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TaylorMade RBZ brand adds bags, accessories

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 Comments

RBZ Stand Bag.jpg

TaylorMade Golf's RocketBallz (or RBZ) brand already enjoys a measure of prominence on which the company expects to build with golf bags and accessories bearing the name and logo, and, of course,its green, black and white color scheme.

Among the products it is introducing are two lightweight bags -- the RBZ Stand (shown above) and the RBZ Cart (prices $170 and $180, respectively). The Stand bag weighs in at 4.9 pounds, while the Cart bag is 5.2 pounds.

The Stand bag features five dividers and six pockets, including a velour-lined valuables pocket and an insulated beverage sleeve pocket, and a cart-compatible base. The Cart bag has a 14-way divider top as well as an integrated putter tube. It has eight pockets, including two velour-lined valuables pockets.

Three RBZ headwear designs, men's and women's gloves, umbrellas and towels are also being introduced.

The company also is introducing its Pure-Lite 3.0 bag ($180), successor to its popular Pure-Lite 2.0 bag and featuring upgraded materials and hardware. It weighs 5.1 pounds and comes in eight colorways.

-- John Strege
Follow me on Twitter @JohnStrege

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Stand bags part of Burton Golf comeback

Monday, January 9, 2012 Comments

Burton Player.jpg

The latest chapter in Burton Golf's long and varied history is being written by Dynamic Brands, the Richmond, Va., company that owns BagBoy.

Burton was founded in 1907 and was renowned for the quality of its golf bags. In 2006, Forefront Holdings acquired Burton. ForeFront was part of the Stanford Financial Group, which in 2009 was seized by U.S. authorities and charged with fraud, effectively shutting down Burton. (Allen Stanford, who controlled the company, is awaiting trial on charges that his company had been operating a massive Ponzi scheme.)

"In essence, we ended up buying it, restarting the brand," said Craig Ramsbottom, president of Dynamic Brands Golf Division. "ForeFront had gotten away from that rich, traditional high-quality product. We wanted to get back to that high-quality product with a high-end look."

Among Burton's newest offerings are two stand bags, the Pro and the Player. The Pro is a hybrid carry/cart bag, "more of a 'I want a stand bag, but I never walk,' bag," Ramsbottom said. "So it's a little bigger [5.5 pounds], hybrid type of bag." The Player (shown above) is a lightweight (4.5 pounds) bag for the player who walks and carries his bag.

The Pro, available in five colors, has a suggested retail price of $219.95. The price of the Player, available in six colors, is $189.95.

-- John Strege

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Sun Mountain's newest lightweight golf bag

Thursday, September 29, 2011 Comments

The first thing anyone probably wants to know about a new golf bag marketed as superlight is its weight. In the case of Sun Mountain's new KG:2 stand bag it isn't readily apparent without a decoder. Kidding, of course. But we had to ask. The answer: It's right there in the name, KG:2, or two kilograms (4.4 pounds).

Sun Mountain KG2.jpg

That doesn't make it as light as Sun Mountain's Superlight 3.5 (3.5 pounds), but it does come with more pockets (eight, including one specifically for your cell phone) and hand-holds (three on the top of the bag and a lift-assist pocket panel on the bottom).

It also features Sun Mountain's E-Z Fit Dual Strap System, Roller Bottom leg mechanism and high-tensile aluminum legs. It is available in eight colors.

The bag will be available in November at $199.

-- John Strege

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Golf bags fit for kings...or at least presidents

Thursday, June 30, 2011 Comments

After a decade with Nike Golf, Mike McKennon started his own company, McKennon Golf Bag Company, making leather golf bags in his basement. Now he's making them for presidents.

"We had set out to make something very presidential, but not too gaudy," he said in keeping with the company philsophy. "It's a simple navy blue bag with white accents. We've got the presidential seal on the headovers and bottom. And, subtly, on the side we put Golf Bag One."

McKennon said he was able to get it in President Obama's hands, though he would not disclose how he did so.

He has made one for Davis Love III, the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain, who used it in the Par 3 Contest at the Masters this year. "I made him a North Carolina bag," McKennon said. "Lucas Glover saw it and called and wanted a Clemson one."

McKennon's philsophy evolved from the statement at the top of his website home page: "As we developed the McKennon Player's Bag we considered every single feature of the modern golf bag. We didn't use a damn one of them."

"The whole premise of our company," he said, "is simplicity and intuitive golf bags. We don't have to have 13 zippers. You know where things are. We don't clutter it up."

The Player's Bag is handcrafted from aniline leather, sells for $799 and comes with either one or two zippered pockets.

In addition, McKennon purchased Jones Sporting Goods, maker of the Jones Bag that was so popular 30 and 40 years ago. "This is the only bag in golf where you can look at it and go, 'I remember that.' I carried a Jones bag until I was probably 25. It's cool to see it come back to life."

McKennon no longer works from his basement. He now has a 3,200-square foot shop and recently hired a fifth employee. "We're trying to turn everything upside down," he said. "We're going to go head-to-head with the bigger companies."

-- John Strege

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The MacKenzie Walker and 'Golf in the Kingdom'

Wednesday, June 1, 2011 Comments

The MacKenzie Walker golf bag isn't new; the MacKenzie Golf Bag Company has been handcrafting them from leather for 25 years. What is new is that the MacKenzie Walker will appear in the film, "Golf in the Kingdom," that was adapted from Michael Murphy's renowned novel of the same name. The film is scheduled to be released in August.

One day, Todd Rohrer, president of the company, received a call from the movie's producer, Mindy Affrime, who said that she was told that the MacKenzie Walker should be the bag used in the film. So Rohrer traveled to Los Angeles and brought with him an old battered black MacKenzie Walker. "That's the perfect bag," Affrime told him the moment she saw it.

Golf in the Kingdom.jpg

(From the film "Golf in the Kingdom")

The company made six MacKenzie Walkers for the film, all of which will be auctioned once the movie debuts, with the proceeds to go to a variety of children's charities, Rohrer said.

"Michael Murphy [the character in the movie, played by Mason Gamble] carries one, Balie MacIver [Jim Turner] carries one and Shivas Irons [David O'Hara] carries one that looks like he's had it forever," Rohrer said.

MacKenzie Walker.jpg

(The MacKenzie Walker)

The bags are expensive -- $735 for the MacKenzie Walker and $675 for the Sunday MacKenzie Walker -- yet the company that was founded by Peter Jacobsen continues to receive orders from all over the world, even in a difficult economy.

"It's heartening to know that the soul of the game still exists," Rohrer said. "We're awfully flattered, not only to be a part of the film, but to have a place in golf."

-- John Strege

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