Just The Facts! An Industry view from the USA

• In the recent GIO Poll, 75% of the respondents answered no to the question of "Are the historic venues now obsolete and is it time to identify longer courses to host the majors?
• Golf legend Sam Snead died Thursday at age 89. Snead had 81 official victories on the PGA Tour and over a 130 worldwide, more than any other golfer.
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  La Jolla Club's new 400 cc, legal driver, is garnishing rave reviews throughout the country.
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  According to an exclusive investigative report in The Augusta (Ga.)Chronicle, Augusta National GC has spent the last three years quietly buying about 90 acres bordering the course for $23.7 million. The property is for expansion of practice facilities, additional accommodations and storage.
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  Callaway Golf Co. seizes 28,000 "knock-off" club heads and other components, more than 100,000 golf club medallions, 39 boxes of documents and the information stored on 18 computers.
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  Perry Ellis International reported a 29 percent rise in first quarter earnings to $4.8 million versus $3.2 million in 2001. The company exceeded analysts' expectations by 17 cents per share.
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  The European Tour announced that The Golf Channel will be the exclusive network of Tour events for broadcasts in the United States, Canada and Japan through 2007.
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  Maxfli Golf has introduced the only set of irons currently available to consumers that blends cavity-back and blade irons to maximize the performance values of each. The A10 irons' 2-6 are cavity-backed, perimeter-weighted and offset, while its 7-iron is a half cavity/half blade and 8-PW are full muscle-back blades.
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  P.F. Chang's China Bistro, the Chinese restaurant with 68 locations in the United States, and PGA Tour player Briny Baird have formed a promotional partnership. Under terms of the agreement, Baird wears the P.F. Chang's logo on his headwear while competing in Tour events. Additional terms were not disclosed.
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  R&A and USGA get together! Beginning Jan. 1, 2003, the COR limit on woods used by amateur golfers worldwide will be .852, with a tolerance of .008 taking the limit to .860. In competitions for "highly skilled players" the current USGA's COR limit of .830 will apply. The USGA and R&A will recommend that all events on the major professional tours use this second standard.
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  In a follow-up to its breakthrough 300 Series -- the No. 1 driver on tour worldwide -- TaylorMade today unveiled the R500 Series, offering players the fastest ball speed and largest driver sweetspot in golf. Featuring an innovative structural design that performs like a 500cc driver, the titanium R500 Series continues TaylorMade's unique one-size-fits-none philosophy, with the company launching three different-sized premium drivers geared for different swing types: a 330cc (510), 350cc (540) and 400cc (580).
• In addition, in accordance with new USGA COR limits set last week, the R500 will possess an extremely thin face (made of a SP-700 alloy), one that bumps up against the new statute of .860. The result is the largest COR zone (or, sweetspot) in golf, five times bigger than TaylorMade's 300 Series -- and 140 percent the size of the nearest competitor. Other club specifics: a new black lava head color, a retail price of $499 (MSRP) and an availability of various lofts per model (510 and 540 in 8.5- to 10.5-degrees; 580 in 9.5- to 12-degrees). It will ship to on- and off-course outlets starting August 1. Also, come January 1, 2003, TMAG's awesome RX-03 Driver (410cc) used in Japan and Europe therefore becomes legal.
  
• GolfGear International has announced that its Tsunami driver has been awarded the "Longest Driver"" Award by Rankmark
  
• Acushnet pulls out of Orlando. This sure gives TaylorMade and Callaway a strong negotiating position woth chris McCabe.
  
• The Major Champions Tour is expected to FOLD due to lack of player's commitments.