Golf equipment manufacturing isn’t for the little guy. Massive multi-national corporations and large publicly traded companies like Taylor Made-Adidas, Nike, Acushnet (Titleist/Foot Joy) and Callaway dominate the market.
Against all odds David Glod and his Tour Edge and Exotics brands have not only survived but thrived in the past 30 years.
Glod established Tour Edge Golf in 1986. In the company’s first year, it generated revenues of $100,000. Thirty years later, Tour Edge’s iron and woods have held top five market share at off-course and on-course golf shops as measured by Golf Data Tech, the industries market tracking monitor.
From the day the company was launched, in his garage, his passion and commitment to bringing golfers quality products at affordable prices has continually driven company sales to new heights. Glod’s credo has always been, “Offer the golfer and the golf shop an exceptional value and everyone wins.” For 30 years, he has been right on target.
Perhaps the most amazing facet of the Tour Edge story is how the company’s success was realized without the benefits, or perils, of multi-million-dollar marketing and advertising budgets. Keeping product prices at a minimum and quality at a maximum leaves little room for high-level sponsorship of Tour pros or massive television and print ad campaigns that can build a brand. Word of mouth, a loyal customer base, effective media relations, wise advertising buying and a lot of guts are the foundation upon which Tour Edge was built.
Although Tour Edge produces top notch drivers, irons and wedges its true strength has always been it fairway woods. While USGA limitations have seriously narrowed the possibilities for drivers, fairway woods are showing the largest gains from innovation. This year’s Exotics E-8 continues to build on that trend.
The concept behind the new E8 Tour stemmed from the need of an adjustable fairway wood on Tour. The Exotics Tour presence has continued to grow over the years, and with the addition of the E8 Tour level of adjustability Exotics is positioned to garnish even more attention on Tour in 2015.
Featuring loft options from 12 to 15.5 degrees along with 13, 14 and 15-degree options with a more upright lie angle, this level of versatility allows Tour players to dial in the ideal ball flight with the E8 Tour. Add Exotics legendary power and distance, and the E8 Tour fairway wood becomes the ultimate players’ weapon.
The compact and powerful 150cc club head appeals to players’ sensibilities, and in true Exotics fashion encompasses brand new technology. The E8 Tour features a 475 Carpenter U.S. steel cup face that is micro-bonded to the body via a 360-degree robotic laser beam bonding process. This new process utilizing a robotic laser beam ensures the most accurate and miniscule bonding points. Procured under lower temperatures, the edges are more round and the extreme perfection of the laser beam provides zero tolerance. The E8 Tour is the first club marketed in the United States to utilize this bonding process, continuing the Exotics reputation for being at the forefront of club technology.
The smaller clubhead shape also allows the center of gravity to move higher and closer to the face for exceptional trajectory control and low spin ideal for players with higher swing speeds. The Power Grid cell design is similar to the E8 Beta fairway woods, reaching higher into the toe and thinner, allowing engineers to move the center of gravity closer to the face. This upgraded design gives players a more powerful launch off the face with less spin, while providing the desired penetrating ball flight.
Exotics fairways woods are available in the most popular shafts on the market, and that trend continues with the E8 Tour. The next-generation Diamana +Plus Series shafts come standard in the new E8 Tour fairway woods. The Diamana +Plus Series build on the success of its 2011 predecessor. This is one of the latest products in the long-standing Diamana brand that's captured more than 100 professional wins globally since the company established its U.S. office in 2004. The new series has multiple bend profiles, features an adaptive balance point system, M.D.I. Technology and the ToughQure resin system. The E8 Tour fairway wood comes standard in the M+ or S+ series, D+ series is available as a custom option.
The E8 Tour features an adjustable sole weight to customize each individuals swing weight preference. The club comes standard with a 9-gram sole weight, but can be changed with the purchase of an optional weight kit. The three-piece weight kit includes a 6-gram, 11-gram, and 14-gram weight, kit-$49.99. Individual weights are available for $19.99.
Comparative club head sizing:
* E8 fairway wood, 185cc
* E8 Beta fairway wood, 175cc
* E8 Tour fairway wood, 150cc
The E8 Tour fairway wood features Tour Edge’s lifetime warranty, 30-day play guarantee, and is projected to be in stores this spring. Suggested retail E8 Tour M+/S+ shafts: $349.99, E8 Tour D+ shaft: $399.99. For more information, call (800) 515-3343 or visit www.touredge.com.
Wayne Mills is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and Course Rater for a national magazine.
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