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The 2018 PGA Merchandise Show, golf’s annual feast of golf products of all shapes and sizes—clubs, swing aids, apparel, gadgets, etc.— is upon us to showcase the latest innovations in our industry. Golf Digest editors are combing the floor for the freshest and most intriguing new products. We’ll update as we go, so check back often to see what we’ve surfaced.
Weatherman Golf Umbrella, available in 62-inch ($89) and 68-inch ($95) options.
TV meteorologist Rick Reichmuth has designed a golf umbrella that does all of the basic things really well. It’s made out of teflon-coated fabric to do what umbrellas do: keep you (and your clubs) dry. It has extra supports attached to the ribs so that it can withstand high winds (up to 55 mph). And it’s available in four different colors.
It’s the small details where this umbrella really shines. Up in the canopy there’s a mesh pocket where you can store your glove in between shots or while you’re on the green, so it’s staying safe and dry. You can also store your scorecard up there. One of the ribs is coated with silicone, making it nonslip. Hang your towel up there and the silicone keeps it from slipping out and falling to the wet ground.
If you’re the kind of person who has a tendency of losing things, you’ll like the Bluetooth feature. The umbrella has a Bluetooth tracking feature that pairs with an app on your phone to show you the location of your umbrella if you lose it. The app also tells you the weather of the location you’re playing, letting you know if you actually need to bring your umbrella to the course or not. That’s next level. —Keely Levins
TaylorMade’s Spider Interactive, powered by Blast Motion, $399.
We’ve seen a handful of major manufacturers partner with golf-data companies in recent years to create smarter products that offer significant knowledge to the golfer. TaylorMade did so with Microsoft in creating MyRoundPro a couple of years ago, and the latest example is the company bringing intelligence to a putting product.
TaylorMade has partnered with the motion-capture company Blast Motion, and SuperStroke, to create Spider Interactive, which will allow golfers to analyze their putting strokes based on data captured in each stroke.
Blast Motion’s sensors have been built into the grip of TaylorMade’s Spider putters, similar to Arccos’ sensors within Cobra’s drivers, to deliver information to golfers via an app that will be available on iOS on March 1 and for Android devices in Q2 of 2018, according to the company. —Stephen Hennessey
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Phat Scooters’ Phatty HD and Sport HD riders, $2,399 to $2,999, depending on volume.
Innovative golf-course transportation products have really taken off with the success of GolfBoard’s launch at the 2014 PGA Show. Subsequent items like the Golf Bike and others have followed suit.
The next product to enter this space aims to take it up a notch. Enter the Arizona start-up company Phat Scooters, which launched its Phat Golf brand on Tuesday at Demo Day. The Phatty HD and the Sport HD, the company’s two vehicles showcased on Tuesday, each can hit 20 mph and come with equipped with removable, rechargeable electric batteries that last about 36 holes and front- and rear-wheel suspension.
Already touting a relationship with PGA Tour player Pat Perez and his wife, Ashley, it appears PhatGolf means business.
The company says its lighter weight will not harm turf, and its 28-inch height provides a comfortable seating surface to sit as you motor around. The company, which launched a lifestyle cruiser as its initial product in 2017, says its vehicles are available on just three golf courses right now, but it will be interesting to keep an eye on this up-start vehicle. –SH
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Putt-Rite Speed Trainer, $30.
A product doesn’t need bells and whistles to be a damn-fine instrument. The Putt-Rite Speed Trainer is an uncomplicated contraption, almost resembling a lid, with a goal to aid pace on the greens. By placing the Speed Trainer in a cup with the lip up, a player can practice dying the ball into the hole, with the Trainer kicking out balls with too much oomph. Turn the lid down, and a golfer can see how far their putts would fly past the hole of the cup didn’t get in the way. It’s a simple concept, yes. But those often make the best products. –Joel Beall
Big Max, Blade IP ($350)
Big Max, a push cart and bag company that’s popular in Europe, continues to introduce its products to the American market. Their newest push cart is the Blade IP.
This is the fourth generation of Big Max’s flatfold technology. Aptly named, because if you look at the photo you’ll see that these push carts really do fold down flat. The Blade IP folds flatter than any of Big Max’s previous versions, folding down to a slim 5 inches in height. This, coupled with the fact that it weighs less than 15 pounds, makes it easier to transport and store. Their new folding mechanism allows for the push cart to fold smaller than previous models. It takes three steps to fold it down and then again three steps to unfold it when you’re ready to play.
The Blade IP has three wheels, and adjustable straps to secure your bag so that many different bag sizes can fit on the push cart. Though its frame is efficient size, it has everything you need: There’s storage space and the ability to attach your umbrella. It’s available in five different colors, and retails for $350. –KL
Putting Stick training aid, $80.
The Putting Stick is a putting training aid that’s 46 inches long and 1 inch wide. It’s made out of cast acrylic, which means it rolls very fast. That’s important, because it makes your putting mistakes more apparent, more quickly.
There’s a small section of the stick that’s a mirror. In the center of that there’s a spot marked where you place your ball. The mirror is there so you can check and see if your eyes are over the ball. A few inches behind the ball, there’s a bumper that you can slide and secure. Put the bumper further back for longer putts and closer to the ball for shorter putts. (It’s designed to be used to practice putts around 6 feet and shorter.) Its purpose is to prevent you from making too long of a backstroke. The issue with long backstrokes is that people often compensate for them by decelerating as they through the ball. And that produces inconsistent rolls.
So, set your bumper and take your stroke. If you hit the ball square, it’ll roll straight down and off the track. If you hit it with a slightly open face, the ball will roll off to the right. It’ll roll off to the left of you shut the face at impact. Try to get your putter to follow the straight line of the Putting Stick to help you take it straight back and through.
One of the best things about this putting aid is that you don’t have to be on a putting green to use it. You can do this on your carpet in your living room just as easily as you can do it on a practice green.
This version, the Sir Nick Faldo version, retails for $80. –KL
Momentus Sports’ Bomb-It Mini, $150.
If you’ve been around golf awhile, you know the evolution of clubhead design has continued to get bigger and bigger over the years—all the way to the 460-cubic-centimeter driver heads that are sold at retail. This product is the opposite of the trend.
One of the most unusual things we saw on Tuesday at 2018 PGA Merchandise Show’s Demo Day was the latest training aid from Momentus Sports. You’ve probably seen the commercials for the company’s Swing Trainer or Weighted Driver. This is a little different.
At just 37cc, the Pro Mini is just about the size of a golf ball. Momentus founder Jim Sorensen, a member of the 1987 U.S. Walker Cup team after winning the ’86 U.S. Amateur Public Links, says his latest training aid is meant to instill proper contact. “If you can make good contact with this, you can hit the sweet spot on any club.”
The company also has a 55cc clubhead it dubs its Am Mini. We’re told the company has an innovative solution to replace bunker rakes that will be released in the next few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled for that, too. –SH
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