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May 2nd, 2018
Diary of a Prize Winner
American Golf and TaylorMade Golf Making Golfing Dreams Come True
Words: GolfPunk
Regional PGA Professional and American Golf Master Fitter Nick Rose was one of seven American Golf staff and customers to win the trip of a lifetime to TaylorMade H.Q. in Carlsbad last month. Here, Nick takes us through what it’s like to be on the golfing trip of a lifetime and brings to life an incredible experience that will make him and the other winners the envy of every golf lover.
‘It could be you’ is a phrase that kept going round my head when I learned that I had won a place on the once in a lifetime trip with TaylorMade Golf. I’d won the golf lovers lottery, this was genuinely a ‘money can’t buy’ opportunity to go behind the scenes of one of the biggest names in golf and have an experience that is usually reserved for the best golfer’s in the world.
There were seven of us on the trip, made up of American Golf customers who had been selected in the free members prize draw, and American Golf staff members who had won a staff incentive. I was one of those, having sold one of the highest number of TaylorMade M3 and M4 clubs in the first few months of the year. As you can imagine, I’m a bit of an equipment geek so this was the trip of my dreams…….
Day 1
Day 1 started out with a tour of TaylorMade HQ, including a guided tour of the Kingdom (TaylorMade’s custom fitting facility and driving range). We were taken around the tour irons, metal woods and putter workshops, where the pros clubs are built and got to learn about the level of precision that goes into Tour player’s equipment. It was an incredible insight into the world of TaylorMade and an experience I’ll never forget. We then headed to a couple of bars in downtown San Diego before enjoying some Mexican food and finishing off the day with a baseball game where the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies!
Day 2
Back to the Kingdom, and having had a taste of what was in store we were all really excited to go back for our first round of testing and fitting. We spent an hour testing the latest range of TaylorMade putters, honing our stroke and finding the perfect flat-stick for our games’. After lunch we were taken on a tour of the golf ball laboratory where we were shown how a TP5 golf ball is made and tested. I knew there was a lot involved in golf ball technology but this really blew my mind. Last on the tour was the CNC milling laboratory where ball moulds and clubs concepts are produced. I’d love to tell you the concepts we saw, but our lips are sealed! After an amazing day we finished off with dinner next to the beach, what a place this is!
Day 3
The day of the golf competition! We’d drawn partners and had a few dollars riding on the game at the La Costa Resort. By now we’d all got to know each other quite well so it was great to get out on the course and spend some time doing what we all love. James Petrie and Joe Bownes took the cash delivering an impressive 40 better ball stableford points. The course was fantastic and the weather was very acceptable having barely got on the course all year in the U.K. The day was finished off perfectly with a few drinks and dinner on the patio at La Costa.
Day 4
Our final day and the last look behind the scenes at the Kingdom. We were treated to a driver fitting and a detailed insight into how TaylorMade fit the putters of the tour pros. Obviously I know a bit about custom fit from my work at American Golf but to have the full benefit of the Tour team at TaylorMade was really something special. Everyone saw the benefits of Twist Face technology and gained distance and or dispersion compared to their existing drivers.
We finished the day with an 80 yard pitch shot competition to win a High Toe Wedge. Gary Mckinney hit the final ball of the day to within 5 foot of the pin to win the wedge. We then soaked up the last of the Californian sunshine whilst enjoying some lunch at the Kingdom before heading to the airport and the end of one of the best few days of my life.
I know I speak for every American Golf prize draw winner and every American Golf member of staff lucky enough to have been on this trip. The hospitality from TaylorMade was second to none and the experience will stay in our memories for the rest of our lives. We’re all so lucky to have been part of this and can only thank American Golf and TaylorMade Golf for this most amazing trip.
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