It seems that everyday there are reports from golf equipment manufacturers about layoffs and losses, bankruptcies, lower than expected earnings and executive resignations. Companies blame their problems on everything from the Asian economic crisis to El Niño and last summer’s heat wave.

While most companies are trying to become lean and mean, two former leaders in the golf industry have gone retro. MacGregor has refocused on its history of producing high quality irons for better golfers and brought the MT irons back, while Wilson Golf is focusing on "game-improvement technology" and is bringing back its Dyna-Powered Wedges.

MacGregor Refocuses

MacGregor has been in transition the past few years, getting out of the mass merchandisers such as KMart and refocusing its target market to the better golfer. The company hired a marketing firm in Raleigh to research the golf market and determine the strengths of the MacGregor name. The company has refocused its club development and marketing around the business plan.

The company has redirected its products to the low handicapper. The different lines include its Tourney PMB irons, a forged chrome blade club for scratch golfers. Destined to be its most popular club designed for the low handicapper is the Forged PCB Irons. The club has a Progressive Cavity Back (PCB) design with slightly larger head sizes and wider soles creating greater forgiveness than traditional blade and more playability. The progressive cavity design is shallower in short irons for maximum workability, deeper in longer irons for maximum forgiveness. The wide sole lowers the center of gravity and helps the ball get higher lift. This offers the golfer a club with special feel and control of forged irons, yet the game improvement advantages of conventional cast perimeter-weighted clubs.

MacGregor will go retro with its Tourney MT irons, made famous during their heydays. The styling of the MT line has changed and will mirror the look of the forged PCB model, but is an investment cast club. The irons are targeted towards middle handicappers and have a suggested list price of $499.

The company launched its biggest advertising campaign in history. The campaign has already started and will appear on television and in print. In its goal to market to the best players, it has signed Jose M. Olazabal, Darren Clarke and Robert Allenby to play its clubs. These players will be participating on the World PGA Tour and the four majors.

Wilson Golf is fat and happy. Wilson is enjoying its finest year in many years. Since Jim Baugh took over as president of Wilson Sporting Goods two years ago, Wilson Golf has enjoyed a resurgence that has surprised many in the industry. Wilson focused its emphasis on "game-improvement technology," and since the introduction of Wilson Fat Shaft Irons and Staff Titanium golf balls the golf division has enjoyed excellent growth and will be profitable for the first time in many years.

Baugh’s changes at Wilson Golf have produced profound effects much sooner than expected. He took over as president of Wilson Sporting Goods two years ago after heading Wilson’s Racquet Sports Division from 1986 to 1996. Under his watch, the company’s market share in performance tennis racquets soared from 15 percent to almost 50 percent today.

Baugh changed the product lines in golf by concentrating on "game improvement" products for average golfers—most notably Fat Shaft Irons and Staff Titanium golf balls. Wilson is also changing its distribution policy by making a strong commitment to grass roots marketing (i.e. an aggressive demo day program and custom fitting system) and has taken a firm stand with a new strict distribution policy, closing more gray market accounts.

The Fat Shaft Irons were introduced 18 months ago, and have certainly gained acceptance among golfers. The Fat Shaft features a .500 inch tip diameter (the tip is the end of the shaft that fits into the hosel of the clubhead) versus conventional tips that have a diameter of .370 inches. The fatter shaft provides greater torsional stability and directional accuracy, reducing clubhead twisting and subsequent mis-hits. Wilson reported that sales of Fat Shaft Irons are running at 200 percent above last year’s figures, and if that trend continues, Wilson will once again be a major player in overall market share by the year 2000.

Wilson’s tour players fared well last year, with Vijay Singh winning the PGA Championship. After switching to Fat Shaft Irons, John Huston enjoyed his finest season last year and led the tour in the All-Around statistics. Huston, who has credited his iron play for his resurgence, posted the third lowest cumulative score in the four Majors last year behind Mark O’Meara and Tiger Woods.

Wilson has introduced a new line of wedges designed by Bob Mendralla, recognized as one of the premier club designers. Over the years he has made clubs for Sarazen, Hogan, Snead and Palmer. The Fat Shaft Dyna-Powered Wedges feature forged carbon steel heads to provide the ultimate in feel. The three models are a 52° gap, 56° and 60° lob. The new wedges appeared in golf shops last fall along with aluminum bronze models for a softer feel. The wedges have a suggested retail price of $119.99.