KC STYLE

?If you’ve watched the U.S. Open, the British Open, or any other professional golf tournament this season, undoubtedly you’ve experienced some of the most colorful characters in the sport of golf. What’s your first thought when you hear the names Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Darren Clark, and of course, Tiger Woods, besides the fact they are the best golfers on the planet? Fashion. It’s probably what a lot of avid fans recognize as the common denominator. With almost unlimited TV time, major clothing manufacturers utilize these pros to display their latest creations. These golf fashion trends have a major effect over what golf attire is most popular around any local golf course, and Kansas City is no exception.

Walk into any KC pro shop or golf retail store, and you’ll discover the prominent trend in golf fashion. This is nothing new. Think back to the 1973 U.S. Open. The 26-year old Johnny Miller crashed the party with a scorching 63, eight-under par. Miller was also known for something other than his skills with a golf club. He wore the latest fashions of his era, which for the most part were bright and bold colors. This clothing trend has been reborn and embraced by the largest golf clothing manufacturers, Nike and Adidas.

Todd Wilson, Store Manager at Golf Discount Superstore of Kansas City, agrees. As Wilson points out, bold colors dominate the clothing racks in his store in north KC. The bright greens, blues, and pinks – from a few different manufacturers – are his best sellers. And golfers in his store prefer the Adidas and Under Armour clothing lines. “The younger golfers have embraced this trend of bold colors the most. These kids see Sergio Garcia on TV, and they want to get what he is wearing,” Wilson said. Brett Plymell, General Manager of Adams Pointe Golf Club, also agrees. Nike’s bright colors illuminate his pro shop.

This trend in clothing isn’t limited to shirts, shorts, and pants, either. Belts, shoes, and other accessories let golfers choose their style, too. Bright white belts have made their way from the waist lines of Garcia and Woods into the pro shops throughout the metro. Shoes also display the same bold colors as apparel. Adidas, in particular, is offering their current shoe styles with several different accent colors, including blue, red, orange, and light green. These bold colors are part of what Plymell and Wilson describe as a movement to more modern style. Supported by mostly younger golfers, this modern style has clearly taken a strangle hold of retail and pro shops.

The fabrics used in today’s golf apparel drive this trend. “You can’t find cotton golf shirts in most pro shops anymore,” Plymell said. Judging by the difficulty to find cotton shirts made by the two largest clothing designers, Nike and Adidas, Plymell knows what he’s talking about.

When asked what the most dominant trend in golf apparel today is, Plymell noted “tech fabrics.” The new fabric technologies in shirts and shoes have taken over the world of golf apparel. The new fabrics are lighter and breathable, unlike their predecessor, cotton. From first-hand experience, it’s clear that cotton becomes extremely restrictive in the summers here in the Midwest. Cotton will soak up and hold the sweat, making the golf swing much more difficult than with today’s materials. There are many more material options for golf apparel manufacturers than ever before. One can only do so much with cotton.

Nike’s Sphere Dry, part of the Dri-FIT line, is one of these new styles for golf shirts. The technology of this product was created to keep the shirt from sticking to your skin. The texture created for this fabric transfers the perspiration to the outside of the shirt allowing evaporation to occur much quicker. The design allows for more airflow, keeping the golfer much cooler out on the course.

Adidas has its own version of these new shirts. ClimaCool is similar to the Nike’s Dri-FIT clothing line. Like Dri-FIT, the purpose of ClimaCool technology is to keep the golfer dry and cool in the hot muggy days of summer.

Footwear is another item that is being transformed by the new technological advances. Not to diminish the history of FootJoy as a golf shoe leader, but Nike and Adidas have readily adopted their roles as the modern footwear giants. This golfer has definitely noticed an increase in the number of players sporting Nike or Adidas footwear. Adidas has created two styles that can be seen all over the Kansas City Metro, as well as the rest of the nation. The Adidas Tour 360 LTD and Powerband are meant to provide better support for the arch of the foot, and to give golfers a lower center of gravity. Nike’s newest shoe is called the Air Zoom Elite. The technology of Nike’s shoe is designed for optimal comfort, and to create more power in the weight shift for the golfer.

It’s clear, however, that the new modern look and feel of today’s golf clothing and shoes has not necessarily been accepted by everyone. Older golfers, according to Wilson, tend to purchase more traditional style clothing and footwear. Today these golfers may have a hard time finding classic cotton golf shirts. And it appears that bold colors and modern golf shoes are not as popular with the older crowd as they are with the younger golfers. Wilson said that the trend among the older Kansas City golfer, as far as shoes go, is still the conventional saddle shoe in brown, black, and white.

When speaking with Wilson, the mock shirt came up in conversation. Wilson believes that the previous trend of mock golf shirts, mostly made famous by Nike and Tiger Woods, has slowed down and almost ended. Wilson said that his store doesn’t carry as many of the mock shirts because they have sold fewer of them over the recent months. This is not to say that Kansas City golfers do not wear the mock golf shirts anymore, it’s just to say that trends come and go with time.

The trend of bold, bright colors is cyclical, as well. Bold colors were popular in the past, mainly the ‘70s, and now this almost-flamboyant trend of standing out, is in. If nothing else, these returning fashion trends can help you look the part even if you can’t play the part.

National and professional fads affect what is available in retail stores and pro shops in the metro. Golf manufacturers create designs and styles for the pros to wear, and the more of a particular style that we see on TV, the more popular it becomes among the recreational golfers.

Since signing his endorsement deal with Nike, Tiger Woods has become a consultant to Nike’s clothing development teams. Nike wants to make clothing that Tiger wants to wear. And what Tiger wears, we wear. That goes for Adidas with Sergio Garcia, Polo with Luke Donald, and so on.

We are a long way removed from the dress shirts, ties, sweater vests, and knickers of yesterday. And with the incredible hot and sticky summers here in Kansas City, new technology is a life saver. Try on a bright orange Sphere Dry shirt, add some plaid shorts, and tee one up. Don’t forget your white belt.

—Matt Ryan

Traveling with Your Golf Clubs

Kansas City offers great courses to play. With around 50 public courses and another 30 private ones, golf in the metro area thrives. But sometimes it's nice to venture out of your comfort zone, and into different terrain and weather to test your skills against golf courses that play differently than you're used to.

So you plan a golf vacation to play on the ocean. Or maybe your cousin is getting married in Chattanooga, and you want to play a round or two in your down time. Or you're heading to Vegas, and decide to play the Wynn Golf Course. Whatever the case, if you're driving with your clubs, no problem. But if you're going to fly, here are some things to think about before you buy your ticket.

Airport baggage carousel

You've seen this before. Golf clubs spin out of the baggage carousel at the airport and land with a giant thud. In slow motion, a man screams and lunges for the set. You cringe. He picks his bag up from the floor. Reluctantly, he unzips it and looks in. You see a tear forming in the corner of his eye. He mumbles something about "oversized-baggage area."

You feel for him, the golfer whose bag just did a back flip down the ramp. That's what happens when robots, and disgruntled baggage workers load and unload your clubs. Lucky for him, the story ends happily. He had a protective travel case, and his $400 driver didn't even move. But you'll never get that image out of your head. Ever.

TRAVEL CASES

Traveling with your clubs means getting a travel bag. You'll have your choice of a hard, soft, or hybrid bag, each offering its own benefits and drawbacks.

The hard cases do the best job of protecting your clubs. If you have an expensive set, you'll probably go with one of these. Good hard cases are made to withstand almost anything. Some claim to be bulletproof. The downside? They're heavy, bulky, and more expensive than other cases. But your clubs will be protected.

Datrek offers their Whale Hardcase Sport model with a foam padded interior, and the exterior is a very tough ABS construction. Your clubs might jostle around a bit inside, but nothing will hurt them in this bag. If you don't have the problems with ground transportation (let the hotel shuttle guy worry about it) or the concerns with weight (this thing weighs 15 lbs. empty), then by all means get the most protection you can in this travel cover.

Lighter, less expensive soft cases do the trick, too. Most of them are rigid enough to put your clubs in with no hassles, and moving them around from car to airport to taxi to bus to rental car, is simple.

When you place your entire golf bag in the case, go ahead and put on your golf bag rain cover if you have one. If not, wrap your clubheads with a rain jacket, a couple of t-shirts, or a sweater to help eliminate the jostling. Some people even wrap their clubs with bubble wrap inside the soft case. This may be overkill, according to soft-case manufacturers, but if it makes you feel more comfortable, go ahead and wrap 'em. Though not completely baggage-handler proof, they'll protect your set. Most of the time. Be prepared, as golf clubs do get broken on occasion.

Club Glove is the big name in soft-sided travel bags for golf. They claim the top spot among touring pros on the PGA, LPGA, and Champions tours. The top-of-the-line model is the “Last Bag” which indicates that this is the last one you'll ever buy. At the current price point somewhere between $250 and $300, it better be. It is made out of Cordura for maximum toughness and light weight. With sixteen colors to choose from, you can also make sure to get something other than black and avoid the baggage claim confusion. The full-length zipper is held together with three integrated straps. Despite being a soft-sided bag, all the engineering for durability still pushes the weight to 12 lbs. If you want to save on some weight and some of the cost, the other mainstay in their lineup is the “Burst Proof” bag. It has a lot of the same features, weighs only 7.8lbs and is the ideal size for smaller carry bags at a much easier to handle price point.

The hybrid cases give you the best of both worlds. As the name implies, they're a cross between the hard and soft bags.

Izzo is a golf accessory company with some interesting offerings in this arena. Their hybrid "Compact Travel Cover" brings with it the strength of a hard case with the packability of the softer bags, all while rolling around on a very innovative 6-wheel system. It has a great mid-price point and weighs in at around 15lbs. The wheeled base is perhaps the coolest part of this bag. It has two regular inline skate wheels like you see on most other luggage, but it also has four pivoting smaller wheels allowing you to keep the bag upright and easily navigate the back-and-forth alleys and lanes of airport waiting lines. Once you get through those lines and get to your destination, the whole bag collapses down to make the most of your rental car storage space.

Airline Regulations

Airlines these days, keep changing their luggage policies. The days of unlimited free bags are gone away with cheap gas. Obviously we can't carry on our golf clubs, so usually, your golf bag will count as one piece of checked luggage. Many airlines are now charging per checked bag, so make sure to use the extra space in your bag to pack your shoes, socks, and anything else you may need.

Most of the airlines charge you extra for any bag over 50 pounds, but in normal circumstances, will simply take your bag and you're on your way to board the plane. If you're concerned, contact your airline and ask them about checking your golf clubs.

Lost Bags

Lost baggage happens. On one trip, KC golfer Tim Carrigan had his golf bag lost on a planned golf weekend to Houston. “They lost my clubs and told me they would have them delivered to my house when I got back,” he said. “Having my clubs shipped to my home in a few days didn't do me much good on my golf weekend, but there was nothing they could do so they agreed to cover all the charges for club rental and the purchase of balls, shoes, etc., up to a fairly generous limit. All I had to do was show my receipts when I got back to the airport.”

But what happens when an airline loses your clubs for good, and they end up for sale in Arizona at the Unclaimed Baggage Center six months later? Most of them will cover your loss, up to a specific price. U.S. Airways, for example, will cover you up to $3,000. Southwest Airlines will cover you up to $3,000, as well, but if your clubs are worth more, then you may want to pay the extra $1 per $100 to get more coverage. If you travel with your clubs a lot, this can get expensive. You might just be better off with insurance.

Golf Club Insurance

How you do you go about getting your golf clubs insured? Kathy Coen at American Family Insurance in Lenexa said, “We would schedule each individual club you have.” All you need is your receipt, and your clubs will be insured, no questions asked. And it doesn't matter if they're lost by an airline, stolen from the back of your van, run over by your sister, or pilfered from the luggage carousel. And the price is right. At around $1 per $1,000 annually, (check with your insurance agent for accurate pricing) you can travel knowing that if something happens to your clubs, you won't have to shell out a big deductible, or mess with the airlines. “We'll take care of you,” Coen said, “and then we go after the airlines.”

Rentals

You may be thinking to yourself, what have I gotten myself into? All I wanted to do was play Pebble Beach. Well, you can always rent clubs to avoid the hassle. If you go this route, you can even demo those new Pings you wanted to hit. And maybe try a Callaway fairway wood, or a differently-lofted wedge.

If you rent, you don't have the problem of lugging your clubs around, but you probably won't play your best, either. So get a travel case, pack your bags, and you'll find that after traveling with your clubs a few times, it's not bad. And you can be the person lunging for the bulky bag at the airport carousel.

—Peter Blunt

GolfTEC: EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY

At GolfTEC in Overland Park, a Wall of Fame prominently highlights their students' golf achievements. Some for attaining their best nine holes of golf. Some for career bests for 18 holes. Whatever the case, it shows that the system GolfTEC uses to teach its students, helps golfers improve. “The wall of fame is a way of recognizing our students for achieving a special accomplishment,” said Dan Dolan, GolfTEC Director of Operations and Instruction. “And with over 130 entries to the Wall of Fame, the system works.” Dolan has taught over 13,000 lessons over the last seven years since joining GolfTEC, so he's seen his share of personal bests, and proof that technology can help improve your game. Nationally, the GolfTEC system has given over 1.5 million lessons since inception in the late '90s. 

GolfTEC takes the guesswork out of golf lessons. It's a factual-based system – using technology – to isolate both the positives and negatives of a player's golf swing. Since everything is recorded and documented, the facts speak for themselves. “The lesson is tailored for each individual student using a fact-based approach. There are no opinions, no theories, no ‘my way.' It's all based on fact,” Dolan said. “There's no guesswork in the lesson.” 

How can this be possible, taking the opinion out of teaching? It's the system. GolfTEC uses high-tech cameras and motion sensors to visually show students what they're up against. “We capture the swing with high-speed video, Dolan said, “then use the motion sensor technology to quantify the swing.”  

If it sounds intimidating, it's not. Even for low-tech people who cringe when thinking about computers and golf. “You get the sensors on and take a couple of swings, then we show you what you are doing, right and wrong, and you say, ‘that wasn't so hard,'” Dolan said. Because all you are doing is the same thing you do on the course, swinging a golf club. 

They teach everyone from five-year-old juniors, to seniors who may not turn their hips as well as Tiger. Or even Rocco. “We teach golfers of every skill level,” Dolan said. GolfTEC instructs players who hold local course records, those who shoot 100+ but want to get better, and even Tour Pros. Their average player shoots between 90 and 100. “We're not reinventing the wheel. We use technology to help fix your swing,” Dolan said. 

The 90-minute initial evaluation provides GolfTEC with all they information they need to get started. In a normal situation, you go into the driving bay, they outfit you with sensors on your shoulders and waist, then you hit golf balls. The front- and side-mounted cameras record your swing, and the computer records the sensor results, which measure precisely to within a 10th of a degree in real-time movement your rotation and movement. 

Then comes the fun part. GolfTEC will compare you, side-by-side on the monitor, with a Tour Pro of similar body structure. (When I went in, Dolan was nice enough to compare me to Tiger Woods instead of John Daly.)  They have a huge database of Tour Pros, with shots of players swinging every club and shot imaginable. “We have front and side views of almost every club – putting, chipping, sand, everything,” Dolan said. “Any kind of shot possible. Knock downs, draws and fades. And if you want to get tricky and advanced, we have those aspects as well.”

The real-time video makes a huge difference for understanding your golf swing. “If you've never seen yourself on video before,” Dolan said, “you owe it to yourself to see and learn.” Once you do see yourself –and I warn you, be prepared – and you see your swing compared to a pro, the light bulb pops up over your head and you can visualize the faults you face. GolfTEC will certainly show you the good things you are doing, too, but they'll focus on fixing the problems you have.  

“In the initial evaluation, we diagnose all the pros and all the cons, both the positive and negative aspects of the swing. And we help golfers understand what it's going to take – long term - to help them improve,” Dolan said. The evaluation opens up the eyes to the player, so they can understand what the teaching will be correcting. 

After the initial evaluation, you take 30-minute lessons to achieve your personal goals. It usually takes 12.1 lessons for the common golfer – based on national GolfTEC averages, give or take the point 1 – to succeed. 

 GolfTEC offers packages for different time frames, so choose the one after your initial evaluation, that fits your skill and budget.

“Every swing you ever take, along with a picture of you and Tiger on day one, we use as a resource during the lessons. Especially when you make a breakthrough,” Dolan said. They look at where you were when you first started, and where you are currently during the instruction. 

Speaking of documentation, every lesson you take, including the initial evaluation, is available on the web at www.golftec.com. They upload your personal videos to the internet, as well as the audio that takes place during the lesson, so you can download and keep everything for reference. They also upload drills and other instructional information as homework, something for you to work on between lessons. This works great. Take a break and watch your progression during your lunch break. 

Or better yet, head over to GolfTEC and practice in their driving bays – complete with video – as a part of your instruction package. You get to hit unlimited golf balls, with the video and sensor information, to help your lessons move forward. Better than a driving range, since you can see what you are doing on the monitor, good or bad. 

Once you start mastering your golf swing, GolfTEC will take you out to the course to perfect your short game. They've teamed up with Sycamore Ridge to deliver the complete golf-training program to improve your game. “This allows us to take our students out, and take what they've learned indoors, outside, to work on course strategy, pitching, sand, and all of the other aspects we aren't able to provide inside,” Dolan said. 

With GolfTEC, It's not really a quick fix. “If you think you're going to take one or two lessons and change your golf game and reach your goals, your expectation levels are probably not realistic,” Dolan said. It's a long-term program that will systematically improve your play. “You continously hear the same thing,” Dolan said. “ ‘Wow, I never realized I did that. I can't believe that's me.' Usually people will chuckle and say, ‘I can't believe I did that,'” Dolan said. “That's a great feeling as a teacher. You can see the smile on their face. You can feel the pride of the hard work the student put in.” Just take a look at their Wall of Fame. It's filled with pride. Hard work. And lower scores. 

—Roger Hunt

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