GOLF/New Developments 2003: In the second part of his look at what's new in 2003. Philip Reid explores the advances in equipment and the most popular holidays.

If there are signs that the global economy is sluggish, it is not immediately apparent in the golf industry.

Last year's worldwide sales for golf equipment reached a record €50 billion and, although there have been some constraints put on further technological development, the arrival onto shelves in golf stores this year of drivers that will enable you to hit it longer and straighter - or so we are told! - and balls that do the same means analysts are expecting another vibrant year.

As is the norm with new equipment, it will take some time for them to become available. The hottest new driver this year is likely to be the Titleist 983 - the one used by Ernie Els in his domination of the early season - but Irish buyers won't be able to get their hands on the club until May at the earliest. The club is only due to go on general sale in the US a month earlier.

Indeed, times have changed considerably from a number of years ago when equipment was generally available in the US up to five or six months ahead of Ireland or Britain. Nowadays, golfers on this side of the Atlantic can pretty much expect to have the same equipment choice as their counterparts in the US around a similar timescale.

Irish purchasers have become more discerning too. "A lot has to do with the internet," claims Keith Bardon of brand leaders Acushnet Ireland who distribute Titleist, Cobra and FootJoy to the Irish market.

"Consumers have researched products and know what they want before they ever arrive here. Cable television has also become a factor. In the old days, we'd have been lucky to see four or five tournaments on television. Now, we get to see everything and, obviously, viewers are influenced by what they see."

What viewers are seeing at the moment in many cases are players using clubs that are not yet available to the general public. But, in time, they will be. And, as usual, much of the retail battle in stores will revolve around drivers. Maybe it's a macho thing but many golfers - especially men - don't go along with the best advice of all: that it is better to hit it straight than long. Hitting more fairways and greens is the key to scoring and the key to that kind of accuracy is getting clubs that have the correct shaft flex and a shaft length that the player can control.

Most prospective buyers, however, only want the club that can have them hitting the ball out of sight - even if it is only in their mind. As one American retailer remarked, "there's not much modesty or honesty among golfers when they tell us about their games. We get a lot of guys who are too macho to admit they don't hit it 280 yards off the tee or that they can't break 100 . . . if we get bad

information, they will buy the wrong equipment."

That scenario can apply the world over and, yet the great thing about imitation is that any club golfer can buy a club that looks similar - maybe with a higher loft and not as firm a shaft - as the one used by the game's superstars.

While the R&A, who govern the sport in this part of the world, and the USGA have sought to limit the technological advancements in clubs, there is also an understanding that the game cannot stand still.

Recently, Peter Dawson, the secretary of the R&A, remarked: "We did not have Bob Jones playing with Old Tom Morris's equipment, and we did not have Jack Nicklaus playing with Bob Jones's equipment. The world moves on."

In terms of the world moving on, at least in respect of golf equipment, it is the professional players - who only make up a tiny percentage of the number of players on the planet - who continue to set the agenda. It is felt that handicap players want to play what their favourites play.

Which is why there was a game of musical chairs towards the end of last season, with players switching products. For example, Els, who had been a Taylor Made player, made the move to Titleist; and Sergio Garcia, who had been a Titleist player, made the move in reverse to Taylor Made. Colin Montgomerie moved from Callaway to Ben Hogan.

Tiger Woods stayed as a Nike player, and Padraig Harrington remained a Wilson player, although there have been rumours in the industry that Callaway are eyeing the Irishman as a replacement for Monty.

Wilson, though, admit Harrington "has definitely had an impact on our sales . . . he is a fantastic global ambassador for the brand", according to the company's Angus Moir.

Professionals will work with prototype clubs before they ever reach the manufacturing stages. Just as the ordinary club golfer will look for an edge in their game by using the best equipment, so it is with the tour professionals. And Woods, the world number one, is no different.

Last year, he switched over to Nike irons, having previously moved to a Nike driver and ball.

"I've been one not to test a lot of different equipment during the season," he remarked, "but, in the off-season, I've tested like a madman. I am not afraid to try anything. It has been, more than anything, a lot of different balls. Different covers and technology."

Phil Mickelson will also be using a new ball this year, the Titleist Pro Vx - which will be available to the Irish consumer in early summer.

"It comes off the club with less spin, and that's improved my iron play tremendously. I was spinning the ball so much that it would hit the green and back up. This ball hits and stops," insisted Mickelson who, ironically, has been overtaken in the world rankings at number two by Els who is also using the same ball.

The main battle for the hearts and minds and, most importantly, money of the Irish consumer this year is likely to centre around the driver. Callaway stole a march on their rivals by introducing the Big Bertha II - it has a 380cc head and its clubhead face is "crafted from a milled sheet of specialised titanium alloy" - towards the end of last year.

Taylor Made have unveiled the R500 series (which will retail for €549), and Titleist hope to have the 983 driver by early-summer, although the 975 family - launched last year - is also expected to remain in strong demand on the "horses for courses" theory that different clubs suit different players.

Ping have also unveiled their Si2 driver, and Nike have a new 450cc Titanium Forged drive. The King Cobra SS 430 Unlimited - available next month - is a mid-market club that is expected to be one of the big hits of the season.

The popularity of Harrington, meanwhile, should also influence the sales of Wilson's Deep Red II. The Dubliner's driver repositions weight lower and deeper in the head than the mark one. It has a 350cc head and is centre weighted "to promote workability".

For this season, Harrington has also switched to Deep Red II Tour irons - designed for serious players - which come with a compact blade shape and thin top line. They'll be available in the shops from April.

One of the more eagerly anticipated new product lines this year is the Taylor Made irons - the new RAC LT is designed to produce a lower launch angle and trajectory than the existing OS line, while the RAC MB - for muscleback blade - will be aimed at the more skilled player.

RAC, incidentally, stands for relative amplitude coefficient . . . and is meant to improve the feel of the club.

The competition in fairway woods is also expected to be intense. The Titleist 980 fairway woods - "which provide launch condition, ball flight and playability improvements" - for the company's target market - are due to hit the shops in the summer.

Callaway have launched their Big Bertha II fairway woods; MacGregor have followed up their V-Foil driver with graphite-shafted V-Foil fairway woods which feature a low profile and perimeter weighting designed to get the ball airborne easily; Nike have the T-40 Fairway Woods coming on stream next month, while Taylor Made hope to have the new V-Steel stainless steel range of fairway woods - in lofts of 13, 15, 16.5, 18, 21 and 24 - available to Irish customers in May.

The club used most often - the putter - also has some new kids on the block.

Callaway are set to launch two new Odyssey 2-ball putters on the market. The White Hot 2-Ball Centre-Shafted putter and the Odyssey DFX 2-Ball putter feature the company's stronomic insert technology.

There will also be plenty of interest in the Ben Hogan line of putters, designed by Bob Bettinardi, who has signed a multi-year deal with the company to design four putters - the Big Ben, the X series, the X-A series, and the CC series.

Bernhard Langer has been signed up to front the Ben Hogan marketing blitz as the company celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founder's wins in the British Open, US Open and the US Masters. Nike are also moving into the putter market with their Blue Chip putter line, although these won't be available until later in the year.

So, the promise is there for another busy year for manufacturers and buyers alike. As Mark King, the CEO of Taylor Made told an select audience at the trade show in Orlando last month, "without innovation, there will be fewer products sold".

Consumers this year have yet more new products to drool over - and hopefully improve their games - but fears there might be a downturn in the Irish market don't seem to holding true. As Keith Bardon, remarked, "We had our best year ever last year . . . and pre-sales this year are already up."

Which would indicate that the Irish golfer is not only discerning, but is willing to spend too.