In order for you off-the-wall, the brand new Golf Pleasure x James Bond grip collaboration certainly qualifies.
“Off the wall” is a really apt time period.
So are “out of left area,” “are they critical?” and, should you’re notably cynical, “what the hell?”
Alternatively, “wow” and “that’s fairly cool” additionally apply.
The truth, nevertheless, is that if nothing else, limited-edition collaborations are supposed to be enjoyable, totally different, attention-getting and, most significantly, restricted. When you haven’t been CC’d on the memo, it’s good to recollect a basic reality.
Golf is a sport, my mates, and video games are alleged to be enjoyable.
Golf Pleasure x James Bond = enjoyable
“We’ve a ton of Bond followers right here,” Golf Pleasure CEO James Ledford tells MyGolfSpy. “It actually reveals a unique facet of Golf Pleasure. We nerd out on grips right here however we had a ton of enjoyable placing all of it collectively.”
This new James Bond grip package isn’t Golf Pleasure’s first foray into limited-edition collaborations. This previous June, the corporate teamed up with NBA star Steph Curry to create a particular grip set to help Curry’s UNDERRATED youth golf program.
Nevertheless, if a James Bond-themed golf grip was in your bingo card for this fall, immediately’s your fortunate day.
“Lots of it is a enjoyable type of experiment to see the way it works for us and to create extra visibility for the model,” says Ledford. “The UNDERRATED grip was a primary for us. This one, nevertheless, might be probably the most pure enjoyable we’ve had with a grip.”
Whereas the collaboration could seem out of left area, the discharge timing isn’t. Oct. 5 occurs to be International James Bond Day and the Bond traditional Goldfinger is celebrating its 60th anniversary this fall. Goldfinger was launched within the UK in mid-September 1964 and the U.S. simply 4 days earlier than Christmas. Golf Pleasure is paying homage to that traditional and the golf showdown between Sean Connery’s 007 and Gert Frobe’s unhealthy man Auric “Strict Guidelines of Golf” Goldfinger.
“That scene is among the most iconic golf scenes in film historical past,” Ledford says. “We did a launch occasion a couple of days in the past in London at Stoke Park the place they filmed that scene. It was fairly cool to stroll within the steps of Sean Connery and Goldfinger on the market.”
(For the document, the Bond folks handed out sleeves of Penfold Coronary heart golf balls.)
Shaken, not stirred …
Ledford says there’s a enterprise facet to those collaborations, which is to achieve as many golfers with various pursuits as attainable.
“It’s true Golf Pleasure has a 60- to 70-percent market share within the grip class however we solely interact with perhaps 40 p.c of all golfers in any given 12 months. Folks simply don’t take into consideration grips. A part of what we’re doing at our International Innovation Middle in Pinehurst is growing a very totally different mindset about grips.”
When you’re questioning how a James Bond tuxedo-looking grip goes to do this, you is perhaps lacking the purpose of “restricted editions.”
Golfers could discover enjoyable with stripes, icons or coloration drips on golf balls, however most of us have a look at grips because the factor we maintain on to once we swing a membership. We actually aren’t excited about self-expression.
“Golf Pleasure has at all times stored it fairly protected with our grips,” says Ledford. “That is only a approach to assist folks see grips otherwise. It’s not like we intend to promote loads of these.”
The Golf Pleasure x James Bond grip collaboration is available in a limited-edition 007-themed package, just like the Steph Curry collaboration. It consists of 14 grips, 13 of which are supposed to be put in in your golf equipment. The 14th grip is a souvenir in a particular gold bar show field.
Think about throwing that down because the prize in your subsequent match with a supervillain. Or your cousin.
The world isn’t sufficient
Give Golf Pleasure credit score: it didn’t skimp on the main points with an intricate 007-esque tuxedo design. The bow tie, for instance, has a cross-grain to it whereas the tuxedo shirt offers off a quilted look. The lapels of the tux have a unique texture altogether and the tux jacket has 007 texturing. There’s even a 007 spiral eye on the tip cap. All that’s lacking is an Aston Martin DB5 and a Walther PPK.
“It wasn’t simple to do nevertheless it was loads of enjoyable,” says Ledford. “We could not fold these design options from the James Bond grip into different Golf Pleasure grips, however we’re pushing our capabilities to new limits. It places new issues in our software package that we are able to use in several methods in our core choices.”
Ledford says extra grip collaborations are coming however there’s nothing to announce now. Probably you’ll see Golf Pleasure teaming up with different golf-playing celebrities however he isn’t ruling out extra Bond-themed ideas.
“We’re anxious to see how the market reacts. If folks prefer it as a lot as we do, you may think about all of the enjoyable Bond iterations we might construct off this. If it brings a sure viewers to Golf Pleasure that loves James Bond however doesn’t usually take into consideration their grips, we’d like to do extra of it.”
Possibly we’ll see a Diamonds Are Ceaselessly grip set or perhaps The Spy Who Cherished Me. How a couple of Moneypenny woman’s grip?
Hey, should you love Bond and golf, why the hell not?
Gold Pleasure x James Bond: Last ideas
People, these are for enjoyable, and there’s no hurt in enjoyable. The tuxedo design is fairly intricate and one can see how Golf Pleasure can use what it discovered in the course of the design and manufacturing course of sooner or later. If it helps, consider the Bond grips as an idea automotive. When you want “gimmick,” that works, too.
However except you play on Sundays to feed your loved ones, you play golf for enjoyable. So have some enjoyable, OK?
“Everybody’s used to the Tour-proven, critical facet of Golf Pleasure, and that’s nonetheless our core. That’s who we’re,” says Ledford. “However it’s enjoyable to let stuff like this out of the bag each every so often. It needs to be enjoyable, which is why you’ll see us poking round in these areas, simply to see what occurs.”
When you’re not a Bond fan, don’t fear. Golf Pleasure isn’t going all 007, on a regular basis. You’ll be able to nonetheless purchase plain black Tour Velvets. When you’re feeling just a little saucy, the MCC grips in Groups colours are at all times there.
If, nevertheless, you’re a fan of the traditional Sean Connery, the forgotten George Lazenby, the campy Roger Moore, the missed (and underrated) Timothy Dalton, the virtually good Pierce Brosnan or the buff however brooding Daniel Craig, you may get a grip dressed up in a tux.
Someplace Ian Fleming is having a smoke and smiling.
Worth and availability
The Golf Pleasure x James Bond grip collaboration comes within the aforementioned 14-grip package. The field itself is collectible, that includes an image of the well-known Bond-Goldfinger match on the within cowl. The 14th grip is available in a collectible gold bar field.
As a restricted version, solely 2,000 units might be made. They’ll be accessible in each normal and midsize.
The package sells for $189. It’s accessible for pre-sale beginning immediately at 007Store.com. Ledford expects they’ll ultimately be accessible on the Golf Pleasure web site.
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