Golf Pride ALIGN Technology Now Available in Rubber, Hybrid and Cord

Selection comes with addition of the Z-Grip ALIGN Grip

(PINEHURST, NC) - Golf Pride a division of power management company Eaton and an industry leader in grip innovation, will offer the brand’s Z-Grip with its popular ALIGN Technology in 2019.

According to a recent survey, ALIGN Technology is now used by 74 TOUR players. This technology was first introduced in Golf Pride brand’s MCC and MCC Plus4 hybrid grips and is also available in a Tour Velvet grip (all rubber) option. With the addition of a full cord grip to complement the existing options, Golf Pride will now offer ALIGN Technology in a full range of feel preferences.

The innovative ALIGN Technology activates upon installation with a dedicated raised ridge on the back of the grip allowing for consistent hand placement and an enhanced clubface awareness. ALIGN Technology also features a unique micro-diamond texture and firmer material compared to the surrounding grip area to amplify its pronounced feel. A flex channel separates the ALIGN Technology ridge from the grip body to maximize elevation lift and lock the grip into the fingers, while conforming to the rules of golf.

The Z-Grip is designed to deliver the highest level of shot feedback and all-weather control in the market today. Constructed with Golf Pride’s firmest material and deep “Z” grip texture, the grip has quickly grown into the fastest growing full cord model on TOUR and in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The grip is typically preferred by serious players with mid-to low-level handicaps, who appreciate the superior feedback of a firmer durometer cord grip.

Z-Grip ALIGN grips will hit retail on March 1, 2019 for $11.49 per standard size and $11.99 for midsize grip. For more information on Z-Grip ALIGN Technology and the entire 2019 Golf Pride product offering, visit www.golfpride.com.

Bridgestone’s New TOUR B XW-1 Wedges Deliver Buttery-Soft Feel and Enhanced Spin Greenside

New Biting Rail Milled Finish Grooves Optimize Spin and Control Greenside

(COVINGTON, GA) – Bridgestone Golf – the #1 ball-fitter in golf, revealed today its new TOUR B XW-1 collection of wedges, its softest and highest spinning wedges ever designed for better players. The XW-1 Wedges feature Bridgestone’s proprietary, new Biting Rail Milled grooves leading to more spin on approach and greenside recovery shots. Premium forged from 1020 mild carbon steel, the XW-1 Wedges provide the ultimate in soft feel better players prefer.    

“Low-Mid handicappers are going to love the control and feel that our new TOUR B XW-1 Wedges deliver,” said Zack Kupperbusch, Golf Club Marketing Manager – Bridgestone Golf.  “The combination of the industry’s most premium forging and our new Biting Rail Milled grooves provide unparalleled softness and optimum spin on a variety of short shots.”      

The new TOUR B XW-1 Wedge series is designed with three separate sole configurations, each intended to optimize the types of shots played with that particular club. The F (Flat) sole is found in the 50-degree gap wedge, and intended to optimize turf interaction on full or mid-range approach shots providing added stability at impact for a more penetrating ball flight. The M Sole, or the “Multi-Purpose Sole” characteristic of the 52, 54, 58 and 60-degree wedges, focuses on providing versatility for all the varying shots one would hit during a round.  From hooded bump-and-runs to open-flange flop shots, the M-Sole delivers maximum controllability. Finally, the A Sole, or the “Forgiving Sole” offers supreme forgiveness in the 56-degree wedge, whether you’re hitting an explosion shot to get out of a steep face bunker, or pin-hunting from the fairway.

The XW-1 wedges are available in right-hand only with a satin chrome finish and come stock with a Modus Tour 105 stiff shaft.  With retail availability beginning March 1, 2019, the street price will be $139.99 per club. The TOUR B XW-1 wedges will be available through Bridgestone Golf’s proprietary equipment demo program, Test Drive, and all Club Champion retail locations.  

For more information on Bridgestone Golf’s award-winning TOUR B family of golf balls and clubs, visit www.bridgestonegolf.com.

Golf Pride Plus4 Technology Extended to the Tour Velvet, the Most Popular Grip on TOUR

(SOUTHERN PINES, NC) - Golf Pride a division of power management company Eaton and an industry leader in grip innovation, today announced it will be broadening availability with a new Tour Velvet Plus4 grip.

More than 90 percent of TOUR players build up their grip to promote lighter grip pressure and generate more power. The Tour Velvet Plus4 grips simulate the feel of four-layers of extra tape build-up creating a larger lower-hand profile that is preferred by TOUR players. In addition to the larger lower-hand profile, the reengineered grip optimizes high-performance materials while maintaining the iconic Tour Velvet feel. The grip maintains the recognized plus-sign texture with an increased dimple-to-surface ratio creating additional traction and enhanced durability.  

“More than 80 percent of TOUR players trust their games to Golf Pride, so we understand the preferences of the best players in the world better than anyone,” said Bruce Miller, product manager, Golf Pride. “Hands down, the most preferred grip that TOUR players choose to play is the Tour Velvet. We have taken the most popular grip on TOUR over the last two decades and tweaked it slightly based off insights from professionals on how they are customizing their performance equipment. Now all players can benefit from this design, while maintaining the trusted feel and performance they’re accustomed to in the Tour Velvet grip.”

For more information on the Tour Velvet Plus4 grip and the entire 2019 Golf Pride product offering, visit www.golfpride.com.

Tee Time Central, a Software Service and Course Management Suite, Launches at PGA Show

Tee Time Central Offerings Highlighted by a Booking Engine and Call Center for Courses

(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) - Tee Time Central, a software service and course management suite designed specifically for the golf industry, made its debut at the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show January 23-25 in Orlando, Fla.

Tee Time Central (TTC) was created for the golf industry by course owners, operators and industry professionals. Tee Time Central will share booth 3117 with Chronogolf, which offers innovative, cloud-based software and marketing solutions.

Tee Time Central provides courses a booking engine, central reservation system, call center, and package company platform. Utilizing cutting edge technology, Tee Time Central allows courses to increase efficiency, reduce costs, boost revenue, and improve customer service.

“Tee Time Central is a golf specific platform, bringing a variety of services under one umbrella in a way that will help courses maximize revenue and efficiency,” said Justin Binke, Tee Time Central’s director of marketing. “From the game’s most versatile booking engine to our call center, which will untether PGA professionals from the golf shop counter, Tee Time Central will help improve golf course operations.”

TTC has partnered with Chronogolf and will serve as the call center for courses utilizing Chrono’s software.

“We are excited to partner with Tee Time Central to provide our courses with a call center staffed by people who understand the game,” said Matt Welliver, vice president of corporate development for Chronogolf. “This is a partnership that will benefit golfers and by extension courses using Chronogolf software.”

Tee Time Central’s call center is setup to be an extension of a course’s golf shop - staffed by golfers who understand the needs of players and courses, a value-add no other program in the game offers.

The online booking engine integrates with course websites providing customizable add-on products, accepts many tee sheet platforms, and multi-player groups on multiple courses.

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

Titleist Introduces New Pro V1 and Pro V1x Golf Balls – Engineered for More Speed

2019 Models Provide Improved Tee-To-Green Performance with New High Optic Yellow Color Option 

(FAIRHAVEN, Mass) – Faster from core to cover, the new Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls have been designed to leave the clubface with more ball speed and lower long game spin for more distance, while providing the best short game control to help golfers shoot lower scores.

The advancements of 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x, now available in golf shops worldwide, underscore the Titleist R&D and Operations teams’ relentless mission to continuously improve the best performing, most consistent golf balls in the game.  

“When we set out to develop the 2019 models, we found that golfers at every level are extraordinarily satisfied with the performance of their Pro V1 or Pro V1x. At the same time, golfers keep telling us they would still like more distance – as long as they don’t have to give anything else up,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Golf Ball Marketing. “Through the prototyping process, our chemists and engineers discovered a way to cast an even thinner urethane cover, and therefore increase the percentage of speed-enhancing materials in the overall construction. Pro V1 and Pro V1x are now even faster, as a result, all while maintaining the scoring performance and feel characteristics that golfers demand from these golf balls.”

2019 PRO V1 & PRO V1x TECHNOLOGY: Innovations in Titleist’s industry-leading multi-component technology and precision manufacturing process have combined to deliver the most advanced Pro V1 and Pro V1x models yet – available for the first time in both white and high optic yellow:
• 17% thinner cast Urethane Elastomer cover system delivers more ball speed. The advancement of Titleist’s thermoset urethane casting technology has allowed our engineers to cast a thinner layer of the proprietary cover formulation, developed exclusively for Pro V1 and Pro V1x, while retaining its trusted Drop-and-Stop greenside control and soft feel.
• Faster ionomeric casing layer increases ball speed and lowers long game spin. Beneath the thinner cover, the speed enhancing casing layer has thickened by 14% on Pro V1 and 11% on Pro V1x, creating higher ball speeds with lower driver and long game spin.
• New 2.0 ZG Process Cores are formulated for more distance. The outermost portions of the solid core Pro V1 and dual core Pro V1x have increased in stiffness while maintaining their soft centers, creating faster engines with higher ball speed and lower long game spin.

INTRODUCING PRO V1 AND PRO V1x YELLOW: The improved performance of 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x will also have a new preference option: High optic yellow. Following a tour seeding and validation period in early 2019, the new high visibility color option will be available in golf shops beginning March 15.

“As the demand for yellow Pro V1 and Pro V1x started to grow, our material scientists got to work on what we knew would be a significant R&D undertaking,” Mahoney said. “The performance and durability characteristics of our cast urethane are the best in the industry. It’s because we formulate and manufacture the cover ourselves that we are able to control the material with such precision and consistency. While it may seem pretty straightforward, recreating those properties in yellow required a new and complex chemistry with considerable iteration until we got it just right.”

CHOOSING BETWEEN PRO V1 AND PRO V1x: When it comes to choosing between the total performance of Pro V1 and Pro V1x, golfers will notice similar differences in flight, feel and spin as the prior generation models. Both Pro V1 and Pro V1x deliver increased ball speed and lower long game spin for maximum distance, consistent flight, Drop-and-Stop™ short game control and long-lasting durability. Pro V1 provides optimal flight and spin for most golfers, flying lower than Pro V1x with a penetrating trajectory, with very soft feel. Pro V1x flies higher, spins more on iron shots and has a slightly firmer feel.

PRECISION MANUFACTURING: The continued investment in advanced technology and quality control at Titleist Ball Plants 3 and 4 – where every Pro V1 and Pro V1x are manufactured by Titleist associates to the industry’s highest performance and quality specifications – ensures that every new generation of Pro V1 and Pro V1x are the best performing and most consistent models ever. Consistency from ball to ball, and dozen to dozen, a founding principal of the Titleist golf ball business, is critical to allowing golfers to consistently execute the same types of shots, round after round.

PLAYER VALIDATION: The introduction of new Pro V1 and Pro V1x in November 2018 across the worldwide tours resulted in immediate validation and success. Playing new Pro V1 for the first time in competition, Charles Howell III won the RSM Classic in a sudden-death playoff for his first PGA Tour victory in 11 years. Howell, who made the switch from 2017 Pro V1x, shot a final-nine 31 that included birdies on three of his final four holes to make the playoff.

“The 2019 Pro V1 for me is a home run,” Howell said. “I’m getting all the ball speed I had with the prior generation Pro V1x and more. Plus, the new Pro V1 feels softer to me around the green, which I prefer. Ball speed off the driver is a pretty hard and fast measurable whereas touch and feel around the green is player dependent. I go through a fairly rigorous testing process when it comes to new equipment, but it did not take long for me to put this ball into play seeing it gives me the best of both worlds.”

New Pro V1 and Pro V1x players have combined for six victories across five tours since the tour seeding and validation process began, including a comeback victory by Cameron Smith (Pro V1x) at the Australian PGA Championship. Additionally, Patton Kizzire (Pro V1x) and Brian Harman (Pro V1) teamed up to win the two-man QBE Shootout playing 2019 models for the first time.

To date, more than 200 players worldwide have put new Pro V1 and Pro V1x in play – including Bubba Watson (Pro V1x), Tyrrell Hatton (Pro V1x), Jimmy Walker (Pro V1), Billy Horschel (Pro V1x), Matt Wallace (Pro V1), Charley Hoffman (Pro V1), Ian Poulter (Pro V1x), Russell Henley (Pro V1x), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Pro V1x), Lucas Bjerregaard (Pro V1), Byeong Hun An (Pro V1x), Joost Luiten (Pro V1), Jazz Janewattananond (Pro V1), Ross Fisher (Pro V1x), Danny Lee (Pro V1x) and Thongchai Jaidee (Pro V1x) – as the tour seeding and validation process continues around the world.

PRO V1 TECHNOLOGY: 2019 Pro V1 is a three-piece, multi-component technology with a thinner cast Urethane Elastomer cover system, faster ionomeric casing layer, new 2.0 ZG Process Core and spherically-tiled 352 tetrahedral dimple design.

PRO V1x TECHNOLOGY: Pro V1x is a four-piece, multi-component technology with a thinner cast Urethane Elastomer cover system, faster ionomeric casing layer, new 2.0 ZG process dual core and spherically-tiled 328 tetrahedral dimple design.

AVAILABILITY: The new 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls will be available in golf shops beginning Jan. 23, 2019, with the high optic yellow models available March 15. $47.99 MAP.

ON THE WEB: www.titleist.com/golf-balls

FootJoy Introduces the All-New FJ Fury: Experience All-Around Comfort and Performance

(RELEASE) - FootJoy, the #1 Shoe in Golf and #1 Shoe on worldwide professional Tours, launched the all-new FJ FURY. The athletic infused styling, combined with the most feature-laden component package in its class, has resulted in a product that was designed, developed and engineered to deliver all-around comfort and performance.

FJ FURY is the latest addition to FJ’s performance lineup and is highlighted by a number of unique performance features, including an internal fit system that focuses on fit, comfort and support.

“With FJ FURY, we created a product that was designed from the inside-out,” said Richard Fryer, Director of Product Management, FJ Footwear.  “As a result, FJ FURY’s TruFit System balances lightweight, responsive support with a new dynamic outsole that delivers comfort and stability throughout your round.”

FJ FURY: POWERED BY THE TRUFIT SYSTEM
Designed from the inside-out, FJ FURY features the proprietary TruFit System, providing stability where you need it and comfort where you want it.
· Inside the shoe is a soft, stretch, one-piece Inner Fit Sleeve lasted underneath the insole board to provide a secure fit with no tongue slippage, enveloping the foot in comfort and control.
· The external FlexGrid MLC cage system adds structure to the upper and locks you in as you lace up, offering medial and lateral support and motion control through your swing.
· FJ FURY generates custom comfort with an OrthoLite Impressions FitBed, comprised of two densities of foam - an Open Cell PU Foam that maintains its mechanical properties and cushion throughout its life cycle, and an Impressions Foam that takes an impression of your foot, creating a custom fit.

The all-new D3 Outsole on FJ FURY ensures a solid, rigid platform for lateral in-swing stability and turf-grabbing traction, while the FTF+ (Fine Tuned Foam) infused midsole delivers incredible comfort and cushioning. The Liquid Metal-inspired Flex Layer of TPU and Dynamic Low Profile Pulsar Cleats deliver heel-to-toe walking flexibility and crouch flex when reading putts, providing the most flexible, green-friendly cleat on the market.

FJ FURY’s athletic inspired upper features a full grain, waterproof leather upper, waterproof membrane and a vented toe for breathability, coated for protection.

FJ FURY is engineered and designed to provide the ultimate athletic performance.  Tour players have already made the switch to incorporate FJ FURY in practice and in play at tournaments around the world.

“I put these into play immediately because they look and feel so athletic,” said Rafa Cabrera Bello. “I’m amazed that a shoe that is so comfortable can also offer so much stability.”

“I’m into my fitness so I love the athletic look,” said Brandon Stone. “I’m amazed with the breathability.”

FJ FURY FEATURES
·    TruFit System
        o Inner Fit Sleeve provides snug and secure fit
        o FlexGrid MLC cage provides medial and lateral control
        o OrthoLite Impressions FitBed with foot-molding foam
·    Dual Density TPU Outsole
·    Dynamic Low Profile Pulsar Cleats
·    FTF+ Midsole providing maximum comfort and stability
·    2-year waterproof warranty

For more information, visit www.FootJoy.com.  You can also follow the brand on Twitter @FootJoy or on Instagram @footjoy.

AVAILABILITY:
February 1, 2019

STYLES:
- White/red laced
- Navy/white laced
- Charcoal/lime laced
- Black/red laced
- White/navy/orange BOA®

MSRP:
- $190 Laced
- $220 BOA®

Wilson Golf Unveils New Staff Model Irons

Wilson Advisory Staff Member Brendan Steele Collaborates with Wilson LABS on Next Generation of Staff Model Blades

(CHICAGO) –  Wilson has officially announced the modernization of a timeless classic with the release of the all-new Wilson Staff Model irons. The company has a rich history of forged “blade” irons, many of which have been played by game’s greats. The new generation of Staff Model irons are an appropriate continuation of the brand’s most cherished product lines.

The Staff Model irons utilize a shape similar to that of FG Tour 100, while retaining Fluid Feel Hosel construction, which helps to move weight and enhance feel. This new Blade also features a milled diamond pattern which frames the score lines. Additionally, a milled face provides players with improved control and feel. The forged 8620 carbon steel is combined with a high polish mirror finish to give the blades a premium finish. For optimum feel, the irons also feature a bore through fluid feel design.

After racking up two PGA Tour victories with the FG Tour 100 irons, Brendan Steele went back to the drawing board and collaborated with the Wilson LABS team to assist in the development of the new Staff Model irons. Brendan challenged the team at Wilson to create a more modern aesthetic, without sacrificing performance. Steele felt it was crucial to keep the execution consistent and was eager to incorporate his feedback on design, specifically maintaining a thinner top line at address. After two years of development, the new Staff Model blades were finally brought to life.

Steele’s hands on relationship with the brand has been critical to the development of new Wilson golf products. The two sides have worked very well together over the past few years, which made it a no brainer for Steele to officially extend his longstanding relationship with the brand for three more years, through 2021.

“To be able to genuinely provide my insight on the next generation on FG Tour 100 irons was an experience I’ll never forget,” said Steele. “By design, we crafted the new Staff Model irons to have a similar look as the FG Tour 100, which was critical as I continue to evaluate changes to my equipment.”

The performance of the new irons speaks for itself. Gary Woodland was the first to debut the prototype irons and has seen early success. In his first event at the QBE Shootout in the Bahamas, Woodland made a hole-in-one on a 202 yard Par 3. Just three weeks later, at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui, Woodland led the field in Greens in Regulation, with an impressive 87.5% for the week using the Staff Model irons.

“Through precise performance and visually pleasing aesthetics, the Staff Model irons combine the look and feel demanded by today’s players,” said Jon Pergande, Global Innovation Manager at Wilson Golf. “Brendan’s influence on these irons was impactful and with the phenomenal expertise of the Wilson LABS team, we knew these irons were going to be an extremely polished product.”