Hot List Summit: Editor's Essay: Bomb & Gouge: Golf Digest

Hot List Summit: Editor's Essay

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 Comments

Day one with our retailer panel was barely a few minutes old when an answer
came that woke me up faster than the cup of Starbucks coffee I had perched
on the table. The response was to the first question posed - a seemingly
innocuous query that brought a sledgehammer of a response: What do your
consumers want?

Instead of coming back with expected statements such as “good customer
service,” or “hybrids to replace the long irons,” our panel of six retailers
came back with answers that showed not only why the facilities they
represent have earned Golf World’s 100 Best Golf Shops honors more than 60
times, but why we want them on our panel to start with.

They spoke of how the bad economy resulted in a narrowing of vendors that
was of interest to the consumer - and therefore, of interest to them.

In short, they said, golfers were less likely to take a flier on a brand
they were unfamiliar with, which in turn resulted in them relying more on
their vendors with star-power name recognition, leaving niche companies to
fight for the scraps.

“There’s just more comfort in strong brands right now,” said one retailer.

One of the complaints regularly heard about the Hot List is that it tends to
be dominated by the large equipment companies. My counter to that has always
been that big equipment companies are usually big for a reason: they tend to
spend more on research and development and more on quality materials and
manufacturing, thus usually (but not always) leading to pretty good
products. Still, our retailers’ revelation didn’t sit well.

That’s because one of the joys of being a Hot List judge is finding the
hidden gem - the hybrid no one has heard of that has gouges balls out of the
rough like the old Stan Thompson Ginty. The wedge that raises the eyebrows
of your playing partner because it has a name stamped on it he doesn’t
recognize, then raises his eyebrows further when you’re showing you can
scoop marbles out of the Sahara with it. Or the no-name putter that has your
opponent snickering that you wasted your money - until you hole enough putts
with it to win the match and get in his pocket in the process.

The golf equipment landscape may have narrowed for those purchasing bats and
balls and perhaps even for the retailers who sell them. But not for the Hot
List. We’ll continue to search for products we feel are significant in their
category and, more importantly, will help you play better golf.

Thankfully, our retailer panel was in agreement with that. We asked a
follow-up question: “Should we not consider niche companies?” The reply came
as a relief.

“I don’t think it’s a mistake to have small brands on the list,” one
retailer said. “I think it may be a mistake not to.” Several heads nodded in
agreement.

Sure, the days of an Ely Callaway coming along with his hickory-stick clubs
and turning it into an empire likely will never happen again. But the niche
company still has its place in the game. Products from those companies may
or may not make this year’s Hot List. But they’ll get the same chance to be
included as everyone else.

Whether the consumers want them right now or not.

<strike>-- E. Michael Johnson</strike>