Sucky golfers create suckier golf company

Two Minnesota duffers have created a brand of golf merchandise that brings self-deprecating whimsy to a sport that has humbled even mighty pros. Unlike marketers whose balls, shirts and hats try to associate the buyer with a golf hero, a legendary course or top-flight performance, the new BogeyPro brand pokes fun at those who take the game oh-so-seriously.

Consider BogeyPro's motto, "Swing harder," which jabs gently at the typical response of many golfers who slice a banana ball out of bounds.

"We're not about a better golf game," says Arik Nordby, who heads the fledgling brand. "We're about a better golf experience."

Is that a cop-out for mediocrity?

No, says Nordby, who once shot an 87 but admits to his share of lost balls and penalty strokes. "Golf will rob you of your self-esteem," he said, and after watching golfers throw clubs in anger he has come to believe that the game is best enjoyed as "a social event"--- a good time outdoors with friends who possess a sense of humor.

BogeyPro launched at the 2002 PGA Merchandise Show and enjoyed surprising media attention after The Golf Channel proclaimed their products "Best marketed and most creative" at the event.

"After two years, I'd say it's catching on," Nordby's business partner Pete Galvin said. "We've sold product to thousands across the globe, had several orders to top celebs and were even chosen to provide our "Swing Harder" caps at last year's Bob Hope Chrysler Classic tournament.

BogeyPro's T-shirts include detailed drawings of how to throw a bag or use a footwedge---the artful, undetected kick of a ball from a vexing lie.

Nordby, president of JAMCO Products, BogeyPro's parent company, said that they are cultivating their offbeat irreverence to distinguish their brand from the competition. Nordby said that although BogeyPro relies on humor, "We're very serious about the products we sell."

The company's prices and the quality of its apparel and accessories compare favorably with those of more established brands. It's just the message that's different, he said---for example, golf balls labeled "Zero Distance," "Poor Spin" and "No Control," or their newest offering, a Staff/Cart Hybrid Golf Bag from ClubGlove. "It's the same bag our Ryder Cup team used at Oakland Hills in 2004," chimed Nordby, "only with our brand plastered all over it."

Nordby and Galvin concede that the BogeyPro philosophy probably won't appeal to country club players who double their bets on the back nine. But they expect it to attract the 80 percent of golfers who seldom score lower than 90---an estimate of the U.S. Golf Association.

"We know our customer well," Galvin said. "We're him."

Contact Arik Nordby at BogeyPro
Phone 877-264-3971,
E-mail arik@bogeypro.com or
Website www.bogeypro.com

December 21, 2004