American – Golfing Agency

Blackshaw joins American Golf

detlef32 — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 12:22:39 +0000

American Golf has joined forces with rising golf star, George Blackshaw to encourage participation within the sport without fear of barriers to play.

George, an England right leg and right arm amputee golfer, who was selected to play for England Golf in the Disability Nations Cup, is now integral to American Golf’s official ‘Behind Every Golfer’ campaign. Earlier this year this saw him become one of the faces behind Stromberg’s exclusive SS22 The Open Collection, alongside LET & LPGA pro Carly Booth, who is also ambassador to American Golf.

Championing inclusivity and diversity within golf, George will play an active role within American Golf’s marketing and social media campaigns to drive forward positive change within the industry.

George commented: “I’ve always strongly believed that anything is possible if you work hard and believe in yourself and I’m proud of how far I’ve already come in my golfing career. If I can inspire others – disabled or otherwise – to discover the joy of the game, I would consider that a great accomplishment.”

Gary Favell, CEO, American Golf said: “We’re very happy to be welcoming George into American Golf’s rapidly growing family of ambassadors.

“American Golf works incredibly hard to ensure that we, as a prominent retailer, are behind every golfer, regardless of age, gender, ability, or ethnicity. Teaming up with fantastic personalities such as George is so important in our mission to open up the game of golf and break down barriers to play.”

American Golf has over 90 retail stores across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, while also offering delivery to countries across Europe.

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The Best American Cities for Golfers

detlef32 — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 01:57:46 +0000

When asked to name the best locations for golf in the U.S., golf obsessives might point to resort towns like Palm Desert, Hilton Head, or Naples, or perhaps to bigger cities packed with courses like Scottsdale or Las Vegas. Many serious golfers dream of playing their way through the dozens of courses that each of these locales offer. But while few communities can stack up against the bounty of top courses in these golf-loving cities, golfers can still find excellent places to play throughout the country.

Having golf-friendly locations throughout the U.S. is important for generating and maintaining widespread interest in the sport—and lately, this interest has been growing quickly. Golf experienced a nationwide increase in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and hasn’t slowed down since. According to the National Golf Foundation, rounds played in 2021 were up 5% over 2020 and 19% over the three-year average from 2017 to 2019. A record 3.2 million people played for the first time in 2021.

This increase in popularity has come despite the costs associated with golf, which can be a major barrier to entry, from equipment to greens fees to club dues. Golf can already be an expensive hobby, but recent data suggests that costs are also rising. Membership fees and dues are up by more than 40% in the last 15 years, while greens and guest fees are up by nearly 25% over the same span. Even the cost of a beer or lunch at the snack bar after a round is getting more expensive, as costs from food and beverage sales are up by more than a third since 2006.

Beyond cost, however, a number of other local conditions can affect how easy it is for people to keep up with their golf hobby. A person who lives in an area that is not accommodating for golfers will be far less likely to try out or stick with the sport.

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Above anything, golfers need a place to play, and not every part of the U.S. offers equal access to golf courses and country clubs. The number of courses in a state is often correlated with its population, but some states punch above their weight on this measure. For example, Michigan ranks 4th in the number of courses but just 10th in population, while neighboring Wisconsin has the 10th-highest number of courses despite being 20th in population. Of all states, Florida boasts the most courses, a figure that outpaces more populous states like California and Texas.

Having a high number of courses is just one factor that indicates how welcoming a location is for golf enthusiasts. Arguably, weather is the single most important factor in making golf more enjoyable for longer portions of the year, with temperate, dry climates being preferable to places that are too hot, cold, wet, or windy. When it comes to weather, it’s the Southwest and West Coast that are most conducive to golfing year round. California and Arizona take the top spots, followed by New Mexico, Texas, and Nevada.

Golf Workout Program combined these and other factors to evaluate the best states and cities for golfers. At the state level, well-known golf destinations like Arizona, California, and Florida ranked highly, boosted by good weather, plenty of courses, and frequent professional events. But perhaps surprisingly, some of the top states in this composite score are small Midwestern locations like Michigan and South Dakota, both of which regularly host professional events and have high concentrations of courses relative to their small populations. Similar trends hold at the local level, where cities in Arizona, California, and Florida stand out. But there are plenty of other locations outside of these golf-centric states that should be on any golfer’s radar.

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The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau, NOAA, and the PGA Tour. To determine the best locations for golfers, researchers at Golf Workout Program calculated a composite score based on local weather (mild temperatures and low precipitation), total PGA Tour events in the past five years, golf courses and country clubs per capita, and sporting goods stores per capita. Only areas in the contiguous United States were considered for the analysis.

Here are the best U.S. metropolitan areas for golfers.

The Best Large U.S. Metros for Golfers

15. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA

Composite score: 57.1
Weather score: 49.0
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 9
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 1.9
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 4.1

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14. Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI

Composite score: 59.8
Weather score: 40.4
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 5
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 4.1
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 7.3

13. Richmond, VA

Composite score: 61.4
Weather score: 44.9
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 5
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 3.3
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.1

12. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Composite score: 62.1
Weather score: 63.6
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 11
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 1.4
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 4.2

11. Raleigh-Cary, NC

Composite score: 62.5
Weather score: 48.1
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 5
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.7
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.2

10. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

Composite score: 62.7
Weather score: 50.8
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 8
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.1
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 6.6

9. St. Louis, MO-IL

Composite score: 64.6
Weather score: 47.2
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 3
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 3.4
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.3

8. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

Composite score: 68.1
Weather score: 56.2
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 12
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.2
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 6.1

7. Jacksonville, FL

Composite score: 69.1
Weather score: 59.7
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 7
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.3
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 6.4

6. Rochester, NY

Composite score: 70.0
Weather score: 46.0
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 1
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 5.7
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.9

5. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Composite score: 70.4
Weather score: 97.5
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 9
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 1.1
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 4.7

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4. Tulsa, OK

Composite score: 72.3
Weather score: 52.9
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 2
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 3.6
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 6.2

3. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

Composite score: 72.4
Weather score: 83.6
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 10
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.1
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 3.8

2. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

Composite score: 79.0
Weather score: 79.5
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 12
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.9
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.1

1. Tucson, AZ

Composite score: 79.4
Weather score: 84.3
Total PGA Tour events in the last 5 years: 5
Golf courses and country clubs per 100k residents: 2.9
Sporting goods stores per 100k residents: 5.8

Detailed Findings & Methodology

The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns, NOAA’s National Centers for Environment Information, and the PGA Tour’s Tournament Schedule. To determine the best locations for golfers, researchers at Golf Workout Program calculated a composite score based on the following factors and weights:

Local weather (40%)
Total PGA Tour events in the past five years (30%)
Golf courses and country clubs per 100,000 residents (25%)
Sporting goods stores per 100,000 residents (5%)

The weather score is also a composite measure that optimizes for both mild temperatures and low precipitation. In the event of a tie, the location with more golf courses and country clubs per capita was ranked higher. To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 residents were included. Additionally, metros were grouped into cohorts based on population size: small (100,000–349,999), midsize (350,000–999,999), and large (1,000,000 or more). Only areas in the contiguous United States were considered for the analysis.

August Noble

August Noble was first introduced to golf at 7 years old. In 2013 he started seriously working on his game and was able to reduce his handicap from 19 to 3.4 in less than two years. He’s been helping other golfers do the same ever since.

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American Golf tees up winter training programme

detlef32 — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 00:10:05 +0000

American Golf has launched an online and in-person winter training programme aimed at encouraging golfers to keep playing during the colder months and preparing them to be ready to play their best golf at the beginning of the season next year.

Designed by a series of top PGA professionals, sports psychologists and fitness experts, the weekly programme, delivered via email, focuses on a different training topic each week, supported by free-to-access skills and drills videos on YouTube, the first of which can be seen here.

Sessions include fitness tips to improve your driving, along with training guides and tips with professionals like Dan Whittaker, Jae Bowers, Lee Crombleholme and Justin Rose’s Academy team.

Gary Favell, CEO for American Golf Leisure, said: “Chatting to our customers, we recognised a need to keep golfers engaged, practicing and connected with each other over the long winter months. There’s lots in the news about loneliness, especially in men, so we thought this would be a great way to keep people connected, help make new friends, and to support golfers to start the new season with an improved score and lower handicap.”

The in-person sessions will take place across American Golf’s six sites – Golf Kingdom Rossendale & Chadwell Heath, High Legh Golf Club, Wythall Golf Complex, Hemingford Abbots Golf Complex in Cambridgeshire and Barnehurst Golf Club in Kent.

Golfers can sign up via trainyourgame or visit one of the 60 group training sessions taking place at American Golf’s facilities over the next ten weeks.

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American Golf expands Open Collection range with Stromberg accessories

detlef32 — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 05:26:34 +0000

American Golf’s The Open Collection, an officially licensed range of products inspired by The Open Championship, has been bolstered with the addition of two brand new lines of equipment and accessories, available now, exclusively online and in store.

Designed in collaboration with Stromberg for men, women, and children, the range of stylish, high-tech golfing accessories and equipment includes golf bags, tees, umbrellas, vacuum flasks and more.

As with the SS22 The Open Collection apparel, the new equipment and accessories offer an affordability and classic style without compromising on quality that will appeal to golfers at every level.

Iember Gordon, Head of Marketing at American Golf, said: “We are delighted that we can now showcase the entire SS22 The Open Collection ahead of this year’s 150th Championship. Following the apparel launch last month, the Collection has proved to be incredibly popular with both men and women, something that was incredibly important to us during the products’ design stage. Now people can shop the entire Collection and get kitted out with gear that is sure to both turn heads and support performance on the course.”

Stromberg The Open Waterproof Stand Bag: £179
This nine-inch stand bag sports a 7-way graphite friendly top with perfectly placed lift handles. Constructed from TPU full waterproof golf bag materials, it is the perfect bag for anytime golfing. The bag’s double thick Air Channel hip pad and padded comfortable double strap also ensures a relaxed day of golfing. Additional features include a towel ring with Velcro glove attachment, umbrella holder and a rain hood cover.

Stromberg The Open Waterproof Cart Bag: £199
This 10-inch waterproof cart bag features nine waterproofed zippered pockets (including a waterproof zippered valuables pocket) plus an insulated hydration bottle pocket to ensure your time on the golf is stress-free. It also has a 14-way graphite friendly top with a perfectly placed lift handles, a towel ring with Velcro glove attachment, umbrella holder and a rain hood cover.

Stromberg The Open Tour Staff Bag: £299
This nine-inch Stromberg staff bag plays the part out on the golf course. Seven heavy duty zippered pockets (including zip off back panel for custom logoing) ensure your belongings will be safely kept and within reach at all times, and for added convenience it features a 4-way graphite friendly top with perfectly placed lift handles.

Stromberg The Open Driver Head Cover: £24.99
This universal head cover not only protects your club but adds some style to your golf bag. The high-quality cover is padded and velour-lined to prevent any damage and is made from a faux-leather material for a premium look. The cover is also highlighted with officially licensed R&A “The Open” branding for maximum appeal.

Stromberg The Open Wooden Tees: £4.99
These sturdy wooden 70mm golf tees are made from sustainable bamboo material and highlighted with “The Open” branding for maximum appeal. Containing 30 tees per pack, they are sure to hit the mark on the course this season.

Stromberg The Open Pitchfork & Ball Marker: £12.99
The must-have for any golf aficionado, and ideal for a gift, this pack includes a solid brass pitchfork repairer and a ball marker with soft enamel finish, each featuring official The Open branding.

Stromberg The Open 68” Dual Canopy Umbrella: £34.99
This officially licensed R&A umbrella is highlighted with The Open branding for maximum appeal. It has an oversized 172cm double canopy for extended coverage, that allows gusts of air to pass through to resist inverting in high wind situations. It also has an ergonomic handle for comfort and auto-opening for quick and easy deployment.

Stromberg The Open Vacuum Flask: £12.99
The Open insulated flask has a capacity of 500ml, and it will keep hot drinks hot for up to six hours and your water nicely chilled for up to 24 hours. Officially licensed by the R&A and highlighted with The Open branding.

American Golf has 95 retail stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland, while also offering delivery to countries across Europe. View everything American Golf has to offer by visiting www.americangolf.co.uk.

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Stromberg launches Spring/Summer Collection at American Golf

detlef32 — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 17:45:43 +0000

The Stromberg SS22 collection of golf apparel goes on sale today – providing male, female and junior golfers with some seriously stylish seasonal wardrobe additions to sport as temperatures rise.

Featuring both traditional and bolder on-trend designs, there’s a choice of affordable and attractive pieces to suit every style – all of which blend aesthetics with stretch performance to cut a smart figure on and off the course.

Included within this carefully curated collection is a variety of polo shirts – all offering UPF 50 protection in plain, striped, or bold printed designs, for those keen to follow Mr McIlroy’s U.S. Open fashion – along with coordinating mid and base-layers, hoodies and zip-up tops for cooler days and evenings.

There’s also a women’s waterproof jacket to provide protection from summer showers, as well as sleeveless polos, leggings and stylish skorts – enabling female golfers to flaunt their fashion sense on the green.

All of these great golf garments feature Stromberg’s signature branding – which has been synonymous with high performance golfing apparel since 1977 – and aremade usingfabrics with built-in technology. They’reavailable to buy now online and in American Golf stores.

Items already tipped to be top sellers from Stromberg’s range include…

Sophia Skort £37.99
Always a popular choice during the summer months, this is the first Stromberg skort to go on sale at American Golf and offers the perfect blend of both style and functionality. Perfect for summer play, it also offers the benefits of UPF 50 protection and moisture-wicking comfort. It’s available in navy blue and white colourways and comes in sizes 8-16.

Salas Legging £37.99
Stromberg Salas leggings are the ideal go-to garment to comfortably complement the rest of your golfing gear. Featuring a moisture-wicking finish to move any wetness away from the body, they are also breathable to help you to regulate your body temperature. Even better for summer, they offer UPF50 protection. The fade pattern at the bottom of the legging taps into wider popular athleisure trends – taking inspiration from some of the most fashionable UK brands for superb style, on and off the course. This legging is available in two colourways – navy with blue fade and black with red fade – and in sizes: 8-16.

Men’s Etna Print Polo £34.99
An eccentric and playful design that is targeted towards golfers who prefer a more seasonal and playful look on the course. This shirt closely follows the fashion for bold-patterned shirts that were so popular at the U.S Open last month, amongst Pro players such as Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel. Available in white and blue colourways – and offering UPF 50 protection – it’s a sure-fire summer trend, indeed. Available in sizes small, medium, large, XL and XXL.

Men’s Cerro Mid-layer £44.99
The new Cerro mid-layer is made from high-stretch, high-performance fabric for maximum comfort and manoeuvrability. Perfect for summer showers, it also boastsDurable Water Repellent (DWR) technology, which repels water, causing it to bead on a garment’s surface, rather than soaking into the fabric. The stylish printed panels add to the overall aesthetic of this essential golf garment for summer – kitting you out for all eventualities. It comes in two colourways – black and yellow and navy and royal blue – and in sizessmall, medium, large, XL and XXL.

Iember Gordon, Head of Marketing at American Golf, said: “Stromberg’s always a firm favourite amongst our shoppers and it’s easy to see why. As with all Stromberg products, this new collection has beendesigned by people who love to play golf as much as we do. There are styles and fashions and fits to suit all tastes and, indeed, summer weather conditions – with lots of handy coordinating base and mid-layers to perfectly complement what is a fabulous looking, top-performing range of wardrobe upgrades for the season.

“This collection also continues Stomberg’s commitment to its female and junior offerings, ensuring the brand is inclusive of all golfers, no matter their gender, age or ability – crucial as golf becomes increasingly popular amongst women, and as more children hit the ranges.”

Details of all the pieces offered in the Stromberg SS22 collection can be found here, www.americangolf.co.uk/stromberg.

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