Honor, Service, Country - Celebrate Patriot Golf Day

Desane Blaney, AGM Executive Director

The Labor Day weekend has traditionally signified the last hurrah to summer until Major Dan Rooney, PGA Professional and F-16 military pilot with the Oklahoma Air National Guard, founded the Folds of Honor Foundation. Through his vision, Patriot Golf Day has become the "flagship fundraiser for the foundation that provides post-secondary educational scholarships for the children and spouses of military men and women disabled or killed while serving our great nation."

Over the past three years, golf professionals and golf facilities in the U.S. have helped to raise over $5.3 million. While the amount is impressive, we can do a lot better as an industry to encourage facilities (both on and off-course) to participate in this tremendous undertaking. Last year 4,400 facilities signed up to participate, yet data from the National Golf Foundation indicates there are 15,979 on-course golf facilities, so there's plenty of opportunity for more participation.

David Butts of the Folds of Honor Foundation stated that "although Labor Day weekend is the official fundraising vehicle, facilities may plan an event at any time of the year in any manner of their choosing - tournaments, raffles and outright donations." Now is the right time to plan an event for this worthwhile cause.

In this issue of the AGM e-Tailer:

• PGA Fall Expo: New Venue, New Look, New Energy
• Overview of Gear and Clothing from Las Vegas Fashion Week by Jean Palmieri and David Lipke
• Time to Enter: Golf World's 100 Best Golf Shops and AGM Front Nine Awards
• Making a Difference - One Donation at a Time by Donna Norris
• Golf Datatech Report by Suzie Phillips
• National Rounds Played Report and Key City Specifics
• New Members
• Member News

Click here to view this month's AGM Photo Gallery

The 2010 PGA Fall Expo
New Venue, New Look, New Energy

Location, location, location! The move to The Venetian Hotel proved to be a well-calculated strategy for the recent PGA Fall Expo. The consensus of opinion about the show from both vendors and buyers was overwhelmingly positive. The co-location of the event with other top tier shows like MODA™, MRket®, ACCESSORIES: The Show® and Curve presented opportunities and efficiency for the many buyers who shop multiple markets.

"It was an upscale merchandising environment with all of the valuable programming in education, product testing, employment and networking that our industry has come to expect at PGA Golf Shows," stated Ed Several, Group VP for PGA Golf Exhibitions. "We were extremely pleased with the traffic and upbeat mood of the show."

The AGM Education Team kicked off the Monday late afternoon offerings with three well-presented and timely topics to a standing room only audience of over 250. "There was a lot of energy in that room," commented Ken Morton, Jr., AGM President. "The size of the crowd rivaled our educational offerings at our Annual Retail Conference in Orlando."

Sincere thanks to Ed Several and PGA Golf Exhibitions for sponsoring the educational presentations and networking reception on Monday evening for our members and guests.

Seen & Heard on the Show Floor:

• Patrick Casey, PGA Director of Golf, Brentwood CC, Los Angeles - The show was excellent this year. It seemed as if there were more people and more customer/vendor engagement at the booths. Unlike past PGA Fall Expo's, I saw more people writing orders at the booths and more attending the educational events. I attended all the other buying shows that week and they seemed slower than what I observed last year.
• Susan Casagranda, Director of Retail, Torrey Pines GC, San Diego - I was very impressed with the show; it was well-managed with the set-up being most convenient for buyers while still providing a friendly, comfortable environment. The traffic was impressive and there appeared to be more vendors. The central placement of the educational events was a plus, as was the hitting bay set-up. I accomplished all I set out to do!
• Barbara Drews, Buyer/Merchandiser, The Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades - Location - great! Being at the same venue as the other shows was convenient and there were a good variety of vendors.
• Olivia Huseby, Merchandiser, Toscana CC, Indian Wells - The venue was perfect! The entire look of the show had a great facelift and it was infinitely easier to navigate because more of the booths were uniform. More vendor participation enabled me to see many lines. Also, by extending admission to attendees of the other Venetian shows really enhanced the overall traffic and opened up potential new customers for the vendors. The show was a great leap in the right direction; I'll be returning and telling my colleagues about the experience.
• Jackie Jacquemoud, Director of Retail, Callaway Golf Center/Las Vegas Golf & Tennis- There was a much more positive air to the show overall. I was happy to see the presence of the usual brands and buyers that always support the show and the proliferation of new ones, too. But, I was also dismayed, as I have been in the past, to learn that some vendors chose to again showcase their products in suites and/or locations off the show floor. We need to discourage attendees from seeing these lines in that way because it disrespects the vendors who have chosen to support the show. I know I am a broken record on this topic, but I have heard the same sentiment from other buyers and vendors who really want this show to survive and grow.
• TK Matthews, Director of Golf, Country Side Golf and CC, Naples - Being from Florida, it is impossible for me to attend the PGA Show in Orlando because it is during my busy season and the timing is not right for us to place orders. The PGA Fall Expo is a great opportunity for me to meet with vendors and do some ordering without feeling rushed due to the crowd. Having Fashion Week and the opportunity to attend AGM and PGA education sessions are an added bonus. I look forward to attending next year.
• Susan Ogata, Merchandising Manager, Ko Olina GC, Kapolei - The traffic on the floor was robust and there was positive energy from both the vendors and buyers. The new venue surely helped with the floor traffic and the location was so convenient to the other shows. We saw more apparel vendors participating and hope more will participate in future shows. The free educational conference was a plus.
• Andy Bell, Fairway & Greene & Zero Restriction - We were very pleased with our experience. The Venetian was a terrific venue and the timing to coincide with the other key shows was perfect. Not only were we able to work productively with many of our key customers, but we also found steady traffic that created opportunities to meet new ones. We'll be back next year.
• John Bond, Pukka Headwear - The PGA is certainly working very hard to make this show more relevant and it still has a ways to go to become a "national" show being that the majority of the attendees are from the western states. Per the larger picture, it would be smart to position this show as the apparel show of substance and Orlando the equipment show of substance. I acknowledge that would be very difficult to pull off given that vendor and attendee budgets can really only handle one major trade show.
• Anne Broholm, Cutter and Buck - The PGA Fall Expo provided a great venue to connect with current customers and drive new relationships. This year's format put the show at the right place and the right time as evidenced by the increased traffic and buzz surrounding the show. We were able to meet not only with PGA Professionals and buyers, but with attendees of MRKET, as well. In addition to the Cutter & Buck men's, women's and Annika lines for Spring 2011, we were also thrilled to feature our specialty retail line at this year's show which added a new dimension to what customers experienced from Cutter & Buck.
• Jeffrey Cohen, Fila North America - The traffic was good as was the reception to the Fila brand. We were proud to be part of this event.
• Bob Eisinger, Eisinger-Smith - Positive comments on the show - location and traffic. The buyers were cautious, but still curious as to what was new for this season. Most seemed to have a particular mission - like finding a gift for a member-guest or similar event. Others were interested in a change for their accessories assortment with the hope for better sales with something new or unique for the customers.
• Mike Elliott, Greg Norman Collection - The show proved to be a success for the Greg Norman Collection. Customer traffic was visibly up over last year and more than we could handle on the first day. With the enhancements to the 2011 show being discussed, I am optimistic the show will continue to grow in both attendance and importance as long as the show dates continue to mirror those of the other major shows and remain early to mid-August.
• Howie Ellis, Sun Ice- The venue was much improved and the show was very good for us. The ability for non-traditional golf buyers to shop our show, through the coordinated registration efforts, helped us to open several new accounts that would otherwise not have been possible. It was very apparent that Reed worked extremely hard to put on a good show. The Freeman team members were excellent in working with the vendors on the turnkey booth set-ups.
• Jamie Handler, Nivo Sports- Upbeat and well-attended. More than ever before there was a willingness of the buyers to shake up their assortments with new vendors and categories. Design, fabric and technical features were of most interest and not the standard of season's past - "what discounts are you offering or will you take back what we don't sell?" We'll be back next year.
• Mark Killeen, Pima Direct - The synergy of aligning the PGA Show with the other apparel shows was a big success. I believe the timing of the shows and the launching of the Spring apparel season, the August PGA Show should be the major apparel show of the year. Unlike past shows, this year we worked with a list of buyers crossing the globe including the Middle East, Scotland, Oceania, Mexico and the Caribbean, in addition to US accounts from over 16 states - testament that this is no longer a regional show. Orders in house on day one were DOUBLE the total show last year - the attendees were buyers NOT lookers. I was, however, disappointed to see that the Monday night AGM presentation was across the Hall. I believe the AGM is offering the PGA a huge service in the quantity and quality of the educational seminars. I would like to see all of those seminars taking place on the show floor. As for Monday night, the AGM presentation should serve as the kickoff of the apparel show on the main stage. At the conclusion, the buyers should be permitted to shop the vendor booths from 7 to 10 p.m. with food and beverages being available. This effort would be extremely well-received and successful.
• Todd Martin, Peter Millar - The 2010 PGA Fall Expo was a great experience for Peter Millar. We were able to see many of our Western accounts and surprisingly, quite a few from back East. While the show continues to search for its footing in the market and on the calendar, we were quite pleased with the results. Ed Several and his team are doing a first class job to make the event turnkey for the exhibitors and attendees alike.
• Don Nichols, Second Skin - We were a first time exhibitor and I have nothing but great things to say. The apparel showroom concept offered by the show proved to be a very economical way to exhibit.
• Jane Spicer, Daphne's Headcovers - Buyers were there to buy - traffic was up and so were sales! Upbeat and optimistic - Reed should be applauded for the efforts they made to turn this show around as they did.
• Sharon Sunoo, Birdy & Grace - On all fronts the PGA Fall Expo was excellent for us. There were more buyers and those buyers were there to write business.

Overview: Key Trends of Gear & Clothing from Las Vegas Fashion Week

by Jean Palmieri and David Lipke

Colorful khaki's, skinny-fit jeans, military influences and a whiff of Baja surf vibes permeated the men's collections at the Las Vegas Spring Trade shows. Observations and key trends from the various shows include:

PGA: Green grass pro shops haven't been immune from the recessionary climate. Thousands of golf professionals showed up in Vegas to shop 200 brands of hard and soft goods at the PGA Fall Expo and attend educational seminars to help them figure out the best products and strategies to boost sales. The overflow crowd at the opening day session on the State of Golf Retail by the Association of Golf Merchandisers hear that sales of soft goods is the biggest challenge for most stores.
Key Trends: Technical fabrics still dominate, but fashion has found its way into the golf market. From argyle sweaters and bouncy skirts to polo shirts that change color in the heat. The industry has embraced innovation for Spring.

MRKT: Guarded optimism prevailed among retailers and manufacturers at The Venetian.
Key Trends: Woven shirts with contrasting patterns, hybrid coats, de-constructed sport coats and colorful outerwear were among the top-selling items. Although suits were available, most vendors focused on dress-down casual wear.

MAGIC: Oscar Feldenkreis, Perry Ellis International Inc.'s President and CEO, said "the show was "excellent" and singled out men's wear as a stronger performer than other categories. "Retailers are looking for inventory," he noted. "We don't think the economy is as bad as people think."
Key Trends: Military influences appeared on outerwear and cargo shorts and plaid wovens remained a key item in many collections. Non-denim bottoms like khaki and corduroy added newness to denim lines and brands played with details on polo shirts - a staple of spring lines. Fedora hats were attention-grabbers for buyers seeking novelty.

Project: Despite uncertainty, vendors said retailers were ready to add more merchandise after a period of lean inventories while still being cautious about taking too much risk with untested brands.
Key Trends: Skinny jeans remained the key fit in denim with variations on the style plentiful, such as looser fits toward the top, tapering to a skinny fit on the lower leg. Colored khakis and twill bottoms were abundant, as were nylon outerwear, de-constructed blazers and activewear influences.

Pool: Most of the brands are new to the market and their enthusiasm was refreshingly unrestrained.
Key Trends: Graphic t-shirts continue to dominate, but some of the labels made the move into woven shirts, jumping on the plaid and chambray bandwagon.

Jean Palmieri and David Lipke are Senior Editor's for Men's at WWD and shared this information for AGM members.

Time to Enter: Golf World's 100 Best & AGM Front Nine

We've worked diligently with Golf World Magazine to further streamline the entry process for the 100 Best Golf Shops and the AGM Front Nine Awards. The re-designed form will serve as the single entry for those members who wish to enter 100 Best and Front Nine Awards.

"We take great pride in our important partnership with the AGM," said Geoff Russell, editor-in-chief of Golf World Magazine. "Their members are some of the most recognizable and creative retailers in golf."

All entries must be sent directly to AGM Headquarters where they will be evaluated by a panel of judges. The final selection of the winners for the 100 Best Golf Shops will be determined by Golf World. Entries must be postmarked by October 15, 2010 to be considered.

"We are excited to continue our partnership with Golf World Magazine and encourage more members to participate," stated Ken Morton, Jr., AGM President. "One of the most important outcomes of this initiative is the ability to disseminate ideas from all of the fine entries received among our members."

Entries were sent to members last week via e-mail and direct mail. Kindly contact our office at info@agmgolf.org if you have any questions concerning the entry, the process or the judging.

Making a Difference - One Donation at a Time

By Donna Norris

No time like the present to pay tribute to the courageous men and women who have been disabled as a result of their service or who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Garnering donations in a fragile economy can be quite challenging. Therefore, we decided to "reward" our members and guests for giving to the Folds of Honor Foundation during the annual Patriot Golf Day weekend.

We purchased five dozen assorted Patriot Golf Day hats from AHEAD to use for part of the promotion which earned a $150 donation from the company to the foundation. We added several styles of logoed shirts being offered at close-out from ADIDAS to round out our offerings.

Awareness was key in making our event successful and we set up a patriotic display in our clubhouse lobby to make our members aware of the Folds of Honor Foundation and its mission. Our two-day event concentrated on raising funds for this important cause. For a donation of $50, our member or guest received a free ADIDAS shirt of their choice. We had 31 individuals sign up which garnered $1,550. Our Saturday outing featured a Stableford event at $35 per player which included a complimentary Patriot Golf Day hat and a chance to win Golf Shop credit for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place finishes. We had 73 golfers participate (we ran out of hats and had to substitute) and raised $2,555. Additionally, the golf shop collected $125 in donations from members who did not participate in the events, but felt strongly about the cause.

After expenses, we made a $3,000 donation to the foundation using our American Express card which was matched by AMEX; a participating sponsor of the initiative.

Rounding out the weekend, we also donated over 400 shirts to the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Decatur, GA that were collected during our annual "shirt trade-in event." These gently used shirts were given to veterans who are provided services by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Donna Norris is the Merchandise Manager at the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta and a 2009 AGM Front Nine Award recipient.

Golf Datatech Report

by Suzie Phillips

Total Units & Dollars
On & Off Course Shops Combined
Total Year to Date through June
2010 Compared to 2009

Product	Total Units	Total Dollars	Average Price
GOLF BALLS	(000's Doz.)	(000)'s Omitted	Per Dozen
2009	8249.04	$229,289	$27.80
2010	8154.24	$222,997	$27.35
Percentage Change	-1.1%	-2.7%	-1.6%
WOODS	(000's Units)	(000)'s Omitted	Per Club
2009	2245.62	$378,245	$168.44
2010	2152.67	$346,253	$160.85
Percentage Change	-4.1%	-8.5	-4.5%
IRONS	(000's Units)	(000)'s Omitted	Per Club
2009	3758.33	$260,842	$69.40
2010	3689.77	$259,278	$70.27
Percentage Change	-1.8%	-0.6%	1.2%
PUTTERS	(000's Units)	(000)'s Omitted	Per Putter
2009	569.68	$78,746	$138.23
2010	547.32	$74,179	$135.53
Percentage Change	-3.9%	-5.8%	-2.0%
WEDGES	(000's Units)	(000)'s Omitted	Per Wedge
2009	517.44	$48,476	$93.68
2010	579.81	$56,471	$97.40
Percentage Change	12.1%	16.5%	4.0%
GOLF SHOES	(000's Units)	(000)'s Omitted	Per Pair
2009	1583.00	$134,647	$85.06
2010	1616.59	$136,912	$84.69
Percentage Change	2.1%	1.7%	-0.4%
GLOVES	(000's Doz.)	(000)'s Omitted	Per Glove
2009	483.67	$72,893	$12.56
2010	487.89	$73,600	$12.57
Percentage Change	0.9%	1.0%	0.1%
GOLF BAGS	(000's Units)	(000)'s Omitted	Per Bag
2009	589.45	$73,740	$125.10
2010	575.28	$74,117	$128.84
Percentage Change	-2.4%	0.5%	3.0%

For more detailed reports covering retail sales for golf products including apparel, contact Golf Datatech, sphillips@golfdatatech.com or call 888-944-4116.

National Rounds Played Report & Key City Specifics

Rounds were down 2.1% for the month of June 2010 and down 2.7% year-to-date. The percentages represent the differences in the number of rounds played comparing June 2010 to June 2009 as reported by 3,800 participants.

Percentage Change in Rounds Played Volume

Regions of the Country	June 2010	Year-to-Date
U.S.	-2.1%	-2.7%
Public	-2.0%	-2.3%
Private	-2.4%	-4.3%
Pacific	-5.2%	-4.5%
Mountain	-1.0%	-3.2%
West North Central	-7.3%	-1.8%
East North Central	-3.5%	-0.2%
South Central	-4.6%	-8.0%
South Atlantic	-2.2%	-5.1%
Mid-Atlantic	6.2%	5.7%
New England	9.9%	10.0%

Key City Specifics

Key City Specifics	June 2010	Year-to-Date
Los Angeles	-3.8%	-4.3%
Honolulu & Other Hawaiian Cities	-0.1%	-11.2%
Phoenix	-8.3%	0.5%
Denver	-1.5%	-13.3%
Minneapolis/St. Paul	-6.2%	2.3%
Kansas City	-2.4%	-3.0%
Chicago	-5.5%	3.4%
Detroit	4.6%	2.4%
Cleveland	-2.4%	-2.8%
Birmingham	-11.3%	-11.0%
Houston	-9.5%	-13.4%
Washington/Baltimore	5.7%	4.8%
Orlando	-9.3%	-8.4%
Naples/Ft. Myers	-0.3%	-6.1%
Atlanta	-6.9%	-8.1%
Hilton Head	10.0%	-5.6%
Philadelphia	6.7%	6.4%
Boston	11.2%	7.8%
Las Vegas	-12.0%	-6.1%

The National Rounds Played Report and Key City Specifics are a joint effort of Golf Datatech, National Golf Foundation, PGA of America and the National Golf Course Owners Association.

New AGM Vendor Partner Members

The following golf companies joined the AGM during this past month. Please support these new members as well as the many other AGM Vendor Partners. Click here or go to the Vendor Partners page to view all of the fine offers and services available for AGM members.

Cormark Professional Golf Displays

Nancy Persinger, Director, Retail Products Group

Cormark Professional Golf Displays can design a golf merchandising area suited to the retailer's specific product offering and store layout. Retailer's can also mix and match our merchandising components to create their own custom golf display. Components include: wood, iron and combo spines, freestanding club holders, product platforms, slatwall displays and graphic holders.

For additional information, visit their website at www.progolfdisplays.com or contact Nancy at 847-954-3111.

Second Skin

Donald Nichols, VP of Sales and Marketing

Hollas: Functional Fit, Performance Fashion. Hollas offers the perfect blend of fashion and function while staying true to the heritage of the game. Owned by Second Skin in Canada, Hollas is one of Canada's leading men's wear lines. Second Skin: A true value proposition offering the pro shop all of their mid and outer wear needs. We have been in the Canadian market for over 15 years and can be found in most of Canada's finest golf shops. Recently voted Canadian golf company of the year by Score golf magazine.

For additional information, visit their website at www.secondskin.ca or contact Don Nichols at 905-265-0707.

New AGM Merchandiser Members

Please welcome the following merchandisers who joined the professional ranks of the AGM this past month. For contact information on all of the AGM members, please visit the Members Only pages at www.agmgolf.org.

Bobby Berry

Golf Retail Supervisor, Desert Mountain/Chiricahua Golf Shop - Scottsdale, AZ

Michael Braidwood

Operations Director, Braemar Golf Dev., St. Andrews - St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland

Kiersten Cole

Merchandiser, The Mirabel Club - Scottsdale, AZ

Tara James

Golf Retail Supervisor, Desert Mountain/Apache Golf Shop - Scottsdale, AZ

Phil Jones

Director of Golf, The Royal Golf Club - Riffa, Kingdom of Bahrain

Wes Martin

Buyer, Palmetto Dunes Resort - Hilton Head Island, SC

Sarah Mason

Merchandise Coordinator, TPC San Antonio - San Antonio, TX

Charles Powell, Ph.D.

Dean, National University Golf Academy - Carlsbad, CA

Peter Summers

PGA Director of Golf, Citrus Hills Golf & CC - Hernando, FL

DeAnne VanHaaren

Golf Retail Supervisor, Desert Mountain/Renegade Golf Shop - Scottsdale, AZ

Jean Marie Worob

Buyer/Shop Manager, Ferncroft Country Club - Middleton, MA

Lisa Zdunek

Golf Shop Manager, Trenton Country Club - Ewing, NJ

Member News!

• Scott Lien - PGA member has accepted a new position as the Head Golf Professional at Stone Mountain GC in Stone Mountain, GA where in he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations at the facility to include the buying for the pro shop. He held a similar position at Royal St. Kitts GC in the Bahamas.
• Debbie Phillips - has moved from Trump National Golf Club - Washington, D.C. to work with AGM member Buddy Christensen at Golfdom, an off-course specialty store, in McLean, VA.

The AGM eTailer is published monthly for the members of the Association of Golf Merchandisers. To submit news, articles and information for an upcoming edition of the eTailer - please contact us at (602) 604-8250 or click here.

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