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“You dare to come to me for a heart, do you? You clinking, clanking, clattering collection of caliginous junk!” - Wizard of Oz Emily Dickinson wrote “tell the truth, but tell it slant.” Her verb is curious, and as a marketing director I do get her point. All of marketing is a slanting of some truth, either by reduction or some clever manipulation of signs and signifiers. We use language, imagery and market trends to loose you of your money. This is not a criticism; evangelical trade has been around since Classical times, and will persist because it’s harmless in the context of athletics and entertainment. Marketers in these sectors are like Oz behind the curtain, except you should know we are there - the curtain has holes. But my question, as it pertains to Ms. Dickinson, is can someone “tell” the truth. I’m looking to deconstruct the verb here. It is an interesting question isn’t it? Barring the relativity of truth, I am looking to discuss its utility. William James wrote: “The truth is what works.” Here is where “telling” the truth differs in its practical application; the truth then to James is to be experienced, through his verb work. Although the “telling” is a type of action, it is only a representation of what it is describing, and therefore deficient in some way when compared to “working” the truth through deliberate action and authentic experience.How that applies to golf and our humble company is that this is precisely the challenge we have in getting golfers to play our clubs; the “slant” truth, which most golfers are told by the great and powerful Oz-like golf companies, hijacks any chance we have in getting an objective test of our clubs. Not to say that we are equipment socialists - our clubs are not for everyone. Truth is, no club is universally appropriate for every golfer, although I would like to tell you different. As a self-described equipment junkie, I have always relished the experience of waggling a perspective club, judging its look at address, feeling its weight and feeling its aura. Like the young King Arthur, pulling a club from a rack is potentially like pulling the sword from the stone; you never know what club is going to be your next Excalibur. Our clubs are plenty sharp and broad and provide an authentic experience of golf to thousands who are in our database as a legion of Persimmon loyalists. We get to these people, and they get us, but for the most part, in the larger golfing world, we lose the battle before the first ball is ever struck. This is akin to that golfer who, on the first tee, wins the bet before the first ball is struck because he has obtained an abundance of shots, in surplus of his need, by campaigning his handicap and his recent reasons why he needs extra help. You know that golfer, you’ve played with them, and you’ve heard how bad he has been playing. I have, and I feel slimed, and would just assume award them the $3 Nassau before the goo gets to my grips.My point in this Persimmon bLog posting is that I am beginning to see why the game of golf seems to be losing some of the spirit it grew up with in the 20th century, and the above is partly a contributing factor. We in the golf industry (specifically marketers) have not served golfers or the game. There is a huge division between offering clubs to the public for the sake of satisfying and enjoying your inner-tinkerer vs. bullying your clubs on to the market and saturating the thirsty golfing public. In golf right now there is water, water everywhere, and a lot of it is fit to drink. The clubs made today are exceptional - even we have made improvements on the timeless design of Persimmon woods. But lost in the shuffle toward progression is the spirit of the game that is essential to its enjoyment. The Persimmon bLog is, in part, is about finding the lost spirit of the game. It is simply an extension of our golfing product line and philosophy, and I hope that you see we’d play the great and powerful Oz straight up.Josh Fischer
Louisville Golf Marketing Director
The Spirit of the Game

Sergio Garcia has tried numerous putters, putting styles, techniques and aids in his pursuit of putting excellence, but it was a return to his Scotty Cameron putter he last used 7 years ago which yielded his most significant win on the PGA Tour, and his first win worldwide in three years. From my unique position, the first thing that this implies is the answer to the question: where is the technology?

Answer: there is none, it’s golf; and more specifically, it’s golf’s proving ground = the putting green, where it is just you, your courage and spirit, your weapon and skill, and your line and speed.

The Scotty Cameron Garcia used is modeled off of the Ping Anser, and is the same putter style that Tiger Woods and Adam Scott use. Garcia recently returned to the model after a journey akin to a Grail quest. He must have pulled this one from the stone because he was conquering the greens yesterday. Reunited with this classic design, Sergio took out of play any blame on equipment; he stripped his closet of excuses to the bare minimum. The reason Tiger has been so successful is arguably due to his putter; more specifically, the fact that he has not changed putters. This puts the onus on him, the Indian, not the arrow, to quote the oft-used golf euphemism.

So from an equipment standpoint, of which I am interested and engaged, Garcia’s win points to a larger discussion of such things, and by extension gives us hope that the thrust toward technology will abate, because it is a chase toward a hollow definition of golf. The game has been defined of late by so-called “technology,” but the technology has been driven by marketing, consumption and a fundamental shift in the game where product cycles now are more prevalant than the life cycle of golf shoes.

Putting woes are part of the game, especially to the pros. My favorite golfer in the pre-Tiger era is Ben Hogan, and he struggled mightily on the greens. It’s just part of the game, and technology can’t help you despite the promises and implied superiority. Phil Mickelson was interviewed after the Players about his putting, and he seemed to be struggling with the design and length of his blade putter. We’ve all cast all our hopes on the putter, it is the reason why we sell so many of them, and we are grateful that we do. But counter to that, apart from my addiction to equipment, I as a golfer would be better served by picking a classic design and staying with it.

Arthur had Excalibur, my grandfather had his Ping, Judge Smales had his Billy Baroo, Tiger has his Cameron, I have my True Center TC-1 and now Sergio has found his flatstick. Lessons abound from this win, and hopefully not only will Garcia take note, but the game as well. It’s about time we stop asking “where’s the technology?” and just play.

Josh Fischer
Marketing Director

On Monday April 21 we held the 7th annual Elmore Just Memorial Tourney to remember Louisville Golf’s founder. It has been a few weeks since the event, but the day still lingers in our memory; here are some pictures of the special day which describe, better than I can in words, the day’s unique and meaningful traditions:

(Above) Billy Mac, Elmore’s favorite singer, begins the annual event with his song “Tee it Up!” Billy Mac is a performer from Seattle who comes to Louisville every year for the event. He has a CD, also called Tee it Up, of his golf-inspired songs.

(Above) Kris Hayden and Andy Just wait to tee off of No. 7. Golfers are asked to tee off with a Persimmon driver on this hole, as well as play the entire hole in silence. Elmore Just is buried adjacent to the 7th green. Just also founded Persimmon Ridge Golf Club with Jack Ridge, pictured below.

(Above) Jack Ridge places his ball on Elmore’s grave. Teams who birdie No. 7 are invited to place their ball on Elmore’s grave, consistent with the Persimmon Ridge tradition. Every year hundreds of balls accumulate on the founder’s grave from golfers who pay tribute after a well-earned birdie on the par 4 hole.

(Above) On the fifth hole golfers are challenged with the Hickory-shafted Long Nose Long Drive contest. Participants tee off with a Hickory-shafted Long Nose driver from the pre-1900 era of golf.

These are just a few of the many things which make this tournament special, and the 2008 event was the best yet; it has a real family-reunion feel as we choose this day in April every year to remember Elmore Just. If you would like information on the 2009 event when it becomes available, please e-mail Josh Fischer josh@louisvillegolf.com 

Thanks again for all who participated this year and made it such a brilliant day.