Bollé Expands Golf Collection for 2017

(Paris & Overland Park, Kan.) – With 12 unique models for 2017, Bollé has its largest collection of golf sunglasses to date. The addition of three stylish new models - Flash, Flyair and Attraxion - and a range of colors from Matte Black to Neon Yellow, ensures this year's line has something for every golfer.

Driven by the recognition that flawless vision is an essential element of hand-eye coordination, Bollé developed lenses for sport sunglasses that are among the most distortion-free on the market. The brand's exclusive Modulator V3 Golf lenses are made with Trivex, an advanced material far superior to polycarbonate (the material used for most sport sunglass lenses) in terms of optical clarity, weight, and strength.

Modulator photochromic technology allows the lenses to adapt quickly to changing conditions, ensuring the proper tint in any environment, from direct sunlight to shaded areas.

The tint of Modulator V3 Golf lenses – engineered specifically for the varying demands of the sport – is designed to highlight subtleties of the course. An exterior hydrophobic/oleophobic coating and interior anti-fog treatment combine to manage moisture and eliminate smudging.

Frames made of lightweight and extremely flexible B88 nylon provide all-day comfort. Thermogrip temple tips and nose pads keep the sunglasses firmly and comfortably in place. For an unobstructed view when looking down, all sunglasses in the collection have rimless or semi-rimless frame designs.

For more information, go to www.bolle.com.

Highly Ranked NCAA Golf Teams Return to Reynolds Lake Oconee

12th Annual Linger Longer Invitational, March 18-21, 2017

(Greensboro, Ga.) – Recognized as one of the country’s premier collegiate golf events, the 12th annual Linger Longer Invitational at Reynolds Lake Oconee is set to take place March 18-21, 2017 on the award-winning Great Waters course, designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Defending team champion Alabama is headed back to Reynolds Lake Oconee for 2017 to challenge a field that includes four of Golfweek magazine’s most recent Top 25 teams: No. 5 Virginia, No. 10 Georgia, No. 14 Baylor and No. 25 Kennesaw State, which co-hosts the event with Mercer University. Also competing in this year’s Linger Longer Invitational are Augusta, Charlotte, Maryland, Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Ohio State, Troy, Virginia Commonwealth University and North Carolina-Greensboro.

The 54-hole stroke-play tournament, which crowns both team and individual winners each year, annually welcomes top collegiate programs and players from around the country. Alabama is going for a fourth Linger Longer Invitational team title, having strung together previous team wins from 2011-2013. Georgia already has four LLI team championships (2006, 2007, 2009, 2014).

Georgia’s Lee McCoy, who earned the individual title in 2016 for the second year in a row, is now playing professionally, meaning there will be a new winner at Reynolds. Top-ranked collegians in the 2017 lineup include No. 12 Jimmy Stanger of Virginia, No. 15 Greyson Sigg and No. 30 Spencer Ralston of Georgia, as well as No. 22 Wyatt Larkin of Kennesaw State, No. 26 Braden Bailey of Baylor.

Numerous future PGA TOUR winners who have played in the Linger Longer Invitational include Rickie Fowler (Oklahoma State), Chris Kirk, Harris English and Russell Henley (Georgia), Jonas Blixt (Florida State) and Kyle Stanley (Clemson), as well as European Tour winner Peter Uihlein (Oklahoma State). But only one member of that talented group was able to win at Reynolds Lake Oconee – Kirk in 2007 on the Oconee course.

The Linger Longer Invitational has been held at three of the Reynolds Lake Oconee courses – twice at the Oconee (2006, 2007), followed by three years at The Landing (2008-2010) and now Great Waters (since 2011). Collegiate golf competition at Reynolds Lake Oconee got its formal start in the fall of 2005, when the Reynolds Classic was played at The Landing.

Among the special experiences of the tournament is the housing, provided by families throughout Reynolds Lake Oconee. Each year teams and their host families create a connection that lasts a lifetime, truly setting this event apart from others.

The Reynolds Lake Oconee community was recently one of only 11 properties to be selected for the Platinum Medal by GOLF Magazine. Derived from the ranking of GOLF’s “Top 100” Golf Resorts, those awarded are chosen based on their golf, lodging, food and drink, services, and Golfer’s Choice Awards votes.

For detailed information about the Linger Longer Invitational, including scoring, visit www.lingerlongerinvitational.com.

Zero Friction Adds Industry Veterans Chris Cavallari, Wes Whittingham to Business Development Team

(OAK BROOK TERRACE, IL) - Zero Friction, maker of technologically advanced performance golf products including the award-winning DistancePro Golf Glove, has made two impressive additions to its management team.

Chris Cavallari has been named Zero Friction's Global Business Director. Cavallari, a graduate of Loyola University, has held several management positions in sports, most recently as Corporate Sales Director with Wilson Golf. He will be charged with developing new growth channels in licensed products and corporate sales.

Golf industry veteran Wes Whittingham joins the Zero Friction team as Director of Business Development. His 26-year career include management and sales positions with such companies as Orlimar Golf, HEAD, Florsheim Shoes and most recently as Vice President of Sales at Bridgestone Golf. Whittingham earned a Master's Degree in Organizational Development at Benedictine University.

"We are thrilled to add these two accomplished individuals to our Zero Friction team, said company President John Iacono. "Both Chris and Wes have enjoyed tremendous success in their respective careers, and will fit in perfectly during a time of exciting growth for Zero Friction."

Zero Friction has earned a reputation as a groundbreaking company in the golf industry. Its most recent product, the Zero Friction DistancePro GPS Glove, solidifies that reputation, combining two necessities on the course - a glove and a GPS device - into one affordable product.

Powered by Bluetooth, the device sits conveniently on the glove flap and weighs less than half an ounce. The readout gives distances to the front, center and back of the green on over 35,000 golf courses programmed worldwide. The DistancePro GPS battery provides over 400 hours of golf, and the GPS device is transferrable to replacement Zero Friction gloves. The product recently won the prestigious ING Industry Honors Product Ingenuity Award.

Hall of Famer Johnny Miller was so impressed with Zero Friction that he acquired a stake in the company.

"What attracted me to Zero Friction in the beginning was the technology that was involved in creating such unique golf products," said Miller, now an NBC golf commentator. "The DistancePro GPS Glove is another great example. There is nothing else like it on the market."

Zero Friction is responsible for establishing the performance golf tee market, creating the first and only performance tee to ever carry the PGA TOUR logo. The company's patented three- and four-prong designs reduce the contact area between the ball and tee by 66 percent for longer, straighter drives. Since the debut in 2005, the Zero Friction tee has earned more than 70 victories on the PGA TOUR and was official merchandise of The Open Championship at Turnberry in 2009.

Zero Friction's most recent success story is in the golf glove segment. The company's colorful line of compression-fit gloves for men, women and juniors takes the guesswork out of sizing. Compression-fit technology means a universal fit within the various models, and the glove that will hold its shape longer than any on the market. For more information, visit zerofriction.com or call 847-436-4262.

St. Augustine and Its Golf Wonders on Traveling Golfer

(PHILADELPHIA, Pa.) - St. Augustine was America's first city ... so the treasure of golf that surrounds it is fittingly known as Florida's First Coast of Golf.

From Jacksonville and the islands in the north, to Palm Coast in the south, the area is a wonderland of golf ... and golf activity.

The March episode of the award-winning Traveling Golfer television show visits courses like the world-famous TPC Sawgrass, home of the Players Championship; the luxurious Ponte Vedra Inn & Club; local favorites such as the Golf Club at South Hampton, the St. John's Golf and Country Club and Cimarrone Golf Club; plus the two renowned courses at the World Golf Hall of Fame, the King and the Bear and the Slammer and the Squire.

Of course, the World Golf Hall of Fame is an attraction in itself and the Traveling Golfer takes viewers on a tour of this amazing tribute to the game of golf. Finally, no trip to the area is complete without spending time in the charming downtown area of St. Augustine - with its restaurants, shops and historic attractions.

"We are extremely proud of our little corner of the world," says Dave Reese, president of Florida's First Coast of Golf. He oversees the operation of the 501(c)6 organization that promotes golf tourism on the First Coast.

"We have seen the golf in this area grow tremendously in recent years," Reese continues. "We feel we have the best combination of quality golf, great year-round climate and attractions for non-golfers of any area in Florida. And it is all contained in a relaxed environment."

Show host Tony Leodora has been to the First Coast of Golf area a number of times over the years and cannot dispute Reese's claim about the quality of golf. "But what makes this area special is the activity when you walk off the golf course," explains Leodora. "For the dedicated golf nut, there is no better experience than the World Golf Hall of Fame. It gives me chills every time I walk through the halls."

The episode from St. Augustine and its surrounding area began airing March 1 and runs throughout the month on the Traveling Golfer network of websites ... including The Golf Director Network (see full list of sites on travelinggolfervideo.com). It also will air on Monday, March 13 as part of the Press Box television show in Myrtle Beach, 5 to 7 p.m. on HTC Ch. 4. The Traveling Golfer also airs as a scheduled weekly feature show on Comcast SportsNet and The Comcast Network throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Comcast SportsNet airings are 10:30 a.m. Sundays and 4:30 p.m. Thursdays. The Comcast Network airs the show at 6 p.m. Mondays and Fridays.

As part of every Traveling Golfer show there is the additional feature, "Tech Talk", hosted by Tour Edge Golf experts, such as President Dave Glod. With years of experience as a club maker, Glod presents an inside look at the research and development of high-quality golf equipment.

Responding to golfers' never-ending demands to learn more about interesting golf courses and golf resorts across the country and around the world, well-traveled host Tony Leodora created the Traveling Golfer so he could take viewers on video trips to some of the most exciting golf locations. The show repeated for the second straight year as the No. 1 Golf Television Show in America in the prestigious International Network of Golf Awards, presented at the PGA Merchandise Show in January.

The Traveling Golfer is a series of monthly shows hosted by Leodora, who has 16 years of experience in televised golf. The featured destination stays on the website for one month, before being replaced by a new show. The old shows are archived for continued viewing on home website, www.travelinggolfervideo.com.

Bridgestone Golf Unveils BFIT Golf Ball Fitting Launch Monitor App

(COVINGTON, GA) – Bridgestone Golf – innovators and manufacturer of premium golf balls, clubs and accessories – introduces the BFIT golf ball fitting app, designed to help players and instructors quickly and easily identify the Bridgestone ball best suited to benefit the user.

BFIT is now available for iOS devices through the App Store and will be coming to Android in the very near future. In development for more than five years, the technology in modern smartphones has finally reached a point where it can deliver against the original concept. The app records video of the user’s swing and analyzes it to provide swing speed, ball speed, launch angle, carry distance and total distance. Using this information BFIT will recommend the perfect golf ball for the user’s game.

The app was beta tested by attendees of the 2017 CES Show and was overwhelmingly praised. Video of Bryson DeChambeau showing it off in Las Vegas is available here.

“For the past decade we have separated ourselves from all other manufacturers by truly mastering the art of golf ball fitting, as it is an absolutely crucial aspect of optimizing performance,” says Adam Rehberg, Bridgestone Golf Ball Fitting. “With the BFIT app we’re removing any barriers to ball fitting, as players will no longer need to come to special events or spend money on fancy launch monitors, we’re giving everyone all the necessary tools for free.”

The app can be used virtually anywhere, including a driving range or on the course. All that is needed is a partner to record the user’s swing and follow the simple on-screen steps to retrieve launch conditions. Once completed, the app will recommend a specific model of golf ball and players can share their data and findings through social media channels.

“With my technology and physics background, the BFIT app is perfect for me,” says DeChambeau. “The success of Bridgestone’s ball fitting program has benefited many over the past decade, but the masses deserve to experience how valuable this process is and the app allows maximum inclusion for golfers of all skill levels.”

Bridgestone first introduced a proprietary Ball Fitting system in 2007 and uses the data gathered to drive research and development. This real-world understanding of player needs was a catalyst in the creation of the company’s most popular offerings, including the recently launched e6 SOFT and e6 SPEED series ($28.99 per dozen), as well as many more.

Bridgestone’s professional staff features 14-time major championship winner Tiger Woods, FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker, Olympics bronze medalist Matt Kuchar, Masters winner Fred Couples, three-time major champion Nick Price and rising stars Bryson DeChambeau and Hudson Swafford.

More information: bridgestonegolf.com.

Galvin Green Introduces Revolutionary GORE-TEX C-KNIT Backer Collection

First Golf Apparel Brand to Offer Leading-Edge Fabric Technology

(Växjö, Sweden) – Galvin Green – the world’s leading maker of functional golf clothing for serious players and the No. 1 global golf partner of GORE-TEX – announces the introduction of its Japanese-made C-KNIT Backer range featuring an ultralight, three-layer stretch GORE-TEX fabric.

First worn by the 2016 European Ryder Cup Team, Galvin Green is the only brand to bring the highly-technical material to the golf market. Part of the Pioneering Layering for Golf, Part I collection, the C-KNIT Backer jackets and pants offer exceptional breathability, soft hand and complete waterproofness.

“C-KNIT Backer represents the next generation of golf rainwear and another ‘first’ for Galvin Green as the pioneering brand in the waterproofs sector,” said Christian Nilsson, CEO/Managing Director of Galvin Green. “A revolutionary fabric technology has been integrated into garments designed for golfers by golfers to offer maximum protection from the elements, while being amazingly lightweight and stylish at the same time.”

Highlights include the Argon full-zip and Aldrin half-zip jackets with a high collar and zipped cuffs in a rubber-like neoprene material designed to repel steady rain. Completing the suit is the Arn pant with an elasticated waistband and long leg waterproof zipped openings at the back.

Based in Sweden, Galvin Green is a pure golf brand that developed the sport’s first apparel layering system – the Multi-Layer Concept – more than a decade ago. This distinctive approach uses leading-edge fabric technologies to ensure the dry comfort, thermal regulation and outer protection that helps players optimize performance.

Galvin Green is the Official Team Supplier of Outerwear for the 2016 and 2018 European Ryder Cup Teams. Through this partnership, the company will provide its premium waterproof garments to the captains, vice captains, team members and their caddies during the matches at Hazeltine National Golf Club (2016) and Le Golf National (2018).

Also distinguishing the brand is its ‘Dress for the Weather’ app. Free on the App Store or Google Play, the app provides detailed five-day forecasts for thousands of courses in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Europe, and recommends ideal layering solutions for expected levels of heat, precipitation and wind speed.

For more information: GalvinGreen.com. Get social: www.facebook.com/GalvinGreen, @GalvinGreen.

USGA and The R&A Announce Proposed Changes to Modernize Golf’s Rules

(FAR HILLS, N.J., USA and ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND) – The USGA and The R&A have unveiled a preview of proposed new Rules of Golf, as part of a joint initiative to modernize the Rules and make them easier to understand and apply.

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The online release of this preview begins a six-month feedback and evaluation period during which all golfers worldwide can learn about the proposed changes and provide input before they are finalized in 2018 and take effect January 1, 2019.

The announcement follows a comprehensive review process that began in 2012 with a working group of key USGA and R&A Rules administrators, professional tour officials and other Rules experts. While the Rules are revised every four years, this is the first fundamental review since 1984, and was established to ensure the Rules fit the needs of today’s game and the way it is played around the world.

“We are excited and encouraged by the potential this work brings, both through the proposed new Rules and the opportunities to use technology to deliver them,” said Thomas Pagel, senior director of Rules & Amateur Status for the USGA. “We look forward to an ongoing conversation with golfers during the feedback period in the months ahead.”

David Rickman, executive director – Governance at The R&A, said, “Our aim is to make the Rules easier to understand and to apply for all golfers. We have looked at every Rule to try to find ways to make them more intuitive and straightforward, and we believe we have identified many significant improvements. It is important that the Rules continue to evolve and remain in tune with the way the modern game is played, but we have been careful not to change the game’s longstanding principles and character.”

The proposed 24 new Rules, reduced from the current 34, have been written in a user-friendly style with shorter sentences, commonly used phrases, bulleted lists and explanatory headings. The initiative also focuses on assessing the overall consistency, simplicity and fairness of the Rules for play.

The Rules are currently delivered in more than 30 languages, and the proposed wording will support easier translation worldwide. When adopted, the Rules will be supported by technology that allows the use of images, videos and graphics.

Highlights of the proposed Rule changes include:
- Elimination or reduction of “ball moved” penalties: There will be no penalty for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green or in searching for a ball; and a player is not responsible for causing a ball to move unless it is “virtually certain” that he or she did so.

- Relaxed putting green rules: There will be no penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits an unattended flagstick in the hole; players may putt without having the flagstick attended or removed. Players may repair spike marks and other damage made by shoes, animal damage and other damage on the putting green and there is no penalty for merely touching the line of putt.

- Relaxed rules for “penalty areas” (currently called “water hazards”): Red and yellow-marked penalty areas may cover areas of desert, jungle, lava rock, etc., in addition to areas of water; expanded use of red penalty areas where lateral relief is allowed; and there will be no penalty for moving loose impediments or touching the ground or water in a penalty area.

- Relaxed bunker rules: There will be no penalty for moving loose impediments in a bunker or for generally touching the sand with a hand or club. A limited set of restrictions (such as not grounding the club right next to the ball) is kept to preserve the challenge of playing from the sand; however, an extra relief option is added for an unplayable ball in a bunker, allowing the ball to be played from outside the bunker with a two-stroke penalty.

- Relying on player integrity: A player’s “reasonable judgment” when estimating or measuring a spot, point, line, area or distance will be upheld, even if video evidence later shows it to be wrong; and elimination of announcement procedures when lifting a ball to identify it or to see if it is damaged.
Pace-of-play support: Reduced time for searching for a lost ball (from five minutes to three); affirmative encouragement of “ready golf” in stroke play; recommending that players take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke and other changes intended to help with pace of play.

- Simplified way of taking relief: A new procedure for taking relief by dropping a ball in and playing it from a specific relief area; relaxed procedures for dropping a ball, allowing the ball to be dropped from just above the ground or any growing thing or other object on the ground.

A series of materials have also been prepared to explain the proposed Rule changes and provide background on the initiative. Found on usga.org/rules and randa.org, they include:
- Overview of the Rules Modernization Initiative: Goals, Proposed Changes and Process for Implementation in 2019
- Draft New Rules of Golf for 2019: The Full Text of Proposed Rules 1-24 and Definitions
- Draft Player’s Edition of the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Written from the perspective of “you” the golfer, this shorter version covers the most commonly used Rules and is meant to be the rule book golfers will use when finalized and adopted in 2019
- Explanation for Each Major Proposed Change in the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Short summaries of each major proposed change
- Summary chart of major changes
- Videos and Infographics: Visual explanations of the proposed Rules.

Golfers are encouraged to review the proposed changes and submit feedback online via worldwide survey technology that can be accessed at randa.org or usga.org/rules from now until August 31, 2017.

The feedback will be reviewed by the USGA and The R&A in establishing the approved final version of golf’s new Rules. These are due to be released in mid-2018 ahead of a January 1, 2019 implementation. Social media fans can also follow the discussion using #GolfRules2019.

Players are reminded that the current 2016 Edition of the Rules of Golf remain in force when playing, posting scores or competing, until the new Rules are officially adopted by the USGA and The R&A in 2019. The Rules of Amateur Status and the Rules of Equipment Standards were not part of this review process.