I attended the 2010 Michigan Golf Show in Novi today. Some things are unchanging; salmon return upstream to spawn and I go to the golf show in March.
Typically I am on the search for great shoe deals. This year there was nothing outstanding. For a moment at Boyne Country I thought I had snagged a deal with Foot Joys at $22.50. Nope. The 50% off was from the suggested retail of $90, not the $45 tag from Boyne. Sigh.
At the Rock Bottom site they had a barrel of RAM drivers and fairway woods. Three for $30 or $15 each. At one point RAM was a respected name in golf. Tom Watson was their guy. At $10 a club one has to wonder how one can make these in China and get them here for $10. I could not bring myself to buy them. I guess I did not want to find out I hit a $10 club better than my Callaway.
The Michigan economy might be at depression levels but the attendance seemed as great as ever. I tried to remember prior exhibitors who were missing and could only recall a few. Strangely, Fox Hills had signed up for a booth (originally 2 booths) and apparently decided not to appear. I did not see American Golf there (they run the Detroit courses). Polo Fields was there giving away rounds of golf for their two courses(Polo Fields Ann Arbor and Polo Fields Washtenaw - the former Washtenaw CC). It was good to see Double J Ranch back after a near-death experience with bankruptcy a year ago. In the past there seemed to be more booths for Carribean venues and places like Mississippi. Not this year.
My big purchase? 5 pairs of Foot Joy socks (made in the USA or so the tag read) for $10. Socks are definitely less interesting than the RAM clubs but in the long run, I probably made the right choice.