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RELATIONSHIPS | RESOURCES | RESULTS

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4 Brilliant Results | March 2005 www.brilliantpublishing.com

featuresTHE DISTINGUISHED DOZEN 24

Twelve of the top suppliers of golf apparel talkto corporate America about their companies

BUSINESS GOLF 101 32Take a lesson from one of the leading sales

and marketing professors on the do’s anddon’ts of doing business on the links.

By Dan C. Weilbaker, Ph.D.

THE PERFECT CORPORATEGOLF TOURNAMENT 36

Review the ten steps to planning and executing an above par golf tournament and

listen as Brilliant Results gets first hand tips from two of golf’s premier corporate

tournament directors from Gainey Ranch GolfClub in Scottsdale, AZ and La Quinta Resort

& Club in Palm Desert, CA

A BRIEF HISTORY OF GOLF 42Travel into the mists of time and discoverinteresting facts about one of the world’s

favorite and at times most challenging games.

BOARD GAMES– HOW DO I WIN? 64Hints for the ladies (and gentlemen)

on how to use golf for business relationship building and win.

By Debbie Waitkus

Contents

24 32 42

columnsdepartmentsPUBLISHER’S LETTER 6

ADVERTISING INDEX 76Get FREE information from

this month’s advertisers

CALENDAR 78

THE LAST WORD 80Brilliant Results talks to

Marty Parkes, Senior Vice President of Communications for the

United States Golf Association, about golf, marketing, and the USGA’s

“For the Good of the Game”

OFF THE CUFF 82A little bit of challenging golf

trivia that will test your knowledge.

HOT PRODUCTS…THINGS WE LOVE 56Brilliant Results previews a

treasure trove of exciting golf products.

WHAT WORKS: 68Case studies that Delivered

Brilliant Results

TECHNOLOGY: 74Link Me Up – Making golf

connections in the 21st Century

COVER STORY 8BIG BRANDS FIND COOL CASH IN CORPORATE MARKETS

This month Brilliant Results doubled their interview pleasure and spoke with Brian Thompson, Vice President of Corporate Sales for Cutter & Buck, and Kellie Claudio, Vice President

of Corporate Sales for Ashworth to get inside the world of corporate apparel marketing.

TMbrilliant resultsVol. 2, No. 3

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They’ll look like Tiger. Even if they putt like Larry from HR. Chances are, nobody you buy for can golf quite like this guy.

But how they dream. So let them dream bigger. Order Nike

Golf apparel and equipment. From balls to jackets, bags to

umbrellas, the full line is waiting to tee up your logo.

Why Nike Golf? On championship courses everywhere, we’ve

fast become the brand of choice for many of the world’s top

pros. Which means, everyone who plays golf will appreciate

the chance to wear and use our gear.

From the CEO with a 2 handicap, to the guy who spends

more time in the rough than on the fairway.

Visit our new corporate sales site to find Nike Golf apparel,

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IPublisher’s Letter Brilliant Publishing LLC

9034 Joyce LaneHummelstown, PA 17036

Ph: 717.608.5869Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISING

Maureen [email protected]

717-608-5869

EDITORIALEditor in Chief

MaryAnne Morrill

Senior EditorsMichelle Donofry, Pierce Roberts

Style EditorCharity Plata

Asst. EditorMildred Landis

Contributing WritersGreg Jones, Mike Rawson,

Debbie Waitkus, Dan C. Weilbaker, Ph.D.

Contributors…Ronnie Alschuler, Lisa Bartlett, David Bebon,

Roger Carroll, Rick Ceserse, Kellie Claudio, Phil Cook, Bob Horwitz, Ron McPherson, Ira

Neaman, Marty Parkes, Geoff Stiles, Lee Strom,Scotland Thede, Brian Thompson

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt Director

Percy Zamora

PhotographerUSGA® Images Courtesy USGA® All Rights

Reserved.

Brilliant Results is published monthly by BrilliantPublishing LLC, 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA 17036 (717)608-5869; Fax# (717) 566-5431. Postage paid at MechanicsburgPA and additional offices. POSTMASTER please send addresschanges to Brilliant Results, 9034 Joyce Lane, Hummelstown PA17036. Volume 2. Number 3. Brilliant Results subscription rates:one-year $120; Canadian $160 USD; one-year foreign $225 USD.All subscriptions are non-refundable. Copyright © 2005 BrilliantPublishing LLC. All rights reserved. The publisher reserves theright to accept or reject any advertising or editorial material.Advertisers, and/or their agents, assume the responsibility for anyclaims against the publisher based on the advertisement. Editorialcontributors assume responsibility for their published works andassume responsibility for any claims against the publisher basedon published work. No part of this publication can be reproducedin any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including infor-mation storage and retrieval systems, without written permissionfrom the publisher. All items submitted to Brilliant Resultsbecome the sole property of Brilliant Publishing LLC. Editorialcontent does not reflect the views of the publisher. The imprints,logos, trademarks or trade names (Collectively the “Marks”) dis-played on the products featured in Brilliant Results are for illustra-tive purposes only and are not available for sale. The marks do notrepresent the implied or actual endorsement by the owners of theMarks of the product on which they appear. All of the Marks arethe property of the respective owners and is not the property ofeither the advertisers using the Marks or Brilliant Results.

t’s hard to believe, but spring is just aroundthe corner, and here at Brilliant Results we’regetting in the swing of spring. And when Isay swing, I’m talkin’ golf! This monthBrilliant Results is covering corporateAmerica’s love affair with the age-old game ofgolf, and the undeniable impact it has had onhow we do business today. From how wedress to how we close business deals, thegame of golf has had enormous influence oncorporate America.

Companies sponsor major tournaments as a way to advertise theirbrands, we take our clients out to the links to do business in a relaxedenvironment, we put on golf tournaments as a way to say thank you toour best customers, and of course the influence of golf apparel on cor-porate casual attire is evident in almost every company nationwide.

In this months issue we bring it all to you live and in vivid color!Packed in the pages of this issue are articles to help you in decidingwhich brand of apparel is right for your logo, how to properly do busi-ness on the links, how to put on the perfect company golf tourna-ment, and even an in-depth piece on the history of golf for a littleenjoyable trivia. This will definitely be an issue you’ll save and usefor years to come.

Now don’t get me started on the fact that the word golf was original-ly an acronym for Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden… My, my, my howtimes have changed! What would those good old boys think if theysaw Annika Sorenstam, the LPGA’s top golfer (and of course a lady) winover $2.5 million in 2004, then appear on the cover of this national mag-azine? Or how about me (also a lady) being the publisher of that maga-zine? Or how about Kellie Claudio, the Vice President of CorporateMarkets for Ashworth, one of the golf apparel industries biggest brands(and yes, another lady) being interviewed within the magazine? To theearly boys of golf I have two words for you… Girl Power!

But don’t worry fella’s, we’re not leaving you out. Here at BrilliantResults we’re all about equal opportunity, so the beautiful and talentedAnnika is joined on the cover by golf legend Fred Couples (a man).The cover feature story was written by Pierce Roberts (another man),and Brian Thompson, Vice President for Corporate Markets at Cutter &Buck (yep… one more guy) was also interviewed in the feature story.

So kick back, take some time to enjoy this issue, be sure to let usknow what you think about our magazine, and as always…

Have a Brilliant Day!

Maureen Williams, Publisher

TM


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Introducing

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This month Brilliant Results brings you insight into theapparel industry’s relatively recent love affair with cor-porate markets. It was only about 10 years ago that if acompany wanted to put their logo on a piece of apparelyour choices were fairly limited. You were likely tohear the question “Would you like that on a Hanes® T-shirt or Fruit of the Loom® sweatshirt?” Today thereare literally hundreds of brands to choose from and thebig powerhouse retail brands have finally found theirway into this growing market.

The promotional products industry is estimatedto do an astounding $16.3 Billion in annual sales!

So if it feels like you see a pen, a mug or a T-shirtwith someone’s logo on it just about everywhere,well...that’s probably because you do. Of that $16.3Billion, the largest category percentage is wear-ables, which is estimated to be approximately $5Billion. Think about that for a minute. $5 Billiondollars of corporate branded apparel being bought,sold and given away every year! No wonder wesee mega retail brands like Liz Claiborne®, TommyBahama®, Lacoste®, Nike® and others rushing intothis market. In a world where retail is getting evermore competitive, causing everyone’s market share

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Brilliant Results | March 2005 9www.brilliantpublishing.com

and profit margins to shrink, the corporate market placeand its $5 billion annual consumption looks like an oasisof literally “green” growth in the middle of the hotdesert known as retail.

And, in addition to the traditional channel of more than20,000 promotional merchandise distributors nation-wide,now you even see companies like Lands End® competingfor their share of that Oasis by offering their twist on corpo-rate logoed apparel available directly to you, the corporatebuyer. With all this new activity going on, it can be difficultto decide which brand(s) to buy, what styles and colors areavailable, who really caters to you, the corporate buyer andwho is just trying to grab a piece of the oasis.

Don’t fear Brilliant Results is here to help you sort it allout! This month we are bringing you in depth informa-tion about two of the industry’s biggest brands,Ashworth® and Cutter & Buck® as provided by theirrespective Vice President’s in charge of corporate salesKellie Claudio and Brian Thompson. Furthermore wehave provided a solid overview of 12 other key playersand top brands in the corporate apparel marketplace.And if that’s not enough for you, we have developed acomplete industry buyer’s guide that will provide youwith a complete overview about all the brands in the mar-ket place. Please see page 76 for more informationregarding how to get your own personal copy.

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Brian Thompson, Vice President ofCorporate Sales for Cutter & Buck®

I am a graduate of the University of Washington. I waskind of a born & raised a Cutter & Buck guy. I started withthe company back in 1996 and during that time I haveworked in just about every capacity one person can work infor any single company.

Interestingly prior to starting at C&B my wife and I took acultural sabbatical in the Far East for two years. We lived inTaiwan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore,Indonesia and India. It was definitely the experience of a lifetime, but little did I know how valuable that experiencewould be to me personally, culturally and professionally whenwe got back state-side.

In 1996 I started in management at C&B. My first oppor-tunity was converting our distribution services. We used tosource it all out. My role was to bring it in internal. Thatwas when we got our first warehouse. Upon completion ofthat project I went into handling & managing our internation-al logistics. This was an awesome challenge, but I lovedevery minute of it. I dealt with all the issues surrounding ourfactories, shipping, customs compliance, etc. At the time Iwas involved in this project C&B got very involved in factoryconditions and human rights issues. My role included imple-menting our stringent policies and procedures within our fac-tories while simultaneously managing and upgrading all ofthe logistics issues.

From there I took on the role of upgrading our fulfill-ment technology, which converted our entire operationfrom one filled with cumbersome paper, to one that isabsolutely paperless by using radio frequency today.When that was completed I took over customer service for about eighteen months, which has all lead me to thiscurrent role of Vice President of Corporate Sales. I believemy wide breadth of experience has given me uniqueinsight to all aspects of our company and our industrywhich all enables me to be effective in mycurrent position.

Kellie Claudio, Vice President ofCorporate Sales for Ashworth®

It’s actually a funny story how I got into the apparel busi-ness over 18 years ago. My dream was to become a famouschoreographer like my mentor Bob Fosse. With a Masters inDance, I moved to California in 1987 right in the early years ofMTV. Choreographing music videos and movies inHollywood was a dream step up from teaching master classesfor major colleges and dance studios on the east coast. Thatwas until I realized that I didn’t want to raise my daughterwithin show businesses’ not so nice influences.

I wound up meeting a gentleman that had a small surfcompany called California Beach Company and told him I hadretail experience from previously owning my own dancewearboutique and studio. The problem was... In the late 80’s Idon’t think the surf industry was quite ready for a suit andpump wearing east coaster that moved at warp speed. Iwound up taking the role anyway, and being a surfer buyerquickly initiated me into their laid back world of doing busi-ness. I began to carry several small surf lines of youngmen’s, boys, juniors, men’s and women’s lines.

In 1996 I met Randy Herrel, Chairman and CEO of AshworthInc. I was hired to head up his new young men’s line calledAGCO. When AGCO began evolving into the Ashworth men’sline, I moved into the men’s division covering all retail accountswest of the Mississippi. The sarong and flips were traded backin for business attire and I racked up a ton of frequent flyermiles along with a couple ruptured discs carrying 150 lb. bagsof apparel all over the western United States.

Peter Holmberg, Senior Vice President of Ashworth Sales,who interestingly had started the corporate division for Cutter& Buck, joined Ashworth in 1998 to head up our corporatesales effort. I wanted so much to become a part of this areawithin the company. It grew so rapidly that in 1999 Peter waspromoted from Director of Corporate to Vice President, andnow needed a sales manager. It took me all of about two sec-onds to convince him that I was the perfect person for the job!When he was made Senior VP of Sales in 2001, he placed histrust in me to head up the corporate division.

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Cutter & Buck® is a global brand. Founded in 1989 byapparel industry veteran Harvey Jones, the company

has grown from 45 people generating $14 million in sales, to400 people with gross revenues of over $128 million.Domestically we have 26 field reps that support a network ofselect distributor partners. We are headquartered in Seattle,WA with a showroom in Manhattan, NY.

It was a dream of Mr. Jones’ to start an active lifestylebrand, not just for golf. However, the golf industry reallyloved our bright colors and generous fit, so our naturalgrowth path included that channel. It is important to notethat today the corporate apparel market is our #1 largestchannel of distribution with over $54 million in annual rev-enue. It is definitely safe to say that we are the leadingbrand in 3this marketplace, and we have built our organiza-tion to service that channel exceptionally well.

I think the best way to give you some insight on our com-pany is to share a brief timeline of milestones.1989 – Cutter & Buck® was founded1992 – Started expanding into the golf market1994 – Started our corporate / promotional merchandise

division1995 – Went public CBUK (NASDAQ)1998 – Started our women’s line1999 – Became a preferred vendor for PGA & Ryder Cups2000 – We broke $100 million in sales2001 – Signed Annika Sorenstam to endorse our line2004 – Launched our Annika by C&B ladies brand2002 – Signed Jerry Kelly (top 20 PGA pro) to endorse our

brand2003 – Became the exclusive clothing sponsor for all ESPN

golf telecasts2005 – Became the exclusive clothing sponsor for all Golf

channel telecasts

Ashworth’s dedication to quality, style and functionhas become our historic heritage. Since our beginning in

1987, Ashworth has enjoyed a unique relationship with on-course golf clubs, pro shops, resorts, retail and of course cor-porate markets. Ashworth® has been redefining golf wear foreighteen years, offering style and sophistication to golfers onand off the course. Our apparel is created with the greatestattention to design, fabric, performance and comfort. A brandrooted in tradition, Ashworth’s heritage is one of successfullybuilding a foundation based on those virtues of golf’s mysteri-ous appeal – honor, sportsmanship, integrity and belief.

As the original global apparel company, Ashworth® haslong been recognized as a brand to bring cutting edge inno-vation and sophisticated styling to the lifestyle of the golfer.Today the company also designs additional products to beworn off course, in the office and in casual lifestyle environ-ments. Ashworth, Inc. also has the license to produce appar-el for Callaway® Golf. The Callaway® Golf Sport andCallaway® Golf Collection are sold to on-course golf clubs,pro shops, resorts, retail as well as corporate markets.

In July 2004, Ashworth, Inc. acquired Gekko Brands, LLC, aleading designer, producer and distributor of headwear andapparel under The Game® and Kudzu® brands. This strategicacquisition provides opportunity for additional growth in threenew quality channels of distribution for the Ashworth® andCallaway® Golf apparel brands as well as further growth fromThe Game® and Kudzu® brands’ sales into the company’sthree current distribution channels. The Game® brand productsare marketed primarily under licenses to over 1,000 collegesand universities, as well as to the PGA® tour, resorts, entertain-ment complexes and sporting goods dealers that serve the highschool and college markets. The Game® brand is one of theleading headwear brands in the College/Bookstore distributionchannel. Kudzu® brand products are sold into the NASCAR/rac-ing markets and through outdoor sports distribution channels,including fishing and hunting.

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We feel fortunate that our products were so well receivedby those that had experienced them on the golf course that

we began to get calls from corporations & distributors alike.We realized that many of the people that came in contact with ourhigh-quality apparel on the golf course were the decision makers intheir corporate roles off the course. We realized early on that wewould be much better served in a distributor- based model. Todaywe have a very select distributor base, selling through less than5% of the industry’s distributors. While this may at first appear tobe exclusive, we believe it is in the best interest of the end buyerto deal only with distributors that are savvy business people whoare well educated on our brand and the industry as a whole, there-fore bringing strong value to you, the end buyer. We have certainqualifiers to ensure the company’s that distribute our line into thecorporate market are the best and brightest. Our decisions arebased on a variety of criterion including volume, their focus andability to sell higher end products, their desire for a partnership,and industries they are serving. We don’t sell through any of thetraditional industry apparel wholesalers. We are quite happy andsatisfied with the model that we have in place.

In 1998 when Peter Holmberg left Cutter and Buck andjoined Ashworth to build our corporate division, the

only branded line in the corporate arena was Cutter andBuck. They were very clever building their division primarilytargeting the end user consumer. For the promotional prod-ucts distributor it was connect the dots - the end user con-sumer was already loving and requesting the product fromthem. Peter Holmberg was very excited and determined togive the end user consumer another branded choice that wasdistributed solely by promotional products firms to the corpo-rate market. While the end user golfer was loyal to theAshworth Brand’s roots in golf, it was a bit more of a chal-lenge to educate corporate non-golfers and help them toappreciate the brand’s equity. We continue today to put agreat deal of emphasis towards continuing education for bothour promotional products sales executives and end buyers.

How / why did your company get into the promotional merchandise / custom logo’ed apparel industry?

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Surely the largest percentage of that wearables catego-ry is T-shirts & caps. I would guess the branded part

of that is about 15% today, but growing. Even at that,you’re talking about nearly $1 Billion in business to be had –That is exciting! We think it’s a wonderful and amazingindustry to be a part of. Think about it. To be affiliated withother well known brands that include company’s big andsmall – that is cool. To us it’s an honor when a companydecides to place their logo on our garment. As I statedabove, sales to companies wanting to promote their products& services by placing their logo on our product makes up thesingle largest percentage of our business. Trust me when Itell you that this is an important industry & we are very seri-ous about it.

The corporate arena seems to be the last frontier forretail brands that are looking for new ways to generate

revenue. Retail brands face shrinking floor space indepartment stores and narrowing vendor lists. I believe thesechallenged brands are starting “corporate divisions” becausethey see this arena as their only avenue of future growth.

Our distributors tell me that too many brands want apiece of this better market. This pie isn’t growing but ratherbecoming more confusing. The end buyer now has a smor-gasbord of better brands to choose from. A line might be themost beautifully designed and technologically advanced inthe industry, however, it often comes down to relationships,customer service, efficiency, and accuracy of execution as tohow much of the pie each brand gets to enjoy. That beingsaid, Ashworth and our distributors do have those aspectscovered, so we are well positioned for continued stronggrowth with corporate America.

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The promotional merchandise industry today is estimated to do an astounding $16.3 Billion inannual sales. The largest segment in the industry consistently year after year is wearables.Industry experts estimate the wearables category at well over $5 Billion dollars a year. Thisrepresents enormous opportunity for both visibility & financial impact. All of that being stat-ed, what is your general view on the industry?

2004 sales were $128 million. Approximately $54 mil-lion of that was in corporate sales, with the balance

being in green grass and retail.

Projected sales for 2005 are $217 million. The corpo-rate division makes up the second largest percentage

right behind green grass.

What are your company’s annual gross revenues, and approximately what percentageof those revenues comes from the corporate / promotional merchandise market today?

Our perfect scenario is having our corporate sales vol-ume grow, while it becomes a smaller percentage of

our overall mix because company-wide gross sales contin-ue to increase at a more rapid pace.

Exactly the same, which is as it should be. Ashworthbegan in the golf business and we expect our largest

percentage of business to remain there.

What do you envision that percentage looking like in five years?

Cutter & Buck goes to market with over 100 styles andseveral hundred SKU’s. We are deep in classics prima-

rily because that product group is in stock year around, andthe buying patterns of corporate America tend to requirethat. We also have an extensive fashion line, however only aportion of that is made available to corporate markets simplydue to it’s seasonality and buying process.

Ashworth can dress an individual from top to bottom.We offer bottoms, knits, outerwear, fleece, sweaters,

and caps for both men and ladies. Our total offering is 72styles totaling about 300 SKU’s

Do you offer your full line, or just a portion of it to the corporate market?

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Our basic price point pique is consistently very strong. Itis available in a wide variety of colors and in sizes from

XX-Small to 5X-large. One of our most popular items right nowis our nailshead woven long sleeve button down. It has all thequality details of the finest dress shirt. You can easily dress itup or down. The fabric is a 100% fully combed cotton yarn dyeand is available for both men and women in several colors andsizes. The interest in this category speaks to the rebound of cor-porate casual, where “casual” is more dressy than it was a fewyears ago. Our specific brands’ popularity seems to say we aremaking a great quality garment.

Our EZ-tech is an incredible product. EZ-tech is the com-bination of EZ care and technology. Ashworth introduced

EZ-tech to the golf market 3 years ago with a 2 bar, 50’s 2-ply,lacoste stitch, 100% cotton pique that does not shrink, pill orfade, and the collar does not curl. It was an instant driver.Expanding on the tremendously successful EZ-Tech category,Ashworth introduced more knits and created woven shirts andbottoms to meet the unparalleled demand. The ironic and verycomplimentary irony is that we have imitators who tout theirproduct is “just like EZ-Tech”, the easy comfort/care garmentsof the future that don’t shrink, fade or pill.

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The ladies segment is really important to us. Every yearwe are increasing our ladies component by 20+%. By 2006

we will have an almost equal split. Women’s fashions are thefastest growing segment of our business. I believe this growth isdue to women becoming tired of wearing unisex garments. Inaddition, I think a higher percentage of decision makers are nowwomen and they are exerting their preferences.

We have been working for years on developing and evolv-ing our women’s silhouettes and have been waiting for themarket to be ready. That time seems to be here now. Thiswill be a strong market advantage for us for several years.However, you have to be careful to not be too fashion forwardin corporate markets because they typically require goods tobe in stock and may need to re-order year after year. Ourgoal was to develop a line that women would be proud towear, without getting so fashion forward that we risk lookingoutdated in a year.

The women’s market is a perplexing one. I listenedcarefully to all of the needs and wants of our promo-

tional products distributors for what they and their clientswanted and needed for this very particular segment of thecorporate market. Keeping in mind the vast number ofbody types we need to accommodate with a fashionable,functional, and well fitting women’s garment, we havebeen able to slowly increase women’s SKUs yearly as thevolume has grown steadily from 1% to 5% of our total vol-ume. Every woman’s garment in the Ashworth line has amen’s counterpart. We women want something other thana basic two-button polo so we offer different more femi-nine necklines and silhouettes.

Tell us a bit about your ladies line(s). Do the ladies garments match the men’s so cor-porate clients can use your brand in a matching “uniform-like” capacity?

$40 - $120. The C&B product line is geared towardsmiddle to senior managers and up.

$29.99 - $165 for our apparel lines. We also have gor-geous accessories like our leather duffel that takes the

range up to $395.

What is your price point range?

We seem to sell well throughout the entire country,however, in the promotional products / corporate sales

arena we tend to be stronger on the East coast. I believe thatis because there are so many corporate headquarters there.

We categorize the country’s regions according to theweather. The sun region, if you will, is of course where

Ashworth is in highest demand.

What area of the country does your brand seem to be most in demand?

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The Cutter & Buck line is truly applicable in any indus-try. Our strongest industries however, are pharmaceu-

tical, automobile, financial and beverage/spirits. Recently wehave noticed the banking community has been doing morebusiness with us. Some of that speaks back to the new era ofdressing more casual. There are more opportunities to weara woven shirt, and our long sleeve button downs are a big hitwith that group.

You know it is a mix of all. Ashworth is an aspirationalbrand for those who play the game at the highest level

of life and for those who want to look like they do. We arecertainly a brand that corporations like to co-brand on theirapparel as a sign of value and appreciation to the recipient.Pharmaceutical companies now have a very difficult time jus-tifying “the marketing spend” for apparel. Although that isunfortunate for Ashworth and other apparel brands, my teamcan place Callaway Golf® logoed products into the pharma-ceutical market successfully.

Have you noticed a trend on certain industries showing more demand for your brand(i.e. financial, pharmaceutical, construction, etc.)?

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As a general statement – Bright. Active colors arewhere it’s at! For retail – oranges, pink (for men &

women), some of the sun-drenched colors (like melon or cit-rus) and some of or nautically inspired colors (sea blue withwhite or green with white).

Definitely brights like our cocktail green, fireball red,absolute blue, and saffron yellow.

C&B is a golf- inspired lifestyle brand for the discerningman or woman that expects consistent quality, perform-

ance and fashion. Our oversized fits, great colors and commit-ment to the ladies market have all been a part of what makes usthe leading apparel brand in the corporate marketplace.

Clearly by being an Authentic Golf Lifestyle Brand withits root and heritage in the game of golf. Ashworth was

named the number one brand in golf again for the 8th year in arow by the Darrell Survey. Ashworth can be found in betterdepartment and specialty retailers across the country. So manycompanies in this market call themselves a brand but where arethey at the retail level? When they state manufacturers sug-gested retail pricing, I have to wonder how they come up withthat number when the product is not available in any storefront.

I think it’s great because it is important that corpora-tions take a hard look at their purchasing. Buyers are

buying for company’s that usually take great pride in theirown logo / brand. They should be able to align with otherstrong brands regardless as to whether they are decoratingapparel, a watch, a pen or whatever. We also believe themore players you have at the higher-end, the more legitimatethe expense becomes. So, while we welcome these brands tomarket, we also want to point out that servicing a corporateaccount is an entirely different ball game than being in retail.We have built our business on servicing that customer.

I think many of them are lovely products that are easilyavailable to the consumer in most retail stores. I think

that they might be able to fill a niche in this market, but itdepends on how many SKU’s they decide to carry in invento-ry and their capabilities to adapt to this venue. Buy todayand wear tomorrow business isn’t as easy as some may think.

What are the hottest color(s) for 2005?

How does your brand differentiate from the other apparel brands in the corporatemarket / promotional merchandise industry?

What is your opinion of big retail brands like Liz Claiborne recently entering the pro-motional merchandise / corporate market?

Land’s End is a very formidable competitor. They con-sume a huge amount of business and are effective

without a sales force. It appears as though their strength istheir ability to handle small orders. I’m not certain, but Ithink there average order size is about a dozen pieces.However, I know that when our distributors have the oppor-tunity to service those accounts, they definitely have theedge because they build the relationship and can service theaccount far more effectively. There is simply more valueadded to work with a distributor partner.

I guess I don’t see where the value is in this brand tothe buyer or to the promotional products firm when

they sell direct to end-users? I’ve never bought or wore it. Ihonestly don’t have thoughts on this product at all. LandsEnd, L.L. Bean? Is there a difference?

We see companies like Land’s End making a considerably stronger effort to take market share by selling direct to end buyers. What are your thoughts on this?

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Now Available for Corporate SalesFor more information contact your promotional products distributor or Idea Workshop at 888-831-0401 e-mail: [email protected]

www.ideaworkshop.com

LACoste 2/21/05 2:21 PM Page 1


We sell to the corporate marketplace through an elitegroup of promotional products distributors. To get con-

nected with one of our authorized distributors you can call800-929-9299, or log on to our end-buyer friendly website atwww.cbcorporate.com

We sell through Qualified Franchise Partners only. Thebest and the brightest promotional products firms in the

country distribute our products to the corporate market.To learn more check out www.ashworthinc.com, or call

(760) 438-6610

How do you distribute your brand to this market (i.e what channel(s) – distributors,company reps, wearable wholesalers, etc.)?

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The lines will continue to blur. The definition of whata supplier, factory or distributor does will continue to

change and evolve. The most important thing going forwardwill be having strong relationships within your supply chain -long-term loyal partnerships based on mutual interests.

I love this industry and see myself in this business formany years to come. I wish I had a crystal ball, but I

don’t. We will keep playing the game strong, yet insert a littlequarterback sneak here and there. We know if we fumble,there are tons of competitors ready to pick up the ball and runwith it. The analogy may sound a little corny but it is very true.

It does pose a potential threat if they provide highquality product at a low price, however there is much

more to consider when building long-term relationships andservicing corporate clients. It won’t have a significant impacton us because they don’t have the brand. At the end of theday the buyer seems to want C&B for the brand first.

This is simply not affecting our business. I would askthe non-brands who are competing for the moderate

price point business. I think that this would impact them aswell as distributors who produce their own private labelitems overseas more negatively.

Like many industries, this industry is extremely challenged by Asian markets sellinghigh quality product (but no strong brand name) direct to the end buyers. How doyou see this impacting your brand?

What do you see for the future of this industry / channel as a whole?

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As you can tell from several of my comments, forCutter & Buck, it’s a lot about the ladies. Over half of

the workforce today is women, but ladies sales are only 20%of the corporate apparel buys. Look at how much biggerretail is for women than men. Why this industry is oppositeis both perplexing and changing.

Technical fabrics will also continue to be a focus of ours,including golf shirts that keep you dry, wovens with wrinkleresistance properties, washable silks and outerwear that’sthin but keeps you warm. I think we as consumers are sointo bells & whistles now. Just like we want high definitionTV & ipods, we also want the same in our apparel. Thosethings are not just exclusive to C&B or to apparel for thatmatter. Questions like “what makes this pen better than lastyears pen, or this logo’ed memory stick better than that one”are also questions that end consumers want to know.

Our quote to live by: “Be who you’re going to be. Youcan’t be everything to everyone.”

I have some huge plans for this market that I cannotreveal to the world just yet. I feel like my competitors

are walking only a few steps behind with one beside meholding hands. This has a tendency to keep you motivated.There are some extremely bright insightful leaders of teamslike my amazing family of sales executives in this market thatI admire. We will continue to attract & retain the best &brightest end buyers and distributor partners.

Our quote to live by: “It is what it is and don’t try to makeit what it’s not.”

Can you give our readers some insight on your brands future plans for this market?

KCBT

It’s important. We are an icon driven society.Celebrities are everywhere representing thousands of

brands. The decision of who you align with can have a greatimpact on both the brand and the celebrity. For Cutter &Buck Annika is perfect! She is on top of the world and is thenicest person you would ever want to meet!

Fred Couples is our main endorsee, but we believe inthis type of strategy. Every time you turn on the golf

channel - there are pros wearing our product. That is greatmarketing. The consumer sees the pro wearing it, whichresults in them walking into a retailer and purchasing it, orbetter yet deciding it’s the right product to co-brand withtheir own company logo.

Most green grass brands have sports personalities endorse their products. Why doyou think that’s important and who are your biggest endorsees today?

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Antigua®

Price Point Range: $22 for tee shirts to $300 for leather jack-ets. The average golf polo shirt will retail from $40 to $90 basedon fabrication and design.

Styles & SKU’s: The entire Antigua line of apparel, outerwear andaccessories is available to the corporate market. We offer 100 plusstyles in a wide variety of colors for men, women and kids.

Hottest colors for 2005: 2005 is awash in brilliant colors.Bright blues, oranges, and yellows are trending much strongerthan in previous years.

What do you want corporate America to know aboutyour brand?

The Antigua Group, Inc. is a leading designer and marketer ofmen’s and women’s lifestyle apparel and sportswear under the dis-tinctive Antigua label. In 2004, Antigua celebrated its 25thAnniversary serving the apparel needs of the Golf, Licensed Sports,Corporate and identity Specialty Retail markets.

Establishing a strong foothold in the growing cooperate mar-ket, Antigua now has over 5,000 corporate customers. As the“casual office” and “Friday wear” concepts continue to permeatethe American workplace, more and more major corporations arefinding ways to make Antigua’s comfortable and elegant fashionswork for them.

As the company grows and expands it is clear that one thingnever changes at Antigua, its commitment to exceptional productquality and unparalleled customer service. With those idealsfirmly engrained in all its employees and associates, the Antiguavision has been crafted to effectively meet the challenges andmaximize the opportunities of a bright and exciting future.

– Information provided by Ron McPherson, President

Arnold Palmer® Golf Price Point Range: $29 - $45

Styles & SKU’s: 15 styles & approx. 100 sku’s

Hottest colors for 2005: sage, sea mist or cactus (soft greenfamily ) and Bright dark blue (Marina).


We built the entire brand around the fact that we have themost recognized name in golf. Whether in the golf market, thebroader sports market or in the business world Mr. Palmer is anicon and a legend. He has always associated his name withonly great companies. This line was developed to be applicablein the board room or on the fairway.

We use exceptionally high quality fabrics to produceunique products like our honey comb pique, pima blends,double gas mercerized and micro fiber peached finishes. Wego through cumbersome processes that entails putting theyarn through a flame to burn off the rough areas, thenthrough a caustic soda bath, then comb & dye, then knit,then back through another caustic soda bath. All of this todevelop the finest finish for a comfortable look, feel and fit.This brand launched in 2001 and has seen strong growthevery year since. When you look at corporate casual attire itis becoming distinctly dressier. We think that is a definitemovement and have built this line to address that. They cred-it three simple points; Mid-tear price, fabulous fabrics, greatfinishes. That is Arnold Palmer Golf Apparel.

- Information provided by David Bebon, Executive Vice President,Capital Mercury (manufacturer of Arnold Palmer® Golf apparel)

The Distinguished Dozen... An overview of twelve top

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AUREUSPrice Point Range: Aureus shirts are only $36 to a high of$53. Our Winner Mate line ranges from $18 to $36. We alsohave an extensive outerwear collection in both lines with pricesfrom $27 to $60.

Styles & SKU’s: We have approximately 90 items that are instock 24/7/365 in our basic line. Our fancy or seasonal lines haveanother 60+ items. We offer same day shipping on everything inour basic catalog, with no minimums or pre-packs.

Hottest colors for 2005: The Aureus line is the more fashionforward of our two brands. Our “hot” new colors are Midori(lime green), Flush (pink), Orchid (lavender), Espresso (darkbrown), British Brass (rust) and Tournament Blue (crossbetween royal and navy).


Our brands, Aureus and Winner Mate, are aimed at two differ-ent corporate markets. The Aureus brand is all high-end fabrica-tions; Silk, Double Mercerized Egyptian Cotton, Pima Cotton andour TechniCool® performance fabric. Aureus is for the customerwho demands the best in golf-oriented apparel. Winner Mate isgeared towards the customer who needs high quality and con-struction, but price is paramount.

We have been supplying the golf and corporate apparel buyersneeds for over 20 years. We have an enormous in stock program andlast minute orders of 2000+ items can usually ship the same day. Ourquality and attention to detail is second to none. Combine our extensivein stock program, lack of minimums, same day shipping, finest qualityand unparalleled customer service; it is easy to understand why Aureusand Winner Mate Sportswear have lasted for over 20 years.

– Information provided by Geoff Stiles, National Sales Manager

Blake & Hollister Price Point Range: $24-$40.

Styles & SKU’s: 16 styles for 2005 with almost 100 color com-binations. We also can manufacture special colors and styles tomatch specific needs our customers may require.

Hottest colors for 2005: golden honey, silver and banana.


We are a better quality popular price knit shirt brand.Corporate America realizes that quality products represent theimage they want to achieve to their marketplace. Therefore,price is not a factor in their decision making process. Our doublemercerized styles 830 and 833 have been a big success to thefortune 1000 target market. In addition, many major companiesnow require men’s and ladies coordinating styles. This year ourmatching ottoman stitch, available in style 344, ladies sleeve-less, 244 ladies collar and placket and 744 men’s have lead thepack of our coordinating offerings. A new color offered in thesestyles for 2005 is khaki.

- Information provided by Ronnie Alschuler, National Sales Manager

apparel brands that offer solutions to the corporate market place.

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Greg Norman Collection Price Point Range: The price point for the Greg NormanCollection ranges from $120 - $40.

Styles & SKU’s: In the Essentials (in stock) program for theGreg Norman Collection we offer 25 styles and nearly 100 SKU’s.The line includes knits, wovens and outerwear for both men andwomen. Seasonally we offer a full collection of men’s andwomen’s wear to corporate markets based on availability.

Hottest colors for 2005: In our basic pique polo Mango &Guava have been great. In the Ultimate Greg Norman polo,Cobalt & Cherry have been our strongest colors.


For the Greg Norman Collection, we have seen performance,color and luxury as being important to our corporate clients. In2005 you will see us cover all the traditional “basic” colors nec-essary for the market; however we are also offering hot fashioncolors such as the mango & guava that I mentioned above. Wealso offer a large range of performance products, and for thefirst time in the market we are offering our PlayDry luxury prod-ucts. This is the first time we have offered these double mer-cerized performance products. It is also important to mentionthat we offer an item-driven women’s collection with colorfuland feminine styles, all based in DryPlay fabrics and each withits own fashion detailing.

– Information provided by Lisa Bartlett, VP Corporate Sales

King Louie / TimeOut® Apparel Price Point Range: In recent years the feedback we have received from our dealers hasencouraged us to take a good, better, best approach to both featuresand price point in order to accommodate a wide range of corporatebudgets. For example, our polo shirt price points range from ourmore standard Universal and International styles at about $15 all theway up to our Spyglass style at $43

Styles & SKU’s: We have 120 styles of shirts, jackets, and ladies wear split amongthree distinct brands. King Louie is our legacy brand and is strictlyUnion Made in our own factories right here in the USA. TheTimeOut Apparel brand is designed and sourced around the globe,while TimeOut for Her is our dedicated ladies brand.

Hottest colors for 2005: Slate blue and charcoal continue to sell well because they are“corporate logo friendly” but we also introduced several mois-ture management shirts this year including the Delancey, whichcomes in Tangerine.


We are one of the Top 40 largest suppliers to the promotionalproducts industry. We have been catering to the corporate marketplace for more than three decades and understand their specialneeds extremely well. Corporate buyers require the ability toorder specific quantities and on time delivery is crucial since mostcorporate usage is for a special event. No one wants to receivetheir goods the Monday after the golf tournament. Furthermore,they do not want to hear that the 3XL shirt for the CEO is “tem-porarily out of stock”. These are precisely the reasons that corpo-rate America has chosen King Louie/TimeOut Apparel for morethan 30 years.

– Information provided by Roger Carroll, VP Marketing

The Distinguished Dozen... An overview of twelve top

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LACOSTE®

Price Point Range: Our Classic 100% Cotton Pique Polo for men is $72.00, as is theStretch Mini-Pique Polo for women.

Styles & SKU’s: At the current time, we offer the Classic Pique Polo for Men(#L1212) and the Mini- Pique Stretch Polo for Women (#PF168E).This represents a significant portion of the Lacoste collectionand there is a monthly flow of production.

Hottest colors for 2005: There are currently 5 in-stock colors for men (Black, White, LightBlue, Pink, and Navy), and 4 in-stock colors for women (Black,White, Pink and Light Blue). We will expand the color palettefor summer into more pinks, greens and blues.


Lacoste is a name with a worldwide reputation for qualityand fashion. The brand and its infamous crocodile logo areover 70 years old. During the Davis Cup of 1927, French tennissuperstar, René Lacoste – was nicknamed “le Crocodile” bythe American press for his style on the courts. He revolution-ized tennis wear when he appeared on the court in a short-sleeved knit shirt he had designed. By 1933, Lacoste hadadopted the crocodile emblem as his trademark. Today,Lacoste remains a popular favorite with professional and ama-teur players in golf and tennis, as well as consumers desiringcomfortable, high-quality active-inspired sportswear. Lacostefashions have a major presence in the entertainment industryand are available exclusively through prestigious retail shopsand specialty stores.

– Information provided by Bob Horwitz, President Idea Workshop (the exclusive supplier of Lacoste Sportswear to the corporate marketplace)

Liz Claiborne Price Point Range: Liz Claiborne and Claiborne Men are morepremium brands with price points between $23 & 65.

Styles & SKU’s: For Liz Claiborne and Claiborne Men, our ini-tial offering is a total of 16 styles at an average of 3-4 colors perstyle. Liz Claiborne is available in sizes small – 3XL, andClaiborne Men is available in sizes small – 4XL.

Hottest colors for 2005: For women: pink, navy, white, red,and black. For men: navy, black, graphite, and red.


Liz Claiborne is the number one brand at retail for Women.We are best known for updated fashion, great fitting specs,easy wash and wear, and overall great quality. Claiborne formen is a strong up and coming brand that is presently geared tothe more metropolitan man with dressier looks and a slimmerfit. Claiborne men’s fabrics are rich with quality and like Lizhave excellent easy wash and wear characteristics. The open-ing collection being offered by Hartwell Classic Apparel is justthe beginning of what is going to be offered down the road. Wehave started with the basic compilation of clean layering piecesfor today’s women and men. Simple, classy, and always in style.

– Information provided by Rick Cesere, Executive VP of sales forHartwell (the exclusive supplier of Liz Claiborne sportswear to the corporate marketplace)

apparel brands that offer solutions to the corporate market place.

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Nike®

Price Point Range: $30 - $80.

Styles & SKU’s: 19 styles plus 3 headwear styles totalingapproximately 100 sku’s.

Hottest colors for 2005: Cricket (light green), Pro Red (a bright red), Chianti (a deepmaroon) and orange ice.


First and foremost, Nike is a brand about innovation andtechnology. Many people think of us as a marketing company,but it all begins with our deep commitment to innovation andtechnology. As we say around here, “You can’t sell a bad prod-uct twice.”

We design our fabrics and fits to help people perform at theirhighest level. From a design and development standpoint wesee apparel as equipment. A big part of our technology in fabricdevelopment is based on moisture management. One exampleof that is our new Dry Fit UV, which is a blend of polyester,spandex and it has UV protection in it. We currently offer ninestyles of our Dry Fit product. The biggest thing that differenti-ates us from our competitors is that we have the great benefitof drafting off what our major retail group develops. That givesus an enormous advantage. In addition to our apparel, we arethe only brand that offers everything for the golfer to the corpo-rate market. We have golf balls, bags, clubs, headwear, andeven right down to socks and shoes.

– Information provided by Scotland Thede, Corporate Sales Director

Ping®

Price Point Range: Caps range from $9.98 - $13.98. Men’s and Women’s Sport shirtsvary from $29.98 - $59.98 and outerwear ranges from $49.98 - $69.98.

Styles & SKU’s: Our current offering has 32 styles including 17 sport shirts, 4ladies styles, 4 hats and visors, 6 jackets and outerwear itemsand 1 tee shirt.

Hottest colors for 2005: Classic colors like Navy and Khaki are very strong with thePING line along with subtle variations like Herb. The earthtones, which dominate the line, are rounded out by brighterhues such as Pistachio and Banana. Those brighter colors pro-vide a fashion component to this performance brand.


PING sponsored PGA pro Heath Slocum put it best: “It allcomes down to performance. To perform your best you need theright tools for the job. Ping’s apparel, like the clubs, helps mereach my potential and look great. Ping puts me at the top ofmy game…on and off the course.” PING apparel goes beyondgreat style, featuring innovative technologies that help the gar-ments perform as well as they look. Performance featuresinclude DRY FIBER DYNAMICS™ for moisture management, UVprotection by Ciba® to block the sun’s harmful rays, Lycra® forimproved movement, and Function 3 Dynamics™ for peak per-formance in outerwear.

– Information provided by Lee Strom, Marketing Director, San Mar (theexclusive distributor of Ping® sportswear to the corporate marketplace)

The Distinguished Dozen...

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The Distinguished Dozen...

Tommy Bahama®

Price Point Range: Our polo’s are $60 and up, silk campshirts are $86 - $118 and our outerwear is $77 and up.

Styles & SKU’s: Presently our corporate apparel offeringincludes 19 apparel styles and 12 accessory styles for both menand women.

Hottest colors for 2005: Dramatic colors are depicted in most Tommy Bahama styles.Colors utilized in solid and tone on tone designs include wild gin-ger, terra cotta, jasmine, crystalline, clover and solar to name afew. Of course the Tommy Bahama brand is famous for its verycolorful full color palm tree and floral printed shirts.


Eagle Dry Goods, exclusively represents Tommy Bahamaapparel and accessories for the corporate apparel market. Theproduct is sold for Eagle by promotional product distributorsnationally. The internationally recognized Tommy Bahama brandbrings the highest quality apparel in its class to the corporatemarket place. Typical corporate applications include travel gifts,sales meeting incentives, recognition and performance awards,key client and employee gifts and corporate golf event incentives.

Eagle Dry Goods offers Tommy Bahama current retail stylesand colors. This includes luxurious silk camp shirts in solids,tone on tone jacquard and elegant floral and leaf print designsalong with golf shirts and outerwear. Like other leading retailbrands presently offered in the corporate apparel market, thereare a few guidelines that must be followed for corporate users.All products must be embroidered with an approved corporatespecific logo. We are not authorized to offer blank product, norcan the Tommy Bahama product from Eagle Dry Goods beresold in any retail setting such as a men’s stores and golf orresort shops. All current apparel and accessory styles may beviewed www.tommybahamacorporate.com

– Information provided by Phil Cook, VP Corporate Sales for Eagle DryGoods (the exclusive supplier of Tommy Bahama Sportswear to the corporate marketplace)

Vantage Price Point Range: Basic and fashion knit shirts range from $25.00 - $40.00 withupscale knit fashions falling between $40.00 and $60.00 depend-ing on fabric. Our outerwear is also extremely affordable withmany styles retailing around $50.00.

Styles & SKU’s: The 2005 Vantage collection includes over 500 styles and colorsof apparel that is perfect for on-course events, corporate casualwear and uniform programs.

Hottest colors for 2005: This year, we’ve added upscale fashion colors like Dusty Purple,Bay Blue and Sage Green to our golf styles. Our line can easilybridge from the golf course to dinner out or can be used for corpo-rate casual office apparel.


Vantage offers an extensive line of quality fashion apparel alongwith incomparable decoration, substantial inventories and unparal-leled service. With more than 27 years of experience in promotionalapparel, we have the resources and expertise to build programsthat satisfy promotional objectives. In addition to our full-line ofstock products, Vantage’s design team can work with clients tocreate custom products and programs.

We invest more in quality assurance, both domesticallyand globally, than anyone in the industry. In fact, promotionaldistributors have repeatedly voted Vantage #1 ApparelSupplier in the industry.

Performance fabrics, especially those with moisture manage-ment or wicking properties, have been one of the hottest trendsin golf apparel. Vantage offers Vansport™, a moisture wickingfabric, in both polo styles and long and short sleeve mocks. Ourstretch fabrics have also become very popular in golf for theirperformance characteristics. Our mercerized cotton fabrics havea smooth hand and silky drape which has also been very popularin this market. And, with our quick-ship decoration program youcan get 3-day embroidery service on all of our styles with noadditional rush charges.

– Information provided by Ira Neaman, President

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BusinessGolf 101BusinessGolf 101


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D

www.brilliantpublishing.com


I learned one of my most valuable lessons on the golf course, when as ayoung pharmaceutical representative; I set up a round of golf with a potentiallymajor customer. In my excitement I started blabbing about my product line theminute I introduced myself and spent the next 17 holes getting the cold shoul-der. Since then I have come to realize that the game and the environmentrequire a different approach than you would use in an office.

As a Philip Morris USA Professor of Sales at Northern Illinois University, I havecompiled 10 tips for doing business on the golf course and a hole-by hole salesstrategy. First the 10 tips to get your golf course business encounters off the teeand on the way to par a winning round:

oing business on the golf course has become an Americaninstitution and surveys have shown that fully 93 percent ofexecutives who golf say it’s a good way to improve relation-ships with business associates. Thirty-five percent even goso far as to say that they had sealed some of the biggestdeals of their lives on the golf course.

1. Dress for success—First impressions areas important on the golf course as they are ata sales presentation. Be aware of current golfapparel styles: soft-collar, all-cotton poloshirts, khakis, and soft-spiked shoes.

2. Know your etiquette—Even if you’re ahorrible golfer, there’s no excuse for improperbehavior on the course. Know how to tend aflag, mark a ball on the putting green, andwhen not to speak during play.

3. Don’t play golf instructor—Even if yourcustomer has a golf swing that resembles anax-chopping lumberjack, don’t offer adviceunless it is solicited. People’s egos are oftenwrapped up in their game.

4. Don’t let the customer win—Golf is a cen-turies-old game of honor and integrity. If youlet your customer win and he or she finds outabout it later, your credibility will be destroyed.

5. If you wager, pay up immediately—Never wager more than you have in your wal-let, and if you lose, pay up on the spot. Also,don’t assume that the few dollars you might

lose is a down payment on closing a big deal.

6. Be positive—If your customer hits a goodshot, commend him or her on it. Don’t overdoit, though—just be honest and be yourself.

7. Get to know your customer on the firstsix holes—Connect with your customer on apersonal level. Address a wide range of topics,from family to college background. Of course,never talk more than your customer does.

8. Introduce business on holes 6 through12—Start by inquiring about the company and its goals. Then ask about the customer’sneeds.

9. Plant a seed during holes 12 through18—Return to the issues of the previous sixholes. Tell the customer how you can meet hisor her needs. Don’t sell, just inform.

10. Remember, a golf outing doesn’t alwaysend on the 18th hole—A golf event often con-cludes with libations at a 19th hole or a dinner.If you’ve established a good rapport on thecourse, plan a time to do business.

Brilliant Results | March 2005 33

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HOLES 1-6This is no time to be doing business, instead, get

to know your playing partner. Ask about their fami-ly, hobbies, where they went to school –just aboutanything but how things are going at the office.Don’t rush things. Take advantage of this time tobecome friends, not business associates. Be sure tolisten more than you talk, stay away from off-colorjokes and don’t offer any golfing advice unless youare asked.

HOLES 7-12Now that you’re buddies, it’s safe to talk a little

shop–but the only pitching you do should be direct-ed toward the greens. Spend this time getting a bet-ter handle on your customer’s business. What are itsstrengths and weaknesses? What is keeping him (orher) up at night worrying? What are their goals forthe future? If wagering is suggested to make theround more interesting, get in the game, but don’tbe the one to suggest gambling. And make sure youhave enough cash in your pocket to cover your bets.

HOLES 13-18So far, you’ve been a good listener; now it’s time

to talk a little, but it’s still too early for selling.Instead, use the final six holes to tell your clientwhat you can do for him. Tell him how you can solvehis most pressing problems. Also, if you’ve been

having the round of a lifetime, don’t start playingpoorly to let the customer win. Golf is an honorablegame. If he thinks you’re cheating in golf, he’llbelieve that you will cheat in business, too. If thereis a big gap in talent, use a handicapping system tokeep things interesting and competitive.

THE 19TH HOLE AND BEYOND...Now is the best time to close the deal…maybe.

If things are going well, you might ask your clientto sign on the dotted line over drinks in the bar orat dinner. You may want to simply get a commit-ment to schedule a formal meeting at a later dateand instead spend this time learning a little moreabout your client and talking about that great fiveiron he hit out of the rough on 18. Either way, ifyou have followed the hole-by-hole sales strategy,you have laid the groundwork for success and arepeat game. •

Dr. Dan C. Weilbaker is a Philip Morris USAProfessor of Sales at Northern Illinois University inDeKalb, IL. With some 20 years of experience inSales Education at the University level and as amember of the Board of Directors for theProfessional Society for Sales and MarketingTraining, he has developed and launched the SMTSales Certification System. Dr. Weilbaker can bereached at [email protected].

Breaking that business sale process down on a hole-by-hole basis, allows the professional businessperson to turn a round of golf into a successful sales meeting.In my Business Golf 101 courses, students learn that a day on the links can be aday wasted, or, if managed correctly, a four-hour sales call that builds a relationshipand ultimately clinches a deal. Like the difference between bogey and birdie, it’sall in the approach.

Following are my hole-by-hole playbook instructions:

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Once again Brilliant Results is bringing you quality,real world information that you can take andimplement in your own business, regardless ofsize, industry or geographic location.

Many businesses use golf tournaments as adirect marketing tool. It is a great way to bringyour customers and/or suppliers into a fun andlight-hearted environment with the goals of creating good will, developing relationships,enabling other attendees to network with eachother and build bonds that create loyalty. Infact, when you think about it, Peppers & Rogersmight agree that corporate golf tournaments arethe near perfect “one-to-one” marketing conceptbased on the incredible face time opportunitythat a day on the links provides.

This month BR spoke with the tournamentdirectors from two of the nations hot spots for golf;Robert Glickman from La Quinta Resort & Club inPalm Desert California and Robert Andrews fromGainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale Arizona.

Imagine this…it’s a beautiful day and you’reon your way to play in a golf tournament that isbeing hosted by a company that you spend a lotof money with. As you head to the course you getlost and wind up arriving after the shotgun hassounded because they didn’t give you good, cleardirections. Of course the carts were all gone soyou had to walk out to meet the rest of your four-some. When you finally catch up to them, youlook in your gift bag to find three “pre-owned”balls and a pack of tees. The group they put youin had one guy who greeted you with “would youbelieve this is the first time I’ve ever playedgolf?” and the other two were a husband & wifeteam that took themselves way too seriously. Bythe time you finished your round, all the food andbeverages were gone, however the groundskeeperwas kind enough to offer you a four-hour-old tunasandwich with his green thumb hand.

These things and worse have actually hap-pened according to the experts we spoke with, so

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Toyota, Blue Cross, Pepsi, Chrysler,Computer World, Safeway, T-Mobileand more. While I may not be amarketing executive, I have seen myfair share of what works and whatdoesn’t. One of the things peopleseem to really enjoy is when weinject unique aspects into their tournament. One example is havingfive or six of our pros playing a fewholes with each group so the play-ers can get free tips from the pros.”

And while Glickman talks aboutclosing down LaQuinta’s drivingrange to have a Temptations con-cert on it, Andrews says many ofGainey Ranch’s clients prefer a lowkey post-round experience like lis-tening to Jimmy Buffet type music,having a few cocktails and partici-pating in their proprietary “sink orswim” concept. This is where theytee it up on the patio area overlook-ing their signature hole (#9) thatfeatures a waterfall and hold aninformal closest to the pin competi-tion to wind down the day.

Every company and every clubpro has opinions on what worksand what doesn’t, so the BR teamhas taken it all into consideration tobring you our 10 steps to the per-fect corporate golf tournament! Forthis article we are going to use anexample provided by Lost TracksGolf Club in the up and coming golfMecca of Bend Oregon.

STEP #1Ask yourself why you are doing

this event in the first place, and behonest! Is it to entertain customers,raise funds for a charity, gain recogni-tion, provide recreation or build good-will as a thank you? Determiningthat answer will enable you to makegood baseline decisions on every-thing from which golf course toselect, to who should be on the invi-tation list, and even what event for-mat you should use (i.e. stroke, matchplay, best ball or scramble (best shot);individual or teams). For most corpo-rate outings, scrambles seem to work


how do you ensure this kind of trainwreck day never happens when youput on your tournament? Easy; justfollow the BR ten-step guideline!

“In essence, it all comes down totwo words,” said La Quinta’sGlickman, “Organization &Communication.” “Here at LaQuinta we host tournaments forsome of the biggest brands in theworld - Lexus, Toshiba, Yahoo,Boeing and Morgan Stanley just toname a few. It seems to me thesole purpose of having a tourna-ment really comes down to makingsure your guests have a great expe-rience. If you can accomplish that,all the benefits you want from thetime and money invested into yourevent seems to come full-circle.”

Robert Andrews, TournamentDirector at the world famous GaineyRanch Golf Club in Scottsdale said“I have been doing this for thirteenyears. We have over 240 groups ayear that range in size from 12 to216 golfers. Our clients include

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best. A scramble is where everyonein your group tees off and the bestshot is chosen, then everyone hitsfrom that spot, and so on. This formatis less intimidating and more enjoyablefor all participants.

Prepare for the fact that a lot of work, planning and money areusually necessary to pull off animpressive event. It is also impor-tant to recognize that some itemsmay need to be planned up to oneyear in advance, such as reservinga golf course, golf carts, cateringand coordinating sponsors (if youchoose to have them).

STEP #2Don’t place your event in the

hands of an inexperienced adminis-trative assistant. At a minimumthe planner should know somethingabout golf. If you have that cov-ered, the next step up would be toensure your point person has astrong grasp of both event planningand marketing. After all, most cor-porate golf tournaments have asales and/or marketing objective,right? LaQuinta’s Glickman told usthat Lexus’ events seem to alwaysbe received so well, and run sosmoothly because they have a trav-el coordinator whose job it is tomake the event highly impactful

and seamless. They understandthe needs of the company & theindividual players. In the end, simplymake sure all parties involved clear-ly understand why you are hostingthis event.

STEP #3Make sure the course you select

is savvy at hosting tournaments,and absolutely understands andcaters to your goals and objectives.Let’s face it, putting on a qualityevent is expensive. When you areessentially renting the property forthe day, the club staff shouldunderstand your goals and objec-tives and should put every efforttowards supporting them.

STEP #4 Plan the entire event, including

before, during and after. Thebiggest mistake that most tourna-ment planners make is only thinkingabout the event itself, not all themarketing leading up to it, or thepost event marketing opportunities.Take for example the Hooker CreekInvitational that was held at LostTracks Golf Club in Bend Oregon.Direct mail and e-mail teasers weredistributed prior to the event toraise awareness. This not onlycommunicated the date and details,

but also increased interest, whichcreated a sense of urgency to signup if you were fortunate enough tobe invited. After the event a pictureof each player and their foursomewas packaged in a custom frameand sent to them (the picture wastaken at the signature hole duringthe event). Each frame had a hand written thank you from theaccount executive that works withthat customer.

STEP #5Prepare your invite list with the

same quality care you treat yourbest customers… because… the listprobably is your best customers.Determine the number of golfersyou plan to have. Most 18-hole golfcourses can handle up to 144golfers (36 groups of four). If youhave a shotgun start, this wouldrequire two groups on every hole.

STEP #6Make the invitation appealing and

personalized. They say the sweetestsound a person can hear is the soundof their own name. We recommendyou personalize everything you canfrom the invitations, to the gift bags,to the post event thank you package.This step can greatly reduce that feel-ing like you’re one of the herd as 150

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golfers are milling aroundat zero-dark thirty.

STEP #7 – THEKILLER STEP!

They say the devil is inthe details. Well I sayAmen to that! Nevertheless,you do need to plan the overall flow and allthe communications. From the time you sendthe invite, to how your guests are greeted, tohow parking is coordinated, details, details, details. Besure to plan for a head table, guest speaker, podium &microphone, prize and award table and special seating. It is very important that you have planned for propertiming between the golfing and the meals. A scrambleevent will take anywhere from four to six hours. Andtake special note to team pairings. Who plays withwho is not only important, but also opportunistic!

Once your course is selected, you will be able toestablish your budget. Items to consider include: greenfees, golf carts, beverages, food services (breakfast,lunch, hors d oeuvres, dinner), use of driving range,gift bags, awards, staffing, bag room, parking, photog-raphy, entertainment, insurance, locker room, lodging,and transportation.

You will need to determine if you will have an entryfee. If not, sponsorships can help subsidize the cost of

the event. If you havesponsors several otherdetails will need to beaddressed including

signage, booth set up,course rules & regulations

on what is permissible to dis-tribute, and a course conduct guideline.

It is important that you send outinvites as much as two months in

advance. This will give you the jump onother activities. You need to take into consideration

whether people are coming from out of town and ifthey need airline tickets.

Invitations should include the event date & time, loca-tion, format, cost of the event (if any) and entry due date.If you are handing out apparel, you will want to be sureto ask for shirt, pants or glove size and hand. You willalso need to ask if anyone will require rental clubs.

Thirty days prior to the event you will want to sendout an information packet with all the above informa-tion as well as a map to the course, phone numbers,housing information, any dress codes and golf shoespike rules, shop hours, range hours and the hours ofany social activities.

Once the event begins the registration table is yourfirst chance to make a favorable impression on thetournament participant. The table should be locatednear the clubhouse entrance or the first tee. Items youwill need include: pencils, scorecards, gift bags, hous-ing & dining information, pairing sheets, tee times, golfcart number, alphabetized player rosters, cash box,rules and format sheets, paperweights and a trash can.Other information that should be readily availableincludes the golf club and lodging phone numbers,operating hours of the golf shop & driving range, dresscode and golf shoe and golf cart rules.

If you are using golf carts, a rental fleet may beneeded and must be reserved as much as a year inadvance to ensure availability. You will want to requesta few extra carts to cover breakdowns, rangers, deliv-ery of messages and for food and beverage assistanceon the course. Two-way radios can also be used tomaintain contact between rangers and clubhouse.

During the event appointed staff from either thecourse or your company will need to be available forfirst aid, rules interpretations, and monitoring of bigprizes like hole-in-one contests.

The players or teams are responsible only for theirindividual hole scores, not the addition of the totals.Totaling the scores and handicapping is the responsi-bility of the official scorer. Each player or team shouldsign and witness his or her scorecard. If you incorpo-rate a scoreboard, it should be centrally located in an

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area that is easily accessible. Allscores should be posted for every-one to review.

I once read a poster that said,’ it’sokay to lose...until I lose’. What’s niceabout golf is that the handicap systemmakes everyone equal so anyone canwin. Also, it is easy to have multiple winners of the team event inaddition to all the individual winnersyou can have for long putt, hole inone, long drive, closest to the pin,fewest putts, most greens in regula-tion and closest drive to the center ofthe fairway. You can also set up put-ting contests on the practice green oroffer raffles to allow more winners.

STEP #8Customize the environment, and

make it an event, not just anothergolf tournament.

Themes, signage, custom event-specific logos, specialized gift bags,hole in one prizes, custom pin flagsand even custom cups & napkins alladd to the perception that yourattendees will take with them (andtalk about for the next year).

STEP #9Document the event. Make

sure to take photos. Professionalphotography is highly recom-mended to avoid shadows, blurryimages and poorly framed shots.This is also necessary to performstep #10. In addition, be sure tomake notes along the way forimprovement opportunities forfuture year’s events.

STEP #10Follow up! If the event was

great, re-live it a little. Sending apicture is fine, but placing it a niceframe or sending along with athank you gift will give you onemore opportunity to stay in front ofyour customer. Furthermore, it isperfectly acceptable to survey yourattendees so you can learn whatyou did well and not so well in theireyes. Remember, we all view the

same thing a little differently.Now that the event is over, you

thought you were done, but actual-ly the best time to plan next yearsevent is now. It would also be agood time to reserve your facilitiesfor next year as well as start toplan the prizes and awards. Wehope you found this article to beboth interesting and valuable. Now

go have a fun and good luck!Footnote: In our research we

found an effective planner and timetable on-line at www.ballpro.com.Some of that information was usedin the development of this article.For more detailed information, besure to check out their website andtell them Brilliant Results Magazinesent you! •

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Historians are reasonably certain that the game of golf begansometime before March 6, 1457...

A Brief History A Brief History

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What is golf?In the United States Golf

Association’s opinion, if you follow the“Rules of Golf” to the letter, you have played

golf. More simply, there are five basic attributesthat define golf and make it different from everyother game:

1. A small round ball lying on the ground is used;2. The ball is struck with a stick that has a

head on the end;3. The object of the game is to put the ball

into a hole in the ground a long distancefrom where play began;

4. Multiple holes make up a round;5. Opponents do not influence your ball by

hitting or stopping it.According to The Origins of Golf by Bill

Nelson, it is meeting these simple criteria thatseparates the game of golf from such early gamesas Roman Pangea, the Celtic Shinty and Hurlingor Native American stick and ball games. In the18th century, we know that golfers negotiatedstymies when their opponent’s ball landed in a

line between their ball and the hole. Other differ-ences also existed, such as the composition of theball and the style of the clubs. In spite of the dif-ferences, those players were the forefathers ofthe modern game of golf.

When did Golf Begin?Historians are reasonably certain that the game

of golf began sometime before March 6, 1457,when King James II and his parliament, sitting inEdinburgh, Scotland, outlawed football (soccer inthe United States) and golf, mandating insteadthat men practice their archery each Sunday. Thisfirst known reference to golf indicates that thegame already must have been played in Scotland,perhaps on the historic links of St. Andrews.

By 1502, golf was being played officiallythroughout Scotland, but it wasn’t until 1618 thatKing James VI said golf on Sunday was acceptableas long as it was not played during services. Tothis day, golf on Sunday is not permitted on theOld Course at St. Andrews and was not permittedon any of its courses until World War II. Whilethere is debate as to whether or not this early golfwas the golf we know today, it is believed thatthe modern game developed over the course of acentury, and, by 1636, documentary evidence ofmodern golf play is well established.

This very early history of the game of golf doesnot include the names of many women. However,there is no question that several women certainlyhave influenced the history of golf. As early as the16th century, women, such as Mary Queen ofScots, were making lasting contributions to thegame of golf. Still, it was not until the early 1890sthat women began to organize and revolutionizethe game of golf for future generations.

GOLF How Putting a Little Ball in a

Hole Became a Global Sport

of or of or

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What About Golf Clubs and Balls?The game of golf has developed from the use of

feathery balls and wooden play clubs to the gutta per-chas and niblicks era of the 19th century and, finally, tothe Haskell ball and the technically sophisticatedequipment of today. In the process, it migrated off ofthe east coast of Scotland to other areas of that coun-try, then on to England, Europe, Asia, North America(first in Canada, then the United States) and to nearlyevery corner of the globe.

In golf’s early period, there were two types of clubs:the clubs used for feathery balls and those used for thegutta percha ball, introduced in the late 1840s. Thefeathery was made of strips of leather, stitched togetherand stuffed with boiled goose feathers. After the feath-ers dried, the ball became as hard as those in use today.Because of the amount of skilled labor required to makea feathery, the ball was expensive, and its stitches gaveout in wet weather. Wooden clubs were used with theball since it was likely to split when topped. Irons wereonly used to get a ball out of trouble.

Around 1848, a material known as gutta perchaimported from the East Indies began to be used in golfball manufacture. Very hard at normal temperature, itbecame easily pliable when heated and could be mold-ed into a round shape. With the duel advantages ofbeing less expensive than the feathery and the abilityto simply be heated and remolded if topped, it becamethe ball of choice.

With the gutta percha’s more sturdy construction,golfers could use more accurate iron clubs with longerlasting heads. The gutta percha substantiallyenhanced the game of golf. However, golfers soon dis-covered that if they did not smooth their balls, the“nicked” ball had a truer flight. Thus, hand-hammeredgutta percha balls were created, and a wide variety ofsurface patterns were introduced into golf.

The clubs used with gutta percha balls remainedsuitable for the Haskell ball, a lighter, tightly wound,rubber-threaded ball invented around the turn of thecentury. In 1906, William Taylor applied for a patent ona dimple design for golf ball covers. Today balls are nolonger just balls; they are promotional opportunities.Bearing the logos from major corporations to charitiesto local clubs, the little white ball has become one ofgolf’s favorite billboards.

With the advent of steel shafts in the 1920s,matched sets of golf clubs replaced clubs, such as themashie, the niblick and the cleek, and manufacturersbegan numbering the clubs. Today only the driver,wedges and putter remain in the popular lexicon.However, even though the names are no longer as fas-cinating as mashie, niblick or cleek, today’s technically

advanced clubs are not left out of the promotionalproducts mix. Whether it is the awarding of engravedgold or silver clubs as tournament trophies or simplythe application of a corporate sponsor’s logo today’sclubs do a lot more than just hit the little white ball.

And the Rules Are?One of the first golf tournaments was held in 1744

on Leith Links in Edinburgh, Scotland for possession ofa silver golf club. The Honourable Company ofEdinburgh Golfers hosted the event and decided tocodify rules for the occasion to help eliminate localvariations in play. Many of these first guidelines areechoed in the rules used more than 250 years later.The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, established 10 yearslater at St. Andrews, Scotland, became the official rul-ing organization of the sport. Its rules committee,along with the United States Golf Association, still gov-erns the sport.

The table from Nelson’s The Origins of Golf indi-cates the similarities between the codes. Comments initalics are not part of the rules of golf as published bythe Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews or theUnited States Golf Association. Today, the basic golfrules are internationally uniform for both men andwomen, and a player is permitted to carry a selectionof up to 14 clubs.

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11-4a If a player, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, theopponent may immediately require the player to cancel the stroke so played andplay a ball from within the teeing ground, without penalty.

11-1 In teeing, the ball may be placed on the ground on an irregularity of surface cre-ated by the player on the ground or on a tee, sand or other substance in order toraise it off the ground.

15-1 A player must hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground unless a rulepermits him to substitute another ball.

23-1 Except when both the loose impediment and the ball lie in or touch the same haz-ard, any loose impediment may be removed without penalty.

26-1 If a ball is in or is lost in a water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), theplayer may under penalty of one stroke . . . b. Drop a ball behind the water haz-ard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of thewater hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped,with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped. . . . Ofcourse, the modern rules also give other methods of relief when the ball shouldfind a water hazard or lateral water hazard.

22 Any player may: a. Lift his ball if he considers that the ball might assist any other player orb. Have any other ball lifted if he considers that the ball might interfere with his

play or assist the play of any other player.

19-5 There is no modern equivalent, as a player is allowed to lift his ball at any time(see Rule 22), making this strategy impossible.

27-1 If a ball is lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, the player shall play aball, under penalty of one stroke, as nearly as possible at the spot from which theoriginal ball was last played

16-1 The line of putt must not be touched except… Here, the rules go on to enumerateseven instances where the line of the putt may be touched and make it quite clearthat improving the line by indenting the ground is not to be tolerated.

19-1 If a ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by any outside agency, it is a rubof the green, no penalty is incurred, and the ball shall be played as it lies

14-3 A “stroke” is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of fairlystriking at and moving the ball…Q. A player starts his downswing and the club head separates from the shaft. Theplayer continues his swing but no contact is made with the ball. Did the playermake a stroke? A. Yes.

10-1b When the balls are in play, the ball farther from the hole shall be played first.

These are now referred to as ‘Local Rules,’ and refer to conditions that are regu-larly found on a particular course.

1 You must Tee your Ball within a Club-length of the Hole.

2 Your Tee must be upon the ground.

3 You are not to change the Ball you strike off the Tee.substitute another ball.

4 You are not allowed to remove stones, bones or anyBreak-club for the sake of playing your ball upon the fairGreen, and that only withn a Club-length of your Ball.

5 If your Ball come among Water or any watery filth,you are at liberty to take your Ball and, bringing itbehind the hazard and teeing it, you may play it withany club and allow your Adversary a stroke for sogetting out your Ball.

6 If your Balls be found anywhere touching one anoth-er you are to lift the first Ball until you play the last.

7 At holing out you are to play your Ball honestly forthe Hole and not to play upon your Adversary’s Ball,not lying in your way to the hole.

8 If you should lose your Ball by its being taken up orin any other way, you are to go back to the spotwhere you struck last and drop another Ball andallow your Adversary a stroke for the misfortune.

9 No man at Holing his Ball is to be allowed to markhis way to the Hole with his Club or anything else.

10 If a ball is stopped by any person, horse, dog oranything else, the Ball so stopped must be playedwhere it lies.

11 If you draw your Club in order to strike and proceedso far in the stroke as to be bringing down yourClub - if then your Club shall break in any way it isto be accounted a stroke.

12 He whose Ball lies farthest from the Hole is obligedto play first.

13 Neither trench, ditch or dyke made for the preserva-tion of the Links, nor the Scholars’ Holes nor theSoldiers’ Lines shall be accounted as a Hazard, butthe Ball is to be taken out, Teed and played with anyiron club.

1744 Leith Code Modern Rules

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A golf course generally has 18 holes spreadover a landscaped area that customarilyincludes a number of hazards: water, rough,sand traps (bunkers) and trees designed tomake the game more difficult. Each hole’s playbegins at the tee area where players “tee off”or “drive” the ball into the fairway. At the endof the hole, which can vary in length fromabout 150 to 600 yards, is the putting green.The green surrounds the actual hole, or “cup,”where the ball must be putted in order to com-plete the hole.

Golf players generally are groups of two tofour people who play together around thecourse taking turns to play their individualballs. The ball must be played as it lies, exceptin unusual circumstances when the rules allowfor the ball to be moved to a slightly betterposition. In stroke competition, each player’stotal number of strokes used per hole is record-ed. The player who uses the fewest strokes tocomplete the course is the winner. In matchplay, scores are compared after every hole, anda player wins, loses or halves (ties) each hole.

As the game develops, courses become moredifficult and successful players tend to drivethe ball more than 200 yards from the tee, arriv-ing at the hole in fewer than three shots. Eachcourse has established an average number ofshots (par) necessary to reach a hole, depend-ing on length. This also helps determine theaverage number of shots needed to completethe featured course.

What Do Those Peculiar Terms Mean?Golfers use distinct language to describe

their scoring. According to Scottish GolfHistory, “bogey” was the first stroke systemdeveloped in England at the end of the 19thcentury. The number of shots a good golfershould require on each hole was standardizedaround 1890 and called the ground score. In the1890s, golfers considered that they were play-ing against a goblin or devil – the Bogeyman.When measuring themselves against theground score, it soon became know as theBogey score. These days, the term “bogey” hascome to mean a hole score one above par.

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It is believed that the term “par’” was derivedfrom the stock exchange term. Par came to mean thenormal number of strokes for a hole. In 1911, theUnites States Golf Association laid down the moderndistances for determining par:

The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms (1993)reports that “birdie,” reportedly coined by Ab Smith,and meaning a score of one stroke under par on agiven hole comes from the 19th century Americanslang term “bird,” which meant anything excellent.Thus, the term “eagle” for a score of two under paron a hole would appear to be a natural extension ofthe bird theme. This bird mania continued with theuse of “albatross,” a very rare bird, for a hole scorethat was three under par. While some golfers contin-ue the bird theme and use the word “buzzard” for ascore of two over par, no standard terms have devel-oped for two and three over par scores on a holeother than to call them double and triple bogeys. A“hole in one,” the rarest of golfing events, is scoredwhen the player drives the ball into the hole withonly one stroke. It has yet to receive its bird equiva-lent name.

How did the Game Grow?Golf spread around the globe moving through

Europe, Asia and across the Atlantic to NorthAmerica. Formed on Dec. 22, 1894, the Unites StatesGolf Association was established as the national golfgoverning body for the United States, its territoriesand Mexico. It is a non-profit organization run bygolfers for the benefit of golfers. The USGA hashelped grow the game of golf through a variety ofprograms, from writing and interpreting the rules ofgolf to funding turf grass and course maintenancepractices. The USGA conducts13 national champi-onships each year, all of which are in line with its“For the Good of the Game” initiative.

Throughout its existence, the USGA has movedthe game of golf forward from the first U.S. Open in1895, which hosted a field of 11 golfers and a firstprize of $150, to today’s U.S. Open with 156 profes-sional and amateur players who play 36 holes todetermine the final 60 players who get to vie for first

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prize purses exceeding $1 million. In1900 after winning the U.S. Open,British star Harry Vardon became thefirst sports figure in history to endorsea product, using his “Vardon Flyer”ball throughout the tour.

Since 1997, the USGA has awardedmore than $43 million in grant initia-tives as a part of its ongoing “For theGood of the Game” program. Grantrecipients receive in-kind donations tohelp bring the life lessons of the gameto people who would not otherwise beexposed to golf. In addition to support-ing many local programs and projects,the USGA pledged its support of sev-eral national initiatives including,LPGA-USGA Girls’ Golf, The NationalAlliance for Youth Sports’ Hook A Kidon Golf Program and Kids On Course,a course access partnership with theNational Golf Course Owner’sAssociation.

The PGA of America is another not-for-profit organization that promotesthe game of golf and supports profes-sional golfers. The PGA is comprised

of more than 28,000 men and womengolf professionals who are dedicatedto growing participation in the gameof golf. In 1916, a group of New Yorkarea golf professionals and prominentamateurs attended a luncheon hostedby department store magnate,Rodman Wanamaker. The meeting ledto the founding of the PGA and thefirst PGA Championship, held laterthat same year.

Today, the PGA Championship isone of golf’s four major champi-onships, and the winner’s trophy stillbears Wanamaker’s name to honor hisdonation of the first trophy and $2,580purse. The PGA also conducts theSenior PGA championship, the biennialRyder Cup Matches and some 40 tour-naments for PGA Professionals, aswell as the Buick Scramble, theworld’s largest golf tournament foramateurs with more than 100,000 par-ticipants annually. In an effort to pro-mote the game to people of all agesand skill levels, the PGA kicked off the“Play Golf America” campaign in 2003.

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Golfing for Charity?For more than 50 years, golf and chari-

ty have been good for each other. In 1943,Bob Hope and Bing Crosby played sixweeks of exhibition matches with prosand amateurs to help sell war bonds. In1952, the PGA of America, in conjunctionwith LIFE Magazine, sponsored the firstNational Golf Day and raised $80,000 forcharity. Since these early events, golf hascontinued to be a benefactor of numerouscharities.

While the gentlemen founded the USGAand PGA, the ladies were not just sitting inthe gallery. The Ladies Professional GolfAssociation is the longest-running women’ssports association in the world, having cel-ebrated its 50th anniversary in 2000. Theorganization has grown from its roots as aplaying tour into a non-profit organizationinvolved in every facet of golf. The LPGATour and the LPGA Teaching & ClubProfessional Division comprise the back-bone of this premier women’s sports organi-zation. The LPGA maintains a strong focuson charity through its tournaments, grass-roots junior and women’s programs, affilia-tion with the Susan G. Komen Breast CancerFoundation and the formation of The LPGAFoundation.

In 1991, the LPGA developed its GolfClinics for Women: a program designedspecifically to introduce more businesswomento the game. The purpose of these clinics is toteach women what their male counterpartshave known for years – that serious businessdiscussions and decisions take place daily ongolf courses across the country. The LPGAcontinually finds new ways to bring womento the game of golf and keep them involved inthe game for years to come.

Serious PromotionPromotional merchandise also has been

a source of significant growth for golf. For50 years, the PGA has conducted the golf

industry’s two major trade shows: thePGA Merchandise Show, held eachJanuary in Orlando, Fla., and the PGA FallExpo, held each autumn in the westernUnited States. In 1999, more than 50,000visitors attend the 46th PGA MerchandiseShow in Orlando.

As a matter of fact, golf’s arena of promo-tional products is continuously expanding.That is a lot of interest in marketing a gamecentered on putting the little white ball in ahole. And the proof of that interest and itseffectiveness can be found on everythingfrom the bags that carry the clubs and myri-ad accessories, to the clubs, to the ball, tothe glove on a golfer’s hand, to the golfer’sshirt, to the towel used to wipe off theequipment and on some occasions thesweat from a furrowed brow. In the world ofgolf, the opportunities to promote an organi-zation or its message and add green to thebottom line seem to grow faster than thegrass on the green. •

BR0305_Section01 2/21/05 3:41 PM

Things We Love


Innovative Tools make for Better Games……whether marking the ball for a perfect putt ormarking your ball’s location on the green, these clevertools will keep everybody’s eye on the ballGolfing Innovations

1

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Things We Love

Put a little fun in your bag……Whether it’s Sponge Bob or MillerLite, logo balls add a sparkle to anygolfer’s game and are guaranteed tobring back memories of special timesPro Golf Premiums

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When you need a steady grip ……These logo emblazoned gloves giveyou a grip with class and remind those inyour party that quality organizations wantplayers wearing their best on the links.Pro Golf Premiums

Never let them see you cry……This club cover is bound to put asmile on your face even when yourball is in the roughMagique Golf International

4

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Things We Love

5

Clearly the best……These clear full club covers are the perfect wayto let everyone know who the team supporters areMagique Golf International

If your logo is onthe ball.......then make sure theballs do your companyproud. These NikeGolds and Titleists are just what the pros ordered.Pro Golf Premiums

It may be Snowing Outside……but that’s no reason not to practice yourputting with this tour performance puttingcup that lets you practice year-round.Ball Pro

6

7

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Things We Love

On the course be sure to mindyour Ps & Qs……and make sure you don’t lose your Tees with this logo golf tee holder.Golfing Innovations

When you need a clean club……To make sure there is nothing to interfere

with making that perfect putt, top golferschoose these remarkable Dri-Tac microfibergolf towels to remove every speck andabsorb seven times their weight.Devant Sport Towels

8

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10It's a long way from 1 to 18......make sure your party stayscool, calm and collected withthis cooler designed withgolfers in mind. Sized to fit astandard golf cart basket, theset includes matching cancoolers and bottle openers.Callaway Golf

BR0305_Section02 2/21/05 2:51 PM

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Things We Love

Keeping Score Justgot easier……this pocket-sizedaluminum pen slides opento record each hole’s parand then snaps shut untilthe next green, anavailable lanyard insuresthat you won’t lose it onthe fairway.Pro Innovative

14Don’t get Left Holding the Bag……when the bag is too good looking to resist youwill have a hard time keeping everyone frompicking it up. Callaway Golf

Make a big deal on the links……and you will have to shake a lot ofhands. Make sure you are not too sick toplay the next round by using this handypocket spray hand sanitizer.Natural Trends

A Scorecard without a Pencil……not a problem you have to worryabout with this double duty scorecardand pencil holder.Ball Pro

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BR0305_Section03 2/22/05 3:33 PM

On a recent family trip, we encounteredthe ever-dreaded rainy day. So much forthe planned outdoor activities! Not tobe denied quality time together, wepulled out a variety of board games.

Some of the games were new to us.As we narrowed down the choices, Ienjoyed the group’s questions. My hus-band wanted to know, “How do youplay?” I quickly noticed one of the kidsask, “How do you win?” And another,looking for insider information, whis-pered to an experienced player, “what’sthe best strategy?”

I chuckled. These are the samequestions I hear from businesswomenwho want to get involved with golf.They’ve heard too many times “areyou missing a critical business skill?”

That business skill, of course, isbreaking through the glass ceiling andleveraging golf for business. The fol-lowing statistics from an April 2002attitudinal study by Starwood Hotelsand Resorts Worldwide, Inc. entitledFrom the Boardroom To The BackNine: The Importance of Golf InBusiness are powerful.

Besides acknowledging the socialaspects of golf, executives in this surveyalso claim that golf is the best arena forthe creation of business deals. Golfingwith a business associate or client is agood way “to establish a closer relation-ship” (97%), a sizeable percentage (43%overall and 63% of the women) agreethat “some of my biggest business orsales deals were made on a golf course,”

by Debbie Waitkus

www.brilliantpublishing.com64 Brilliant Results | March 2005

BR0305_Section01 2/21/05 3:41 PM

and 52% say that “executives whodon’t play golf are at a disadvantagein business.” In fact, 43% overalland 69% of the women believe ifmore women played golf, theywould succeed more in business.

What I find very noteworthy isthat the statistical responses fromthe female executive golfers are sig-nificantly higher than those of themale executive golfers. Executivewomen who play the game knowthe value of the doors that golf canopen.

So, let’s open the cabinet and pull out a newboard game…. “Using Golf for RelationshipDevelopment.”

Since we’re new to the game, our first ques-tion: How do you play?

A quick glance at the rules book tells us thatto a client who is interested in golf, his or herfavorite salesperson shares that interest. Weneed a strategy to build our interest and developsome golf stories to share. Reading on, we find afew simple suggestions:

• Place some golf-related props in your office.A putter (you don’t even need to use it!), agolf calendar, a picture of someone golfing(preferably you), or a golf magazine.

• Listen to or watch the Golf Channel.• Read the golf section of the sports page in

your local newspaper. In the Phoenix mar-ket, The Arizona Republic publishes a golfsection within the sports pages everyThursday.

• Take some lessons or go to the driving rangeto hit balls.

• Volunteer to help on a charity golf tourna-ment committee.

Reading further in the rules book, we see“How do you win?”

At a recent presentation, one woman panickedwhen I suggested that she add a golf prop to heroffice. “What happens if someone asks me if Iplay? What can I say? I don’t play yet.”

You celebrate! You’ve opened the door to con-nect with someone in a whole new way. Engage

him in a conversation about yournew journey into the golf world.Does he have a favorite course? Can he recommend an instructor ora favorite golf shop? Does he have afavorite golf story? When your skillis up to par, you’ll be able to invitehim to play with you. Or, perhapshe’ll invite you!

As you near the finish on ourgame of “Using Golf forRelationship Development,” you

can’t complete the round without anobjective. Consider, for instance, why that rela-tionship is important to you. Are you lookingfor new business from that person, information,or referrals?

A few years ago, I was at an industry luncheon when the Phoenix Open was in town.An attorney asked me if I had seen any of thetournament. I was very new to the game. Yet,we had a wonderful conversation about golf, thePhoenix Open, how often we played and where.We eventually golfed together and shared somevictories and, of course, some humility. After ourfirst golf outing, my playing partner phoned acouple days later asking me to introduce him tothe decision maker for matters that he could han-dle. On the heels of a tremendously fun businessgolf outing, you bet I made the introduction!

Without the protection of the business suit andthe desk, we developed a terrific friendship,which led to our companies conducting a consid-erable amount of business together. Golf openedthe door, but it was up to us to swing and to fol-low through.

Remember the rules: to the client who plays golf– his or her favorite salesperson is also a golfer. Sotake your game out of the box and get onto the golfcourse! “Turn golf into gold™!” •

Debbie Waitkus is a business golf trainer, andspeaker. She works with organizations and indi-viduals, especially women, to creatively incorpo-rate golf to achieve business objectives - “turn golf into gold.”™ Debbie can be reached at 602/840-0607 or [email protected].

Reprinted with Permission from Golf for Cause. Copyright © 2002 Golf for Cause, LLC www.golfforcause.com

Debbie Waitkus

www.brilliantpublishing.com66 Brilliant Results | March 2005

BR0305_Section01 2/21/05 3:42 PM


W RKSWhatCase Studies in Success

Industry: Distributor Sales- Golf Ball Phone-a-thon

Challenge: The challenge was fourfold, to sell golf balls, to get new customers, to sellother products, and at the same time to have a contest with the sales rep-resentatives that was fun.

Solution: A contest promoting a free plate charge, special ball pricing, free gift wrap,5-day service, and ability to mix and match golf ball brands was set upwith the sales representatives to see who would sell the most. Each salesrepresentative submitted a list of 30 prospects and 20 existing customers.A mailing explaining the promotion including a free divot repair tool wassent out. A flyer was also included with other products including golf tow-els, fishing lures and golf bags.

Email was sent out to each account reminding them of the special. A fol-low up phone call was made to everyone on the mailing list. (Each repre-sentative spent about 5 total hours over the 2-week promotion)

Result: The results of this promotion were so good that the distributor plans tohold the contest again this year. As a result of the promotion the distribu-tor added seven new customers, increased orders from 6 the prior year to26, totaling $25,000 and sold golf bags, towels, wedges, golf tournamentkits, and several other items in addition to golf balls.

Case study provided by: Mike Rawson, Customer Service Manager, Ball Pro Promotional Group – www.ballpro.com

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Industry: Golf Tournaments – Honda Classic Tournament & HyundaiTeam Match

Challenge: The primary challenge was to raise awareness of the golf event and sec-ondary was the challenge of increasing attendance at thetournament/event.

Solution: A one-month Tee-divider campaign at 10 facilities was launched for thefirst test campaign in 2002 for the Honda Classic Tournament and 2 sig-nage versions at 17 golf facilities for the Hyundai Team Match.

Result: The tee-divider campaign generated over one million impressions in a four-week period for the Honda Classic Tournament and 2.9 million impressionsfor the Hyundai Team Match. Following are typical responses from loca-tions where the tee dividers were placed attesting to the success of theprogram:

“I personally believe that by having this advertising on this range hasincreased the attendance at the Honda Classic Tournament and as a wholeraised a tremendous amount of awareness about the South FloridaTournament.” - Gary Battersby, Teaching Professional & Director of GolfToski-Battersby Golf Learning School, Coconut Creek, FL

“A lot of people have asked me about the signs and whether or not wewere selling tickets.” - Ken Juhn, Head Golf Professional, Fountainbleu GolfClub, Miami, FL

Case study provided by: Greg Jones, Director of Sales, Pinpoint golf – [email protected]

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Document3 12/16/2004 4:56 PM Page 1



Industry: Golf Publication

Challenge: The primary challenge was to raise awareness of IDG’s Golf For Dummiesbook on the company website and to increase distribution points whereIDG Books can be sold.

Solution: The goals of this challenge were meet through Tee-divider advertising atgolf facilities and on-site book displays. National print ads were also placedin the USA Today Sports section.

Result: The tee-divider advertising campaign resulted in 100% distribution of thebooks in pro-shops. Over 10 million impressions were delivered during the2- month campaign. The Golf for Dummies series became one of the topselling titles for IDG Books. Marty O’Rear, Manager of the Hilltop Golf Club,comment was typical of those received from clubs “The tee-divider adver-tising resulted in a 500% increase in sales. We exceeded our yearly ordersof the Golf for Dummies books during the 2 month campaign.”

Case study provided by: Greg Jones, Director of Sales, Pinpoint golf – [email protected]

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LinkMe Up!

While much of the history of golf islost in the mists of time, 21stcentury golf is uploaded and atyour fingertips. If it’s links yourlooking for there is www.link-away.com claiming some 3,000golf related links from about 100countries or www.golfmarket-ing.com which provides a dedi-cated Internet resource directoryfor golf products and services.

But links are only the begin-ning of the technological rush tothe links. Johnson Design GolfMarketing will provide collateraldesign, internet/digital market-ing, course photography (so thesignature hole on your localcourse is as recognized as #7 atPebble Beach), web site designand public relations for golfcourse marketing. Or perhapsWiggins Golf Consulting special-izing in web marketing and E-mail campaigns for public, resortand private golf courses, is justwhat you need to create a profes-sional data collection program soyour E-mail generates revenue.Then there is LegendaryMarketing that claims to be theWorld’s leader in golf marketingbecause they have the only total-ly integrated and results basedapproach to deliver players andprofits to their clients via telemar-keting, direct mail, print ads ande-mail blasts. On the other hand,if you are the DIY type,Coursetrends offers innovative

software solutions that it sayswill integrate traditional market-ing and customer relationshipmanagement practices with anonline application suite.

GolfSwitch takes a differentapproach by connecting suppliersof tee time inventory (golf cours-es) with golf resellers (hotels,travel agents, GDS’s, tour opera-tors and Internet sites) to facili-tate a more efficient marketplacefor selling tee times and golfreservations. GolfSwitch says ithas helped hundreds of golfcourses leverage the Internet toincrease exposure, drive roundsand revenue, and maximize teetime yields. However, if you aremore locally oriented, changesare your favorite course has awebsite that you can go to andbook a tee time and get the latestcourse news.

If you are not looking to playbut rather to plan a golf outing,contest or charity golf tournament,www.hole-in-won.com offers youthe opportunity to spice up yourevent by providing hole-in-oneinsurance so you can offer that bigprize for the golfer who makesthat once in a lifetime shot.

So whether your looking for aSunday tee time, planning a golfevent, looking for golf merchandiseor trying to add green to a golfcourse’s bottom-line, the Internethas a website just waiting for youto link up. •

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One Part Recognition,

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It’s the perfect formula for appreciation. An incentive that rewards,

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Pens and plaques only provide brief moments of recognition.

Move beyond the standard formula – give top-quality Daiwa

fishing tackle to ensure years of enjoyment.

Daiwa fishing equipment –

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(800) 736-4653 #6714

www.daiwa.com

Background Photo by Doug Stamm

CustomEmbroideryAvailable

CustomEmbroideryAvailable

BR0105_Section03.qxl 12/17/04 3:33 PM Page 41


Free Product Information. March 2005 Issue.For free product information from these suppliers, complete and mail this page to: BrilliantResults Magazine 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown, PA 17036.Or fax to (717) 566-5431.

Name Title

Company Industry

Address

City State Zip

Phone Fax E-mail

Supplier Page No.3M® 3

Antigua® 23

Arnold Palmer Golf® 15

Ashworth® 31

Aureus / Winner Mate Sportswear 35

BAS 11

Ball Pro 63

Beautiful America Publishing 49

Bella 17

Blake & Hollister 51

Bullet Line Back Cover, 65

Calconix / Time Zone® 22, 77

Cutter & Buck® 45

Daiwa 75

Evans Mfg 53

Hartwell Industries / Liz Claiborne® 7

KEY-BAK® 41

King Louie / TimeOut® 81

Klio Inside Front Cover

Lacoste® / Idea Workshop 19

Merit Industries / Groline 67,69,71,73

Neet Feet® 55

Nike® 5

Ping® / SanMar 13

Private Label Executive Gifts Inside Back Cover

PromoBiz USA LLC 39

Skagen Designs, LTD® 21

Vantage Apparel 47

Warwick Publishing 59

World Wide Line 29

THINGS WE LOVE Section

Supplier Page No. Product No.Golfing Innovations 56 1

Pro Golf Premiums 57 2,4

Magique Golf International 57 3

Magique Golf International 58 5

Ball Pro 58 6

Pro Golf Premiums 58 7

Golfing Innovations 60 8

Devant Sport Towels 60 9

Callaway Golf®/TRG Group 60 10

Natural Trends 62 11

Pro Innovative 62 12

Ball Pro 62 13

Callaway Golf®/TRG Group 62 14

TM



Please send more information on

the Brilliant Results Apparel Buyers Guide

BR0305_Section02 2/21/05 2:54 PM


April 1 The Folio: Show WestLos Angeles Airport Marriott, Los Angeles, CAInformation at: www.wpa-online.org/folio.html or Call: 212.332.6412

April 4 – 6 TechEd International Conference & ExpositionPasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, CAInformation at: www.TechEdEvents.org or Call: 916.418.5136

April 5 – 6 eMarketing 5Crowne Plaza San Francisco, San Francisco, CAInformation at: www.emarketingassociation.com or Call: 401.315.2194

April 5 – 7 FOSE 2005Washington DC Convention Center, Washington, DCInformation at: www.fose.com or Call: 202.772.5746

April 5 – 7 Infotec 2005Qwest Center Omaha, Omaha, NEInformation at: www.infotec.org or Call: 800.996.3233

April 5 – 8 RetailVisionHyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort, Orlando, FLInformation at: www.retailvision.com or Call: 603.471.4200

April 7 – 8 Chicago DM Days & ExpoNavy Pier-Festival Hall, Chicago, ILInformation at: www.cadm.org or Call 312.849.2236 x25

April 10 – 12 RFID Journal Live!Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Chicago, ILInformation at: www.rfidjournallive.com or Call: 631.249.4986

April 11 – 13 SHRM Global Forum: The 28th Annual Conference & ExpositionHilton Chicago Hotel, Chicago, ILInformation at: www.shrm.org or Call: 703.548.3440

April 12 – 14 15th Annual CardTech/SecurTech Conference & ExhibitionMandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NVInformation at: www.ctst.com or Call: 800.803.3424

April 16 – 21 NAB2005Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NVInformation at: www.nabshow.com or Call: 888.740.4622

April 19 – 21 Internal BrandingLocation To Be Determined - New Orleans, LAInformation email: [email protected] or Call: 312.362.9100 x13

April 19 – 22 SecureIT 2005 – Third Annual Information Technology & NetworkSecurity ConferenceTown and Country Resort and Convention Center, San Diego, CAInformation at: www.secureitconf.com or Call: 909.224.3797

April 26 – 28 PharmaIT Summit 2005Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NYInformation email: [email protected] or Call: 212.661.3500 ext 3284

April

2005Calendar

* To have your show listed in our Calendar please send your information to Brilliant Results magazine. *

BR0305_Section02 2/21/05 2:54 PM


May 1 – 4 HRMStrategies 2005: IHRIM Conference & ExpoHilton Hotel Reno, Reno, NVInformation at: www.ihrim.org or Call: 866.236.6879 x203

May 2 – 4 FAMEJacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NYInformation at: www.fameshows.com or Call: 877.904.3263

May 4 – 6 Consumer Directed Health Care Conference & ExpoHyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, ILInformation at: www.cdhcc.com or Call: 804.266.7422 x 7408

May 5 – 7 The Awards & Custom Gift Show – The Printwear ShowFort Worth Convention Center, Ft. Worth, TXInformation at www.nbmshows.com or Call: 800.560.9941

May 8 – 11 Society for Technical Communication Annual ExpoSeattle Convention and Trade Center, SeattleInformation at: www.stc.org or Call: 301.983.0500 x 116

May 15 – 17 ASD/AMD’ Atlantic City Variety Merchandise ShowNew Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJInformation at: www.merchandisegroup.com or Call: 800.421.4511

May 17 – 19 AIIM on Demand Exposition and ConferencePennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PAInformation at: www.aiimondemand.com or Call: 888.824.3004

May 17 – 19 D/C EXPO – Distribution/Computer EXPO 2005Navy Pier-Festival Hall, Chicago, ILInformation at: www.logistar.com or Call: 800.338.4112

May 17 – 19 TechNet International 2005Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC, WashingtonInformation at: www.technet2005.org or Call: 703.449.6418

May 22 – 25 ICSC Spring Convention & Trade ShowLas Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NVInformation at: www.icsc.org or Call: 646.728.3800

May 22 – 27 SID 2005Washington State Convention & Trade Center, SeattleInformation at: [email protected] or Call: 212.460.8090x215

May 23 – 25 Annual Catalog Conference (ACC)Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Kissimmee St. CloudInformation at: www.catalogconference.com or Call: 203.358.3702

May 24 – 25 The Incentive ShowJacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NYInformation at: www.piexpo.com or Call: 866.693.1007

May 25 – 26 GOVSEC 2005Washington DC Convention Center, WashingtonInformation at www.govsecinfo.com or Call: 703.683.8500

TM

May



BR0305_Section02 2/21/05 2:54 PM


Founded on December 22, 1894, the UnitedStates Golf Association is the not-for-profitgoverning body of the game of golf. Existing

to preserve and protect golf’s tradition, this organi-zation monitors the rules of golf and equipmentstandards in an effort to ensure that skill ratherthan technology represents the essence of the game.For this special Golf Elite issue of Brilliant Results, wehad the opportunity to have Marty Parkes, Sr.Director of Communications for the USGA contributehis thoughts on promotional products, marketing, tournaments and most importantly the game that is golf.

How long have you been involved with golf and the USGA?I’ve been involved in golf to some degree since I was a

small child (I’m 46 now) and first caddied for my dad. I’veserved with the Association for nearly 14 years, almostnine in my present position.

What is the mission of the USGA in relation to increasing thenumber of golfers and the overall popularity of the game?

The USGA has been the national governing body of golfsince 1894. Our main mission is to govern the game well bydoing things like conducting national championships, writingRules, providing rules of amateur status, formulating a hand-icapping system, etc. While our main mission is not to growgolf but to govern it, we provide millions of dollars a year ingrants to programs all around the nation to provide opportu-nities to individuals to play our sport who otherwise wouldnot have the chance to do so. Most of these dollars are forjunior programs but we also provide support to other groupssuch as individuals with physical disabilities.

In your opinion, what are the keys to a creating suc-cessful golf tournament? (on a corporate/non-profit scale)

The championship we run rank as the best our sportoffers. They are national championships and test the bestplayers. But whether you’re running a national champi-onship or a local one, many of the key elements remain thesame: a safe, congenial environment that promotes sports-manship and camaraderie; a sufficient degree of challengefor players and recognition for those who excel; and clearguidelines regarding who is eligible to compete.

How do you use promotional products and/or directmarketing strategies to encourage the growth of golf?

Most of the products we utilize are our own. For exam-ple, we publish more than a million copies of the Rules ofGolf. Each person who becomes a USGA Member receives acopy of the booklet. We also distribute to each member acustomized bagtag with their name engraved on it. We hopethey will display them on their golf bags and encourage their

friends who see these tags to become members.And the opposite side of these tags contains useful information for golfers that changes periodically. This information has included topics like lighting safety, course etiquette, and skin cancer awareness.

How do you decide which promotional products to include in the USGA’s store and

museum gift shop?The Association has a professional merchan-

dise department that reviews and selects all products thatwe offer at our headquarters, in our catalogue, and at ourchampionships. They review many products a year in theirquest for the best.

Do you have a regular supplier/distributor/agency thatyou work with? If so, why?

Our merchandise department has carefully cultivated areliable network of suppliers for our distribution channels.The Association has such a network because we seek tosell only goods that are high quality, reasonable in price,and attractive in appearance.

Many apparel brands use professional golfers to endorsetheir brands. Why do you think that is and whatbenefit(s) do you believe they gain from that investment?

Our Association doesn’t deal much with endorsements.So there are many better sources to answer this questionthan me. But I know people love to imitate their favoriteplayer(s). So I assume that desire extends to clothing as well.

What is your personal favorite product/campaign and why?My personal favorite campaign, of course, is our “For the

Good of the Game” campaign to increase the number of individuals who join the USGA Members Program. Ouradvertising agency, BBDO, has produced many effective television commercials that produce a positive image for ourAssociation. The reason this campaign is my favorite isbecause of the product we are selling, namely the values ofour game. Golf is a game of integrity, honor, and honesty.You are expected voluntarily to abide by the Rules and assesspenalties on yourself, if required by those Rules. So while weoffer Members some physical benefits like the Rules book andbagtag, what we’re really offering them is the chance to helpus perpetuate the values of our game. It’s really more aboutsomeone giving than getting. And we don’t see that strate-gy much in marketing campaigns these days. But I’m gladwe do so in our efforts to increase our membership ranks.

Please visit the USGA website at www.usga.org for more information about the Association and how to become a member.

Marty Parkes, Sr. Directorof Communications forthe USGA®

The Last Word

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BR0305_Section02 2/21/05 2:55 PM


A Bit of Golf Trivia...1. The groundwork for the PGA was laid at a meet-

ing hosted by Rodman Wanamaker. He donatedthe money for the PGA Championship trophy andthe purse for the first PGA Championship. Whatwas his business?

2. What year was the PGA Championship first played?

3. Who was the winner of the first and second PGAChampionship?

4. How much money did Jim Barnes win as the firstPGA Championship victor?

5. One of golf’s most famous shots, ‘The Shot Heard‘Round the World,’ was struck during the secondMasters in 1935. It was a double-eagle on the par-5 15th. Who hit it?

6. What was the name of the Masters when it was first held in 1934?

7. Ryder Cup namesake Samuel Ryder was a wealthybusinessman. What was his business?

8. What is Tiger Woods’ given first name?

9. At what age and on what show did Tiger Woods make his national TV debut?

10. How old was Tiger Woods when he made his PGA Tour debut in the Nissan Los Angeles Open?

Golf Clubs Old & New Names:

º The modern equivalent of the mashie is the -------------

º The modern equivalent of the niblick is the --------------

º The modern equivalent of the baffie is the ---------------

º The modern equivalent of the brassie is the -------------

Quotes To Play By:“It took me seventeen years to get 3,000 hits in

baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golfcourse.”

—Hank Aaron

“If I had cleared the trees and drove the green,it would’ve been a great shot.”

—Sam Snead1. Department store owner, 2. 1916, 3. Jim Barnes, 4. $500, 5. Gene Sarazen, 6. Augusta National Invitation Tournament., 7. Seed Merchant, 8. Eldrick, 9. 2 years old on the Mike Douglas Show, 10. 16 years old • Golf Clubs New Names:5-iron, 9-iron, 4-wood, 2-wood

Off The Cuff

BR0305_Section01 2/21/05 3:42 PM

BR0105_Section03.qxl 12/17/04 7:07 PM

BULLET LINENEW 2005 Chairs

®

SM-7585Sportsman

Folding ChairAs low as$10.99(C)

SM-7544Folding Insulated

Cooler ChairAs low as $15.99(C)

SM-7541Deluxe Cooler

ChairAs low as$11.99(C)

SM-7586Fisherman Folding

ChairAs low as $12.99(C)

SM-7543Super DeluxeCooler Chair

As low as$13.99(C)

w w w . b u l l e t l i n e . c o mPrices based on Standard Service. Please see 2005 catalog for item colors

and additional charges. Expires 12/31/05.BULLETSM

ASI 42424


br march 2005 issuu

Documents

companiesbusiness golf

golf connections

challenging golf trivia

nd nike golf apparel

order nike golf apparel

par golf tournament

caa brief history of

united states golf association