The Custom Golf Consortium

A world class experience showcasing the worlds finest customized golf products.
In the world of luxury product consumption, there is only one way to meet the needs of the discerning connoisseur ... create a one of a kind item, which exudes the highly personal taste level of the buyer.

In the world of golf, equipment has for many years offered a customized option ... custom clubs. The Custom Golf Consortium now makes that option available for the entire ensemble of attire. From hats and caps, to golf shirts, belts, belt buckles, custom slacks, custom shoes, weather wear and custom grips the finest companies in each respective classification are a member of this most elite club.

Through a national series of events at the most luxurious host venues, The Custom Golf Consortium will present it's unrivaled selection of world class products to the most affluent of golf product purchasers. Through shared marketing efforts each member company multiplies it's individual efforts x the amount of member companies. The result is a revenue producing series of events, which will be considered the finest of its kind.

Member Companies
Hats - Elevee www.elevee.com
Shirts - Marbas www.marbasgolf.com
Slacks - Elevee www.elevee.com

Knickers - T Barry Knickers www.tbarryknickers.com
Belts - Martin Dingman www.martindingman.com
Belt buckles - 59 belts www.59belts.com
Shoes - Otabo www.otabo.com
Weather wear - Pro Quip www.proquipusa.net
Grips - C-thru grips www.c-thrugrips.com

Equipment- HONMA- www.honmagolf.com

Golf bags- The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company- www.themackenziegolfbagcompany.com

The introduction of The Custom Golf Consortium is scheduled for a special event in South Florida at the end of April. The Custom Golf Consortium will be the feature attraction for the first ever Fashion Village at the JPC Golf & Gala May 12 at The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner and May 13 at The Cannon Ridge Golf Club in Fredericksberg, Va. The venereble Inverness Club in Toledo Ohio will feature The Custom Golf Consortium June 5, 6 and 7.

For bookings please contact Auke Hempenius at auke@golfmarketinginc.com or 407-808-2598.

Let's talk about Tiger ... and his great outfit on Saturday

Well, let's talk about Tiger ... and his great outfit on Saturday.

For the well informed among Golf fashionista's it is well documented, that I have been quite critical of Tiger's Nike attire over the years. The poor fit in the early days were followed by my favorite Tiger era of better fitting bold and vibrant colors, turning into the classic approach of the last several years.

When a global powerhouse like Nike makes a statement like they did with Tiger's Saturday outfit at Bay Hill they deserve ALL the credit in the world. With international influences of the runways in Milan, Paris, London and New York dictating the color scheme of seasonal high fashion brands, the time has now come for Golf to step up to the Fashion plate. The Plum colored ensemble Mr. Woods was sporting on Saturday was an awesome display of global fashion savvy by Nike.

With the main fashion influences on the PGA Tour coming from international entries like Camilo Villegas and Adam Scott, Tiger represents the American sensibility like no other ... talk about TV time!!!! I hope the new direction initiated by Saturday's showcase at Bay Hill AND the great cover on the current April 2008 Golf Magazine in a Yellow and Golden Tan combination is a sign of things to come.

When it comes to driving revenue for the Golf apparel brands it is about great color, creative styling and ingenious design. Nike has the team and the resources to take full advantage of their global poster boy in on-trend colors like plum/purple, mandarin/orange, Tuscan/tan and ice/blues. Doral in Miami and The Masters provide the perfect fairways for the new and colorful TW collection!

Check next week for the introduction of The Custom Golf Consortium.... world class custom golf products from 10 companies to be introduced at the end of April!

Fashionably,

A-Game.

Golf Fitness Magazine Performance Apparel Rankings winners, others impress in the fashion aisles

This year's PGA Show was the most Fashionable to date due to some fabulous new collections and the show stopper this year... Ashworth’s new urban environment (booth).

With apparel playing a more important role every year at the show, some brands pulled out all the stops with great collections and cocktail parties galore. My choice for best collection was Tehama's women's collection. A bold and bright collection in TECH fabrics and an elegant and sophisticated offering in classic fabrics.

In men's Peter Millar featured their colorful southern elegance with rich colors and superb displays. The single item that got my attention is the new "classic" shoe by adidas. A very modern interpretation with great design.

The Dunning booth (winner of the TECH category) was packed the entire show. Ralph Dunning is capturing the performance market with great product and Zach Johnson as the face of the brand.

Ahead (winner of the Hybrid category ) continues to make very strong inroads into men's apparel, from the beginnings of a head wear company. The Kate Lord women's collection is a must for every pro shop with a very street smart edge and great design and styling features. The tulip sleeve is one of the coolest style features I have ever seen in women's.

Let's talk about presentation ... The new Ashworth booth is just in a league of it's own! A very modern urban environment showcasing the four new directional collections. You can see John Ashworth's signature ALL over it! The new Calvin Klein collection was presented in a typical Calvinesque palette of Black-White-Gray....the collection was high Fashion in Golf with numerous highlights....the women's dress pants are exquisite. How about personal presentation... Germaine Bolds-Leftridge is the infectiously passionate owner and designer for 18th Couture, a first time Fashion entry in women's ... mark my words ... you will here a lot more of them in the near future. Great color scheme's, elegant dresses with a decidedly urban flair.

The two Fashion events of the year to look forward to? The JPC Golf and Gala in DC on May 12th and 13th and the Grand Opening of the Payne Stewart Golf Club the week of July 1st.
This will also be the year where the mundane demo day concept will be transformed into the...

Apparel and Equipment Demo Day Extravaganza ... for more information e-mail us at auke@golfmarketinginc.com.

To a most Fashionable year where we create a WOW experience ... World Class Only Wins!

Customization will be among top three apparel trends for 2008

First of all let me wish you a healthy, happy and most Fashionable 2008. The Tour is already underway in Hawaii and the PGA show is around the corner.

The yearly get together of the world of golf in Orlando promises to be bigger and better than ever. In equipment there will be most certainly a plethora of introductions.

In apparel we will see the offerings for Fall 2008. I predict that the customization of apparel will garner significant attention this year due to more companies offering custom made apparel and accessories. I have been scouring the Fashion landscape for the finest companies in custom shoes, slacks, belts, shirts, hats, weather wear, golf bags and grips.

For the very first Apparel and Equipment Custom Demo Day Extravaganza Feb. 9 at The PGA Golf Club a unique cadre of companies will be featured, never before presented at one venue. Otabo will be featuring custom golf shoes, produced right here in Florida www.otabo.com. Elevee will feature custom hats and slacks manufactured in Los Angeles www.elevee.com. Martin Dingman will feature custom belts hand crafted in Diamond City Arkansas www.martindingman.com. 59Belts will feature custom belt buckles www.59belts.com. Marbas will feature Italian custom golf apparel www.marbasgolf.com, Peter Millar will feature custom golf apparel created stateside www.petermillar.com. Pro Quip will feature custom weather wear www.proquipusa.net. MacKenzie golf bags will feature the finest walking bags www.mackenziegolfbags.com.

While custom fitting in equipment has long been established as the benchmark for the finest equipment, so will custom made apparel and accessories redefine the standard for golf apparel, as we know it. In the luxury retail environment custom suits, shirts and shoes have a long history of the preferred choice of the most discerning clientele.

With a national roll out planned for the A&E Custom Demo Day Extravaganza, the golfer that demands the finest in custom apparel will have access to the very finest in custom golf apparel at a host venue nearby.

I can say from experience, there is nothing more rewarding than owning attire custom made for the individual.... it is one of the finer joys of life. The personal touch that you can infuse in your wardrobe with your own taste level, gives you the greatest expression of individuality possible. Decide to match your custom clubs with custom attire in 2008, because the golfer that is dressed to kill has always had the advantage.... and always will.

Walter Hagen - sartorial elegance personified

Walter Hagen was sartorial elegance personified in the early days of the golden age of golf.

Hagen was the first sportsman to make the best dressed list and the first to make a million dollars.

When the discussion involves golf, names like Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Bobby Jones come to mind. But let me tell you about the man, who I consider the most important in the game when it comes to sartorial musings. With a dashing style in play and the finest threads money could buy, "The Haig" as he was referred to, ruled the fairways like no one ever had and to this point no one ever has. His famous line: "I never wanted to be a millionaire. I just want to live like one." has made it in not only the vocabulary of golfers but our populace at large.

At age five Walter began playing the game in the family's cow pasture. "I would herd the cows all in one spot where I made the hole, so they could eat the grass and make a close putting surface." One wonders if this was the reason he became known as the greatest pressure putter of his era. Hagen developed his taste for the finest things in life at the exclusive country clubs where he would caddy. Tall and handsome with sleek black hair, he was always nattily attired in an individual manner only Walter could pull off. His expertise at golf allowed him to mingle with the elite on the course, but in those days golfers were not allowed entry in the clubs themselves, especially in England.

When Hagen made his first trip to The British Open in 1920, he shocked the elite by having champagne delivered to his Rolls Royce limousine parked in the club's driveway. In those days professional golfers were only allowed in the side or back door, so Hagen made a point of not going into the clubhouse at all. His clashes with the establishment on both sides of the Atlantic were legendary, but it elevated the game of Golf and its best players to a new level. His unrivaled flamboyance and colorful personality attracted increased sponsorship dollars to the game, eliciting Hagen's great friend and fierce rival Gene Sarazen to comment: "All the players who stretch a check between their fingers should say a silent prayer to Walter Hagen. It was Walter who made professional golf what it is."

His tailored look with the finest wools and cashmeres, plus-fours and two tone spectators made Walter Hagen a recognizable sports icon on both sides of the Atlantic. The golf fans in Great Britain took a great liking to the man, who single handedly brought a sense of style, color and elegance to the great game of golf. A stark contrast to the English country clothes in drab browns and gray, considered the appropriate uniform for the game. Walter Hagen backed up his flamboyant appearance with a game feared by his opponents, especially in match play. He won 11 major golf Championships, of which 5 PGA Championships in a time when it was contested in the match play format. Hagen was a crooked driver of the ball, but owned a short game that forced this irritated statement from Bobby Jones: "When a man misses his drive, then misses his second shot and then wins the hole with a birdie, it get's my goat." It came after Hagen delivered Jones' most lopsided defeat in a 72-hole "World Championship" on Florida in 1926. Hagen called it: "My greatest thrill in golf."

The legacy Walter Hagen leaves behind can be best illustrated with some heartfelt comments of the greatest of his contemporaries from the world of golf and the world of life.

Former President Dwight Eisenhower: "Your achievements at home and in Great Britain have earned you both the PGA's Hall of Fame and an enduring place in the affection of all for your stout heart and great talent."

Ben Hogan: "Without you, golf would not be what it is today. I give you my deepest thanks."
But the current King of golf Arnold Palmer said it best: "The biggest thrill I got when I set a British Open record of 276 strokes at Troon, was to have Walter Hagen phone me from Traverse City to congratulate me. I didn't even know The Haig knew I was alive until then."
Arnold Palmer paid the ultimate tribute to Hagen, by being one of his pall bearers after his death on Oct. 6, 1969.

May we give Sir Walter his rightful place in the golf conversation today ... One of the greatest players of all time, but most definitely the greatest dresser of all time.

Auke

PGA Golf Club's Apparel & Equipment Extravaganza

Apparel and Equipment Demo Day Extravaganza at The PGA Golf Club creates new platform of revenue.

So you are one of the couple of thousand clubs that host a demo day once or twice a year? On Nov. 10, 2007 at The PGA Golf Club a new era in the long history of the golf demo day was launched. You have your members, visitors and other golf enthusiasts right there, why not add a fun, entertaining and revenue producing component.

We chose two make-over winners from the crowd of 450 and awarded a Best Dressed award with a $250 gift certificate from Cutter & Buck. The make over winners received a cap, shirt, shorts, socks and shoes from different apparel companies like Ahead, Greg Norman and Ashworth and received a rousing ovation when they re-appeared after their amazing change!

Yours truly did a presentation on the three biggest trends for 2008 ... Raglan Sleeves, Hybrid apparel and Customization. We had some great props and everybody had a fabulous time. Bob Baldassari, the new GM at The PGA Golf Club had his staff in shirt and tie and VOILA ... have them hit clubs, have a chance to win a complete outfit or a gift certificate and a Fashionable addition to an already existing event will create extra $$$.

End result??? Apparel, which we displayed with an on-site pro shop generated 1/3!! of the revenue for the event!

With the enormous success of the first A&E Demo Day Extravaganza, the next one is already planned for February 9th with seven golf companies that make custom products. Stay tuned for the increasing decibel level of the cash register ringing from Port St. Lucie.

Freddie Couples the King

Freddie Couples King of Skins? How about King of Style!

Of all the golf I have seen throughout the years, after Sunday it is crystal clear ... Freddie Couples is in a league all by himself. Sidelined by injury since The Masters the atmosphere was palpable in Indian Wells on Sunday. You just knew everybody wanted Freddie to hit perfect shots and make all the putts. In the style department Freddie is the ultimate personification of California cool ... his gait is leisurely, his swing syrupy, his smile is infectious. Freddie is a throwback ... you young guns go work out and I'll relax by the pool and oh yeah, who was the player with the longest driving average at The Masters this year ... you guessed it!

For Ashworth Freddie has been the face of the brand for 20 years. There is no better endorser on the planet for ANY apparel brand than Freddie Couples. In the arena of the golf apparel business Ashworth has taken its hits, just like Freddie has had his ups and downs. The difference is when Freddie doesn't play well it still looks great and doesn't affect the bottom line. But this is a new day ... a new management team at the helm at Ashworth and Freddie's return to tournament play are nicely coinciding. Of course the return of namesake John Ashworth after a silly 10-year absence is the most fashionable ingredient.

I sat with Jerry Montiel and John Ashworth in their booth in 1990, to pitch a partnership. I refer to the ‘90s as the Ashworth glory days. Well, with Freddie healthy and about to inject a much needed shot of cortisone into the Senior Tour (I cannot and will not get used to “Champions Tour”) I predict Ashworth will re-invent itself and return to their rightful place in the world of Golf Fashion ... King of Cool!

On the business side of Golf Fashion it will take a season or two for Ashworth to rectify the colossal mistakes made by the previous management team. Over distribution and a severe lack of attention to the heart of the golf business ... green grass shops! The recent quarter results showed an expected loss, due to the elimination of nonperforming accounts and a reduced presence at retail. With John's first full collection to be showcased at the PGA show in Orlando this coming January, there will be plenty of pros and buyers that can't resist the most lethal California Cool combination on the fairways ... Freddie and Ashworth.

Stay tuned for an in-depth interview with John Ashworth in the next couple of months.

Always playing the A-game,

Auke