Columnist Victoria Sun: Major golfing companies are no-shows at Las Vegas event

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000 | 11:08 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com

The most notable thing about the PGA International Golf Show that concluded today at the Las Vegas Convention Center was the number of equipment manufacturers that weren't represented.

Titleist, Ping and Callaway were all no-shows. Orlimar, Taylor Made and Adams didn't have booths either.

There were tons of apparel companies eager to display their new fashions and the usual assortment of furry club cover companies, but only a precious few companies stirred up any real interest.

One of them was Swing Solutions, a company based in Sunnyvale, Calif., that pushed its revolutionary Golf Video Analyzer.

A GVA is a computerized system equipped with one to 10 digital cameras, depending on the model. It has the capability to film a golf swing or lesson and store the information on the computer for future viewing. The saved footage on the GVA's computer can be replayed at various speeds so that a teaching pro can analyze it. A unique feature of the GVA is its split-screen function that allows you to compare your recorded swing to that of a PGA Tour professional.

Swing Solutions announced Tuesday that it has signed a two-year contract with the Golf Channel to provide GVAs and the ability to broadcast an Internet feed live on TV. The company recently installed its patented GVA system on the Golf Channel's set so that top teaching pros who appear on "Academy Live" can use it to demonstrate techniques for the TV audience.

"We are going to be providing the Golf Channel the ability to take golf swings taken from a various number of locations and pump them into the studios so they can broadcast them live in their studio in Orlando during the Golf Academy Live program," said Marc Matoza, president and CEO of Swing Solutions. "So you can be in your home swinging your golf club or at your local golf course and someone on the Golf Channel would be able to analyze your golf swing live."

There are about 400 GVAs being used at golf courses across the country, Matoza said. By the end of the year he expects to have installed 1,100.

The cost of a studio GVA is about $25,000, or $11,500 for the portable model that can be used outdoors. An indoor home model is expected to be ready for sale in October with an estimated price tag of $2,000.

Matoza said the GVA system will debut on the Golf Channel in October.

PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions, the division of Reed Exhibition Companies that runs the show, is also considering rotating the show to a different city each year instead of holding it only in Las Vegas.

"A number of people within the industry have suggested it as something we should consider," said PGA Golf Exhibitions vice president and show manager Christopher McCabe. "We said we'll consider it once we get our research back.

"There are no plans to move, we're very happy with Las Vegas, but quite frankly, we don't care where the show is. It's what the industry dictates."

The 2001 show will be held Sept. 24-26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The company, which owns a 38 percent interest in teetimes.com, introduced its product at the International PGA Show. The product is expected to be ready for sale by the second quarter of 2001.