Shaft giant True Temper acquires Accra, graphite shaft used by U.S. Open champ

True Sports, the parent company behind shaft giant True Temper, announced Tuesday that it is acquiring Accra, the premium graphite shaft company that works exclusively with the aftermarket clubfitter business.

The acquisition includes Accra’s parent company, Premium Golf Management Co. (PGMC). Terms were not disclosed.

The announcement was part of True Sports’ unveiling of its new corporate structure, which will include divisions in hockey, baseball, lacrosse and ice skating. True Sports golf shaft division now includes the True Temper, Project X and Accra brands.

Based in Kingston, Ontario, the PGMC group and the Accra brand originally grew from the minds of founders Gawain Robertson and Dave Makarucha in 2002 in an effort to provide high-level custom components to the aftermarket community. The company maintained a clubfitter-centric focus, with a wide product array that includes lightweight iron shafts for juniors and at the same time tour-level shafts played by the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. That includes Gary Woodland during his run to the U.S. Open title this year. PGMC originally licensed the Accra brand from UST-Mamiya in 2004 before acquiring the brand and its intellectual property outright in 2007.

Important to the development of the deal with True Sports was PGMC/Accra’s management and servicing of True Temper’s aftermarket business throughout North America and Europe. That arrangement with clubfitters at all levels began in 2016. That includes large chains like Club Champion all the way down to the smallest independent clubfitters and the over 300 True Temper Performance Fitting Centers.

“PGMC does a great job of dealing with our hundreds of smaller customers that are often looking to order single pieces or maybe six pieces of six different shafts,” said Don Brown, True Sports’ senior director of innovation and marketing. “Making them formally part of True Sports just makes sense for us.”

Brown said there would be no real operational changes in the way PGMC works with the aftermarket clubfitter business, but that Accra’s shaft development process will get a boost. The Accra line already has an impressive foundation, Brown said, noting the latest Accra driver shaft models include the TZ5 and TZ6, the latter coming in four different weights at 10-gram intervals (45-75 grams).

“One thing we like about Accra is they’ve just got a very wide product depth and knowledge of the custom club fitting world,” he said. “They have iron shafts down into the 40-gram range, covering juniors and ladies right up to the tour-type product. With True Temper, we’ve obviously been very popular on tour, and we’ve got a lot of OEM support. Accra brings a lot of the product and a lot of the knowledge that goes into the clubfitting world. They have products that fit that group and they understand that group, and there’s not going to be anything that changes in how Accra operates.

“With Accra’s current R&D and their manufacturing partners, they might have to wait weeks if not months when they send in specifications for a new prototype to test. Working with my R&D group they can send the specifications and have prototypes for testing within a matter of days.”

Robertson was ecstatic about the opportunities for a company that has grown from a tiny idea in the corner of his mind to a proven commodity in the business and on tour.

“Having access to True Sports’ vast R&D capabilities, including their Center for Sports Testing and Research, will enhance the sophistication of our design and prototyping process,” he said. “Being able to take advantage of True’s global marketing, logistics and operations capabilities will strengthen the Accra product and brand.”