Thirty-five "leading golf pros," including Ben
Crenshaw, Tom Kite and Beth Daniel, "have formed a licensing
and merchandising group similar" to the NFL's QB Club,
called "Tour Golf Club," according to Wayne Friedman of AD
AGE. Tour Golf will "market its own group sponsorship,
which won't affect" deals made by individual players or the
PGA Tour. Giff Breed, Dir of Marketing at VA-based Pros,
which "put together" Tour Golf: "We are trying to create an
ancillary brand for [marketers] that want to get involved
with golf but don't want to [have an association with] a
specific player." The group's first deal is with CA One
Services, which developed the first Tour Golf retail shop in
Austin-Bergstrom Int'l Airport in TX that opens this week.
Another deal has NY-based Internet company eGreens
developing Tour Golf's Web site at www.tourgolfclub.com.
Other "targeted categories include" credit cards, insect
repellant, nutritional foods, theme restaurants and
vitamins. Tour Golf is "seeking a modest upfront revenue
commitment" from its partners (AD AGE, 5/24 issue).
JUST DO IT? GOLF WORLD's Sirak & Rosaforte note that
while Nike Tour purses are "jumping" in 2000, the future of
Nike's title sponsorship is "very much up in the air." Nike
Corporate Communications Manager Scott Reames said talks
"are ongoing. Whether that means the continuation of the
Nike Tour is another thing. Nike is not the kind of company
that keeps doing the same thing" (GOLF WORLD, 5/24 issue).
