Ryder Cup Changes on the Horizon: In a candid interview with Golf Channel, PGA of America President Ted Bishop, director of golf at The Legends Golf Club in Franklin, Indiana, alluded to future changes in the process of selecting U.S. Captains. Following a definitive loss to the European side, expected criticisms rose to the surface – expected because it was America’s third straight Ryder Cup loss. Media members latched onto post-event comments from Phil Mickelson, which pointed to a disconnect between players and Captains in recent years. “There were two things that allowed us to play our best I think that Paul Azinger did,” Mickelson said. “One was he got everybody invested in the process… The other thing that Paul did really well was he had a great game plan for us… Unfortunately, we have strayed from a winning formula in 2008 for the last three Ryder Cups, and we need to consider maybe getting back to that formula.” Bishop stated that The PGA of America will slowly and thoroughly evaluate the selection process prior to the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine and make the proper adjustments to give the U.S. the best chance to reclaim the cup.
TopGolf Breaks Into the Instruction Business: TopGolf has exploded as one of the most popular golf-related options in recent years. It can be described as driving range meets digital gaming meets night club. Now TopGolf is expanding further to offer cheap golf instruction to its patrons – calling it TopGolf U. It is essentially an instruction program that TopGolf says will help “grow the game.” Lesson prices range by site, but start at $20 for adults and $15 for kids. PGAcertified instructors roam around the hitting bays and offer advice that’ll help users play the game better. Lessons last about 20 minutes and instructors will video the player’s swing, which they can then share on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram…. Golf Datatech Releases In-Depth Women in Golf 2014 Study: Golf Datatech, LLC (golfdatatech.com), the golf industry’s leading independent research firm, released some interesting results from their Women In Golf 2014 Study.
Today, female golfers make up more than 20 percent of the estimated 25 million golfers in the U.S., and approximately 19 percent of all golf sales nationally – accounting for a $900 million women’s golf equipment/apparel market. The study also focuses on women golfers’ attitudes about the game and the facilities they play, revealing deep insights into their attitudes about equipment and brand choices, as well as their purchasing habits. If your facility wants to begin marketing and appealing to this influential segment of the market, than checking out this study is a great place to start… FlightScope Patents New Spin Measuring Method: Every instructor/clubfitter knows how important launch monitors have become to their business. Clients want to see and feel the performance on the range, but also understand the numbers and technology behind their equipment. One of the most critical performance indicators golfers look for is spin rate. Recently, FlightScope patented a new technology that allows their device to more precisely calculate spin rates using their popular 3D Doppler ball tracking monitors.
They began researching this tech more than 20 years ago, and are very excited to be able to bring it to market. “This patent is a significant technical achievement for our team and a valuable asset for FlightScope,” said Henri Johnson, CEO of FlightScope. “We believe this new spin measurement will change the rules completely and are thrilled to add it to our list of published and pending patents.” For more info, check out flightscope.com.
