FMBX News

A White Out in America for Golfsmith and TaylorMade

A "White Out" of a different kind hit Manhattan today as local golfers and some of the world's best in the game hit golf balls down the middle of 54th Street with a new white colored driver. The number two player in the world, Martin Kaymer, and global golf star Sergio Garcia joined hundreds of New Yorkers in "White Out" conditions to be among the first to hit the new TaylorMade's r11 and Burner white-colored drivers and woods.  Each took target practice inside a large 45-foot tall by 120-foot long custom-made driving range outside of the Golfsmith store on 54th and Lexington.  For every target successfully hit by a golfer, each company made sizeable donations to a local wounded veterans program using golf in rehabilitation efforts.

The fully-enclosed driving range featured snow flurries falling from the massive structure, covered in white netting, lush grass and a custom tee box. Golfsmith and TaylorMade constructed the driving range to allow New Yorkers to shake off the winter doldrums and be among the first to hit the hottest drivers and woods on the PGA Tour. The white colored clubs are something of a phenomenon in golf simply because most clubs are black. They have become some of the hottest selling clubs for Golfsmith since launched.

"The products we've brought to the industry are unique, exciting and most importantly, tour-validated, and we're confident the energy they've created in golf will be further captured through an event of this magnitude," said TaylorMade Golf CEO Mark King.

"TaylorMade has engineered a club with some unconventional customized features and the white aesthetics of the drivers is generating some of the biggest buzz the industry has seen in a long time," said Marty Hanaka, CEO of Golfsmith, the nation's largest golf specialty retailer. "Out of the gates this is the hottest selling driver that we've seen in the last 10 years."

Garcia, Kaymer and hundreds of New Yorkers braved the near freezing temperatures to fire drives at targets on the far end of the 45-foot tall by 40-yard long driving range using TaylorMade's revolutionary new all-white R11 and Burner SuperFast 2.0 drivers. Together, they raised $40,000 in equipment for Operation Game On!, an organization that uses golf as part of wounded warriors' rehabilitation efforts.

"Our mission is to use golf as a rehabilitation program for returning physically and mentally combat injured troops," said Operation Game On! Founder and President Tony Perez.  "We are here to let wounded veterans know they don't need to raise a white flag when it comes to being active. Instead, they can swing a white driver and enjoy a very active lifestyle through playing golf."

Following the event, consumers joined Garcia and Kaymer inside Golfsmith where they had a chance to outdrive the athletes for a chance to win prizes. Those who attended had a chance to win a new club and received a hat.

The event was covered with a full on sales style interview on CNBC. Donald Trump even got in on the act, using the occasion to both help promote golf clubs, pose with wounded warriors, and to soap box his disdain for the sale of the New York stock exchange to a German enterprise - causing awkward banter with Kaymer.

Picture: Donald Trump gets in on the act as golf and war heroes combine to create a great platform for PR.

Return