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Group Led by Fila Korea Buys Acushnet (Titleist and FootJoy brands) for $1.2 Billion

by Annie Latham on May 20, 2011 in News, Titleist with No comments

Today Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO) announced a definitive agreement for the sale of its Acushnet Company golf business, featuring the iconic Titleist and FootJoy brands, to a group led by Fila Korea Ltd., the owner of the Fila brand globally, and Mirae Asset Private Equity, the largest private equity firm in Korea. The purchase price is $1.225 billion in cash. Fortune Brands estimates it will realize net proceeds of approximately $1.1 billion after taxes and expenses.

Fortune Brands Golf Businesses

The press release states that Acushnet is the leading and most profitable golf equipment company in the world. Titleist is the #1 ball in golf and a leader in high-performance golf clubs. FootJoy is the #1 shoe and glove in golf and a leader in performance outerwear. Net sales exceeded $1.2 billion in 2010, with nearly half of revenues generated in markets outside the United States. Operating income before charges was $80 million in 2010, and operating income on a GAAP basis was $89 million.

The sale is expected to close this summer.

Plans to either sell or spin off the company had been in the works since late last year when Fortune Brands, which also owns a home and security business and a distilled spirits unit, approved a plan to divide the company into three distinct businesses. Wally Uihlein, chairman and chief executive officer of Acushnet Co., in a phone interview this morning with SouthCoast Today said there were many interested parties, but Fila Korea stood out from the beginning as good business men plus “they’re golfers.”

Fila Korea and its partners intend to run Acushnet Co. as a standalone entity and have made it clear that they are relying on the current management to continue operations, said Joe Nauman, Acushnet Co.’s executive vice president for corporate and legal affairs.

“This is not going to be a merger into Fila Korea,” said Nauman. “We’re going to have a new owner that is very much like the ownership under Fortune Brands. We’re stand-alone; we operate the business.”

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Source: SouthCoastDaily.com

PUMA Golf Partners with Cotton Incorporated to Create the Golf TransDRY™ 18 Hole Polo

by Annie Latham on May 19, 2011 in News, Style & Fashion with No comments

PUMA Golf and Cotton Incorporated have partnered to create a series of PUMA Golf performance shirts featuring TransDRY™ technology, a moisture management system that wicks away moisture and spreads it for faster drying and less cling to the body.

Rickie Fowler sported one of the new styles, the Golf TransDRY™ 18 Hole Polo, during his Thursday round at The Players Championship® in Florida last week, keeping dry thanks to the TransDRY™ technology.

In brief, key comes from applying the technology at the yarn stage. The new treatment wicks moisture from the inside of the shirt to the outside, benefiting the golfer by keeping the inside of the garment dry and less saturated; simultaneously, the treatment spreads the moisture horizontally, allowing for a faster drying time.

In essence, cotton no longer kills.

Here’s the video PUMA Golf and Cotton Incorporated distributed to accompany the announcement.

For more information on the TransDRY™ technology, PUMA Golf Products or to keep tabs on PUMA Golfers, visit www.puma.com/golf.

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Bridgestone Golf Teams Up With Michelob ULTRA for Father’s Day Promo

by Annie Latham on May 12, 2011 in Bridgestone, Golf Balls with No comments

This week, Bridgestone Golf announced it is partnering with Michelob ULTRA for the “Golfer’s Ultimate 6-Pack” promotion which is timed for Father’s Day. , The Golfer’s Ultimate 6-Pack is a limited-edition package which features five Michelob ULTRA Slimline cans and a three-ball sleeve of Bridgestone’s award-winning e6 golf balls (where legal).

The Golfer’s Ultimate 6-Pack will be released on May 23 and is the first retail package to combine Michelob ULTRA with Bridgestone e6 golf balls at the point of purchase. The promotion includes nearly 500,000 sleeves of e6 balls, making this one of the largest golf ball samplings in recent history.

The e6 features three-piece Surlyn cover construction which provides the ability to reduce sidespin for increased accuracy and longer distance. According to the company’s press announcement, the new e6 remains the lowest compression multi-layer ball on the market – perfect for moderate swing speed players looking to limit slices and hooks – and features Bridgestone’s new Dual Dimple Technology for improved distance performance.

For more information on the Golfer’s Ultimate 6-Pack and Bridgestone’s entire line up of balls, visit www.bridgestonegolf.com.

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Driving the Green Takes on New Meaning…

by Annie Latham on May 10, 2011 in News, Courses with No comments

A high speed chase that reached over 110 mph ended hen a man crashed his car through the security gate at Hazeltine National Golf Club located in Chaska, Minnesota. The speeding Toyota Camry slammed into a curb, went airborne and landed on the golf course green.

The police with the help of a K-9 and a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter, found 22-year-old Eduard Farmanyuk hiding under a tree in a wooded area. He was booked into the Carver County jail for criminal damage to property, speeding, reckless driving, marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

As for the golf course, it is closed until June anyway, so there is no immediate impact on golfers.

Hazeltine played host to the PGA Championship in 2009 (when Tiger lost to Y.E. Yang. It was the first time that Woods had lost a major after holding at least a share of first after 54 holes).

Here’s a video clip from the local news about the chase:

Car Gatecrashes Hazeltine Golf Club, Launches Onto Green in High-Speed Chase: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

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Nike Golf’s Glover Putts his way to 3rd Tour Championship

by Annie Latham on May 9, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Manufacturers, Nike Golf, Putters with No comments

Today, Nike Golf announced its athlete, Lucas Glover won the Wells Fargo Championship with a “stunning putting performance.” It was the third PGA Tour title of Glover’s career.

Glover, who also used a METHOD putter to win his first major two years ago, was No. 1 in putts per green with 1.58 at Quail Hollow, riding the hot flat stick to a victory on the first playoff hole after finishing 15-under par in regulation.

He started the final round three shots back, but took the lead with a 30-foot eagle putt on the 10th. Glover gutted out a seven-foot par putt on the 72nd hole and then knocked in a four-footer on the first playoff hole for his third career PGA Tour victory.

“I putted great all week, and I made some clutch putts on 16, 17 and 18,” said Glover.

The Nike Method features the distinctively visible Nike polymetal groove technology, which reduces skid and provides a truer roll, keeping the ball on line. The Method, which became available in February 2010, already has accumulated 26 wins on the professional tours worldwide, including three major championships. Most recently in April, Nike athlete Charl Schwartzel won The Masters with the Nike Method 004 prototype putter.

Glover, who also is a strong iron player, used Nike’s new VR Pro Combo irons, the same irons that fellow Nike athletes Jhonattan Vegas and Schwartzel won with at the Bob Hope Classic and Masters Tournament, respectively. He wore apparel from the Nike Golf Tour Collection and the popular Nike Lunar Control footwear.

Nike has already updated its website to reflect Glover’s win.

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Video Exclusive: Nike Golf’s 20XI Golf Ball

by Annie Latham on May 4, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Golf Balls, Nike Golf with No comments

At the 36th annual Haggin Oaks Golf Expo in Sacramento, California, I had a chance to run around with my video camera and talk to vendors about what’s hot for 2011.

Here is the first of several interviews that I will be posting. I met Nike Golf’s Arthur Molinari. He is a product development engineer who kindly took some time to educate me on the 20XI golf ball.

Also, please note that boxes of the 20XI are selling for $45.95 at major volume retailers (a far cry from the MSRP noted in my earlier post).

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Loudmouth Promotes World Champion Pants

by Annie Latham on May 2, 2011 in Style & Fashion with No comments

Orange Fridays may not be the same at AT&T ballpark once fans get a hold of these new pants from Loudmouth.

The Gigante, Orange & Black-A pants will set you back $95.

For those chilly nights in SF, fleece-lining would be a nice addition.

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Adams Golf Intros Idea Pro a12 Hybrids & Forged Iron sets

by Annie Latham on April 28, 2011 in Adams, Hybrids, Irons with No comments

Adams Golf just introduced their new Idea Pro a12 hybrids and forged iron sets. Engineered to meet the standards of better players, the premium hybrids deliver tour-preferred launch conditions, enhanced playability and a sleek black finish. The superior forged iron set (4-GW) produces exceptional feel and performance on every shot with precisely located centers of gravity and ultra thin faces born from a triple milling process.

Per their announcement, Idea hybrids are ranked as the most-played on the PGA, Champions and Nationwide Tours. Thousands of Idea hybrids have been put into play on tour since their introduction in 2003. The Pro a12 is already in the bags of several players, including Adams Golf staff members Tom Watson and Ryan Moore. An Idea Pro a12 hybrid was also in the bag of the winner of the 2011 Heritage tournament.

The Idea Pro a12 hybrids begin shipping to golf shops May 5 with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $299.99.

For the Idea Pro a12 Forged Irons (4-GW), their forged 8620 carbon steel head construction provides “outstanding control, performance and feedback for the lower-handicap golfer and appeals to better players with a thin top line and improved camber on the sole.” Each head is triple milled (on the face, grooves and cavity) for more exacting performance from club to club. A precisely located low center of gravity and progressive heel to toe weighting provides added stability in the long irons and more workability in the short irons and wedges. The progressive offset through the entire set offers better players superior control and workability of their ball flight.

The irons sets are available right-handed in regular, stiff and x-stiff flexes and begin shipping to golf shops May 5 with a SRP of $1,099.99 for graphite and $899.99 for steel.

Source: Adams Golf

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Boccieri’s Bronze And Tour Series Heavy Putter Models Now Available Nationwide

by Annie Latham on April 27, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Putters with 1 Comment

Boccieri Golf just announced the expansion of its award-winning, Tour-proven Heavy Putter line to include the innovative Bronze and Tour Series collections, which are now available at select retailers and online at www.boccierigolf.com.

A premium CNC milled offering in a bright silver PVD finish, the Tour Series is available in a traditional offset blade (Q2-MT) and new half-mallet (R3-MT). Retailing for just $199.99, the putters offer all the feel and feedback associated with high-end millings at an affordable price.

Featuring four of Boccieri Golf’s most sought-after models – the H1-M, K4-M, L3-M and Q2-M – the Bronze series includes two blades and two mallets. Each showcases a distinctive black nickel finish and retails for $119.99.

Now for a clarification. ALL Boccieri putters are “Heavy.” But there are variants ranging from Lite-Weight to Mid-Weight Black to Mid-Weight Bronze, Mid-Weight Tour, and THEN Heavy Weight. Got that??

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Case Closed: Callaway Loses Patent Fight Over Pro V1 Ball

by Annie Latham on April 26, 2011 in News, Callaway, Golf Balls, Titleist with No comments

Acushnet Co, the parent company of Titleist, said it has won a long-running patent battle with Carlsbad-based Callaway Golf over the popular Pro V1 golf ball. On Thursday, a U.S. District Judge in Delaware denied Callaway’s request for a new trial and officially closed the five-year-old case.

Callaway sued Acushnet, claiming that the Pro V1 violated four Callaway patents (these came from Callaway purchase of the Top Flite golf ball business from a bankrupt Spalding in 2003). Though initially, Callaway was victorious (partially) with the possibility of collecting nearly a quarter million dollars from past sales of Pro V1 balls, Acushnet appealed. Last year, a jury ruled that the four patents were invalid because they were not new. Callaway fought the ruling but was ultimately unsuccessful.

The Pro V1 ranks as the most popular high-performance ball in golf. An interesting point that probably worked to Acushnet’s favor was that the company introduced the Pro V1 ball to professional players in 2000 — well before before the patents in question were issued in 2001 and 2003.

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