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What's more exciting
than a free afternoon in the Florida
sun and a bucket of
balls? OK, that may be tough to
beat, but how about stepping
on the mat to practice your
swing at the world's largest
indoor driving range? Or perhaps
experiencing 10 square miles of
aisles flanked by exhibit booths
from more than 1,250 leading
golf industry marketing and
manufacturing companies?
The
55th PGA Merchandise Show,
January 17-19 in Orlando, Fla.,
lived up to its reputation of being
the world's largest gathering of
golf industry professionals. Representing 89 foreign countries
and all 50 U.S. states, many
PGA professionals, retailers, top
decision-makers and industry
leaders took their first practice
shot at 2008 business
GRT
Scopes It Out
For
three days, 45,000 attendees
gathered to discover, learn and
network, and essentially signal
the official start of a new business
cycle in the golf industry. Golf
Range Times staff, well acquainted
with the allure of this distinctive
product fair, scanned the
Show aisles to discover the
latest advancements and newest
products for range owners.
For your adult-oriented go-kart lovers, Amusement Products, LLC introduces the P20051
Intimidator. The Intimidator features a sleek body style, 13.5
horsepower Robin engine and
17" treaded tires. Dual hydraulic
disk brakes, plus racing style rack
and pinion steering, add to the
performance. The wraparound
spring steel bumpers, retractable
seat belts and a molded racing
seat ensure the safety of the driver without compromising on
the thrill. Amusement Products'
Pacer Go-Karts now feature the
new Millennium frame.
Using
improved and revolutionary
technology, this new frame uses
laser-cut and computer-bent
structural plate steel, which gives
it structural integrity unlike sheet
metal or common structured
steel. The result is a lighter frame
with more durability. In fact, this
48" x 99" frame is more than 50
pounds lighter than previous
models, but at the same time,
features a more structurally
sound chassis. (800-438-3558),
www.amusementproducts.com.
Club Car Inc. first unveiled its
Precedent line of golf cars four
years ago. For 2008, the company presents the Precedent i2
with the new Excel Electric
Drive System. The Excel System
includes a low motor braking
speed that allows the driver to
adjust speed and braking with
the accelerator pedal. The driver
also can use the accelerator pedal
to choose an appropriate speed
for descending hills and avoiding
sudden lurches when the parking
brake is released.
Low motor
braking also increases the regenerative energy recovered when
braking the vehicle. The Precedent i2 has 3.3 horsepower and
uses four 12-volt Trojan batteries. The 48-volt high-capacity
charging system reduces charging time and water consumption. Other features include a
360-degree bumper and
ergonomic seating. (800-258- 2227), www.clubcar.com.
AUTOMATED
TEES
DonalwayGolf is ready to
upgrade your range with full tee
automation, at no capital cost to
you, through a shared-revenue
deal. The Automation to a Tee
Revenue Sharing Program
requires only one upfront cost:
a set-up charge to prepare the
ground for each DonalwayGolf
automated tee. With a 1,600-
ball reservoir at each tee box,
golfers can buy more balls on
site, and can even purchase prepaid tee access cards for future
visits to the driving range.
An
automated cash management
system monitors all daily transactions and transfers the information directly to DonalwayGolf, which in turn automatically credits your business
account and transfers its portion
of the revenue. For frequent
users, customers can set up personal profiles and take advantage of special offers and events.
The computer module is fully
backed up, and major components are easy to swap out if
needed. Best of all, the automatic tee senses when the ball
leaves the tee and already has
the next one teed up in a few
seconds. That means more balls
per minute for the golfer, and
more revenue for you. (888- 791-0687), www.donalway.com.
The AstroTurf Mega Mat, from Eagle One Golf Products,
is one of several new products
featured at the Show and in the
2008 catalog. The Mega Mat
incorporates 100 percent nylon
fiber in both the tall and short
material in the top cloth. This
driving range mat comes in
octagon and square sizes.
Eagle
One's newest raw material for
many of its range accessories is
called GREENWOODR, a recycled
material made from 100 percent
recycled fiber and polymer, with
a look of real wood on the surface. Products made from
GREENWOODR, such as the new
5-gallon Irons Only club
washer, do not require preservative treatments or water sealing.
The 5-gallon version features
two large brushes inside a
removable bucket. The 10-gallon GREENWOODR club washer
also has a removable bucket,
and accepts all clubs including
oversized drivers. (800-448- 4409), www.eagleonegolf.com.
The Dual Blend Driving
Range Mat is a new product featured in Easy Picker Golf Products' 2008 catalog. Dual Blend
turf combines two turf heights to
reduce club head resistance and
provide a more realistic hitting
surface. Other features include a
closed cell foam pad and 100
percent knitted nylon 6.6 Sports
Turf. A polyurethane liquid-poured bonding process adds
durability. The mat comes in
four-hole and eight-hole varieties,
measures 59" x 59" and weighs
35 pounds. (800-641-4653), www.easypicker.com.
The 55th PGA Merchandise Show, January
17-19 in Orlando, Fla., lived up to its reputation
of being the worldís largest gathering of golf
industry professionals. Representing 89 foreign
countries and all 50 U.S. states, many PGA
professionals, retailers, top decision-makers
and industry leaders took their first practice
shot at 2008 business. For three days,
45,000 attendees gathered to discover,
learn and network, and essentially signal
the official start of a new business cycle
in the golf industry.
A new exhibitor to the PGA
Merchandise Show this year,
National Golf Products, made its
debut with THE Golf Mat, a new
hitting surface that creates the
same sensation of give at impact
as taking a divot off natural grass.
Due to a flex-divot spring feature
called Virtual Turf technology,
the mat deflects on impact,
greatly minimizing shock or stress
to the body associated with other
artificial surfaces. The composite
spring is located below the fairway-length turf. Measuring
46" x 18" x 2", the portable, all-weather design is convenient for
practice anywhere. (888-647- 8873), www.TheGolfMat.net.
Once again this year, it was
nighttime all day at Night Flyer
Golf's exhibit tent. There was
plenty of color, though, as the
new Night Flyer Constant Light
Electronic Golf Ball made its first
appearance for 2008. This battery-operated illuminated golf ball
does not flash. The Constant-On
Light (CL) is constructed with
two internal high-powered LEDs
that provide 8-10 minutes of
constant, bright illumination
throughout the golf ball. Due to
a re-triggering mechanism, the
internal clock resets to zero each
time the ball is struck, and the 8 to 10 minutes starts over. (800-441- 7354), www.nightflyergolf.com.
For an extra storage option,
Par Aide Products Co. has
introduced a new recycled
accessory, the Range Ball
Storage Box. With a generous
capacity of up to 5,000 balls,
this sturdy storage box is constructed with a powder-coated
metal bottom that allows golf
balls to vent and dry. A dual-top
opening allows for easy access,
but is fully lockable too. The
recycled wood slats are rustproof and fade-resistant, making
this a convenient all-weather
accessory. The storage box is
available in green and black and
weighs 125 pounds. (888-893- 2433), www.paraide.com.
Another newcomer to the
PGA Merchandise Show, Range
Revolution Inc. presented the
RR 72 Interactive Golf SimuGame. Engineered with Doppler
radar technology to track speed
and distance, the RR 72 kiosk
permits golfers to compete
against themselves, the computer or other RR 72 golfers at
other kiosk sites worldwide.
Through interactive games and
skill exercises, the RR 72 unit
helps golfers improve their
game. The distance of every
hit is accurately measured and
stored for each individual
golfer. Built-in rollers permit
the kiosk to be moved easily for
indoor or undercover outdoor
use. And, because it uses cellular broadband technology, RR
72 can simply be plugged into a
standard electrical outlet. (800- 963-0095), www.RR72.com.
Continuing with its successful
ProLine series of range products
this year, Standard Golf Co.
introduces a new addition to its
ProLine series of range products.
The Magnum Ball Dispenser
holds up to 12,000 balls and
2,000 disposable ball bags. The
Magnumís low-profile, 49"
height makes it easy to load.
Players decide how many balls
they want in each durable bag
with a 70-ball capacity and
easy-to-use handles.
The Magnum features an ABS composite
shell, powder-coated tubular
metal framing and stainless steel
components that resist rusting.
The Magnum is tough, but it
also has the brains to go with
the brawn. A Photo Eye warns
you when the ball count is getting low, and a self-jamming
monitor will work through ball
jams first before alerting you
that maintenance is needed.
Easy programming lets you
change ball count for small,
medium and large orders in
minutes. (866-743-9773), www.standardgolf.com.
pROPER
nETTING
New from Tex-Net Inc. this
year is the Poly 2000 Golf
Barrier Netting. Constructed
of high-tenacity UV-stabilized
polyester fiber, the net has a
bursting strength of 450
pounds. Manufactured in the
United States exclusively for
Tex-Net, the fiber has a
perfectly balanced twist in the
yarn that adds tensile strength
while maintaining a low coefficient of drag and minimal wind
load. Both the percentage of
solid fabric and the weight of
the netting have not changed.
As a result, the net is stronger,
but does not require structural
design changes in poles and
cables. The average field life
for Poly 2000 is 10 to 15 years,
and comes with a 10-year
warranty. (800-541-1123), www.texnetusa.com.
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