Tampa Bay Golf News

The Latest in Game Improvement, Goodies and Gimmicks You’ll See in 2008

While you were either shivering in the January cold or (hopefully) out chasing around the little white ball in a warmer climate, the golf industry was trying to fi gure out what you want NEXT, and showing it off to retailers, golf shop owners, and our intrepid reporters at Golfers Guide.

With more than 10 square miles of show space hosting 1250 different golfrelated companies, thousands of people in the golf industry from all over the world visited Orlando in mid-January. Our regional publishers have their Top 10 list of interesting products worth a look:

Guckenberger ‘N Partners Advertising

December birthday people are acutely aware every year how their birthday gets overshadowed by the Holidays. We get used to the “combo” gift your parents offer growing up, “this bike is for your birthday and Christmas.”

My wife says, “I’d like to do something nice for your birthday this year, it’s a big number.” Indeed it was a big number, 45. My reply to her was this, “I’d like to play golf all day, 45 holes, have food and drinks ready for when we get home, then play poker.” “Done”, she says. Thus the birth of The Advil 45. We wanted to create the environment of a real tournament, so we even came up with a logo, and a sponsor, Grey Goose Vodka---one of the players is a regional manager for Bacardi, which distributes Goose.

A Quick-Read Golf Etiquette Guide
Author: J. Kelly Mione

This book is definitely in the category of “self-help.” After all, who among us would buy a book for a friend called “Doofus-Proof Golf,” at least a friend we want to ever see again? However, for anyone who’s just taking up the game, or maybe wants to send a message in bulk at their next outing, this easy-toread and very funny guide will likely cut down embarrassment and speed up play, two things of which we’re all in favor!

Author J. Kelly Mione is the Marketing Director for Adam Smith Enterprises, developer of Trinity in southwest Pasco County. But this work shows his other true love, communicating his love of the game. As he writes, “You can embarrass yourself two ways on a golf course; with a bad swing and bad etiquette. Most everyone will excuse the bad swing, but few, if any, will excuse bad etiquette.”

PGA Professional Kevin Kenny has opened a new golf learning center in New Tampa. Based out of both Tampa Palms and Hunter’s Green, Kevin offers his first-class instruction in a private country club setting. Kevin is a former North Florida PGA West Center Chapter Player of the Year and is the primary golf instructor of PGA Tour winner George McNeill. George won the 2006 PGA Tour Qualifying School in convincing fashion. His 2007 rookie campaign on Tour was a resounding success capped by a victory at the Frys.com Open in October in Las Vegas.