A few months ago Adidas announced it was pulling out of the golf equipment business to focus solely on apparel and footwear. And now Nike have pulled the plug on golf balls, bags and clubs too.
The business model and huge profit margins on making plastic 'polyester' apparel with ultra low wages in countries with little or no environmental regulations is hard to beat. Especially when you think consumers have little or no idea they are buying a plastic shirt that will last for several hundred years, shed microplastic particles each time they are washed, polluting the oceans and even entering our food chain. Do we really think its a good idea for aquatic life to feed on plastic? Then we need to stop laundering our plastic polyester shirts until Adidas and Nike spend some of their enormous profits on a finding a solution.
Unsustainable and totally irresponsible business practice.
Golf is very conservative. Equipment rules have failed to restrain the pros and at the same time ignore the vast majority of players. You can't have the same equipment rules for professional players and recreational golfers, who have limited time to play and practice, and who need the latest technology to maximise their enjoyment of the game.
There has been a stagnation is 'real' improvements in golf equipment for past 25 years. Over the past ten years consumers have finally realised the claims of an extra few yards from the latest driver launch is just marketing spin.
With two of the biggest brands in sport pulling out of golf equipment, even the governing bodies of golf should realise they need to do something. They should immediately announce an 'unrestricted' category for golf equipment, preferably based upon using recycled and biodegradable materials. Encourage the engineers to dream again and persuade Adidas and Nike their is a bright future for golf equipment.
#golfrefugees #golfequipment
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment