For the golfer who has everything else, SofTrak is a high-performance, low-maintenance brand of synthetic putting greens offered exclusively by United Turf Industries. Individuals and businesses nationwide have purchased SofTrak greens for any number of uses.
Recent installations include at active adult communities, Bed & Breakfasts, by companies on their campuses as a morale-boosting employee amenity, by high school and college golf teams, and for numerous area homeowners who want to extend their golf season, enhance the resale value of their home, and provide a convenient, high-quality practice facility for the avid golfers in the family, including budding junior golfers hoping to earn college golf scholarships.
Owners of SofTrak greens at their home include TOUR stars Fred Couples, Steve Flesch, Bruce Lietzke, Donna Andrews and T.C. Chen. Forbes F.Y.I. magazine recently stated that SofTrak “comes astonishingly close in texture to real grass.” There are 65 SofTrak dealers nationwide who are certified to design and construct SofTrak greens for residences and businesses. Costs between $5,000 and $75,000, depending on green size and shape. SofTrak Putting Greens, (800) 540-4899, www.unitedturf.com
In addition to SofTrak, United Turf Industries now offers VersaCourt. This means golfers and homeowners can have a virtual backyard entertainment center given VersaCourt’s high-performance athletic surface and flooring system. Now the family can practice putting and chipping then hop over to their VersaCourt for a game of basketball or soccer.
· Burton Golf, (800) 633-4630, www.clublok.com or www.burtongolf.com
To combat ever-growing incidences of golf equipment theft, legendary golf bag manufacturer Burton Golf introduces a revolutionary golf club and bag theft prevention system called Club-Lok. Drawing inspiration from the company’s nearly century-long pedigree of high quality and innovation in premium golf bags, Club-Lok is a complete, state-of-the-art golf club and bag theft deterrent.
Fully integrated with Burton's functional and fashionable Sherpa bag, Club-Lok is simple to use. An easy-to-operate, lever-based locking system requires only seconds to simultaneously lock all 14 clubs. A rugged, retractable steel cable allows the bag to be secured to bag-drop racks, golf carts and automobile trunks and hatches. A convenient, keyless combination lock on the bag’s upper-front side anchors the entire system. In addition to protecting up to 14 clubs and the entire bag from theft, Club-Lok’s graphite-friendly club organizing system guards against scratches and damage that occur with everyday use and transportation.
Club-Lok doesn't sacrifice style for security, as the bag’s attractive color schemes, hand-stitched embroidery and sleek, innovative design lines appeal to the most discerning consumers.
· Ben Sutton Golf School near Tampa, (800) 225-6923, www.golfschool.com
Always dreamed of getting serious about your game and getting seriously better? Winter blues setting in and sunny Tampa calling? Ben Sutton Golf Schools is your chance, thanks to the fun-yet-thorough instruction that has proven effective for tens of thousands of golfers the past 35 years. Productive days spent honing golf skills are followed with discretionary evening activity options that include dinner cruises on Tampa Bay, beach BBQs or sampling the thriving nightlife of the area. Recognized as the longest-running and only true destination golf school in America, golfers from around the world – including heads of states, royalty, dignitaries, professional athletes, Tour players, movie, music and TV stars, politicians, corporate executives and entrepreneurs – have learned under the school’s real conditions.
Male and female students of all ages and abilities “learn golf where they play golf” at the school’s own 50-acre, nine-hole, configure-as-you-like-it golf course set up for optimal learning. Support instruction areas include a Short Game Center and 12,000-square-foot putting and chipping green. Three-, five- and seven-day trips offered year-round.
Lija by Linda Hipp, (604) 270-6060, www.lijastyle.com
The latest offering from Vancouver, Canada-based designer Linda Hipp, Lija (pronounced lee-zha) is golf’s most fashion-forward, upscale women’s apparel line. For the past seven years, Hipp has designed uniquely universal wear made for all aspects of an active woman’s lifestyle, especially golf. Using the highest quality materials, Lija allows creative, independent women to look feminine and feel comfortable on- and off-course. The fastest growing brand in women’s golf, Lija’s 2005 Collection features 160 fun, attractive and trend-setting pieces found in more than 750 discerning retailers in North America, including Marshall Fields and Nordstrom.
· ECCO Golf Shoes, (800) 886-3226, www.buyecco.com
A division of the worldwide footwear giant long-renowned for its street and casual shoes that are found in better department stores, ECCO is the fastest-growing name in the high-end men's and women's golf shoe markets. The brand combines ultra-style and cutting-edge technology to provide the most comfortable golf shoes ever. ECCO is endorsed by PGA Tour star Aaron Baddeley, Thomas Bjorn and U.S. Women's Open champion Hilary Lunke. The shoes are also worn by more than 60 LPGA Tour players and have been praised by product reviewers in Golf Digest, GOLF, T&L Golf, LINKS, Esquire and Golf for Women magazines.
· Graphite Design International Golf-Club Shafts, (888) 707-6132, www.gdintl.com
Graphite Design's popular, high-performance, graphite and multi-material golf club shafts are widely used on the PGA TOUR and have been in the golf clubs of 30 Tour winners worldwide in 2004, including the Masters and PGA Championship victors. GDI shafts achieve optimal distance and accuracy for players of all skill levels.
