Will Golf Discover NFT's?

The sport inevitably will and possibly before it’s too late.

I try to explain (or steer you to people who can) this bizarre phenomenon that could also generate major revenue for golf organizations. Then again, the entire thing seems bubbly and likely to set off wars between players and the majors.

Enjoy! This edition of the Quadrilateral is available to all followers of the newsletter and then some.

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"The rich vs the very, very rich: the Wentworth golf club rebellion"

It’s been a while by Wentworth standards since we’ve heard of drama or another course renovation coming out of the English countryside.

But The Guardian’s long read is devoted to the club’s first world dramas and Chinese owner Yan Bin. Thanks to all who forwarded a fascinating read that’ll make you believe your club or condo board is perfectly sane.

The story author, Samanth Subramanian writes:

The ongoing clash between Yan Bin and his club’s members has witnessed several dramatic phases: threats, lawsuits, duplicity, negotiations, truces, even death. But the tale isn’t just about the preposterousness of the wealthy. Rather, it’s impossible to learn about all this turmoil – in a place called “the Island”, for crying out loud – and not see it as an allegory. With its groves of pine and rhododendrons, its houses named Heatherbrook or Bluebell Wood or Silver Birches, and the gentle hillocks of its club’s fairways, Wentworth Estate holds dear a vision of pastoral Englishness. But since the 1980s, Wentworth has been reshaped – just like England itself – by money: first the wealth of the homegrown 1%, which considered itself immune to the turmoil of change, but which then found itself subject to the whims of the globalised capital held by the 0.001% like Yan Bin. The saga is familiar: a small locality unsettled by the arrival of an outsider. Except that the outsider is a transnational holding corporation, and the locality is Wentworth Estate, a slice of England overtaken by the world.

The Real Numbers: "JT and Rory vs. the USGA"

Justin Thomas mentioned the (billions!) R&D outlay by manufacturers as reason enough to not do anything. He walked that back to millions but ultimately landed at the same spot mentioning “hard work” of manufacturers as cause for rulemakers to stand down.

So, profit over the good of the game. He’s hardly the first and as Titleist’s top player naturally taking the company line.

Rory McIlroy was widely lauded for his comments blasting the USGA’s waste of money studying the distance issue. This, even as he reiterated his support for some kind of skill-protecting bifurcation. His latter point did not jibe with Taylormade’s position on the possibility of tighter regulation.

The Fried Egg’s Will Knights has looked at the claims and it turns out the USGA has spent about $1 million on their portion of the distance study while the manufacturers have spent far more in annual R&D with positive tax implications for doing so. As always I urge you to read the full piece as it’s loaded with fascinating information.

As for Thomas’s claim of R&D spending, Knight found it may be a smaller number than expected and a nice tax credit awaits if desired.

From 2017 to 2019, Acushnet, Titleist’s holding company, spent between $47 and $52 million on R&D. That amounted to about 3% of the company’s net sales. Over the same period, Callaway spent between $36 and $51 million, between 3 and 4% of its net sales. These expenses cannot be attributed solely to golf ball and club development, as both companies manufacture clothing, shoes, and other kinds of products. However, for both Acushnet and Callaway, golf equipment is a major priority, so it’s safe to assume that their R&D spends would be largely allocated to balls and clubs. (Callaway does note that a significant portion of its R&D increase between 2018 and 2019 was due to its acquisition of Jack Wolfskin, an outdoor apparel company.)

The key is this: U.S. companies can take a tax credit for a portion of their R&D spending from their taxable income. This is a complex calculation and we do not have full details on how golf OEMs perform it, but the documents reveal that Callaway has carried forward $18.8 million in federal R&D tax credits, which will expire in the 2030s. These tax credits account for about 3.5% of Callaway’s 2019 taxable income and 4.4% of its 2018 taxable income.

Then there is McIlroy’s claim of wasteful spending. The USGA’s Janeen Driscoll responded to that notion when queried by Knights.

“The USGA invested $1 million total in Distance Insights from 2017 to 2020—the majority of which was dedicated to third-party research,” Driscoll told The Fried Egg in an email. “A lot of this research was dedicated to better understanding and quantifying the recreational game, as we had more than enough data from professional tours and golf at the elite competitive level.”

Driscoll went on to compare that multi-year $1 million investment to the USGA’s spending on other initiatives. In 2020 alone, the organization dedicated $1.3 million to junior programs, $1.9 million to turfgrass research grants, more than $1 million to the PJ Boatwright Internship program, and another $3 million to golf history research and preservation. The USGA also typically sets aside about $10 million per year to conduct amateur championships around the country.

There is more, including the USGA’s Green Section work and other programs that give back to the game.

These two stars are very good at golf and that’s their expertise. Most golf publications will never do anything but praise the players no matter how silly their claims, all in hopes of scratching up a few ad dollars from the manufacturers. But this is a reminder that the topic is multi-layered and such remarks deserve more investigation as the debate progresses.

USGA: Courses Built In Last Three Decades Around 64 Acres Larger Than Yesteryear's Footprint

USGA

Adam Moeller and George Waters of the USGA Green Section set out to determine how much golf courses footprints have changed as the sport has chased distance.

They developed an 80-course random sample with an even distribution of public and private from different regions and built in different eras. As always I urge you to read the whole thing. But the key takeaway part is a landmark finding and explains precisely why the USGA invested in studying distance. Well done.

A carefully selected case study of courses that had recently hosted men’s professional golf events was also included in the research because we recognized that these facilities face unique pressures with regard to hitting distance, and because these facilities typically have resources above and beyond what is available to most golf courses, so their patterns of change were likely to be different. The championship courses selected had a variety of opening dates and architects, and came from different regions.

For the purposes of this study, footprint is defined as all playing areas of the golf course, all practice facilities, all native areas that are likely to require some maintenance, ponds and lakes, roads and paths, the maintenance facility, the clubhouse, and any dumping or staging areas that can clearly be attributed to the golf facility. Where a course had woodland borders, an approximation within the perimeter of the tree line was made to account for maintenance that likely occurs along and within the woodland margins.

In the 80-course sample, courses built during the three most recent decades had an average total footprint of 216.3 acres. Courses from the earliest three decades – the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s – had an average footprint of 152.3 acres, a difference of 64 acres. This pattern was also observed in the championship course case study, where the five most-recently opened courses had an average footprint 47 acres larger than the five oldest courses (260 acres versus 213 acres, respectively).

There could be folks out there who love a bigger, longer walk in the park that wastes more resources and spreads out those strolls between holes. I just haven’t met them yet.

Another key finding: the average total area of greens and bunkers decreased over time. Meaning the expansion also came at the expense of design features in favor of dead space or roughs.

In the 80-course sample, the average total putting green area was 109,077 square feet for the earliest map year and 101,197 square feet for the last map year. The average total putting green area for the championship courses decreased from 125,642 square feet in the earliest map year to 115,755 square feet in the last map year. The average area of bunkers in the 80-course sample decreased from 82,573 square feet to 76,823 square feet. In the championship course case study, the decrease was even more pronounced, with a drop from an average of 243,971 square feet of bunker area in the earliest map year to 156,033 square feet in the most recent map year.

Course alterations for distance have been more recent:

In both the 80-course sample and the championship course case study, alterations to golf courses with a clear distance component have increased from 1990 onward. In the 80-course sample, 79% of the total distance added through new tees or moved greens occurred from 1990 to the present. In the championship course case study, a more pronounced version of this pattern arises, with 92.9% of all distance added since 1990. This suggests that courses have faced more pressure in recent years to accommodate increased hitting distance than in decades past.

MLB Slightly Deadening Ball Due To HR Surge

The Athletic’s Eno Sarris and Ken Rosenthal broke the news along with the incredible details of Major League Baseball’s plan to tweak the ball. The focus seems to be on not overemphasizing the home run but safety has to be part of the equation. Either way, chicks digging the long ball appears to be taking a back seat to the game getting played at a faster clip with less emphasis on the home run.

Golfers will enjoy hearing about COR…

“In an effort to center the ball with the specification range for COR and CCOR, Rawlings produced a number of baseballs from late 2019 through early 2020 that loosened the tension of the first wool winding,” the memo from the office of the commissioner reads, explaining that this change had two effects — reducing the weight of the ball by less than one-tenth of an ounce, and also a slight decrease in the bounciness of the ball as measured by the COR and CCOR. 

COR is the coefficient of restitution, or the relationship of the incoming speed to the outgoing speed. So, in other words, this new ball will be less bouncy. How much less is a matter of science, but also opinion.

Research conducted by Rawlings says the balls will be centered more in the midpoint of the established COR range, which is from .530 to .570 with a midpoint around .550, as the (now missing) first report on the home run rate surge stated. So the COR likely changed around .01 to .02 at most, and the ball size was likely reduced by less than 2.8 grams.

AP’s Jake Seiner added this:

MLB anticipates the changes will be subtle, and a memo to teams last week cited an independent lab that found the new balls will fly 1 to 2 feet shorter when hit over 375 feet. Five teams also plan to add humidors to their stadiums, raising the total to 10 of 30 MLB stadiums equipped with humidity-controlled storage spaces.

Taylormade Is For Sale (Again) And The Company Is Also Opposed To Distance Rule Changes

The New York Times’ Dealbook reports that KPS Capital Partners has hired Morgan Stanley to handle a sale of Taylormade.

Perhaps at a tidy profit.

A deal could value the company at more than $2 billion; KPS bought it for $425 million from Adidas four years ago. Spokespeople for Morgan Stanley and KPS declined to comment, while TaylorMade was unavailable for comment.

KPS bought Taylormade from Adidas in 2017.

According to Golfweek’s David Dusek, the company issued a statement in response to news of possible major equipment rule changes.

The statement from CEO David Abeles suggests his mind is made up:

“We have meticulously reviewed the USGA and R&A’s 2017 Distance Report and discussed its findings with key stakeholders. Additionally, we have carefully considered the inferred implications that the study may have on the game moving forward. The TaylorMade Golf Company firmly opposes any potential rollback of product performance or bifurcation of the rules in any form as we believe these movements will be detrimental to the game at every level.”

Taylormade is free at any time to make any product they would like. The USGA and R&A’s rules are completely optional.

Or, bifurcation of the rules could allow Taylormade to make “forward moving” products for the average golfer yet under the rules of golf.

“We are optimistic about golf’s future and we believe that the growth initiatives our industry has invested in are beginning to drive participation momentum in our sport.

The “industry” being non-profit organizations.

The outlay to support “growth initiatives” by the for-profit manufacturers has been minsicule, at best.

“Any separation from the rules or any step backward in performance would be disadvantageous to the growth of the game.

As the sport enjoys incredible sales due to golfers having more time, not due to any new innovation.

For millions of golfers of all skill levels, we believe innovation and technology lead to better performance, and better performance brings more joy to the game for all who play it.

Equipment has never been better. Ever. Never easier to hit but it took additional free time caused by a pandemic to spike rounds.

“As the discussion around bifurcation and rollback formalizes, we look forward to having a seat at the table to lend our voice. Until then, we will continue to create the best performing products for all golfers.”

He’s openly hostile to the equipment news, not for bifurcation that might allow for more “game improvement” innovation, yet wants a seat at the table. Audacious.

Also possibly cornering the company at the time of a sale. Courageous.

WSJ: "For Golf, Covid Is Even Better Than Tiger"

There were some odd lines in this Jinjoo Lee and Spencer Jakab WSJ piece and it’s always uncomfortable to read about golf’s spike in play given the pandemic’s toll. (Thanks reader John for sending.)

After noting the stock price gains for Dick’s, Acushnet and Callaway, they write:

Sports-apparel and equipment giant Nike shocked many by exiting the golf business in 2016 and competitor Adidas sold off some brands the following year. Retailer Golfsmith declared bankruptcy in 2016. Between 2003 and 2017 the number of U.S. on-course players fell to fewer than 24 million, from nearly 31 million. Part of that was a “negative hangover” following the financial crisis that led to less business golf, says Randy Konik, an analyst at Jefferies.

But equipment sales began to rebound soon after. In 2019 the number of first-time U.S. players hit 2.5 million, exceeding the previous high of 2.4 million in 2000 when Tiger Woods was racking up trophies and inspiring young players. One reason is that more baby boomers have started taking up golf.

“People aren’t giving enough thought to how much of America is getting older,” says Mr. Konik. “Golf is the perfect sport for that part of the population.”

This was odd given, well Tiger’s back surgery last month but we get it.

A more recent boost for the sport comes from younger professionals now working remotely. Fitting in 18 holes on a weekday was once an expensive and time-consuming way to cultivate business contacts. More flexible schedules make hitting the links closer to home easier.

What could make golf’s recent upswing even better? The sort of excitement that Tiger Woods created in the late 1990s could be rekindled by some of the young players now on the scene, such as Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Tiger himself is showing flashes of his old brilliance.

Final 2020 Numbers: Rounds Up 13.9%, Equipment Sales Up 10.1%

A few things are especially astounding regarding the pandemic’s role in spiking 2020 rounds played: the number of days courses were closed as safety restrictions were put in place along the policies restricting guest play at so many clubs.

And, all of this happened without a single significant distance-gaining technology breakthrough we’ve been told must be preserved by the rulemakers to grow the game.

For Immediate Release:

Golf Datatech Releases 2020 U.S. Golf Retail Performance Report and Annual Rounds Played Data; Exclusive Insights Indicate Record Breaking Year—Golf Rounds Up 13.9%, Equipment Sales Jump 10.1%  

Rounds Growth is Largest Full Year Increase in the History of Golf Datatech’s Data; Golf Equipment Sales Eclipsed $2.81 Billion at Green Grass Golf Shops & Off Course Specialty Stores; Apparel Sales Drop 14.2% 

Kissimmee, Fla., January 25, 2021 – Golf Datatech, LLC, the golf industry’s leading independent market research firm for retail sales, consumer and trade trends, today unveiled the 2020 National Golf Performance Report, a first-of-its kind annual report analyzing rounds played and retail equipment sales in the U.S. Golf Datatech’s report indicates rounds soared by 13.9% and equipment sales increased by 10.1% over 2019. The year-over-year surge in rounds and retail sales are primarily a result of golf being positioned as a near ideal socially distanced activity during a pandemic. The 13.9% increase in rounds is the largest total year increase since Golf Datatech began collecting and projecting rounds played in 1998, topping the previous largest increase of 5.7% in 2012. The 10.1% improvement in retail sales bettered the previous all time high percentage gain of 10.0% in 2005.  

Fueled by a combination of avid players, newcomers and infrequent golfers, 2020 demand for all things golf surged during the second half of the year. In fact, 2020 spending reached near record levels, as overall golf equipment sales eclipsed $2.81 billion, the third highest annual total of all-time, trailing behind only 2008 ($2.91 billion) and 2007 ($2.87 billion).

“While the global pandemic wreaked havoc on many segments of our economy, the golf industry experienced a significant boost in rounds played and equipment sales,” said John Krzynowek, Partner, Golf Datatech. “On the equipment side, sales increased by low single digits in both 2018 and 2019, but the double-digit gains in 2020 can only be attributed to the pandemic and golf being a respite for so many.”

While rounds played and equipment sales experienced sharp increases in 2020, apparel sales went the other direction and dropped by 14.2%. Golf apparel is predominantly sold thru on-course golf shops, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, many pro shops were not fully operational for several months. Additionally, a lack of international travel and lockdowns during the critical spring season in warm weather markets had a detrimental impact on many resorts, which sell a significant amount of logoed golf apparel. Added together, these factors all weighed heavily on the Green Grass Golf Apparel business.

While on-course sales declined, apparel sales at off-course specialty outlets, particularly those with a strong online presence, enjoyed significant growth in 2020. Moreover, the last two months of the year saw total apparel sales up 11%, a hopeful sign heading into 2021.  

Added Krzynowek, “Combining equipment and apparel sales thru the on and off-course channels, total consumer demand in dollars for golf product was 3.2% higher than in 2019. Given the state of the golf economy in late spring, anything in positive territory had to be considered a big win, and December data continues to impress and suggest the business may still have room to run in early 2021.”

2020 December Equipment Sales Increase 58%

Your monthly reminder that more rounds and more people hitting balls is growing the equipment business, not the promise of more distance…

U.S. GOLF MARKET CONTINUES RECORD BREAKING MONTHLY GROWTH - DECEMBER EQUIPMENT SALES INCREASE 58% COMPARED WITH 2019 

Golf Datatech Reports All-Time Best December Equipment Sales Numbers;

2020 National Golf Performance Report for Rounds Played and Retail Equipment Sales Set to be Released on January 25   

Kissimmee, Fla., January 20, 2021 – Golf Datatech, LLC, the golf industry’s leading independent market research firm for retail sales, consumer and trade trends, has announced that U.S. golf equipment sales for December 2020 were up 58% over the same period in 2019, while exceeding December’s previous all-time high, set in 2006, by 16%.  

These record-breaking sales are being released just days before the full 2020 National Golf Performance Report for Rounds Played and Retail Equipment Sales, which is set to be released on Monday, January 25. 

“December sales are consistent with the golf industry momentum we’ve seen over the past seven months of 2020,” said John Krzynowek, Partner, Golf Datatech, LLC. “As we all continue to deal with the pandemic in our everyday life, golf equipment sales continue to surge, up over 40% for the June-December time frame.”

Categories leading the way for the total year were golf bags and wedges, which increased by 29% and 26% respectively. Overall equipment sales at Green Grass pro shops were up 1% while Off Course sales grew by 16%. 

Krzynowek adds, “Green Grass pro shop sales were more heavily impacted by government mandated closures and restrictions on businesses, so even though courses may have been open to play the game, shopping and buying products inside a golf shop did not explode like the Off Course Specialty channel, which benefitted from a significant expansion in online sales.”

Troon Golf Buys Indigo, Raising Portfolio Up To 630 18-Hole Courses

Adam Schupak of Golfweek has the details on Troon’s purchase of Indigo Golf Partners, formerly Billy Casper Golf. The number of courses under the Troon banner is pretty staggering. Also noteworthy is the expansion for Troon into muni’s and lower-green fee golf:

Troon substantially increases its portfolio of facilities with the acquisition of Indigo Golf Partners – the company now provides managed services at 585-plus locations around the globe, including managing 630-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses. In particular, the deal diversifies Troon’s portfolio of client properties that had been heavily weighted to the high-end daily-fee category. Indigo Golf Partners, which focused primarily on providing services to the municipal golf space and facilities with lower price points, brings more accessible golf under the Troon umbrella.

Indigo Golf Partners is one of the largest golf-course management companies in the United States, owning and operating more than 160 golf courses, country clubs and resorts in 29 states. Members and guests of Indigo-managed facilities will continue to experience the same level of service, course conditions and food and beverage options, the company said in a release.

TaylorMade CEO Suggests Rollback Would Prompt Introduction Of Non-Conforming Equipment To Market

The Guardian’s Ewan Murray talks to TaylorMade CEO David Abeles about the possibility of equipment regulation. Abeles’ “what if” scenarios floated fall a tad flat given recreational golf’s recent resurgence that have not a thing to do with distance gains via club purchases or golfers running out to buy what the pros are playing. They’re spending on soft goods, balls, bags and other essentials because they have time and golf is safe.

Most interesting is Abeles’ suggestion that should some sort of rollback occur, he would consider bringing non-conforming equipment “to market”. This is something the company could do today since there is no law requiring manufacturers comply with USGA and R&A rules.

“As a governing body you can choose to modify your rules in any way you feel acceptable,” Abeles says. “That’s ultimately their decision. The question is who is going to follow it? Right now, we can design and develop whatever we want as an authentic company. We play by the construct of the rules that have been created around the sport as relates to equipment and ball development. We believe that’s the right space to be in, in the spirit of the traditions of the game.

“But there is nobody prohibiting us from going and building a ball that goes further or a driver that does the same. We are working on advanced technologies all the time to do that. We have chosen not to do that [bring such products for sale] because we want to unify the sport and apply the same rules. If there was a rollback, we would have to draw real consideration as it relates to what we choose to bring to market.”

So if game improvement is sacred, and they have developed things that would make the sport easier, why not sell those clubs?

“I believe if there was to be a rollback considered, at any level, we run the risk of alienating millions. If we do that, we want to provide golfers who might look at things in a different way if it gets more difficult with products that will suit their game. That could lead us down the road of a couple of different equipment lines. We hope that is not the case because it gets very complicated.”

It’s only complicated because companies who have defied the USGA/R&A equipment rules suffered with golfers. The only documented cases of alienation suggest golfers value the rules over purchasing freedom. That the governing bodies have not had the courage to enact rule changes targeting the upper 1%, even after these past episodes of manufacturer hostility toward the rules, remains so strange.

Abeles at least is using the right tone and respect for the rules, unlike the often outlandish anti-governing body stances (here and here) and greed-driven decisions of former Taylor Made CEO Mark King.

Video: Callaway CEO Discusses Merger With Topgolf

When its $2B merger with @Topgolf is completed early next year, @CallawayGolf expects the combined company will have a revenue mix of Topgolf (46 percent); golf equipment (30 percent); and softgoods (24 percent).@GeoffShac #callawaygolf #topgolf #golf #golfbusiness #sports pic.twitter.com/cSs6K9Eu0m

— Steve Pike (@StevePike9) October 28, 2020

While the market pounded Callaway’s stock price—down 18.83% on news of an all stock merger with Topgolf—Yahoo’s Daniel Roberts notes that Callaway diversified its business for less than half of Topgolf’s $4 billion valuation as it eyed an IPO.

But there is the pandemic and Roberts suggests the market is less bullish on a return to groups gathering for Topgolf fun as soon as Callaway may be thinking.

CEO Chip Brewer joined CNBC’s ‘Closing Bell’ to talk about what the merger would do for its golf entertainment business.

Callaway Buys Topgolf In All-Stock Deal

Thanks to reader for Cara Lombardo’s Wall Street Journal story breaking the shocking news: Callaway is buying the remainder of Topgolf after owning 14%. The all-stock deal marks a stunning turn of events after Topgolf had long eyed an IPO. However the company has seen its business decline during the pandemic with struggles ahead due to issues with public gathering places.

“Topgolf is the best thing that happened to golf since Tiger Woods,” Callaway Chief Executive Chip Brewer said in an interview. “It’s going to be the largest source of new golfers for our industry.”

That was certainly a 2019 view of Topgolf but I’m not sure that’s still the case.

This statement from Lombardo is also strange:

Topgolf’s outdoor driving ranges have been a big draw during the coronavirus pandemic as people look for ways to safely socialize out of the home.

Calling them “outdoor” is partially accurate but I’m not sure about the statement that they are safer places to socialize than, say, a golf course. Or a park.

That said, this seems like a steal for Callaway and CEO Brewer given several factors: Topgolf’s popularity, the likelihood of the facilities bouncing back in better times, and the ability to introduce new golfers to Callaway clubs, or sell directly to avid golfers.

Gary Player: "All golf balls go the same distance now..."

It can be scary to lean on Gary Player’s views as he’s been known to advocate for some unusual ideas, but while visiting the KPMG LPGA he offered this on the golf ball:

However, he added: “What perturbs me is the golf manufacturers, particularly the golf balls, they're reluctant to change. All golf balls go the same distance now. No one golf ball goes further than the other. I've tried them all. They're not allowed to go further.”

Farther, but we know what you meant. Go on…

“So if we cut the balls back further, 50 yards, it's not going to affect their sales. Whoever is No.1 now will be No.1 then because the reason you're No.1 is because of your advertising and your marketing. That's the only reason you spend more money and you have more players using it and endorsing it. That's the reason. Not because it's a better ball.

“So we must cut the ball back, and it will happen. As sure as I'm standing here, it will happen, otherwise they're going to make a mockery of these golf courses, and we cannot make them longer because we're running out of water.”

I’m not certain an across-the-board rollback can be sold on the public, but as Player notes, ball supremacy has mostly been nullified and the major differences are slight. So why dance around the perceived differences at the expense of the game? Oh, right, the governing bodies favor the needs of a few capitalists over the game. Silly me.

Players To Get Boost Of Ahleticism As New Pro V’s Turn Up In Vegas (Again)

Because they aren’t hitting it long enough and the air isn’t thin enough to make 400 yards an expected thing, new Titleist’s are turning up at their favorite testing grounds: TPC Summerlin.

Twenty years after the first Pro V’s showed up in Vegas and instantly turned most Titleist staffers into decathletes, it’s that time of year. Sources close to absolutely no one predict the new new Pro V1’s and Pro V1x’s will be longer and, wait for it, I swear, really, like, really straighter.

Golfweek’s David Dusek reviews and previews the Pro V’s history at the Shriner’s and what can be expected as the conforming ball is put into play.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the first Titleist Pro V1 at the 2000 Invensys Classic. That week, 47 players in the field switched into the new multi-layer, urethane-covered ball, including Billy Andrade, who went on to win.

Historically, Titleist brings prototypes of the three-piece Pro V1 and the four-piece Pro V1x balls to Las Vegas to get feedback from players, then makes the balls available to consumers in late January of the following year.

The company is not providing any details regarding modifications it has made to the balls at this time, but it is likely that the balls are receiving refinements instead of significant overhauls. Why? According to Titleist, about 73 percent of all the players on the PGA Tour last season used either a Pro V1 or a Pro V1x. That number jumps to 75 percent on the European Tour and 83 percent on the LPGA Tour.

Which means, when we take 12 dimples off it and make it a few millimeters larger, it’ll still be the most popular! Right Wally?