Thousands have officially descended on the Orange County Convention Center. Buyers, Sellers, Exhibitors, PGA Professionals, Course Owners, Industry Professionals and Media to cover what’s coming out for 2019.
The first day coverage of the PGA Show involved a lot of appointments mostly with apparel companies and a couple of impromptu meetings. When it comes to apparel there are a lot of good things happening as far as technology is concerned. The first company that I need to talk about is CHASE 54. The brand has seen a little bit of change as it continues it’s progress in designing top of the line apparel. Their Men’s and Women’s apparel lines see fresh innovations. Contributor Crystal Toth really liked the mesh panels that have been incorporated into their range providing ventilation and breathability. For men’s wear I have to comment on a new fabric for the pants. It’s water-repellent and stain-free. In a demonstration by Marketing Coordinator Keely Pemberton she dropped water onto the fabric. It beaded up and just slid around with the movements. They’ve always been a leader in fabric technology in the golf industry and that trend continues.
Ralph Lauren was actually the first appointment of the day. The company recently announced that Major Champion Justin Thomas recently re-signed his apparel deal. Ralph Lauren has three distinct ranges coming in 2019 with shipping dates on 6/19, 7/19 and 8/19. While all three ranges have a stunning array of color involved it’s the last shipment of the year that really jumps out. Drawing inspiration from Torrey Pines (ironically this week’s stop on the PGA TOUR) it features bright, bold and fun colours. Oranges and shades of blue that make you think you’re right there overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Of note, their line includes a model of shorts that’s called “From Links To Beach”. These shorts come with the full liner of a bathing (in the form of compression underwear) and they feature belt loops. If you wanna go for a swim after your round just take the belt off and into the blue abyss you go!
The day wasn’t just apparel. If the product that I experimented with yesterday doesn’t win Best New Product at the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show I’ll be disappointed. Stroke Of Luck. It combines card games (poker) with putting. You can play a variety of card games including 7-card stud, and Hold’em by rolling a dice which selects your spot to putt from and then you roll putts to make your hand as the opposite end of the carpet is a deck of cards scattered. Everybody that was at the booth while I was there enjoyed it and it really brought out friendly competition amongst every who played. (I played by myself and I was getting pumped up).
CBD. Golfers get ready for it. CBD is the wave of the future and it just might help you with everything from mental focus to pain relief. I talked with two companies yesterday (Medterra and Hemp Me) and this concept is something that I’m going to research and test and review further. As a matter of fact, I was given a sample of a topical lotion of Hemp Me and put it to the test after getting back to the hotel fromthe show. All that I can say at this point is this. By the time I got back to the room my back and feet were killing me. I was borderline crippled up. I applied the Hemp Me ointment to my lower back and feet and this morning I have some “pep in my step”. Stay tuned for more information on this product.
That’s just a brief wrap on some of the highlights of Day One. Stay tuned right here for more coverage from the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show.
Until The Next Tee!!
#FightAndGrind #SeeUOnTheNextTee
The Next Tee (TNT) 