwear that protects from rain, wind and cold. For over 25 years, Sun Mountain has been designing and manufacturing functional, high-quality, lightweight golf bags for the serious golfer. Sun Mountain is responsible for many industry firsts, including being the first to use backpacking technology to produce a lightweight nylon golf bag, and being the first to develop a stand bag with integral legs. The Sun Mountain Speed Cart and ClubGlider travel bag are leaders in their respective categories.

To find the nearest retailer visit www.sunmountain.com or call 800-227-9224.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

Why A Performance Tee Is Crucial: Part 1

This is Part 1 of a series from Zero Friction

(Oakbrook Terrace, IL) - With the dawn of the golf season on the horizon, consumers will be out and about getting ready to hit the greens. While some golfers have already been out this year, the majority are getting ready to stock up on their essential golf gear. It is for that reason, the ever important golf tee is crucial. The golf tee is no longer viewed as a small part of the game; rather consumers are finding it's an essential part which can make or break their game.

Some may wonder, what is the advantage of a performance golf tee over a standard cup, is it just another product that is here that doesn't really help my game, or is legitimate?

Well, the answer to these questions is simple. The Zero Friction performance golf tee is the only tee in the marketplace that actually can help improve your game. In laboratory test results, the Zero Friction tee outperforms standard cup and other performance golf tees by staggering results.

The reason for the improvement in your game with Zero Friction is due to its unique design which reduces contact area between the ball and tee. The patented three prong design allows for 66 percent less surface coverage between the ball and tee, which ultimately leads to longer, straighter drives.

Now the key to this is to place one prong towards the target. Why, you may ask? First, this gets you thinking in the direction of your shot. Also, if you take a look at the ball sitting on top of the tee, with one prong towards the target, 50 percent of the ball is nearly hanging in midair. This allows for the most club to ball contact as possible, leading to a longer drive. At the moment of impact the ball is completely off the tee, which reduces dispersion by 50 percent. Other tees create dispersion and drag due to the ball nestling in the cup. A Zero Friction tee equates to hitting the ball on the sweet spot like a "flyer lie" every time!

Each week, the Zero Friction Performance Golf Tees make their way onto the PGA TOUR, not just in one color, size or product style, but in four sizes and three product styles, all which offer superior performance. To date, Zero Friction has more than 352 Top 10 finishes and 62 tour victories.

The performance tee is the next tee in golf, but yet it is so rarely thought about, which is why Zero Friction came on the market in 2005, to change that. Next time you make it to the course choose a Zero Friction Tee for the best in performance.

Be on the lookout next week for Part Two of the series: Why a Performance Tee is Crucial. For more information from Zero Gravity, contact Nicole M. Monaco (nicole@excelgolfproducts.com) at 630.317.7700, ext. 105.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

Allen Edmonds Honors Collection golf shoes features QR technology

The new Allen Edmonds Honors Collection golf shoes features QR code technology on hang tags that can access a special video showcasing the new line's fine craftsmanship process, Ben Crenshaw's commentary about the Honors Collection and the line's five shoe styles.

Although initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR codes are now used in a much broader context, including both commercial tracking applications and convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). QR codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards, or on just about any object about which users might need information.

Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR Code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the phone's browser. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks.

"This technology allows us to show and tell the Allen Edmonds' story of commitment to preeminent craftsmanship, quality materials and special engineering of our golf shoe," says Colin Hall, Chief Marketing Officer of Allen Edmonds. "We think we are the first shoe company to give golfers this special behind the scenes look on our 212-step handcrafting process and the entire Honors Collection line through QR technology. And Ben Crenshaw's role in this video adds to its appeal and demonstrates his dedication to the brand."

Introduced in January at the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show, the Honors Collection shoes brings almost a century of classic, handcrafted style, unrivaled comfort and time-tested performance to the sport of golf.
The shoes are made in the USA, using 360-degree Goodyear welted construction for greater stability while maintaining flexibility. They feature the finest premium leathers and performance system featuring specially engineered designs including a soft layer of cork between the insole and outsole for custom-like orthotic comfort as only Allen Edmonds can do. The Honors Collection features five new styles specific to golf, each suited to distinct performance and styling.

Every shoe in the Honors Collection comes in multiple widths. So like the finest golf clubs, a golfer can now get golf shoes that feel custom fitted. Like the company's world-renowned dress shoes, Allen Edmonds golf shoes will be available for their legendary Allen Edmonds' Recrafting services. In 2010, Allen Edmonds recrafted 60,000 pairs of shoes, making it the world's largest cobbler.

To view the collection, visit www.allenedmonds.com.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com