Early demand for Ping's new G15 and i15 ranges - which is so far out-stripping the G10 line that was introduced two years ago - has meant the company's European headquarters in Gainsborough has employed 24 new staff to work on assembly and shipping.

Srixon has launched a new range of clubs - Z-TX -, which features driver, fairway woods and irons. The Japanese-owned brand, which joined forces with Cleveland Golf last year, has also launched a new hybrid to complete a busy month, as Srixon introduced the improved AD 333 golf ball at the beginning of September.

The hardware offering from Mizuno for 2010 is led by a pair of new MP irons, the MP-68 and MP-58.

The MP-68s are classic Mizuno blades but with what the company describes as "enhanced feel". They are designed for professional players and elite amateurs, while the MP-58s are muscle-back blades, and Mizuno promises the clubs will offer greater forgiveness.

The BGIA has published an extensive study on the golf apparel and footwear market in Europe, split into three volumes: Southern Europe, Northern Europe, and Central & Eastern Europe. In part five of SGB Golf's exclusive series of country summaries from the report we cover Greece.

Danish shoemaker Ecco has launched the Ultra Performance Hydromax for Spring Summer 2010, following on from the success of its original Ultra Performance this year.

Specialist battery distributor Manbat is offering the Numax Golf range. The batteries come with maintenance-free ‘sealed' technology and Manbat says they offer superb performance. The batteries are designed to operate through a far greater number of charging cycles than standard batteries.

Open invite from 2Thumb

Philip Gazeley, inventor of the 2Thumb putter grip, is offering all PGA professionals and trade distributors a free 2Thumb demo at the company HQ, at The Bedford Golf Club. Call 01908 585 232 to arrange a visit.

www.2thumbgrip.com

Srixon says it has made its AD333 - the UK's best-selling two-piece golf ball - even better for Autumn 2009.

Key to the advance is that Srixon has enlarged the Energetic Gradient Growth Core of the AD333 to give the ball a higher initial velocity, leading to greater distance.

Worldwide Golf Brands and Ram have made a major mutual commitment, in the form of a lengthy nine-year extension to Worldwide's Ram license in the UK and Europe.

Worldwide Golf Brands is the Manchester-based company formally known as UK Golf Services, which owns the Stuburt footwear and waterproofs brand.

Dubai-based Scorpio Golf has launched a range of golf shirts on a theme of national flags, as worn on Tour by Germany's Lisl Esterl.

"Ian Poulter has touched on this idea and Annika [Sorenstam] wore the Swedish blue and gold on her last appearance in Dubai in December 2008," explains Neil Webb, Scorpio's business development manager. "But nobody has yet devised a line of clothing that takes advantage of full production facilities and combined that with the ability to make items highly personal with initials and personal logos. People are proud of their origin and also their name."

TaylorMade has launched the Penta TP, the first five-layer golf ball designed for Tour pros. TaylorMade claims the new ball combines the benefits of its TP Red and TP Black into one ball, so while it is engineered for the world's best players, the ball is supposed to benefit all golfers.

Best known for its trolleys and golf bags, Bag Boy has introduced its range of golf bag travel cases to the UK market.

The BGIA has published an extensive study on the golf apparel and footwear market in Europe, split into three volumes: Southern Europe, Northern Europe, and Central & Eastern Europe. In part four of SGB Golf's exclusive series of country summaries from the report we cover Italy.

SkyCaddie has launched the SG2.5 Lite, which features the same GPS technology as SkyCaddie's top-of-the-range SG5, but without the colour screen or level of functionality.

Nike has launched the Zoom Bandon, which it claims is the ultimate all-weather golf shoe. The American company goes so far as to say that the boot-style Bandon "laughs in the face of water and kicks mud in the face of, well, mud".

Club professionals are fine golfers, they are usually excellent teachers, and many of them have fantastic knowledge and understanding of some quite complex equipment and products, but knowing how to layout a pro shop is a craft much harder to acquire. Well, for those in need of inspiration, Paul Sanders is speaking on ‘Shop Design - make the most of your Golf Shop' at Golf Europe. Paul has designed golf shops for 20 years and has also worked with department stores, so he will certainly be armed with some innovative ideas.

Brian Conors House of Golf at Manchester GC is providing living proof of how investment in a custom-fitting service incorporating leading-edge technology can convert into profit.

Following success in cricket, running and Formula 1, UK eyewear specialist Sunwise is launching its ‘low price, high quality' sunglasses into the golf market.

Ping fits in at Solheim Cup

As a primary sponsor, Ping was kept busy on the range at Rich Harvest Farms during the week of the Solheim Cup, as Golf Week reported that Ping's custom-fitting team completed over 700 fittings of its new G15 and i15 lines, with a further 350 people completing individual club tests.

www.ping.com

Greg Norman was at Penny Hill Park in Surrey on July 20 to launch the Greg Norman Collection range for Spring Summer 2010 to assembled retailers and media.

Puma is releasing a new range of golf shoes for 2010, led by the striking Cell Fusion.

Surrey-based distributor The Golf Business (TGB) has taken on three new brands: American ladies' apparel brand EP Pro and a pair of belt labels: Druh and Canadian brand Canterbury.

Wilson Golf has launched the Wilson Staff FG Tour forged irons, which are designed to combine classic looks with the latest cavity technology for the better player.

The success of the ProStance training aid continues, as the innovative product has been well received recently in Asian markets, while Welsh golfer Becky Brewerton (pictured) has rekindled winning form on the Ladies European Tour since working with ProStance.

The PGAs of Europe has announced that its new Training Academy in Murcia is set to open early in 2010.

Pink Ribbon Golf has announced that 10% of the RRP of all goods sold will be donated to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, a UK charity dedicated to the prevention, treatment and ultimate eradication of breast cancer. Pink Ribbon has committed to a minimum donation of £20,000 over 12 months.

Brand Fusion International distributes many of the most famous brands in golf, including Sun Mountain, Go Classic, Softspikes, Lamkin and 2Thumb, and a new addition to the Brand Fusion portfolio this year has been the range of practice products and accessories by American company SKLZ.

The BGIA has published an extensive study on the golf apparel and footwear market in Europe, split into three volumes: Southern Europe, Northern Europe, and Central & Eastern Europe. In part three of SGB Golf's exclusive series of country summaries from the report we cover Spain.

Bruce Clark is back

Bruce Clark rainwear is being re-launched into the UK and Ireland, with plans for a pan-European roll-out. Brand founder and owner, Bob Clark, has spent the past eight years developing the Callaway and Ashworth outerware ranges.

bob.clark@garvieclark.com

I have written before that at SGB Golf we are always looking to move forward and keep our offering varied and pertinent, and with that in mind, we are delighted to welcome Paul Trow to our editorial team. The former editor of Pro Shop Europe, and of the dearly departed Golf Weekly a decade or so before that, Paul brings with him a wealth of experience, expertise and expostulation, which will sit very well within these pages.

Callaway Golf Company has announced it will pay second quarter dividends of $0.01 per share on July 15, which is a cut of six cents per share compared to the first quarter this year.

The MD Golf brand is continuing to establish footholds in golf markets across the globe, with New Zealand the latest territory to give MD Golf a strong retail presence.

Andy Bough, who was until recently marketing director of apparel company Glenmuir, has joined Cork-based Premium Golf Brands. Bough is starting with PGB in July, in a role that SGB Golf understands is predominantly sales related. At the time of going to press, confirmation from PGB was not available.

Swedish clothing brand Peak Performance is making a concerted effort to establish itself as a premium, specialist golf brand in the UK.

Gel Golf has launched a network of custom-fit putting centres in the UK. Gel putter designer Dr Paul Hurrion has developed a unique fitting procedure for Gel, which he has personally instructed to a team of six PGA professionals, with a further seven pros to be inducted this summer.

TGI Golf, the European buying group for golf pros, has launched a new online marketing tool that enables its members to personalise shop marketing material. The Online Print System provides pros with a variety of templates including vouchers and posters for events and products.

Alchemy was the medieval forerunner of what we know today as chemistry, and stories have been passed down through the centuries of alchemists who could transform base metals into gold or silver.

I have a confession to make - I don't play golf. However, I've had lessons from pros - usually as part of a conference thingy - and found the moment when you make that perfect sweet connection between iron and ball to be quite exhilarating (although without that same pure delight of the perfectly-timed extra cover drive, of course). Putting still strikes me as very irritating, though.

Following the success of Oscar Jacobson's WPS jacket (Weather Protective System) this year, the Swedish company has confirmed it will continue the jacket through Autumn/Winter 2009/10.

While increasing numbers of hardware manufacturers are investing in their custom-fit offering, eyewear specialist Oakley is introducing a Custom Programme of its own. Golfers can choose between 28 styles of sunglasses and two styles of goggles, with a wide range of colour and lens options across all styles. Customers can also include personalised lens etchings in creating their bespoke shades.

With UK average temperatures rising year on year, staying safe in the sun has never been so important.

Dougherty gets a grip

Nick Dougherty has found the form of his career putting with a 2-Thumb grip. The 29-year-old Englishman notched his third career win at the BMW International Open in Munich last month, averaging 26.7 putter per round over four days.

www.2thumbgrip.com

While it is clear that Nike is making the biggest reduction in staff numbers in company history, with approximately 1,750 people losing their jobs, the sportswear giant has not confirmed how its golf operations will be affected specifically.

There is no doubt that some retailers are experiencing some of the toughest trading conditions in living memory. We are seeing businesses slashing prices to attract whatever trade they can and there are empty shop units everywhere.

The uncertainty surrounding MacGregor Golf seems to have come to an end, as the American company has been sold to Texas-based Golfsmith International.

Adidas, the German sportswear company and arch rival to Nike, has announced an astonishing 97% drop in its pre-tax profits from the first quarter of 2009 to £4.43 million, although the group's TaylorMade-Adidas golf business is apparently still growing, in Europe at least.

PowaKaddy has extended its range of accessories for its new Freeway II electric trolley by offering golfers a holder designed specifically for the SkyCaddie GPS rangefinder.

The BGIA has published an extensive study on the golf apparel and footwear market in Europe, split into three volumes: Southern Europe, Northern Europe, and Central & Eastern Europe. SGB Golf is publishing an exclusive series of country summaries from the report, the second of which, here, covers Portugal.

Assessing the cost-effectiveness of participation at trade shows is a difficult exercise, especially when orders can turn up months, even years, after the show. Nevertheless, if there's an opportunity to shave something off the initial costs, a slightly warmer feeling comes over the exhibitor when the time comes for that assessment.

King of the tee

T-King Golf, which claims to be Europe's largest supplier of printed tees, has reported year on year growth despite the economic downturn. "In 2008 [we invested] heavily in print technology and plant, enabling us to offer better service and unique printed tee products such as Zero Friction," says director Glen Witheford. "We also launched to the rest of Europe at Munich in October and have added many customers since then ... [we have] the flexibility to supply 1,000 or 1 million tees. Our emphasis, as always, is on customer service, quality and reliability."

www.t-kinggolf.com

Callaway Golf has announced that Perry Ellis International is to design, manufacture and distribute Callaway golf and sports apparel in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.

American equipment brand Nickent has launched into the UK and Ireland, and Phoenix Brands, a County Kildare-based company, has been appointed sole distributor. Nickent has brought in John Hoeflich to design some of the brand's hardware. Hoeflich has previously worked with Tommy Armour, Titleist and TaylorMade, and Nickent has particularly high hopes for its new, Hoeflichdesigned 5DX Ironwood, which sports wings on the back of the clubhead.

Bridgestone Golf, which had pinned its hopes of resurgence on the success of its B330 Series of golf balls, has reported rapid growth in the UK for the first quarter of 2009. Sales for the quarter were up 507% on the same time last year - although the brand's market presence for the first quarter of 2008 was negligible - but the company also claims to be 25% ahead of target.

Snake Eyes Custom has launched the Viper XT driver for Spring 2009.

Our industry is as competitive as any other retail sector, where the ever more sophisticated consumer shops in a buyers' market. The odds appear to be heavily stacked in favour of the huge retail chains or volume on-line retailers.

With the British and Irish Lions rugby union squad heading to South Africa for a highly anticipated test series this summer, Premier Licensing has launched a line of Lions golf accessories.

Clothing brand Fairway and Greene has been added to the exclusive stable of brands to be stocked at the ‘Home of Golf' by the St Andrews Links Trust's retail shops, The Old Course Shop and in the St Andrews Links Clubhouse.

Golfsmith has brought the Vector X ball monitor to the European market.

The BGIA has published an extensive study on the golf apparel and footwear market in Europe, split into three volumes: Southern Europe; Northern Europe, and Central & Eastern Europe. SGB Golf is publishing an exclusive series of country summaries from the report, the first of which covers the emerging golf market in Romania:

While Romania remains an enigma to many in the British golf industry at present, the country has a population of at least 21.6 million, which is the second biggest in Eastern Europe after Poland, and it is beginning to attract investment from major sports retailers such as Decathlon and Intersport.

The organisers of Golf Europe - probably Europe's leading trade fair for the industry - met representatives of leading UK companies recently to discuss the move of this year's show to the MOC, the venue in Munich where Golf Europe started. The MOC is a fine steel and glass facility in the north of Munich, on the airport road and five minutes from Kiefengarten on the U6 subway, which goes straight into town. Several major brands have permanent showrooms here already, so there is an element of taking the show to the industry. The move was received well in the meeting, since Golf Europe is a better event if the major brands are present - this encourages the smaller companies to attend too.

Wilson Staff takes custom fitting online

Wilson Staff has launched the Dyna-Fit Online fitting tool. The company claims that through a simple question-and-answer session it can accurately fit up to 12 clubs for a golfer, excluding driver and putter.

www.wilsonstaff.com

Greg Norman and TaylorMade have been in discussions about the Australian golfer playing TaylorMade clubs on his return to the Masters, April 9-12.

Just in time for Spring 2009, Cobra Golf has introduced the King Cobra SZ irons, or ‘Sweet Zone' irons, to give them their full name. The clubheads have been given a sleek, low profile and a shortened hosel to push the centre of gravity deep and further back, while the wide sole and heel-toe weighting are designed to maximise the clubs' moment of inertia.

PowaKaddy has launched a new trolley bag line for 2009, the Deluxe II.

Since its inception in 2001, TGI Golf's annual Suppliers Survey - the results of which have recently been published - has become an eagerly anticipated event and a useful benchmarking exercise for the golf retail industry.

Perhaps the difference needed for Retief Goosen to win on the PGA Tour for the first time in four years was the fact he wore a golf shirt made partly from bamboo charcoal.

Bushnell Outdoor Products, a company best known in golf for its laser rangefinders, has entered the GPS market with the launch of the Yardage Pro.

PrideSports, the manufacturer of Softspikes cleats, has launched the ClubGrip, a ‘grip wrap' for golf clubs made in the style of a racket grip.

Sonocaddie has launched the V100 GPS, to complement its existing, larger V300 handheld system.

If you look in Chambers Dictionary - the one all genuine crossword-solvers should use - you will find its definition of a recession is, "a slight temporary decline in a country's trade", whereas a depression is, "a condition of reduced trade activity and prosperity". Not a lot to worry about then, is there? It'll all be over quite soon.

For Autumn/Winter 2009, Ping Collection is introducing a completely new range of waterproofs for men and women.

The Golf Foundation, which operates in England, Scotland and Wales to grow the sport in schools, clubs and communities, enjoyed a record year of growth in 2008. For the first time the golf charity trained more than 1,000 volunteers and 3,000 teachers in England alone.

The PGA's Teacher of the Year Martin Hall has installed the Explanar Golf Training System at his academy at the Ibis Golf and Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Performance coach Jamie Edwards - and SGB Golf contributor - has published his first book, Mental Ketchup: the source of peak performance. The book is available at the Trained Brain website and at www.amazon.co.uk, and it contains bare-knuckle thought provokers such as: "Excuses are the crutches of the untalented".

Cleatskins are compression moulded rubber shells that instantly convert golf shoes into street shoes, and they are coming to Europe.

Brand Fusion helps Duchess of York

Brand Fusion has donated Go Junior Web clubs to a children's charitable programme led by the Duchess of York. Over 200 children have been given the opportunity to try golf as part of ‘From the Heart with Fergie'.

As the 2009 Tour season starts to pick up momentum towards our favourite azalea extravaganza at Augusta, Wilson Staff has announced an attention-grabbing consumer offer: they will refund any purchase of Wilson Staff Tw9 wedges bought between March 1 and April 9, 2009 (up to a retail price of £84.99), if their man Padraig Harrington wins the Masters.

The week of the Orlando PGA Show was very busy for MacGregor Golf, even though the American club manufacturer made a late withdrawal from the event. During the show, the ink was not yet dry on the announcement that the Greg Norman Collection apparel brand had been sold to the New York-based Tharanco Group, while rumours of a MacGregor takeover reached every corner of the well-proportioned Orange County Convention Centre.

With its mission to ‘make every day playable', Footjoy has launched its most comprehensive outerware collection ever for 2009.

On the back of positive feedback from Golf Europe in Munich last October, Swiss glove specialist Hirzl has introduced two gloves made from Kangaroo hide into the UK market, the TRUST Feel and TRUST Control, at an RRP of £24.99.

Brand Fusion announced on February 11 that the company has ceased to distribute Adams Golf equipment, arguably the highest profile brand in its stable.

Scottish apparel brand Glenmuir has added four new models to its premium ‘Glenmuir 1891' collection for Spring 2009, to take the collection's quota up to seven designs.

JS International has introduced a new range of Longridge ‘executive cart bags' for 2009.

Yes! has launched the Jennie C-Groove putter for 2009. The heel-shafted, offset Jennie is designed for golfers who need more ‘toe hang' than usual, to help bring the clubface back to square at impact during a moderate swing arc.

Recently I have been visiting professionals in Texas, looking for good ideas to bring back to our market. These meetings have reinforced the belief that, for the smaller retailer, a supplier's service and support, often delivered through a good sales representative, is as important as product quality, if not more so.

KMPG has announced a dynamic running order of speakers for its Golf Business Forum at Celtic Manor, May 4-6. The line-up includes Joe Beditz, CEO of the National Golf Foundation; Tenniel Chu, Executive Director of Mission Hills in China; Neil Hobday, Project Director of the Trump International Golf Links in Scotland; Jonathan Orr, Financial Director of the European Tour, and David Spencer, CEO of Leisurecorp, the company developing Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.

English Tour golfer Simon Hurd has launched his own brand of belts and buckles called Druh (‘Hurd' spelt backwards).

Following its success in the United States, the Big Putt training aid has been launched in Europe. The Big Putt is a golf ball that is 35% bigger than regulation golf balls, and made of standard golf ball materials. Developed by PGA Tour caddie Mike Hicks, the theory is that practising with the over-sized ball encourages golfers to play a more positive putting stroke, and because the larger ball makes a wider track towards the hole, this is supposed to give golfers more confidence when they putt on the golf courses with a regulation ball. The Big Putt has a RRP of £29.95.

A yoke-style harness for carrying golf bags has been designed by sports engineers at Sheffield Hallam University, in collaboration with Sheffield golf pro Paul Shields. The ergonomically designed GolfBone system has been created to ease the strain of carrying a full golf bag over long distances by balancing the weight evenly across the shoulders. The polymer-composite harness has been licensed and is under production, with a view to be launched in May with a RRP of £39.95.

Powakaddy has launched the Freeway II electric trolley, to succeed what the company says has been the world's best selling electric trolley since the turn of the millennium, the Freeway.

The magic number for Northern Ireland's MD Golf at the year's end was 117, as the company has announced that forward sales for 2009 were up 117% on the pre-2008 mark.

Petron, the Essex-based golf company, is closing down. Partner Keith Dicker remains owner of the Petron, Stix and Nitro brands, although he has not confirmed that the brands will continue. Kasco, Bite shoes and Conte of Florence, all brands that Petron distributed, are re-organising their UK operations.

TaylorMade has launched an entire new range of equipment for 2009, spearheaded by the R9 and  R9 TP drivers. The other new  clubs are the R9 fairway woods, Rescue 2009 hybrids and the Burner 09 irons.

Jon Camp, Ashworth Europe managing director, has left the company. His January departure follows last year's TaylorMade-adidas takeover of Ashworth, the Californian clothing brand, and TaylorMade-adidas Europe's managing director Ben Sharpe has taken direct control. Camp had been with the company since 2000.

Srixon, already established as the UK's number one two-piece golf ball brand, has launched its attack on the three-piece market with the Z-Star and Z-Star X.

Cleveland Golf has launched the HiBORE Monster XLS driver, and the CG7 and CG7 Tour irons for 2009.

Cobra has launched a new family of drivers for 2009, the King Cobra S9-1.

UK sales of the Bionic golf glove in 2008 were an astonishing 173% better than in 2007. In 2007, 9,700 Bionic units were sold in the UK, but since GM Golf Brands took over distribution at the beginning of last year, sales rocketed to 26,500.

As of January 1, 2009, the company formerly known as UK Golf Services became Worldwide Golf Brands. It is a new name and new premises for the company run by Graeme Stevens, as the old UK Golf Services offices in Uxbridge are being replaced by a new purpose-built facility in Trafford Park, Manchester.

A word of advice for the pro: If you have any sales reps who are just occasional order takers and nothing more, ring up the distributor or supplier, let them know you will phone or mail your orders in from now on, and that the rep is no longer required. Make sure you point out you are making a salary and cost of call saving for the supplier, and that you'll be looking for an appropriate, additional discount. If the supplier tells you there's no salary saving because the rep still has to call on other retailers, then point out that the other retailers should be paying for it, not you.

The 2009 Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls, what Titleist calls the ‘next generation', were played on Tour for the first time at the PGA Tour's season opener, the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii, January 8-11.

Glenmuir is adding 10 new shirts to its Spring-Summer 2009 range: three short-sleeved polos to the Men's Performance Collection, and seven new Performance polos for women.

Is it an anagram? Is it a top-secret code to the secret of golf? No, it's the name of Nike's new family of drivers: SQ DYMO STR8-FIT (the last bit is pronounced ‘straight fit', so it sounds better than it reads).

FlightScope, the ball-flight and launch monitor and 3D tracking radar, has released its Version 5.5.1 software, which will be available to partners worldwide in February. The updated software offers improvements to the FlightScope's data on a club's angle of attack, grouping radius comparisons and print screen data, among other areas.

GolfBuddy handheld GPS systems are joining the European rangefinder market this year.

May Day for London Golf Show

The 2009 London Golf Show will be staged at the Docklands' ExCel Centre from May 1-3.