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Saturday, March 2, 2013
ACCRA wins 2013 WGC Accenture Match Play Championship
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Younger Awards - Part IV
Rick Young
Join Rick Young for what's new and what's happening in the world of golf equipment and business.
ryoung@golden.net
| Canadian Business Story of the Year |  |
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The nominees: Jim Little leaves RBC for Shaw Communications, PGA
Tour purchases Canadian Tour, Wasserman Media Group acquires Catalyst
Sponsorship Consulting, Callaway Golf Canada restructures, Cabot Links,
Golftown merges with Golfsmith, Callaway Golf Canada assumes sponsorship
of Golf in SchoolsThe Winner: PGA Tour purchases Canadian TourMy take: Amid a worthy grouping of nominees, this category for 2012 was strictly no contest. After languishing under tough economic circumstances since its 10-year Golf Channel agreement ended, the Canadian Tour not only got a financial reprieve from the PGA Tour early in the year, it wound up under its corporate umbrella. What it means for the newly named PGA Tour Canada remains in prospect. But a deserving tour and a group of great people running it get something they have not had in quite some time: stability. |
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| Canadian Golf Product of the Year |  |
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The nominees: Sunice ‘Silver’, Arnie by Quagmire Golf, Hollas
Diversity Collection, Catwalk Zippy, Kikkor Men’s Pure Line, Dryrainge,
ACCRA Tour Z shafts, Sligo Golf pantsThe Winner: Arnie by Quagmire Golf/ACCRA Tour Z ShaftsMy take: Nothing between the two winners who tied and very little between a worthy grouping of nominees in this category. Arnold Palmer’s trust in Geoff Tait and Bobby Pasternak of Quagmire was rewarded with the debut of an outstanding line of Palmer-inspired apparel from the 1950s, 60s and 70s appropriately named ‘Arnie.’ The three deliveries were all met with critical acclaim. ACCRA Golf of Kingston, Ont., continues to be a force in the high-end shaft market. Former world No. 1 player in the world Luke Donald continues to put his trust in ACCRA. Many, many players in 2012 put their trust in ACCRA’s Tour Z product. |
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| Canadian Executive of the Year |  |
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The nominees: Don Nichols (Second Skin), Mark Fletcher (Fletcher
Leisure Group), Geoff Tait/Bobby Pasternak (Arnie), James Lepp (Kikkor
Golf), Adam Barr (Miura Golf), Dave Wilson (PING Canada), Gawain
Robertson/Dave Makarocha (ACCRA Golf)The Winner: James Lepp (Kikkor Golf)My take: As I write this James Lepp is one of two finalists for Big Break Greenbrier. That’s not why he is Executive of the Year. The former NCAA Golf champion’s vision for his fledgling company Kikkor means he’s willing to go the extra mile to help brand his product and further infuse its identity into a younger golf demographic. Lepp works hard at it. He’s been strong in the area of social media, runs contest after contest to keep people intrigued and he’s never met a microphone he didn’t like. Lepp got added traction with a few Canadian Tour friends, as well as LPGA Tour player Ryann O’Toole. He continues to be chief designer, CEO and COO, communications and marketing director. THAT’S why he’s my 2012 Executive of the Year. |
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| Emerging Canadian Golf Company of the Year |  |
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The nominees: BioSteel, Spanner Golf, MA-Nine, Team World Golf, Pin High Golf, Just Golf Inc.The Winner: BioSteelMy take: An incumbent sports drink in the NHL with the likes of Tyler Seguin of the Boston Bruins, Carey Price of the Montreal Canadians and former Toronto Maple Leaf standout Gary Roberts, BioSteel entered the golf market in 2012 doing so in a big way. The Canadian company signed PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan to its staff and made great strides in introducing its healthy hydration product at golf courses across the country. |
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| Canadian Golf Company of the Year |  |
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The nominees: Sunice, Quagmire/Arnie, Miura Golf, Sligo, Second Skin, ACCRA Golf, Sundog, Catwalk Performance ArtwearThe Winner: SligoMy take: A longtime Canadian brand that, rather than fall just under the radar, was all over the radar during 2012. Sligo’s spring/fall offering of products gained immediate acceptance with its retail accounts around North America and produced traction with emerging Sligo markets in Asia and Australia. Adding Weyburn, Sask.’s Graham DeLaet and Scotland’s Russell Knox to existing staff member Brian Gay on the endorsement team gave the brand more well-intentioned marketability with golfers interested in blending up-tempo fashion with performance. | |||||
Saturday, February 9, 2013
ACCRA in Golfweek Magazine
Yesterday, ACCRA was featured in Golfweek magazine online by respected writer Jim Achenbach. This was an exciting day for all of us at ACCRA as we certainly consider ourselves as the biggest proponents of club fitting in the industry. Thank you to Mr. Achenbach for his belief in the club fitting community.
Golfweek link
Golfweek link
SHAFT MONTH: ACCRA'S CO-OWNER, A PREACHER OF PROPER FITTING
As of Friday, February 8, 2013
Gawain Robertson, co-owner of shaftmaker Accra Premium Golf Shafts in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, may be the most straightforward person in the entire golf shaft industry.
Robertson was a touring pro for 16 years and a club pro for 9 years. In 2008, he and partner Dave Makarucha bought the Accra name from shaft manufacturer UST. Robertson is widely known as the man who makes driver and 3-wood shafts for former world No. 1 Luke Donald, although he appears to be just as concerned about amateur golfers as he is touring professionals.
And he is the first to tell amateur golfers that what they don’t know about shaft torque and flex can hurt them.
Robertson is a loud and insistent spokesman for professional golf club fitters, those individuals who understand how to put together a proper set of golf clubs for each golfer. Getting the right shaft torque and flex is a big part of that process.
The Accra business is based on intelligent, informed fitting, and Accra shafts are available only through a network of some 350 club fitters around the world. Accra shafts belong to two primary families: DyMatch ($199) and Tour Z ($299). Besides Donald, touring pros such as Peter Hanson, Ryan Palmer, Tim Clark, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Mark Calcavecchia have used Accra shafts.
A 30-year industry veteran, Robertson preaches the importance of grasping shaft principles.
“Be careful when you talk about torque," he said. "We know that torque is a measurement of how much a shaft twists. What we don’t always know is how that torque was measured. There is no standard method.”
One common way: Using a torque machine to take readings in two different directions. Then the two are averaged to produce a single torque number. In general terms, a lower number (2.0 into the low 3s) indicates more rigidity, while a higher number (the high 3s into the 4s and 5s) indicates a softer feel.
Accra is among the shaft companies that produce a torque profile by taking zone readings – in essence measuring the entire shaft to gain an understanding of how and where the torque is taking place.
Robertson also urges golfers to understand the whole flex profile of their shafts. Producing a single flex description – R, S or X – can be viewed as a simplification of a complex process that deserves more attention.
Why should all golfers seek an understanding of torque and flex? Because they are part of the equation in the loading of the club during the swing.
The element most important in fitting, Robertson insists, is how a golfer loads the club and the shaft. How much torsion – not swing speed – a golfer is producing during the swing is the critical factor. Torsion refers generally to leverage and specifically to the uncoiling of the body during the swing.
“Good fitters look at how you load a club,” he said. “It’s far more important than your swing speed. The question is this: Which shaft profile works best for you?
“Our Accra shafts don’t have a letter flex,” explained Robertson, who designates a letter and a number, such as the intentionally ambiguous M4 used by many touring pros, to classify each shaft. “We don’t want consumers focusing on what flex they have. A flex letter on a shaft is almost irrelevant.
“What you need to know is what profile shaft works for you. It’s the whole profile. Every good shaft company will make very good shafts that fit every type of player. As a smart golfer, you just have to find out which shaft it is.”
The new language of shafts is such that golfers should be talking about separate shaft characteristics in the tip section, mid section and butt section. Most golfers know that tips can be stronger or weaker, but so can the mid section and butt sections.
Know your swing, know your shafts. According to Robertson, this knowledge will pay dividends.
Monday, November 19, 2012
World No. 2 wins the Dunlop Phoenix Championship using ACCRA
Kingston, Ontario (November 19, 2012) – ACCRA Premium Golf Shafts is proud to
have an incredibly skilled player who trusts his golf game to custom fitted
ACCRA shafts in his TaylorMade RBZ driver and RBZ 3-wood.
One year ago, this Northwestern grad won the
final tournament of the 2011 PGA Tour season to secure his first PGA Tour money
title win and weeks later he did the same on the European Tour. This talented golfer also obtained “Player
of the Year” status, as well as the no. 1 golfer in the world ranking. The 2012 season has been as successful
as his last by maintaining a no. 1 world ranking until the PGA Championship in
August. But as of this past weekend, things just got even better! Now back to no.
2 in the world rankings, the 2012 Dunlop Phoenix champion has trusted ACCRA
shafts for more than five years and his switch to the new Tour Z model last
season has resulted in a significant rise in total driving statistics.
The victory at the prestigious Dunlop Phoenix
in Miyazaki, Japan marks his third worldwide win this season and sets this
great champion up for another run at the no. 1 position in the world rankings
for 2012. Recent Dunlop Phoenix
winners include Tiger Woods (twice), Thomas Bjorn (twice), Ian Poulter, Padriag
Harrington, Lee Westwood and David Duval.
“Professional golf is a great proving ground
for new technologies. The ACCRA Tour Z line of shafts has enjoyed unprecedented
success on PGA Tours worldwide this fall. When players using our shafts achieve
success, it just reaffirms the importance of going through a proper fitting and
utilizing an excellent product,” said Ron Graham, ACCRA Tour Rep. “On tour we
take time to find the ACCRA shaft that optimizes a player’s launch conditions
and, in each case, the renowned ACCRA feel
plays a big part in any professional trusting ACCRA shafts,” continued
Graham.
ACCRA Tour Z shafts continue its exciting
streak of wins. At the Ryder Cup, two stalwarts of the victorious European team
used Tour Z shafts. The recent
winner of the Grand Slam of golf featured a TaylorMade R11s driver, custom fit
with an ACCRA Tour Z 65+ shaft. One week later, the BMW Championship champion
also chose to fit his Taylormade R11s driver with an ACCRA Tour Z 65+.
“ACCRA is dedicated to developing shafts for all levels of
discerning golfers, and top ranked professional golfers are no different. Each
of the three recent champions went through a fitting process similar to what
any golfer would experience when visiting a certified ACCRA fitter,” said
Gawain Robertson, ACCRA co-founder.
“All ACCRA shaft designs are developed with custom fitting in mind. Our belief is that the only way to
optimize a golfer’s potential is through professional custom fitting, and this
is why ACCRA shafts are only available through being professionally fit by a
network of certified ACCRA fitters on every continent,” continued Robertson.
Friday, November 16, 2012
ACCRA wins at BMW Championship
ACCRA wins again on Tour
Who is the hottest player in professional golf? Think for a second.....Rory? Well, think again! A couple of weeks ago, Peter Hanson went head-to-head with Rory at the BMW Championship at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, China.One guy used ACCRA and won...... the other guy lost!!!!
Peter Hanson has enjoyed a breakthrough season and we are proud that, ACCRA fitter and good friend, Lyndon Wilson from Golf Studio 360 fit Peter to an ACCRA Tour Z 65+ last winter. This was just prior to Hanson's year long tear on tour.
Lyndon also fit Hanson to KBS Tours and as well he had his hand in hooking up Justin Rose to KBS a couple of seasons ago.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
KLM Open Champion chooses ACCRA Premium Golf Shafts
KINGSTON,
Ontario (September 12, 2012) – ACCRA Premium Golf Shafts has added
another European PGA Tour victory from this past week at the KLM Open on
the difficult Hilversumsche golf course in Hilversum, Netherlands. The
champion, from Svedala, Sweden, won in dramatic fashion by eagling the
final hole to win by two.
Now the 23rd ranked player in the world and European
Ryder Cup participant, he averaged more than 295 yards per drive with
his TaylorMade R11s driver, custom fit with an ACCRA Tour Z 65+ shaft. Sitting in 8th place in the race to the Dubai rankings, this champion has trusted ACCRA Tour Z in his driver all season with great success.
“It’s always exciting when a PGA Tour player sees the benefits of an upgraded shaft. In
this case though, it is especially gratifying as one of ACCRA’s very
best professional club fitters, Lyndon Wilson, was specifically involved
in fitting this champion,” said Gawain Robertson, co-founder of ACCRA.
“ACCRA believes that every golfer benefits from being custom fit by a
professional club fitter. Lyndon’s company, Golf Studio 360, in Orlando,
FLA has fit many of the world’s best golfers and fits golfers of all
levels on a daily basis.”
ACCRA shafts have always been designed to enable the world’s best club fitters to have multiple options. This
ensures that discerning golfers of all levels can be properly fit to
maximize launch conditions for increase distance and accuracy.
ACCRA premium graphite shafts are crafted using the highest modulus and most technologically advanced materials available. ACCRA has engineers to create the best products without any compromises. The recent success of ACCRA’s latest introduction gives remarkable credibility to the technologies utilized in all ACCRA shafts. These shafts are available through certified ACCRA fitters. Premium Golf management Corp (PGMC)
owns all ACCRA trademarks. For more product information, or to locate a
certified ACCRA fitter near you, please visit www.accragolf.com.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
ACCRA wins another Professional Major
KINGSTON, Ont. (July 17,
2012) – ACCRA Premium Golf Shafts is continuing its victory train, and has
added yet another Champions Tour Major victory.
Only three of the greatest
players in this sport have achieved the same feat of winning the Senior PGA Championship
and US Senior Open in the same year, so this Englishman has clearly proven that
he belongs with the big boys. The 2012 US Senior Open Champion shot a 4-under
66 to clench his second Major win by two strokes and denoted himself a force to
be reckoned with.
This notable Englishman used
ACCRA Tour Z Hybrid shafts installed in his Adams hybrids and was
professionally fitted at PrecisionGolf in London, England. Every
ACCRA shaft sold is custom fit for golfers by the world’s best professional
club fitters, and this double Major Champion has taken advantage of the
benefits of being properly fit by an expert.
“This
champion definitely set himself apart from the rest of the field at this Major
tournament, and was able to come from behind to snag another amazing
accomplishment in his golfing career,” commented Lindsay Hagerman, Marketing at
ACCRA Golf. “Congratulations
again to Simon and James at PrecisionGolf for this second Champions Tour Major win and we excited to celebrate the world’s most distinguished golfers who have
trusted ACCRA shafts in their bags.”
The ACCRA Tour Z golf shafts
feature a constant taper design for maximum energy transfer, and come equipped
with the thinnest shaft walls in the industry. ACCRA Tour Z is available in Stable Tip and Responsive Tip
options, along with weight categories ranging from 45 grams to 95 grams. Due to
the shaft’s unmatched stability in accuracy and traditional ACCRA feel, the 85
gram Tour Z hybrid shaft used in this recent Major victory has become one of
ACCRA’s most popular shafts.
ACCRA
premium graphite shafts are crafted using the highest modulus and most
technologically advanced materials available. ACCRA has engineers to
create the best products without any compromises. The recent success of ACCRA’s
latest introduction gives remarkable credibility to the technologies utilized
in all ACCRA shafts. These shafts are available through certified ACCRA
fitters.
Premium
Golf Management Corporation (PGMC) owns all ACCRA trademarks. For more product
information, or to locate a certified ACCRA fitter near you, please visit www.accragolf.com.
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