TaylorMade-adidas Golf continues to push the Hack Golf initiative it introduced this past January. TMaG describes Hack Golf as an “open innovation initiative aimed at making golf more fun for everyone, in a short time generating a flood of crowd-sourced ideas from both inside and outside of the industry.’’
Sergio Garcia tires out 15-inch cup at Reynolds Plantation
I’m still not completely sold, but you have to give TMaG credit to trying something different and putting itself out there while most of its competitors shrink away from such things.
For example, defending U.S. Open Champion Justin Rose and Tour star Sergio Garcia today each headlined a group of golf industry leaders at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga., who participated a 15-inch-cup tournament hosted by TaylorMade Golf. The event represents the kickoff of TMaG’s commitment – up to $5 million over the next five years – to support Hack Golf.
“It is clear our game needs something to recapture the incredible growth and momentum we were experiencing a decade ago,” said TMaG CEO Mark King. “Whether it is this 15-inch-cup concept or an idea that comes in from outside the industry, we need to spark a revolution that will bring new participants to the game.”
For the record, Garcia recorded a score of 30 playing nine holes with 15-inch cups installed in the greens, while Rose shot a 33.
Over the next two weeks, according to TMaG, 20 golf courses participating in the beta test will receive 15-inch-cup kits that include the hole, custom tee markers, flags and flagsticks. TMaG projects up to another 80 courses across the nation will be enrolled in the program by the end of May.
