Author: kris

Products can be developed in a variety of different ways. Some are the result of study and design, carefully planned from beginning to end. Others are a happy accident, stemming from a series of events that resulted in a product that consumers love to use.

Leather Bag Tags is one of the latter, developing thanks to a delivery that never should have been made.

Late in 2020, just days before Christmas, a package was delivered by UPS to the home of Robert Reed. Inside the package was a small laser engraver, mistakenly dropped at the wrong address with no return contact. When UPS refused to come back for it, Reed decided to set it up and give it a try.

“It was a simple engraver with horrible software, but it worked as advertised and I tried it on everything I could,” said Reed. “Then I started working with materials I thought would be good for golf bag tags. I love golf.”

After making tags for family friends, Reed was asked to make tags for the 2021 Vegas World Amateur tournament. Those first tags were simple wooden plaques which turned out well. After that, Reed started working with leather.

“The leather is great because I’ve been able to cut it into any shape, dye it a variety of colors, and make really nice designs for tournaments and courses. Players at the events we’ve worked with have all remarked about how much they like them as opposed to cheap, plastic bag tags.”

After a second run with the Vegas World Amateur, Reed decided to open his tags up to the public. Available for purchase at www.leatherbagtag.com, individuals can create their own tags or choose from one of the stock tags being made on a regular basis. The site has also been a place where courses are ordering tags for their customers and members.

“The response has been amazing. I quickly learned that the small engraver was never going to keep up with orders, so we’ve upgraded significantly. We’re set-up to keep growing with demand.”

To see more examples, or order your bag tag, visit www.leatherbagtag.com.

When you play a golf course, how much do you really take in? Most players will focus on the course design and layout without giving much thought to how the entire property is laid out. Most local courses have been swallowed up and surrounded by developments that were never part of the original project. 

That’s where Augustin Pizá comes in.

“There’s a big difference between a course designer and a golf course architect,” said Pizá. “Anyone with a passion for golf can design a golf course, an architect will create a master plan that takes in the entire project and ties it all together.”

Pizá Golf, already recognized as a world-class architecture and golf course design firm, has now seen their founder named one of the top 100 most creative Mexicans in the world by Forbes Magazine. He has also been named one of the Nine Most Innovative People in Golf by Golf, Inc. Based on his body of work, these and other awards are well deserved.

“There are plenty of golf course designers, they’re honestly all over the world,” said Pizá. “Golf course architects, however, are more rare. I’m definitely the only one in Latin America with a Masters in Golf Course Architecture, and memberships in the European Institute of Golf Course Architects and American Society of Golf Course Architects.”

The edge that gives Pizá and his team is full control of a project from start to finish. That means he’s thinking about the balance between art and science in a project. That science includes studies of agronomy, irrigation, architecture, and technique. That science is mixed with the principles of art including balance, rhythm proportion, and melody.

“There’s no such thing as an ugly golf course. Every golf course is beautiful. You’re out there in the park, you’re walking, you’re listening to the birds and you’re playing the sport that we love. But there is such a thing as a bad design and bad maintenance.”

For Pizá and his team, choosing a project involves considering several things: sustainability, social impacts, economics, and ecology. Pizá said that regardless of the size of the project – resort, championship, or municipal course – he takes those things into consideration each and every time.

“In today’s world, a golf facility needs to have multiple revenue streams. It’s easier to think about adding things like a practice or training facility, a putting complex, or lodging and dining when you’re planning the project instead of trying to add them all later.”

Even though Pizá isn’t a household name – yet – the company’s portfolio is extensive. With projects throughout Europe and Latin America, Pizá has been busy. His latest project, in Mexico City, is “The Pit,” something Pizá calls a “grass sculpture, upon which beautiful golf can be played.”

The Pit is a ‘golf lounge’ centered around a putting complex with four bunkers. The central bunker, sunken with a firepit, makes the facility a place to play and practice, and then a place to relax with friends and family. 

“I think my client had a regular putting and chipping green in mind, but I don’t do regular things,” said Pizá when asked about the scope of the project. Regardless, it was a hit and more such golf lounges are in the works in places like San Diego.

In addition to complete projects, Pizá Golf has also made itself available for restoration projects. That’s how the company got into the Cabo San Lucas area of the Mexican Baja. When a hurricane took out the backside of the Cabo San Lucas Country Club, Pizá was called in to help. The results were a major improvement.

 “We came in on an emergency basis and re-worked holes 10 thru 16. It’s a big change when you go from the front nine to the back, and I hope we’ll be able to go back and keep working on the property. 

Moving forward, Pizá Golf is looking to expand into the United States, having recently opened an office in the San Diego area. 

“Designing in the United States will expose more golfers to our work, which we’re excited about.”

The next time you’re planning a golf trip and are trying to decide where to play, make sure you look for a Pizá-designed course. You’ll be pleased with whichever course you choose.

One thing everyone can agree on is that golf is one of the most frustrating games on the planet. You can play great one day and follow it up the next day with one of your worst performances ever. 

Few golfers can admit to never having slammed a club or – even worse – breaking one in anger after a bad shot. But, what if there was something available on the course that would give you an outlet for that anger without breaking a club or injuring yourself.

Meet the Bogey Bag.

In the words of its inventor, Steven Schnobrich, the Bogey Bag was born out of his own frustrating stretch of golf. “I was joking with my uncle that we’d love to have a punching bag on the golf course so we had something to take our anger out on. So I started coming up with an idea that was barely functional beyond a few good punches.”

Simply put, the Bogey Bag is a redesigned speed bag that fits almost any golf cart. Hanging from a post on the cart, the bag can spin 360 degrees around its crossbar. It’s a satisfying way to let off a little steam.

While the idea seems like a no-brainer, the Bogey Bag’s path to reality was unusual. Schnobrich had no training as a designer. Instead, the finance major at the University of New Hampshire said he was lucky to have access to several great resources.

“The university had an entrepreneurial center with a maker space to encourage inventors. I was able to use a 3D printer, a laser engraver, a CNC mill, and industrial sewing machines. In two years, I went through over 100 iterations of the bag using continuous trial-and-error. I enjoyed the process and it’s amazing to see the response to our finished product.”

Throughout the process, Schnobrich took the bag to the course so people could see it. People loved to try them out, take pictures, and post videos on their social media feeds. It was social media that put the Bogey Bag into the spotlight, with a popular Instagram account sharing it with their followers.

“Sales skyrocketed after that share,” said Schnobrich. “We went through 30 percent of our inventory in no time. The question is whether or not we can sustain that traction.”

What started as a DIY project has turned into a high-quality product, featuring a leather speed bag, a stainless steel rod (to attach to the golf cart), and a high-tension spring. While the bag was designed in the United States, the final parts come from all over the world. Schnobrich said the price may be a little high, but he wanted the materials to hold up to wear and tear in a high-stress environment.

The Bogey Bag is now available for purchase at www.thebogeybag.com. Get your hand – or fist – on one today.