As the organizers opened the doors a flood of golf enthusiasts rushed in to check out the latest stuff at the PGA Show in Orlando. Apart from the usual suspects there are some interesting products displayed at the show. http://greenmasterpro.com/ This little thing caught my eye. It's a modern and compact little unit that will be evaluated in coming months.

We had a great time and lots of fun! Worthwhile to pay a visit if you are in the area.

Not sure what Show you were at, but there was no rush of traffic when the doors opened, as there has been in previous years. Attendance was way down, reflecting the ominous economy we are in. Could be a very tough year for the golf economy, and the economy in general.

Allan

2009 PGA Merchandise Show - Day 1 Finds
Friday January 30, 2009

Loud Mouth Pants (Editor's Note: The following is a rundown by Courtney Capps of some of the finds on the first day of the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show)

The first day of three very long days inside the convention center at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show was spent hiking up and down aisles and aisles and aisles of displays, showing every conceivable golf club, ball, bag, shoe, apparel, accessory, and anything else you can think of. It's finally over, and I have seen a lot of brilliant inventions and a few harebrained ideas that just might work under perfect conditions. Trying to describe everything would take forever, so Im just going to give you a quick list with some web addresses to check.

Apparel

* Loudmouth Golf Ian Poulter-wear on steroids. LoudmouthGolf.com
Pink Tee ladies apparel with a lot of class. Pink-tee.com
Golfstream Shoes ladies shoes, very stylish. GolfstreamShoes.com

Reference

* Golf Rules Quick Reference Very-well produced, a booklet to help understand the rules, with illustrations, and designed for easy on-course access. Its been out for a while already, but for you iPhone owners, this will be available in the App Store in a couple of weeks. GolfRulesMadeEasy.com

Accessories

* Perfecta Putt A better mouse trap for indoor putting or your own personal target on the practice green. It will catch the ball if it is struck with correct pace and direction. Perfectaputt.co.uk

* Neuroswing A very portable golf ball dispenser for the range or practice area. It holds 42 balls and can set a ball on a tee so you dont have to bend over. It weighs just three pounds and it fits neatly into a carry bag. MyGolfAttitude.com

* The Reloader A convenient six-ball tube that fits on your bag or cart. You can pull a new ball quickly during play, or use it on the practice green like a shag bag for just six balls. ReloaderGolf.com

* Winning Edge head covers - Youve seen them, but probably didnt know who made them. The Ian Poulter look alike, Paula Creamers Pink Panther, Fuzzy Zoellers cool chick, Jason Gores Gore-illaand a hundred other very cool headcovers. WinningEdgeDesigns.com

* The Amphibian golf towel - I was skeptical watching the infomercial, but the demonstration convinced me. A waterproof inner liner really does keep one side of the towel dry even when the opposite side is wet. FroggerGolf.com

* Adidas Golf Eyewear Stylish and designed with temple and nose pieces that adjust so you can fit your sunglasses to your face. Most have replaceable lenses. Adidas.com/eyewear

* Inavision Golf Cruiser This personal, three-wheeled, electrically powered cart looks a bit like the Spyder motorcycle with two wheels in front and one in back. Definitely more fun than a regular cart. InavisionStore.com

[b]Numbers show golf is still a draw despite recession[/b]

By Josh Robbins | Sentinel Staff Writer
10:39 PM EST, January 29, 2009

With the recession worsening, the PGA of America's top-ranked officials said the golf industry is doing relatively well as the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show kicked off Thursday at the Orange County Convention Center.

"Last year showed that in spite of everything else, people want to play golf," PGA of America's Chief Executive Officer Joe Steranka told a group of about 30 reporters Thursday morning.

"Maybe they didn't spend as much on drivers and shirts and balls and other items, which is a big concern to our members as retailers and the folks who exhibit at the show. But they want to play golf."

As proof, Steranka cited recently compiled PGA PerformanceTrak data that shows the number of rounds played nationwide in 2008 were down just 0.8 percent compared to 2007.

PerformanceTrak also showed, however, that worse times could be ahead for the industry this year.

The average number of rounds played last December was down 4.8 percent compared to December 2007, though part of that decline could be attributed to bad weather in parts of the country.

PGA President Jim Remy and Steranka also said they were pleased that the number of exhibitors at this year's show dropped only to 1,100, down from about 1,200 last year, and that their pre-registration attendance numbers were down just 7 percent.

Some exhibitors said they have noticed the show floor is less busy than in recent years.

"I've seen a little bit of a dip in traffic," said Kevin Carpenter, the vice president of sales and marketing for GPS Industries, a Sarasota-based company that produces global positioning systems for the golf industry.

[b]"But I really feel like the 'tire kickers' are the ones that we're missing. The real serious business people are here. The people that are here for the long haul for their golf properties are here doing the business they need to do."[/b]

Hi Folks,

Just back from Orlando -- yes the Show traffic was way off, according to the Rickshaw bike guys and the floor cleanup crew! This worked in different ways for different exhibitors; some benefited and some thought the Show was horrible. it depends on what happened at each booth. Personally, my plate was very full all three days with good things, so I'm happy -- saw lots of friends, made some new friends, and didn't run into too many enemies, although I might have added one or two new ones. Eh, whatareya gonna do?

Anyhoo, I'll be posting some product reviews on the PuttingZone Blog (http://puttingzone.blogspot.com) in the next few days, so by all means let me know what you found or what you"d like to hear about if you didn't get there.

Geoff Mangum
PuttingZone

YES! putters had the new weighting system from Tour Lock OWT.