The Great Ball War (Golf Equipment in general)

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Product:	Golf Equipment in general
Date:	25/01/01 (26 review reads)
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As big and noisy, jam-packed and crazily busy as the annual PGA Merchandise Show always is, the chaos of the Y2K edition was intensified by one long-awaited event: Callaway Golf, the most successful driver maker ever and an $800 million company, plunged into the golf ball market.

Later in 2000, the golf ball landscape was rattled by another earthquake when Nike Golf, a division of a $9 billion company, came out with the Tour Accuracy, got Tiger Woods to play it and watched with smiles as he won three major championships.

So looking back, the question is this: Who won The Great Ball War of 2000? The answer? The consumer. The new competition unleashed new technology, gave golfers more choices, more information and, in at least one startling case, an attractive price alternative.

"There are simply a lot more good balls on the market," says Terry Carlson, professional at the Estancia Club, a private course in Scottsdale, Ariz.

And there perhaps never has been a time when so many balls will make news at the trade show or pique interest on first tees. A partial list includes:

Callaway's two-piece CB1 Red, a moderately priced addition to the Rule 35.


Nike's Tour Accuracy TW, a ball that directly links Nike to you-know-who.


Spalding's Strata Tour Ultimate, which hit the tours this month accompanied by an eye-catching orange-hat p.r. campaign.


Maxfli's Revolution Solid, a multilayer companion to the wound Revolution.


Wilson's iWound, a slick-packaged three-piece offering with an unusual layer of techy latticework.


Titleist's Pro V1, a three-piece ball that generated buzz following raves for distance and performance from staffers such as Davis Love III and Phil Mickelson last fall.
"In 20 years I have never seen such anticipation for a ball," says Tim Terwilliger, head pro at Brookside GC, a public course in Pasade
na, Calif., referring to the Pro V1. "We sold 48 dozen in less than 24 hours."

Retailer David Braham, owner of World of Golf in New York City, sees the Pro V1 as a positive example of the market at work. Braham says Titleist, the overall market leader and the kingpin of wound-ball sales, has had the nonwound sphere waiting in the wings since 1997, but Callaway's aggressive entry into the market and Nike's landing Woods to play its ball were catalysts that netted golfers one more good option.

"Both companies affected Titleist sales," says Braham. "Callaway and Nike have paved the way for the Pro V1. We have a small supply, and there is literally a line of people waiting for it. Titleist resisted bringing out the better [solid-core] technology, but was forced to. It didn't want to jeopardize the franchise, but now it has a hit."

Another hit/phenomenon is the Lady Precept, the little cult ball that could. "It's the [hot] ball," Carlson says of the product that sells at about £20 a dozen, less than half the price of premium balls. "We normally sell 36 dozen lady balls a year, but I've done 36 dozen a month the last six months. It's like a movie. You need word of mouth. This ball has that. It works for the average golfer."

Next year's Orlando show could again produce a war story--one over whether golf balls conform to USGA distance standards. But that's a tale for another day.

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