“I felt confident there was a market for our high end custom golf cart seats. The seats were designed to capture a niche of customers who desire superior quality and detail,” said David Vahala, CEO, Ultimate Golf Seating, with headquarters in Elkhart, Indiana.

“Our first year of selling golf cart seats has proven just that. Consumers across the United States are purchasing Ultimate Golf Seats and the reviews from them are very positive.”

More communities and individuals are turning to golf carts as a vital mode of transportation. Golf carts are not only used by golfers playing their rounds on the course. People take golf carts to neighborhood activities, to shop at local stores and kids even use them to get to school. Golf cart transportation will continue to grow for the golfers and families alike.

With this increased personal use of golf carts comes the individuals’ desire to customize their carts. There is a trend toward people purchasing private golf carts and adding many upgrade options to make their cart more stylish and useful. The Ultimate Golf Seats are designed to accommodate this customizing trend and desire.

Comfort, style, ergonomics and quality are the staples of the Ultimate Golf Seat. These seats are crafted to be posture correct and back supportive, coupled with comfort unmatched in previous golf cart seating.

“When you sit in an Ultimate Golf Seat, you will immediately appreciate it is one of a kind and unmatched in comfort and quality,” states David Vahala.

Ultimate Golf Seating has four styles of seats available, along with a palette of color selections. All of the seats can also be custom embroidered to include, for example, a customer’s favorite club or team. The Luxury Bucket and Luxury Bench seats look like the type of seats you would find in a luxury car. Both feature adjustable headrests and lumbar support, and fold-down armrests. The Luxury Bucket style offers a center locking console, while the Luxury Bench style offers a center fold-down armrest. The seats are made with high-quality, marine grade vinyl for proven durability, while underneath is a foam made of a superior resiliency polyurethane similar to high-end mattresses.

“Golf carts are outside a lot, so we wanted to use materials that are made to withstand UV rays, yet also be easy to clean with our Ultimate Stain Shield Protection coating,” said Vahala.

The other two designs, the Premier Bench Seat and the Elite Bench Seat offer the same quality of materials and comfort as the Luxury series, but are designed for fleet use.

“Ultimate Golf Seating‘s innovative design will ideally fit most prominent golf cart brands,” said Vahala, “and they can be easily installed in just a few steps.”

Pricing for the seats is from $745 to $1295.

“Our seats offer a great alternative to standard seating in two important ways,” said Vahala. “How they feel for your back and how they look on your golf cart.”

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and PGA TOUR today announced they have entered into a five-year integrated marketing partnership that, beginning in 2011, will make IHG an official partner of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour in the hotel and resort category.

IHG owns a portfolio of well-recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®.  IHG also manage the world’s largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 52 million members worldwide.

Additionally, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts will extend its title sponsorship of the PGA TOUR’s Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial through 2015.  Crowne Plaza has served as title sponsor of the historic event since 2007.  Crowne Plaza is known to business travelers as “The Place to Meet” and golf courses have a storied history as informal meeting places, which Crowne Plaza will continue to leverage through its relationship with the PGA TOUR and Colonial Country Club across all IHG brands.

“We are extremely pleased to announce this new long-term relationship with the PGA TOUR, which includes extending our sponsorship of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial,” said Jim Abrahamson, President, The Americas, IHG. “This partnership provides a terrific opportunity for IHG to showcase all its eight brands and bring to life our award winning loyalty program for fans as well as the PGA TOUR’s membership base of players from around the world.”

“We are delighted to extend our tournament sponsorship with Crowne Plaza and to expand our relationship with InterContinental Hotels Group,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is one of the most storied tournaments on the PGA TOUR, as well as one of the leading tournaments in terms of charitable giving, and Crowne Plaza’s sponsorship is important to continuing this legacy. Also, by welcoming IHG as an Official Marketing Partner, our players – as well as their families and caddies – will receive valuable benefits and room options throughout the year.”

As an Official Marketing Partner of the PGA TOUR, IHG will provide a variety of benefits to players, including:

• A designated number of room nights for players across all three Tours
• Platinum status in the Priority Club® Rewards program for all members
• Preferred rates for all players, caddies, media partners and PGA TOUR staff across all of IHG’s brands
• For several players who participate in a special program that includes personal appearances with IHG guests at tournaments and/or use of their name and likeness, additional benefits will include an increased number of complimentary room nights per year

IHG also will invest in PGA TOUR assets including media, special events, TPCs and charitable activities. PGATOUR.COM will feature a “hotel finder” on the tournament pages that will allow fans to easily book hotel rooms at one of IHG’s 4,500 properties when traveling to these events.

“Golf continues to be a great strategic fit for the Crowne Plaza brand and we are extremely proud to be extending our title sponsorship of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial,” said Gina LaBarre, Vice President, Brand Delivery, IHG.  ”We’re particularly pleased to continue our relationship with the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth and be associated with its 65 years of rich tradition, commitment to excellence & charitable giving,”

“We are excited to continue to build on the level of excellence our title sponsor, Crowne Plaza, has brought to this storied championship,” added Chuck Scherer, Colonial Tournament Chairman. “Our members, fans, volunteers, sponsors and charities are all very thankful for Crowne Plaza’s commitment to our community through this partnership.”

The 2011 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, captured in 2010 by Zach Johnson, will be held May 19-22 at Colonial Country Club.  Dating back to 1946, the Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas is the longest-running PGA TOUR tournament held at the same venue.

The saga of golfer Tiger Woods and his relationship with marquee sponsor Nike provided an excellent case study for researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, as they successfully quantified the real-market impacts of his celebrity endorsement from inception to scandal — as they correspond to a single, critical consumer product for the sport — golf balls.

The research was conducted at the Tepper School of Business by Kannan Srinivasan, the Rohet Tolani Distinguished Professor in International Business and H.J. Heinz II Professor of Management, Marketing and Information Systems; Timothy Derdenger, assistant professor of economics and strategy; and doctoral candidate Kevin YC Chung. Golf Datatech LLC, a leading provider of retail marketing information for the golfing industry, extended a rich data set for analysis.

“The industry-wide data that was made available and the unique circumstances involving a high-profile celebrity made this an excellent opportunity for us to study the real-economic impact of celebrity endorsement by focusing on a single product,” said Derdenger. “The retail data shows clear movement in sales and brand market share at particular time points that coincide with Woods’ endorsement of Nike products and during the period of negative publicity associated with his personal scandal, which began last year.”

In golf ball terms, the endorsement of Nike products by Tiger Woods, which began  in 2000, resulted in the acquisition of approximately 4.5 million customers and $60 million dollars in profit (in 1997 dollars) for the last 10 years

In the six months following Mr. Woods’ highly-publicized personal scandal, Nike lost approximately 105,000 customers. However, these losses were not gained by other brands as the negative publicity resulted in a net loss to the golfing industry, overall, of $7.5 million in profit.

“Although several major sponsors cut ties with Tiger Woods — Nike did not,” said Derdenger. “So we examined the net effect on Nike’s sales and market share. What we found is that by maintaining their relationship with Tiger Woods, Nike’s overall profit in golf ball sales was $1.6 million greater than it would have been without him.”

“From the findings of this study, which involve one specific product, we conjecture  that similar market impacts have been realized across a full line of golfing equipment, which Tiger Woods was paid $180 million for 10 years (in 1997 dollars) to endorse. Having found that $60 million was recovered in the golf ball sector alone, we project that this would intensify the overall profits and losses across the golfing industry,” added Chung.  ”Although we have found Woods’ continued endorsement to be profitable for Nike, this may not translate into similar results with non-golf related consumer goods — where the celebrity is not inherently part of the enthusiasts community or where his financial success is not directly tied to  the use of the endorsed product,” said Chung.

The study, “Economic Value of Celebrity Endorsement: Tiger Woods’ Impact on Sales of Nike Golf Balls,” was completed in November 2010 and is awaiting publishing.

Perkinson, the winner of flight 57, won from the Super Senior division (70 and older).

“I just came down to have some fun and play some golf in Myrtle Beach,” said Perkinson. “I won my flight on Thursday when a competitor double bogeyed the last hole, so I felt fortunate to make it to the finals. In the championship, I was 2-under on the front nine and hung on at a very challenging TPC Myrtle Beach golf course.”

“What a great week of golf in Myrtle Beach,” said Dave Macpherson, tournament director of the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. “I cannot remember a week with better weather or a field as competitive as this one. Congratulations to Bobby Perkinson for winning our championship and thanks to all the players for coming to Myrtle Beach to participate in this event.”

Hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is considered to be the most comparable experience to the U.S. Open for the amateur golfer. Held the week before Labor Day, the event is open to all amateur golfers with a verifiable USGA handicap, or the foreign equivalent.

This year, nearly 3,100 players from 48 states and 18 countries competed on more than 55 Myrtle Beach area golf courses in the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship, the first as a title sponsor for the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED GOLF GROUP. The SI GOLF GROUP is a unit within the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED GROUP. It is the No. 1 media company in golf with a combined audience of 12.6 million avid golfers and fans. GOLF.com is the digital engine of the group and is the most visited website in the sport.

The 28th annual GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship will be held August 29 – September 2, 2011.

Cox Virginia customers in Hampton Roads, Roanoke and Northern Virginia will have exclusive access to the innovative 3D coverage of the Masters Tournament this week from Augusta National Golf Club. Beginning on April 7, Masters 3D programming can be viewed on 3D-capable television sets and will be available on Cox Channel 895 in all market areas and at no additional cost.

Live 3D coverage will take place starting Wednesday, April 7, 3 to 5 pm ET, with the Par 3 Contest and continue with the Masters Tournament Thursday, April 8 through Sunday, April 11 with two hours each day; live tournament coverage starts at either 4 p.m. ET or 5 p.m. ET each day. In addition to the 3D channel, customers can access Masters content via the On DEMAND library on Channel 1.

The same live 3D coverage will be available on Masters.com and available to those with 3D capable computers.

Multiple 3D cameras will be placed strategically throughout the course at Augusta National, with a focus on the second nine. Viewers will be better able to depict the many subtleties and elevation changes of the course’s grounds.

“Cox is excited to offer our customers access to this innovative television event, bringing our customers the latest in video technology,” said Gary McCollum, Senior Vice President and General Manager Cox Virginia.

Cox customers will need Cox Advanced TV service, HD or HD/DVR receiver rental, HD service and HDMI cable connected to 3DTV to access the 3D programming; this must be HDMI 1.4 compliant with compatible 3D glasses. Masters 3D content is not accessible on CableCARD devices. The TV manufacturer’s specified 3D glasses also will be required to view the content in 3D. Those customers will then be required to tune to channel 895, and change the setting on their 3DTV to 3D format or 3D mode.

Cox Advanced TV service is required to access On DEMAND programming. Content includes:

– Two-hour blocks of 3D content – replays of every day’s 3D telecast aggregated on VOD
– Daily highlights in 3D available the day after live exhibition
– Masters Moments – See golfing greats at the Masters from the 1950s through the 2000s
– 2009 Masters Film – 60 min film chronicling last year’s tournament
– 2009 Par-3 Contest – replay of the Par 3 Contest held during the 2009 Masters Tournament
– BBC Masters Anthology – 60 min unreleased anthology of the Masters

Cox has offered 3D programming to its customers previously, and plans to offer more 3D content in the near future. More information can be found at www.Cox.com/3D.

For customers without the necessary HD and 3D equipment to view the Master’s, the following Cox retail stores will have demonstrations of 3D TV starting April 7 during normal business hours. Each site will have 10 pairs of glasses for customer viewing:

– Hampton Roads: Chesapeake, 725 Eden Way; Suite 708
– Hampton Roads: Kiln Creek, York County, 209 Village Ave; Suite GH
– Northern Virginia: Herndon, 3080 Centreville Road, Herndon
– Roanoke: 5400 Fallowater Lane, Roanoke

“Earning the opportunity to host the U.S. Junior Amateur is a major triumph for the state and the club,” said Craig Benson, former Governor of the State of New Hampshire and current Honorary Chairman of The Golf Club of New England. “The first USGA championship was held in 1895. With the work we’ve done here at The Golf Club of New England, we finally have a venue worthy of joining the 47 other states that have shared the honor of hosting such an event. We look forward to hosting golf’s rising stars and hope to continue to be a part of the USGA’s rich heritage.”

Benson also announced an unprecedented effort to follow these rising stars as they embark on their golf careers. The Golf Club of New England will incorporate into its website “The Drive to New Hampshire,” a social media forum in which aspiring golfers who plan to compete in the 2012 Junior Amateur championship can post their profiles. “This is a great way for young golfers to share their progress and growth in the sport,” said Benson. For more information on “The Drive to New Hampshire,” visit www.golfclubne.com/nh.

The course opened in 2003 and was designed by the Arnold Palmer Course Design Company.

“We’re one of only two Arnold Palmer designed courses in New England,” said club chairperson Joseph Kane. “It’s a beautiful setting and will be a fitting challenge for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, an event that has helped launched the careers of golf greats such as Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.”

First held in 1948, the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship has showcased many of the sport’s greats at the start of their careers. Other notable participants in U.S. Junior Amateur Championships include Ben Crenshaw, David Duval, Jim Furyk, Lee Janzen, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Davis Love, Bill Mayfair, Johnny Miller, Corey Pavin, Jeff Sluman, Curtis Strange and Ken Venturi. The 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur Champion was Jordan Spieth; he was 15 years old when he won the event, held at Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

In the tradition of the USGA Junior Amateur, the championship is open to the public at no charge. Spectators are encouraged to attend.

The Golf Club of New England

Located in Stratham, New Hampshire, The Golf Club of New England is a short distance from the Massachusetts and Maine state borders, less than an hour drive from Boston and Portland. Over 7,500 yards long, this championship course is an imaginative blend of lush fairways, greens, and natural waterways designed by Arnold Palmer Course Design Company. The course opened in 2003. It is scheduled to host the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in 2012. It has been the site of qualifiers for the 2004 U.S. Amateur, 2004 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the 2005, 2006 and 2009 USGA Senior Amateur. For more information, visit www.golfclubne.com.

Atlanta teen golf prodigy, Mariah Stackhouse, can now say sometimes dreams do come true. The 15-year-old golf phenom was surprised today by her favorite golfer, top LPGA player, Christina Kim, who showed up at her North Clayton High School to personally invite her to compete in the first-ever Mojo 6 (www.themojo6.com), a unique golf tournament being held in Jamaica, April 15-16, 2010. Stackhouse, believed to be the youngest player ever to win the Georgia Women’s Amateur Championship in its 80-year history, will compete against the world’s leading female golfers, including Christina Kim, Suzann Pettersen and Paula Creamer.

Stackhouse, who has been playing golf since she was two, has already been compared by many familiar with the game as being the “next Tiger Woods.” Stackhouse also was the 2007 Atlanta Junior Golf Grand Champion and won the 2007 Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) Girls Championship; and two years ago, scored a 65 in a Southeastern Junior Tour event.

“I’m thrilled to surprise Mariah with the invitation to compete against the world’s best female golfers at The Mojo 6,” said Christina Kim. “The Mojo 6 is poised to start a new era in golf. It was already exciting to participate because of the new format being unveiled. Now, with the addition of Mariah, it’ll truly be a special event. She’s already quite a golfing talent, and is a fantastic representative of the future of women’s golf. I’m sure she has a long career ahead of her, and I can’t wait to see her in action at The Mojo 6.”

Creators of The Mojo 6, Joy Stephenson & Olympic champion Ed Moses offered Stackhouse one of the tournaments highly coveted sixteen (16) spots, stating “When we launched Mojo last year, we wanted it to be about more than creating compelling content, we wanted to create a platform to inspire people to reach for their dreams, and help others do the same. Inviting Mariah to join The Mojo 6 is certainly part of that mission, and we can’t wait to see her play Raceway Golf.”

Stackhouse and 15 top LPGA golfers will be the first to play Raceway Golf (TM) airing on CBS on May 1st and 2nd. Raceway Golf is a new, innovative golf format introduced by Mojo designed to draw out the competitive personalities of LPGA pros through intense showdowns. At The Mojo 6 this spring, the participants will battle Raceway Golf style as they try to knock each other out of the running for the $1 million purse. (*note: Ms. Stackhouse’s winnings, as an amateur, will be donated to charity).

“It’s an honor for Mariah to be invited to compete against some of the world’s top female golfers,” said Ken Stackhouse, Ms. Stackhouse’s father and primary coach. “When the Mojo team contacted us with this idea, the hardest part was not to tell Mariah before the surprise! We just always tell her to do the best she can, and we’re looking forward to going to Jamaica this spring to give Mariah the opportunity to play with the sport’s best athletes.”

Played over two days, this LPGA sanctioned tournament pits 16 players against each other to battle out a series of six-hole matches to crown a winner. “Mojo is working closely with the government of Jamaica, through its Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, and Ministry of Tourism, as well as with the LPGA, to make Raceway Golf exciting for the golfing world as well as those who may not have watched golf in the past,” noted Mojo co-founder and president, Joy Stephenson.

Mojo will package The Mojo 6 in Jamaica for broadcast with additional original content that is not typically aired in conjunction with a professional sporting event. Additional coverage is set to include in-depth interviews with players highlighting what it takes to be among the world’s best female athletes, performances by some of Jamaica’s and the Caribbean’s best-known entertainers, and exclusive “behind the scenes” footage of what it takes to stage an international golf event.

As with all Mojo Marketing & Media properties, The Mojo 6 in Jamaica, and all future The Mojo 6 tournaments, will include activities designed to increase awareness about the importance of charitable giving. Since no two markets are identical, this element of each The Mojo 6 tournament will reflect the unique character, needs and opportunities for charity involvement of its host market.

Additional footage and information about The Mojo 6 is available at www.themojo6.com including a roundtable discussion about the event featuring Paula Creamer, Christina Kim and Suzann Pettersen.

Callaway Golf Company announced the January 15th retail availability of their new Odyssey® Black Series® Tour Designs line of milled putters. The latest innovation from The Number One Putter in Golf®, Black Series Tour Designs were crafted through extensive work between the Odyssey design team and professional golfers across the world’s major tours.

With a new black look, the precision-crafted milled putters in Odyssey’s Black Series Tour Designs line feature updated shapes and more head options, all designed to offer elite performance at the highest levels of the game. Each putter is milled from 1025 carbon steel for the soft feel demanded by the best players in the world.

“In creating the Black Series Tour Designs putters, we consulted with some of the greatest players in the game, including Phil Mickelson,” said Austie Rollinson, Principal Designer for Odyssey Golf. “We incorporated this Tour player feedback into the design of these precision-crafted milled putters. The result is updated shapes and more head options preferred by better players, all delivering the truest roll possible in a premium look.”

Black Series Tour Designs putters feature Advanced Roll Technology (A.R.T.) for precise response and the truest roll possible. A.R.T. is achieved through multi-material construction using tungsten weighting, which creates a quicker, more favorable roll by moving the center of gravity back and lower in the putterhead. A urethane dampening layer is subtly placed between the carbon steel putter head and the tungsten flange, which enhances the feel at impact.

The TD Milled Face has a precise, deep milling pattern that generates consistent impact performance across the face, resulting in better feel, distance control and a smooth roll. Each putter is finished with a Deep Black PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating, producing a durable, glare-free look that was added specifically in response to feedback received from the world’s best golfers.

Black Series Tour Designs putters are available in several core models, including the #2, #4, #6 and #9. The new product introduction retail price for Odyssey’s new Black Series Tour Designs putters is $269.

For more information on these products and Odyssey’s complete lineup, visit www.odysseygolf.com.

There’s always a lot at stake when the world’s best professional golfers step to the tee for the final round of the US Open on Father’s Day. But now, the Johnnie Walker Collection has put one more prize on the table in honor of fathers everywhere and US Open record-holder Jim Furyk who shares the tournament’s record low net score of 272.

If the winning golfer sets a new all-time record for lowest 72-hole total, the Johnnie Walker Collection, a Furyk sponsor since 2007, will make a donation of $27,200 (100 times the current record) to the charity of their choice in their father’s name.

“My father has been one of the most important people in my life, both professionally and personally, so it’s always a joy to spend Father’s Day with him on the golf course competing in one of the biggest tournaments in the world,” admitted Furyk. “This course proved in 2002 that it will present a true challenge to golfers looking to set the low mark.”

The Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, last hosted the US Open in 2002, when Tiger Woods’ score of (-3) 277 was the only score under par. To earn the charitable contribution, a golfer will need to tally a four-day score of 271, (-9) or less on the challenging course. If two golfers break the record and are forced into a playoff, the Johnnie Walker Collection will split the donation between each of the players’ charities.

Furyk, one of the most successful players in golf and a 13-time winner on the PGA Tour, currently ranks 4th on the Career Earnings list and 13th on the Official World Golf Rankings. His biggest win to date was the 2003 US Open when he joined Tiger Woods (2000), Lee Janzen (1998) and Jack Nicklaus (1980) as record holders for the lowest total 72-hole score in US Open history. In June of 2007, Furyk and the Johnnie Walker Collection announced a three-year sponsorship agreement, and together launched the Safe Drive Campaign, a national program to raise awareness of road safety. “When celebrating with friends and family this Father’s Day, remember to drink responsibly and designate a driver or take a taxi,” adds Furyk.

Golf and Scotch whisky are arguably two of Scotland’s greatest gifts to the world, and Johnnie Walker — the world’s leading Scotch whisky brand — has been linked with the sport since the mid-19th Century. Most notable associations include Asia Pacific’s premier golf event, the Johnnie Walker Classic and the Johnnie Walker Championship in Gleneagles Scotland.

Source: Diageo

“Giving back is the right thing to do,” said Hollis Cavner, tournament director. “We’ve received such tremendous support from fans and corporate partners over the past 17 years. We are thrilled that we have an opportunity to say thank you and provide this free gift to golf fans.”

“3M and its employees are thrilled to be part of this first in golf,” said Bob MacDonald, senior vice president, marketing, 3M. “The 3M Championship has a long history of bringing firsts to the game of golf and today’s announcement is another example of the tournament’s continuing innovation.”

The 3M Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour – a series of annual PGA TOUR golf events for golfers 50 years of age and older. The 3M Championship is played at the Tournament Players Club (TPC) Twin Cities, a course designed by professional golfer and golf course designer, Arnold Palmer. Joining Palmer at the 2009 3M Championship will be some of golf’s greats including Fred Funk, Lee Trevino, Nick Price, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Hal Sutton and more.

The 3M Championship consistently ranks as one of the top Champions Tour events for crowds and charitable giving. Last year, the 3M Championship was voted the No.1 event on the Champions Tour by the players, earning the coveted Champions Tour Players Award.

The purse for the 2009 3M Championship tournament is $1.75 million with $262,500 going to the winner. The tournament was founded in 1993 as the Burnet Senior Classic.

The first round of 2009 championship play begins Friday, July 10. On Saturday, July 11, the Greats of Golf Challenge begins along with the second round of championship play. The week concludes on Sunday, July 12, with the final round of the Greats of Golf Challenge and the final round of the 3M Championship.

More information about the 3M Championship is available at www.3MChampionship.com.