Golf show opens the season
Dick Harmon
I had a morning to kill, so I made the trek and got in line for the free golf balls by making the first one-third of the line of a thousand that stretched down the exhibition hall about a sand wedge away from the front doors. More than a thousand people entered the hall in the first 15 minutes.
Once there, they saw some decent exhibitions and ran into more than a few good bargains.
The strength of this show was price slashing on equipment, clubs, balls and attire by Uinta Golf, where you could get some great bargains on name drivers, utility hybrids, 3, 4 and 5 woods and putters. Most prices were cut almost 50 percent. Nike golf shirts and other quality brand-name apparel were going three for $60.
The second-tier bargains were bins of knockoff clubs, hybrids, putters and wedges, many in the $25 range. If one didn't care about the quality tattooed in the brand of major manufacturers, this was a feeding trough for cheap clubs, if you go that way.
Oh, and there were plenty of entry forms for drawings and skill contests, everything from golf vacations to a chance to participate in the Sorensen's Champions Challenge hole-in-one contest at Thanksgiving Point (June 16-17), where the top prize this year will be a Lamborghini from Luxe.
All said and done, it was a welcome break and chance to talk and inspect golf stuff. But it wasn't an event where I'd spend the whole afternoon.
Joe Watts, executive director of the UGA, was on hand to sign up players for membership and computerized handicap availability.
I thought there would be more booths featuring gadgets, new innovations and inventions, some of the new trinkets on the market. Nada.
There were some interesting items, however. For $20, you could get a CD-rom and a little plastic finger tab from "swingdicator" to help correct incorrect backswing plane. Representatives from Fisher putters were there with an interesting interchangeable insert on putter faces that gave four separate ranges in hardness at ball impact. I tried the soft inset and after a few practice rolls, nailed three 12-footers in a row down a carpeted target. The difference in feel was amazing.
There were plenty of businesses pitching golf accessories, everything from end-of-putter marker holders to "Nick's Net," a Velcro trap-door netted cage to hit practice shots into and something that could be used for T-ball, soccer, tennis and hockey — and it fits on garage doors. Golfers would need to set up a hitting mat.
There were logo gloves, for company outings or gifts, a kind of choose-your-own advertising deal, and a guy was pitching tournament signage packages, primarily for corporate outings or big fund-raising tournaments.
Two young women were demonstrating and selling a green plastic vial with built-in penetrating spray foam and brush for cleaning club faces. The "Fizgolf" angle was a scientific spit-shine approach. Interesting.
Another booth had a cloth inset vinyl pocket pouch you could wet up and clean your clubs or golf balls with, which was kind of nifty.
You had your massage recliner, and Highland golf cart company was present with some of the fanciest rides you can imagine and often see down in St. George at Sun River, a golfing community where they even have parades for these carts on holidays.
The exhibition continues today through Sunday.
I ran into more familiar faces than I thought I would, some guys I'd played with before, so plenty of people had a similar Friday game plan, whether to pick up a pair of bargain Footjoys, grab a windbreaker or rain suit, or just see what swag they could walk off with. It was that kind of stop.
But nothing beats a sunny day out on a flush fairway with a crisp nine-iron to a divot and seeing that dimpled ball sailing up and to a quick stop tack approach to a plush, soft green.
Folks, the time is here.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com
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