Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
STROKE OF THE DAY |
"Golf is my life and I love it. I'd play with rocks if I had to." |
-Margaret Curtis |
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF
CALENDAR
Equipment
|
||||
|
Southern California has long been considered the hub of golf club manufacturing. Heavyweights such as TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist and Cobra have made Carlsbad the epicenter of the industry, and companies such as Huntington Beach-based Cleveland Golf are elevating the region's exposure even more. But the ripples started here are beginning to spread - across the ocean - with numerous Asian companies becoming established in Orange and Los Angeles counties. Yonex, which operates its American business from Torrance, and Maruman, which recently set up shop in La Habra, are Japanese-owned firms that have long enjoyed sterling reputations in the United States for their high-performance clubs. They're joined by companies that have opened offices in Irvine the past two years: Fourteen Golf, a Japanese-owned company that makes one of the most popular wedges in Asia; and Simpac Golf, a South Korean company that specializes in square drivers. "The quality among most [top-line] Asian manufacturers is phenomenal," said Don Anderson, a clubmaking consultant who travels to Asia several times a year. "The quality control is every bit as good [as American clubs], and they have meticulous research and development departments. They take their time with the clubs, make sure they're very well-tested and don't rush them into the market." But quality clubs haven't always translated into quality sales. "We've had Asian clubs try to get a stronghold in the American market, but it's tough," Anderson said, citing Yamaha, Katana and Daiwa as Asian clubmakers who attempted to emulate the success of Mizuno only to find that "it's very, very difficult to get known here. The size of the market and the fact that Southern California is the center of the golf industry makes it very attractive to try to get a foothold. But it's so hard to get national distribution and compete with the marketing dollars of major manufacturers." While some Asian clubmakers, such as Honma, focus on affluent Asian or European customers, Maruman Golf is targeting American customers with a three-year plan to re-establish itself in terms of sales and exposure on the professional tours. Founded in 1971, Maruman had a major international presence both professionally (winners of 100 PGA events, including three majors) and technologically (the first high-COR driver in 1994). But Maruman all but disappeared in America following a downturn in 1997 that led company officials to refocus on Asian and European markets. The company officially announced its re-introduction to the American market at this year's PGA Merchandise Show. The flagship of Maruman's line is its Majesty series of woods and irons, which Forbes.com lists as the world's most expensive clubs ($2,000 for a driver; $6,000 for a set of irons). Maruman also offers the performance-oriented Exim and game-improvement Metabio lines, and recently launched the Shuttle M-Sole (a hybrid for around $350) and KS wedges ($125) designed by master craftsman Kenzo Sugiyama. The company also unveiled its 460cc Metabio driver and Santa Monica putter at the PGA show. "By positioning ourselves as the leader in performance, prestige and luxury, we hope to brand our name stronger than ever in the U.S. this time around," said Steve Zunich, whose Z Group is Maruman's U.S. sales and marketing consultant. "We understand that Maruman is not a household name here in the U.S. at this point, but I would urge golfers in the market for a premium, high-performance fairway wood or hybrid to try the Shuttle M-Sole," Maruman Global CEO Jimmy Chao said. "It is very easy to hit and performs exceedingly well from a variety of approach conditions." Maruman clubs are available online and at higher-end golf stores, such as Eagle Golf in Costa Mesa, and may soon hit the shelves at Roger Dunn stores. Like Maruman, Yonex Golf has a reputation for making stylish and technologically advanced clubs. Already known for quality tennis rackets, Yonex, which launched its U.S. golf division in Torrance in 1983, introduced graphite-headed drivers to the golf industry in 1982. In 2003, the company unveiled the Cyberstar Powerbrid driver, the first product to combine a graphite/composite crown with a titanium body and clubface. "These are performance clubs for golfers who like new technologies," said Yonex Golf USA CEO Chitose Renge. "And because we develop really high-performance clubs, our target audience is 45 years-plus with an annual income more than $85,000." Nanospeed is the new buzz word at Yonex, and the company recently launched its Cyberstar Nanospeed irons that have an explosive clubface and forgiving feel. The suggested retail price is $900 to $1,200 for a set. "More than 90 percent of clubs developed in the United States are produced in factories in China where quality control is still not high enough," Renge said. "We make everything, including our own graphite shafts, in our factory." Unlike Maruman and Yonex, Fourteen Golf and Simpac Golf are still trying to make a name for themselves in the U.S. market. "We've designed clubs for the past 20 years for manufacturers like Titleist and Wilson but we recently decided to start our own brand," said Fourteen Golf vice president Masashi Kamoda. "Our goal was to start small, aim for some professionals on the tour and get a name. And we're succeeding. We're not like Mizuno yet, but people are starting to know us, and demand is increasing." Fourteen Golf offers clubs targeting mid-handicap and high-handicap players, including drivers for around $600 and forged and cavity-back irons and wedges. They design original shafts for their drivers and hybrids and can be found at higher-end golf shops, including Costa Mesa's Eagle Golf and Fairway Golf in San Diego. Simpac Golf, headed up by CEO Gongjin Choi, is the newest member of the foursome to seek a foothold in Southern California. Its clubs have been available in Asia since 2001, but the company has elevated its U.S. presence with the emergence of square drivers, which it has been researching, developing and selling for five years. "With the new square technology hitting stride in the U.S. market, Simpac has decided to introduce propriety square products here," said Chan Park, Simpac's sales manager. Though Simpac makes clubs for all skill levels, Park said the company is concentrating on square products, which have a large sweet spot that translates into fewer missed shots, higher trajectory, more ball speed and more energy transfer. "Our clubs are perfectly square at address, which breeds confidence in the golfer because they know they're lined up squarely," Park said. "The tendency is for the club to twist at impact, but this allows for less twisting and more forgiveness. You can hit the ball straight but also work it left or right." The main challenge Simpac faces is one that other non-traditional clubmakers can empathize with: "Most golfers are traditionalists and the challenge for a company like ours is to make people believe in our clubs," Park said. "Once that happens, they're believers. Because even though a golfer might prefer a traditional-looking club, they also want to improve their game. And when we put our clubs into their hands they're simply amazed by the performance." Simpac has partnered with a Fullerton-based company, Square Impact Golf, to help distribute its clubs and stage demonstration days for golfers to sample the products. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This Article
