From the Fairway
By Christine Speedy

It’s golf tournament time- are you ready?

May kicks off the biggest charity golf tournament schedule of the year, with golf courses willing to make deals to keep the courses full after the snowbirds leave town. It’s also time for seeding and other course maintenance; so if you are a tournament host, verify again your course will be in playable condition since sometimes these schedules can change.

Golf is a game of honor…although if you listen to the chatter, laughs, and whining after a typical round at a charity tournament, you wonder if there is anyone at all who plays by the rules. Or who even knows the rules. Some tournaments, people just want to have fun and taking that improved lie from the rough is just part of their game. Or maybe they just ‘forgot’ how many mulligan’s they used up. For others, adhering to the strict rules of golf is part of the game.

Maybe it’s the amount of money invested (from zero to $2500) that drives the honesty factor, but I don’t think so. I think in large part it stems from how players play their weekly game. How frequently do you play every ball as it lies vs. giving yourself an improved lie since it’s only for fun? I’ve seen some guys who roll the ball with their club ON EVERY SHOT to get it to set up right. They don’t change their game at tournament time. Then there is the player who is having a great game, but has a few bad shots. “I’m not counting that one.” Do you see the trend?

Regardless of your weekly game with buddies, in tournaments players need to be mindful of the rules. Enjoy yourself and play any way you want. But if you turn in a scorecard to contend as a winner, make sure you are signing the card with an honest score. You may not win, but at least no one will be talking about how you cheat either.

Local event: March 20 – 23 PGA World Golf Championships-CA Championship Doral Golf Resort & Spa

Christine Speedy is CEO of CEOgolfshop.com and an Executive Women’s Golf Assn. member.
From the Fairway is published in a regional print magazine in the Lighthouse Pt. FL area.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA (May 6, 2008) - West Coast Trends, Inc., makers of the Club Glove, the Number One travel bag in golf, has filed a lawsuit against Armor Gear, LLC, and its supplier Uneka Concepts, Inc., in the Eastern District Court of Texas for patent infringement. 

West Coast Trends owns the invention described in United States Patent No. 7,19,902 entitled “Flexible Travel Bag With Integrated Support to Protect Bag From Wear.” The patent is directed to a travel bag, such as for golf, fabricated of a flexible material such as nylon combined with a specialized rigid support. The patented travel bag is sold by West Coast Trends under the trademark Club Glove. The Complaint alleges that Armor Gear’s Big Kahuna, Big Kahuna II, and Rolling Sherpa IIz travel bags infringe the ‘902 patent. 

“We will protect our intellectual property vigorously,” stated Jeff Herold, President, West Coast Trends, Inc. “There are more companies on our list that we will be contacting soon.” 

About West Coast Trends 
West Coast Trends, Inc., the Huntington Beach, California-based quality golf club protection company, designs and markets premium golf travel bags, luggage, stand bags, cart bags, club covers and accessories. These include the Club Glove Last Bag, Burst Proof with Wheels, Piggy Back II, Club Glove Carry-On, Rolling Duffles, Aficionado III, Hot Stepper, and Stiff Arm. Nearly every Touring Golf Professional in the U.S. carries their clubs in a Club Glove travel bag.  
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Club Glove, Last Bag and Scheyden are registered trademarks of West Coast Trends, Inc.

CEOgolfshop.com is an authorized North American distributor of all Club Glove products. For more information, call 954-942-7747.