Area golf pros scouting report on new equipment

Published 6:09 am Sunday, February 5, 2017

The PGA wrapped up its annual merchandise show in Orlando, Florida, last week and among those in attendance were Lake Charles Country Club head professional Stuart Kramer and The National’s head pro Dave Kaspar.

They were there to witness the latest trends in golf equipment and technology, attend the largest demo day in the nation and participate in educational sessions.

Both pros said there were many new items, some improvement in old ones and many miles of walking space to take in everything.

“It’s all really going toward technology with fittings and launch monitors,” said Kramer, adding that among some of the newer items were improvement on golf balls from Titleist (prov1 and prov1x) as well as drivers from Taylormade and Calloway.

“They had a good show,” said Kaspar. “Great education seminars that included ways to get people out to play golf and those that centered on just what was working at other clubs.”

He said he saw many interesting marketing techniques, new apps for phones, ways to improve the golf swing.

“There was four football fields worth of golf stuff,” he said.

Both professionals said that in coming days reps from all of the top golf equipment providers will be calling on them at their offices and that they weren’t really interested in obtaining any items until then, but it was nice to see what was available.

Kaspar said he picked up a new telephone app for his club as well as several new divot tools that he said were a breakthrough in making it easier to repair a divot.

He also said he tried the new driver by Wilson.

“I was in a coat and tie when I hit it so I don’t know that I picked up any distance,” he said.

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Austin Stewart led a local Southwest Louisiana Junior Golf Association boys team to victory in the recent Woodlands tournament on the Panther Trails course in Houston. The Sulphur High sophomore shot a 78 to also take the individual title.

The SWLJGA team will play this weekend in the Kingwood tournament in Houston. The team finished second in the event a year ago.

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Robert Rigmaiden, Kinder’s Carly Whittington, DeQuincy’s Chelsey Shaheen and Sulphur’s Luke Hightower won titles at last week’s Texas-Louisiana junior tour event at Mallard Cove.

Rigmaiden won the boys 16-18 year division with a 6-over-par 78. Whittington was the girls 14-15 champion with an 84. Shaheen won the girls 12-13 with a 105 and Hightower took the boys 12-13 with a 96.

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Holes-in-one were made recently by Jim Blake at Gray Plantation and by Brett Ardoin at Mallard Cove.

Blake, a former McNeese State baseball player, scored the third ace of his career when he knocked in a pitching wedge from 100 yards on No. 8 at Gray. He shot a 5-over-par 77, missing shooting his age by two shots.

Ardoin, a freshman on the St. Louis High golf team, made his first hole-in-one on No. 7 at Mallard. He holed out a 7-iron from 157 yards.

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Local high schools are prepping for their season opener, which will be a Feb. 27 tournament at Farm D’Allie in Carencro. The first local high school tournament will be played March 4 at Frasch Park in Sulphur and hosted by Sulphur High.

Upcoming

Today — Super Bowl scramble, Mallard Cove.

Saturday — Billy LaRocca super dog fight, Mallard Cove.

Feb. 18 — Two man Voo Doo scramble, The National (Westlake).

March 7 — Southwest Louisiana Open pro-am, The National.

March 8-11 — Adams professional Southwest Louisiana Open, The National.

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Louis Bonnette has written about local golf for the American Press since 1971. His column appears each Sunday. Contact him at 274-5689 or lbonnette@mcneese.edu