LynxGolf


Enjoying the Lynx Renaissance


The resurgence of Lynx aſter a period of hiatus has been one of the more heart-warming stories for the golf purist recently. To mark this rebirth, SGB Golf has covered a number of Lynx exclusives and this month we spoke with Lynx’s head of R & D and golf trade legend, Kevin Woolgar


What is your background within the golf trade? I first entered the golf trade with Lynx back in September 1978 and that


was practically straight from school. At the time we were the number one company, we used to sell absolutely everywhere. We were always at the forefront of technology; we were the innovators of many products back in those days. Once you are in this industry it’s very hard to leave, it’s a passion. I’m certainly too long in the tooth to think about anything else now! We have never forgotten our core belief – that first and foremost, golf is


played for fun. This drives our commitment to you, the player. To enhance the experience for each and every one of you out there on the course, whatever your handicap. We still adhere to this ethos to this day.


What have you learnt from your time spent travelling abroad in your role?


I am out in China six times a year- it is part of my role really. What you


tend to find in a recession is that you want to go out there more and if you do you get more attention from the manufacturers. Recession creates opportunity, it’s the best time. When times are hard budgets are cut and the first thing that’s cut are the trips. The East still wants to produce though so it’s the best time to exchange ideas and get ahead of the competition.


Since Lynx started out back in 1978 the market has changed with a significant amount of saturation; has this had an impact on business? Being truthful, we keep an eye on other companies but more


importantly we focus on what we’re doing. We’re not into market trends, we’re more innovative than that. Take the Boom Boom for instance, there is specific technology which is different, it’s our technology.


Talk us through the new Black Cat Irons At the heart of the Black Cat Irons is our old heritage but they have the


technology so they compare favourably with our contemporaries. The one-piece steel casting features two cavities – the first, a muscle-back design which distributes weight effectively around the clubhead for forgiveness; the second, a narrower deep ‘power channel’ immediately behind the club face. This feature, when combined with variable face thickness, gives phenomenal distance and feel. Our clubs differ favourably from some of our competitors as they have


our own form of slot technology- a different face which is progressively thicker towards the sole. Then there is the Boom Boom- ours is the only one out there with a one piece head with its own Twin Slot technology.


20 SGBGOLF


Speaking of the Boom Boom, how was it received by the trade? Truthfully sales have been slower than we would’ve liked. This may be


due to the price factor as it does sit towards the higher end of the market. Two years ago we didn’t have the go ahead we do now and we were fresh back into the market. Once people have the product in their hands they realise it’s such a good product and consumers are slowly starting to come on board again.


Is there anything else on the product side we should know about? We have a new Crystal range for the ladies and we have three models


which is more than many other high-profile brands. In the 90s our Tigress range was the top selling club and our heritage in the women’s market will remain alongside our new ladies models. We also cater strongly for the junior side of the game- I love the junior market as it is the future. I feel we are more than competitive with some of the specialist junior companies and offer far more than the top brands; we even have a club for two year olds!


Has it been difficult getting the Lynx brand back in the market? Our products have a two year life cycle; each year we refresh half the


range. This year there’s the Black Cat and Predator; next year there’s the Parallax and Boom Boom. To have products changing every three to four months isn’t great for anyone. It has initially been a challenge trying to re- establish the brand as the top brands have been continually coming down on price. The price gets dropped aſter six weeks and the retailer’s price is hit; this subsequently hits the consumer’s trade in price too when they try and update their clubs. 20 years ago there were many more brands and now there are


substantially less- it’s a sign of the times. Having said that, we’re slowly penetrating the market.


What does the future hold for Lynx? Back in the 1970s and 80s we were at the forefront of technology- I


believe we still are now. We are starting to find consumers remembering us from the old days and our brand recognition is really shining through. Fast forward five years I can see Lynx being up there with the top half a dozen brands within the industry.


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