AT&T National

6/30/10

Part 2

The volunteer guards were out in full force this morning and I was in no mood to be taunted. I parked in the designated lot where I was suppose to and started my three mile journey to the trailers. I arrived at the course around 6:30am and I thought I would have a nice breakfast once again in the caddie wagon. Not going to happen! The first security check point told me I would once again told to throw out my delicious Dunkin donut coffee which I had already decided to hold my ground. I refused to do so! There is no need to be treated this way especially when you have a PGA Tour credential around your neck. I am usually pretty good and follow all the rules but this time I was not throwing out my coffee. Sorry to say I told the fellow you will just have to kick my a*# to get my coffee away from me this morning. I told him that it’s just an a*# kicking I am going to have to take this fine morning! I stumped the chump and away I went. I followed my directions as to where I could walk and where I MUST walk in order to get to my destination. I made it about two miles before I was once again confronted by another DIC (Director In Charge) with badge around my neck I proceeded to the clubhouse where I was told I could not enter! This was once again a bunch of BS! I was finally escorted down to the range by another fine DIC where I had found I had lost my appetite for breakfast! The only thing it wasn’t just me it was all of us, no favorites here! I ran into Brad Elder which is one of the PGA Tour Officials and stated my case and concerns. He said I was about the fifteenth rep he had been approached by. Kind of funny, but we are all a little over this kind of treatment after all we are the “carneys” of this circus!

I built a set for Duramed/LPGA player, Lizzy Uthoff. She is going to try to qualify for the Women’s Open at Oakmont and needed new wedges. Lizzy has supported Solus since I met her and at the time she was a Women’s Long Drive competitor.


Since I wasn’t able to get to the Traveler’s in CT I missed Padrige Harrington. I had planned on testing that week and trying to get him fixed up with a new FC-10/60. It is too late, he is gone on over to play in the Scottish Open which is contested before the British. This was a bummer, he can win over there!


Mike had a little success at the Montreal Championship this week. He worked with Bruce Fleisher on getting a new 52* if you remember a few weeks back we took a 56* and moved the loft to 52*, the bounce was good but not perfect. He really liked the true 52*. Bruce has been a real supporter of solus over the past few years. All the best to Bruce this week in Canada!


Keith Fergus really likes the 52* and has put it in play. He told Mike he would like a little more bounce on his 60*. Keith put a 64* Taylormade in play replacing our 60. He felt like the TM wedge had more bounce. I explain to Mike how to go about it and getting the player what he wants. I suggested Mike take the FC-10/60 and bend it to 64* and then compare the two. This is a pretty easy situation without plugs.


Mike Donald put a 60* in play while Jim Rutledge and Daniel Talbot both took a 56*.


Mike tried to explain Gene Jones. It seems Gene Jones doesn’t know one day from the next. One day he is Solus and on another wedge the next time you look. It seems Gene changes all the time, one week Solus will be here and the next something else. One week it is Taylormade and the week after Callaway! Not quite figuring this one out!


I just received a call from the GMC dealer in Wichita and they said they got my truck fixed and running. Don’t hold your breath!!! I’m not! HIHIHI….


Well I will have to end my blog for the week! Have a safe and wonderful 4th of July holiday with friends and family!

6/30/10

Part 1

As you know in the past several days or even weeks I have been on a little downswing when it comes to luck! It does not matter what or who is the issue! Today was no exception. Since this is the "Tiger" show security has been stepped up as in the past with one exception every volunteer was a policeman. From the time we parked to the time we left we all had been scrutinized profusely over and over for some infraction. First off once we were parked we were then told where we had to walk and how, made to throw away any food or beverage since it had not been purchased on site. It was very hard to believe, but true.

I met Don and few other fellow reps in the caddie wagon for breakfast. This was a very nice start to the day! Once breakfast was over the games began. I went to take our Solus staff bag to the tee to begin my daily tasks. I got down to the tee to only discover that we were not allowed to bring the bags on the tee unless you were one of the players! At this point I had had enough of this BS. I proceeded to look up a PGA Tour Official and state my complaint, he too could not believe it either? So he said he would handle it! Handle it he did! As you can see we were able to set up even though it was a pain in the you know what!

I tried to make an "appointment" with YE Yang to follow up with the wedges and it turned out not to be the time nor the place! So I retreated...

Well the rumor was out that the "Tiger" man would be on site around 1:30pm for a press conference and then out to the course for a practice round. Here a shot of the crowds that started to build going down to the tee. The security started tightening and the FBI agents were scattered all across the property. The crowds were growing here it is 1:45pm. At this point he made his entrance and was on the tee to hit 7-8 balls and away he went! He still has the ability to draw the crowds! Once he was done it was a ghost town. You could not get close to him for the FBI agents flanking him.

I have been giving a lot of thought lately about changing up my strategy on how I conduct my business with the players. As you know the practice tee is a zoo so to speak and it is very difficult at best to get the player to take a look of test if he feels he is being watched or stalked by his staff reps. It’s like having a Fuller Brush National Sales convention every week!

I am not going to give all the details here since I do have a following on this blog of a few key reps, but I will share with you a little framework if you will. I have always felt the need to isolate myself from all of the others in order to make or get any kind of time with the player. I have talked about it and wrote about it, but now I am going to do something different. I need to make some noise and get the buzz going again. This new wedge is really good and I am not just saying that, it's good! I just need to get the player out away from this tee to do so. My thoughts are the course, anywhere on the course. I will select about three target players per week and approach them on site at an alternate location i.e.(Locker room, putting green or even the parking lot) doesn't really matter just as long as it is away from the range. I think you would have to agree especially if you have been following this blog, let alone my trip reports over the years. I watch other small companies such as Solus make the same mistake. It seems to be the method of operation which has not changed over the years. So I am going to change my routine. There is absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. This is just the surface of the main frame of my overall plan. As I make my way over to the Nationwide Tour I will get a little break from all of these headaches and politics and start having some fun! I will keep you posted once I have had time to work on my plan.

6/29/10

Well it felt pretty good to finally get to an event after the circumstances that have occurred over the past several days!

This week and next will be the only time I can get equipment built since I am going over to the Nationwide Tour after the John Deere. I will be on the Nationwide for four events starting in Ohio. Additionally, I need to get Mike loaded up as well. Since I lost the CT event this only gives me this week and next week to get ready. With that said we went to work. Monday proved to be a perfect day for this since there were three pro-ams.


I built up a few orders for 52's. Steve Thomas was the first on the list. He had called me two weeks ago to tell me how much he loved the 52 and during the conversation he asked if I would build him a 56 to match the 52 since the 56 he was playing was stock length. The new 52 was made 3/4" over standard which increases the swing weight dramatically. He has always played the Solus wedges at 3/4" over standard.

I also took the time to build a submission sample of the 52 going to the R&A for conformance testing. Just a little sidebar if you will. The USGA and the R&A started charging $150.00 for each club sample submitted for testing. Can you believe it?

Titleist has started player testing of their newest driver the 910. I decided to go down to the tee and see who was practicing. I was confronted by a volunteer regarding my reasoning's for being on the tee. I flash my PGA Tour badge which really meant nothing to this ol boy. He said you need to be escorted to the tee with a player and once our business was conducted I needed to go back behind the ropes. Otherwise the reps are to stay behind the ropes and off the tee! Surely they do not want to make this another US Open and create this sort of atmosphere. At least I wasn't the lone ranger!

I received the second "proto" test shaft from Penley today. I will build up a 56 for player testing. The first sample was way too soft and a little light overall. We will keep you posted on the results of our testing.