Callaway Golf Company Appoints Chip Brewer as New CEO
CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/—Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY) today announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Chip Brewer as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective March 5, 2012.  Tony Thornley, who has served as interim President and Chief Executive Officer since June 2011, will resign from his interim positions on March 5, 2012, but will continue to serve on the Board of Directors. It is expected that Mr. Brewer will be appointed to the Board of Directors once he officially joins the Company. 

The Board of Directors, led by Tony Thornley and a search committee comprised of independent directors, along with Spencer Stuart, a leading global executive search firm, conducted an extensive search that included a review of over 50 candidates including a number with golf industry experience. “After a very thorough search, we believe that we have selected the ideal candidate to lead us through the next chapter at Callaway,” commented Ronald S. Beard, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “Chip has extensive knowledge of all facets of the golf business, particularly in the sales and marketing area, and has a real passion for the game of golf.  Chip also has great relationships with customers and others in the golf industry and he has done a great job turning around and leading Adams Golf.  We believe he is the right leader to entrust with our valuable brands and the Board looks forward to working with him to restore profitability and increase shareholder value.”

“After having had the opportunity to serve as CEO during this transition period, I am certain we have selected the right candidate,” added Tony Thornley. “Chip has the right mix of leadership skills and experience to complement the Company’s two main strengths, namely its people and its leading golf club and golf ball technology. I believe that he has the insight and ability to build upon these strengths and have an immediate impact upon the Company and its recovery.”

“The Board is very grateful to Tony Thornley for his dedicated stewardship during this transition period,” continued Mr. Beard.  “Having such a strong and effective leader during the transition enabled the Board to take the necessary time to conduct a thorough search and find the right successor.”

Mr. Brewer has been with Adams Golf since 1998 and has served as its President and Chief Executive Officer since 2002.  Mr. Brewer has an undergraduate degree in economics from the College of William and Mary and has an MBA degree from Harvard University. Mr. Brewer has a low single digit handicap and is a member of the Pine Valley Golf Club. Mr. Brewer and his family will be relocating to the San Diego area.

“Having been around golf my entire life, I know Callaway and its products very well and I am very excited about joining such an iconic company and being part of its great heritage,” commented Mr. Brewer.  “There is a lot of opportunity ahead for Callaway and I look forward to working with the Board and senior management team to build upon the strength of its brands to restore profitability and increase shareholder value.”

December 6, 2011 (Cape Town, South Africa) – Golfweather.com, an online weather forecast service for golf courses and golf destinations, is now tracking up-to-the-minute weather conditions at over 16,000 golf courses throughout the U.S. The brainchild of South African entrepreneur Moshe Adir, a 14-year veteran of online start-up businesses, Golfweather.com is a golfer’s 15th club in the bag offering accurate and real-time seven-day forecasts that include temperature, wind speed and direction, comfort level and probability of rain.

“We gather raw weather data from renowned meteorological organizations and use my own forecast algorithms and weather models to provide longitude and latitude location-based forecasts for each golf club in the U.S. and around the world, which results in an incredibly accurate picture of what the weather is going to be like there on any given day,” says Adir, a three-handicap golfer.  “Our detailed forecast is broken down into three hourly segments for 5a.m., 8a.m., 11a.m., 2p.m., 5p.m. and 8p.m. to give the golfer an understanding of when best to tee off.

To get the accurate weather data, golfers simply search by golf course or location on Golfweather.com.  They can choose to see a 7 Day Detailed Forecast or a Summary, which lists conditions, daily high and low temperatures, daily precipitation probability and an overall playability rating.  The service remains free to all users.

It’s not only golfers who depend on the weather accuracy of Golfweather.com.  Golf course superintendents are now tapping the online source when setting up their courses for the day and deciding on pin positions and tees according to wind directions and strengths.

Golfweather.com was founded in 2009 in South Africa, and by 2010 grew to include Canada, Australia, South Africa, Ireland and the United Kingdom.  The free online tool now pinpoints weather at more than 26,000 courses worldwide.  Golfweather.com has already released its app service for the iPhone and soon for android phones.

Contact:  On Course Strategies
Jane Dally/Pat Norton
(203) 454-0232
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Professional Golfer, David Games, Returns to Long Beach to Teach at Recreation Park Golf Course

November 17, 2011 Long Beach, CA –  David Games, the accomplished junior golfer from Bellflower, California, has recently returned to southern California and is now providing golf instruction at Recreation Park Golf Course, 5001 Deukmejian Drive,
Long Beach, CA 90804.

Before coming back to California, Games had been touring throughout the U.S. and Britain, playing in professional tournaments including Nationwide Tour events; PGA Tour, U.S. and British Open qualifying events; SCPGA events and on mini tours.
“I’m happy to be back where it all started for me,” Games said.  “I grew up playing golf in the Long Beach area, where junior programs were heavily supported by the golf community. I have a real fondness for this area, and hope to be able to give back through my teaching and coaching.”

Games started playing at the Compton Par-3 Golf Course at the age of 6. He won his first tournament when he was 9 years old at Little Rec and went to the finals of the Long Beach City Match Play at Big Rec when he was 13 years old. He earned a full athletic scholarship to Stanford University, where he competed from 1978-1982, and made all Pac-10.

Games believes that his successful record as a competitor brings a unique learning experience to his students.  “I think my passion for the game, and the wide range of experiences I’ve had as a competing professional, will help my students have an appreciation for the game,” Games continues.  “Plus, I believe a great way for golfers to improve their skills is to learn from a skilled player.”

In addition to teaching at Rec Park, Games intends to play a schedule of tournaments in 2012, and compete in Champions Tour Qualifying School in the Fall of 2012.

Lessons can be scheduled with Games by calling or texting 831-241-2363. For more information, visit http://www.recparkgolfschool.com.

To schedule an interview or request additional information, contact Cheryl Games at 831-241-2364, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

AB Golf Designs Continues Support for The Maurer Foundation
and Fight Against Breast Cancer
Donation Tied to Sales of Popular ‘Swing Bling,’ ‘Think Pink’ Head Covers

(SCOTTSDALE, AZ) – AB Golf Designs – a long-time partner of The Maurer Foundation – announces that during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and throughout the year, it donates a portion of proceeds from sales of its attention-grabbing specialty “Swing Bling” and “Think Pink” head covers to combat the disease.

Founded in 1995 by Dr. Virginia E. Maurer, MD, the Maurer Foundation is focused on educating about the importance of early detection, risk reduction and healthy lifestyle choices.

“Every October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month we are reminded how nearly all of us are affected in some way by this horrible disease,” says AB Golf Designs co-owner DJ Langer. “That’s why it’s so important – now and year-round – for our company to support the Maurer Foundation’s great work, which positively impacts countless lives.”

Well established as the No. 1 provider of custom solutions for leading corporations nationwide, AB makes head covers that are used in competition by scores of top professionals, including Steve Pate, Christina Kim, Yani Tseng, Maria Hjorth and Paige McKenzie. The company’s USA-themed Boxing Glove offering was recently used by players competing in the 2011 Solheim Cup.

Among the many custom designs created by AB are a rock hopper penguin for Allianz Insurance, a gecko for Geico Insurance, a bottoms-up peacock for NBC, a “blizzard” for Dairy Queen and a French fry box for McDonalds. The company has also produced a “Sparky” mascot for Arizona State University, a Sooner for the University of Oklahoma and Bucky Badger for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

AB Golf Designs products can be found at the company website, better golf retailers throughout North America, amazon.com and through distributor agreements in the U.K., EU and Asia-Pacific regions.
For more information, please visit http://www.abgolfdesigns.com or call 888.439.8379.

About AB Golf Designs

The market leader for attention-grabbing specialty head covers and accessories, AB Golf Designs offers a wide selection of premium-quality products at affordable prices, including high-quality collections in the novelty, animal, bling and charity categories.

Excelling in attractive pricing for the corporate, tournament and collegiate markets, the company provides low minimums, prompt turn-around and superb customer service for custom orders.
Originally founded in 2004 as Butthead Covers and focused exclusively on the namesake product line, the company changed ownership in 2009, expanded its collections and chose the AB moniker.
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VN Teens burst onto regional
Stage, gain Faldo Series Final

PHAN THIET, Vietnam (01 September 2011) — Ocean Dunes Golf Club provided a fitting stage for some of Vietnam’s most talented teens, when it hosted an epic installment of Asia’s premier junior circuit earlier this month.

The Phan Thiet course, laid out hard by the East Sea, has witnessed numerous championship occasions during its long reign among the country’s top golfing venues — Ocean Dunes GC is, after all, the only course ever to host the Vietnam Open (http://www.oceandunesgolf.com). Nevertheless, this month’s staging of the Vietnam leg of the Faldo Series Asia is destined to be recalled with particular regard, considering the precocious performances of two rising stars.

The overall winner of the two-day tournament, which doubled up as the Vietnam National Junior Championship (organised by the Vietnam Golf Association), was 13-year-old Truong Chi Quan who belied his tender years by posting a formidable winning score of 152. As a reward for his display, the youngster, from Long Thanh, just outside Ho Chi Minh City, will vie with youngsters from around the continent at the Asian final of the Faldo Series, which takes place at the Mission Hills complex in Shenzhen, China in March 2012.

Also Mission Hills-bound are Do Le Gia Dat, winner of the boys’ under-21 category, Dao Phuc Hung, runner-up to Truong in the boys’ under-16 category, and Ngo Bao Nghi, who won the girls’ under-21 category.

Fourteen-year-old Le Tram Anh Kristin, who won the girls’ under-16 event, won’t be joining them in China, however, due to the fact that she is an American and not a Vietnamese citizen. However, the youngster, who lives in Hawaii, wowed spectators at Ocean Dunes with a nerveless display in her category.

“It was an absolute treat to watch these kids play,” says Glenn Cassells, Ocean Dunes General Manager. “Le Tram Anh Kristin especially looked an extraordinary talent. There’s always a danger in heaping too much pressure on young shoulders but if she progresses in the way she is obviously capable of, her potential is frightening.

“Truong, too, can be extremely proud of himself. Winning a tournament like this at the age of 13 is no mean feat. Indeed, the all-round high quality witnessed really bodes well for the future of Vietnamese golf.”

The success of the tournament provided further vindication, if any was needed, of Ocean Dunes’ status as one of Vietnam’s premier championship venues. The coastal layout, which forms one half of the Golf the Beach consortium along with the challenging Sea Links course in nearby Mui Ne, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Its forthcoming packed calendar is testament to its enduring appeal to tournament organisers.

Ocean Dunes has established itself as one of the ‘must-play’ destinations in Asia since opening in 1996 and the challenge presented by the Nick Faldo-designed course remains as fresh and visceral as ever. Meanwhile its attached hotel, the 4-star Novotel Phan Thiet, provides a compelling option for staying onsite.

Several eye-catching dates are pencilled into the calendar for forthcoming months. The club plays host to members of the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and their guests for a Norcham event.

Binh Thuan Golf Association will hold its annual event at Ocean Dunes while the club will mark its own anniversary with a special tournament.

Arguably the most eye-catching of the scheduled occasions, however, is the Vietnam Open Golf Championship – one of the longest running annual tournaments in the country.

“Once again, it’s a sign that we are doing something right,” says Cassells of the forthcoming events. “We’re lucky in that we’ve got a great product here with the golf course and the hotel. Not only that, but we’re right by the ocean in a beautiful part of the world. Why wouldn’t you want to stage a tournament here?”

Dancin’ Dogg Golf Named to Inc. 500 List of
America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies
Ranked No. 358 Based on 951% Revenue Growth for In-Home OptiShot Infrared Simulator
(TRAVERSE CITY, MI)—Dancin’ Dogg Golf—maker of the OptiShot Infrared Simulator, the ultimate in-home virtual golf system—has been ranked one of America’s fast-growing entrepreneurial companies by Inc. Magazine, placing No. 358 on the prestigious Inc. 500 list for 2011.
This honor, which appears in the September issue, is based on Dancin’ Dogg’s 951.2% revenue growth from 2007 through 2010. That increase was fueled by exceptional demand for OptiShot, a fun, accurate, affordable and easy-to-use golf simulator that allows players to improve their game from the comfort of home.
“It’s long been our goal to achieve the kind of success that justifies ranking among the Inc. 500,” says Brandon Theophilus, CEO of Dancin’ Dogg Golf. “This recognition is a tremendous achievement and testament to the fully immersive, virtual golfing experience provided by OptiShot.”
Also in the September issue, Inc. highlights Dancin’ Dogg’s significant opportunities for future growth abroad, specifically the South Korean market.
OptiShot (MSRP: $399.95) connects with Windows computers via a plug-and-play interface and requires only 8-½ feet of swing space. With their own clubs, up to four players per round can compete by hitting real balls, foam balls (provided) or no ball at all. Infrared sensors on a durable swing pad precisely record club-head speed, face angle, swing path, distance, tempo, face contact and ball flight.
An added value component of the Dancin’ Dogg experience is the recently unveiled OptiShot Support Site and OptiShot User Guide. In addition to “Top Questions” and “Frequently Asked Questions,” visitors can contact Technical Support directly through a clear and easy-to-use online template. The User Guide is a comprehensive step-by-step description of all aspects of the OptiShot experience, from installation through managing Players and customizing club sets.
Dancin’ Dogg also launched its next-generation software package in 2011. This includes two new core courses and a variety of features to enhance the user experience and facilitate skills development, such as:
-      Enhanced visual shot feedback and swing analysis
-      Detailed statistics tracking for export to an Excel spreadsheet
-      Precision putting grids to help visualize contours
-      Ability to create multiple players and manage their settings and preferences
In addition to complete courses, golfers can practice and compete on the par-3 option or a realistic driving range. Users can also purchase premium layouts at http://www.dancindogg.com.
About Dancin’ Dogg Golf
Based in Traverse City, MI, Dancin’ Dogg Golf was founded in 2005 and specializes in developing innovative technologies. Its product range includes the OptiShot Infrared Golf Simulator that features an expanding library of world class courses which golfers play anytime, anywhere. Durable and built to last, OptiShot comes with a 180-day warranty and has been heralded by leading authorities nationwide, including GOLF Magazine, Golfweek, Sports Illustrated, Wired and Golf Channel.
For more information: http://www.dancindogg.com, http://www.facebook.com/dancindogg, 866.941.3644.

AB Golf Designs Celebrates Patriot Golf Day with Donation to Folds of Honor Foundation
Portion of Proceeds on Patriotic Collection Headcovers Sold Through
September Go Toward Assisting Fallen and Disabled Service Members    
                                                 
(SCOTTSDALE, AZ) – AB Golf Designs – the market leader for attention-grabbing specialty head covers and accessories – announces that in support of Patriot Golf Day it will donate a portion of proceeds on all Patriotic headcovers sold from now through September to the Folds of Honor Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the families of fallen and disabled service members. 
   
Four custom designs comprise the USA Patriotic Collection, including the popular Boxing Glove model in full size for drivers and Featherweight size for hybrids and putters, a star spangled guitar inspired by music’s greatest showman and the eco-friendly Throwback collection. All are available at http://www.abgolfdesigns.com and select retailers nationwide.

“Our servicemen and women give their lives every day to provide freedoms to all Americans, so the least we can do is give some token of assistance back to the families who’ve lost brave soldiers,” says AB Golf Designs co-owner DJ Langer. “Patriot Golf Day is a time to support the Folds of Honor Foundation through the great game of golf and showing off national pride through USA-themed headcovers is our way to honor those who have served our great country.”

Patriot Golf Day is the annual flagship fundraiser for the Folds of Honor Foundation, providing postsecondary educational scholarships for the children and spouses of military men and women disabled or killed while serving. On Labor Day weekend, golfers across the country are asked to add an extra dollar to their greens fees to fund Folds of Honor scholarships. The Patriot Golf Day campaign is jointly supported by The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association.

Well established as the No. 1 provider of custom solutions for leading corporations nationwide, AB makes head covers that are used in competition by scores of top professionals, including Steve Pate, Christina Kim, Yani Tseng, Maria Hjorth and Paige McKenzie.

“Our specialty head covers allow golfers to express their unique personalities and interests on the course,” says co-owner Chip Burley. “Many of our products have come directly from customer suggestions and we’re able to bring those concepts to life for orders of all sizes.”

Recent custom designs include a rock hopper penguin for Allianz Insurance, a gecko for Geico Insurance, a bottoms-up peacock for NBC, a “blizzard” for Dairy Queen and a French fry box for McDonalds. The company has also produced a “Sparky” mascot for Arizona State University and Sooner mascot for the University of Oklahoma.

AB Golf Designs products can also be found at better golf retailers throughout North America, online at amazon.com and through distributor agreements in the U.K., EU and Asia-Pacific regions.
For more information, please visit http://www.abgolfdesigns.com or call 888.439.8379.

About AB Golf Designs
The market leader for attention-grabbing specialty head covers and accessories, AB Golf Designs offers a wide selection of premium-quality products at affordable prices, including high-quality collections in the novelty, animal, bling and charity categories.

Excelling in attractive pricing for the corporate, tournament and collegiate markets, the company provides low minimums, prompt turn-around and superb customer service for custom orders.
Originally founded in 2004 as Butthead Covers and focused exclusively on the namesake product line, the company changed ownership in 2009, expanded its collections and chose the AB moniker.
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