Happy New Year everyone! Ok enough slacking… the holidays are officially over and it’s time to turn it up again. SirPutts has stayed pretty busy over the past few weeks… the email bin is empty now and he’s replied to a whole bunch of people. I’ll admit… I took some time off to recharge but we’ve got work to do! I think we’ll run through a few more companies this week so let’s have a look at what we can expect from Tommy Armour Golf this year.
The Company
The past few years have been pretty rough for this once proud company. It looks like they have finally turned the financial corner and 2006 could be a real comeback year for one of the oldest golf companies in the world. Tommy Armour (and their sister company Ram Golf) really try to cover all the bases. The Ram name is primarly used for lower end products… clubs designed for the beginner and the Tommy Armour name is used more for higher end equipment. Armour has produced some real duds over the past few years but the 2006 line looks a lot better and people should be plesantly surprised.
The Products – What We Know
We saw most of the 2006 Tommy Armour equipment in Las Vegas so we have a pretty good idea of what to expect. The new Silver Scot forged cavity backs and forged blades should be the cornerstone of the new line. Both irons feature a very traditional look and remind me of the Tommy Armour irons of old. These will be joined by the 845HB (a mid-priced hybrid set) and the current Morph irons. Also watch for the Allegretto ladies set and the Royal Scot seniors set.
There will also be a new addition to the Tommy Armour wood line. The Ayrtime driver features three movable weights designed to help the golfer alter trajectory and ball flight. The Ayrtime is an odd looking club but it doesn’t feel too bad. It could do fairly well in the low to mid price point… but it will get killed if it comes in too expensive. The Torch driver, fairway woods and iron-woods are back to round out the line but I don’t expect them to be huge sellers. Woods are not Tommy Armour’s specialty.
Watch for a few new Tommy Armour wedges too. The Silver Scot forged wedge will be a match to the new forged irons and the Pro Spin wedge will be the company’s “high spin” offering. Both are decent looking clubs and I think they can do well if priced properly.
The Tommy Armour putter line features some pretty interesting designs. The P-117 could be one of the strangest MOI putters I’ve ever seen and the giant “A” alignment aid on the Arrowmark design could be pretty distracting. I think a lot of golfers will give these a try because of their interesting designs but I don’t think too many of these trials will lead to sales.
The Products – What Might Be On The Way
There is not much buzz around what could be on the way from Tommy Armour but I think there are a few things that we can rule out…
1) They won’t be making a huge leap back onto the PGA Tour anytime soon. Armour doesn’t have the budget to enter the mix right now and any money they do have should be spent on getting people interested in their equipment.
2) I don’t see them bringing out a line that will compete with the “big boys” for at least a few more years. I think they’d be better off if they focused on solid mid range products and built a good customer base. There were a lot of people that turned away from Armour during the company’s tough financial times and the company needs to get those people back.
I think the success of the 2006 Tommy Armour line hinges on price. If the company’s products come in too high, they’ll get wiped out by other manufacturers. If the products come in too cheap, people may view them as inferior. If Armour can successfully navigate the mid price point market for a few years and then gradually move back into the upper tier… we might see Tommy Armour back on top one day.
That’s all for today. Once again… Happy New Year to everyone! Keep sending in the email and we’ll talk to you soon!