Would you buy a self-correcting golf ball that greatly reduced or even eliminated your wicked slice or your uncontrollable hook?
Of course you would.
But would you buy the same ball if it did not conform to the Rules of Golf?
Things get a bit trickier here. The golfer who uses a "foot wedge," gives himself a 3-foot putt, takes a mulligan (or two) and ignores the stroke-and-distance penalty when his tee shot sails out of bounds has been conditioned to turn up his nose at nonconforming equipment.
"That stuff is illegal," the golfer will say as he improves his lie in the rough.
Sure, it's illegal. But only if you play in tournaments governed by United States Golf Association rules. If you're a typical recreational hacker, for whom golf is an exercise in futility and frustration, what's wrong with playing a ball that you can actually keep in the fairway?
Absolutely nothing, said Dave Felker, the CEO of Polara Golf, which manufactures and sells anti-slice golf balls and nonconforming drivers proven conclusively to work.
"We help golfers have more fun," said Felker, a Marshfield native and UW-Eau Claire graduate.
Polara's products are geared to the 78% of golfers who indicated in a December 2012 Google Consumer Survey that they played for fun; only 22% played according to the Rules of Golf.
"There is a double standard that's perpetuated by the golf companies," Felker said. "It goes back to the way they spend their marketing dollars. They can't have Phil Mickelson say, 'We'd like you to cheat today.' Those golf companies sell only conforming equipment.
"And in reality probably the worst thing the average golfer can do is play the same driver Tiger or Phil plays. The equipment does not benefit the average golfer the way it does the pro golfer."
Felker knows what he's talking about. He has a PhD in chemical engineering and worked at DuPont for 14 years before the late Ely Callaway recruited him to develop a golf ball for Callaway Golf.
"We spent $200 million and the next thing you knew we had the Callaway Rule 35 golf ball, which was the (Titleist) Pro V1 before there was a Pro V1," Felker said.
Polara had entered the golf ball market in the 1970s and the ball worked as advertised because of its asymmetrical dimple configuration. In 1981, the USGA ruled that balls must have a symmetrical dimple pattern in order to conform to the rules.
"They were originally conforming, but the golf companies wanted them out," Felker said. "It's a fascinating story about the politics and the crap that goes on behind closed doors at the USGA."
Polara sued the USGA, which eventually agreed to pay a settlement of $1.4 million.
The Polara disappeared, however, until Felker, who by then had left Callaway, resurrected it three years ago. His Polara Ultimate Straight ball was a huge improvement on the original and corrected hooks and slices by 95%.
"It took a 100-foot slice and brought it back to 5 feet of center," Felker said. "It was a little shorter than we wanted it to be so we compromised with a product that was 75% correcting."
In May 2011, the New York Times ran a front-page story on the rebirth of the Polara, sparking a media blitz and creating demand that crashed Polara Golf's computer server for hours.
In January 2012, Polara introduced its new XD and XDS models, which produced a higher ball flight and increased distance.
Felker said most golfers were skeptical of Polara's claims until they actually tried the ball.
"Almost 45% of the people who try it buy it on the spot," he said.
Polara also makes nonconforming drivers with thin titanium faces that exceed the USGA's limit for coefficient of restitution, or the so-called "trampoline effect."
"With the Polara golf ball and the Polara driver, I can hit almost every fairway," said Felker, who plays to a 28 handicap. "I've been hugged and kissed by a lot of golfers who are so happy that we cured their slice."
Felker predicted it wouldn't be long before traditional equipment companies started making and marketing nonconforming equipment. He said TaylorMade plans to sell such equipment, geared toward recreational golfers, in the near future.
"Everybody recognizes recreational golf is where everything is moving," he said. "It's the big growth area in golf. There is no other growth area.
"The recreational market is underserved. There are 17 million recreational golfers and if you offer them a product that will help their game, 63% say they don't care if it conforms or not. They will buy it if it helps them."
Polara products can be ordered at www.polaragolf.com.
"We've basically scratched the surface," Felker said. "As far as recognition, a small fraction of golfers know who we are. But 63% of golfers will play nonconforming equipment if it helps their game. It's a huge market. And once the other golf companies start doing this and give permission, so to speak, it's going to go to 85%."
None of them will be a U.S. Open champion. But who cares?
Of course you would.
But would you buy the same ball if it did not conform to the Rules of Golf?
Things get a bit trickier here. The golfer who uses a "foot wedge," gives himself a 3-foot putt, takes a mulligan (or two) and ignores the stroke-and-distance penalty when his tee shot sails out of bounds has been conditioned to turn up his nose at nonconforming equipment.
"That stuff is illegal," the golfer will say as he improves his lie in the rough.
Sure, it's illegal. But only if you play in tournaments governed by United States Golf Association rules. If you're a typical recreational hacker, for whom golf is an exercise in futility and frustration, what's wrong with playing a ball that you can actually keep in the fairway?
Absolutely nothing, said Dave Felker, the CEO of Polara Golf, which manufactures and sells anti-slice golf balls and nonconforming drivers proven conclusively to work.
"We help golfers have more fun," said Felker, a Marshfield native and UW-Eau Claire graduate.
Polara's products are geared to the 78% of golfers who indicated in a December 2012 Google Consumer Survey that they played for fun; only 22% played according to the Rules of Golf.
"There is a double standard that's perpetuated by the golf companies," Felker said. "It goes back to the way they spend their marketing dollars. They can't have Phil Mickelson say, 'We'd like you to cheat today.' Those golf companies sell only conforming equipment.
"And in reality probably the worst thing the average golfer can do is play the same driver Tiger or Phil plays. The equipment does not benefit the average golfer the way it does the pro golfer."
Felker knows what he's talking about. He has a PhD in chemical engineering and worked at DuPont for 14 years before the late Ely Callaway recruited him to develop a golf ball for Callaway Golf.
"We spent $200 million and the next thing you knew we had the Callaway Rule 35 golf ball, which was the (Titleist) Pro V1 before there was a Pro V1," Felker said.
Polara had entered the golf ball market in the 1970s and the ball worked as advertised because of its asymmetrical dimple configuration. In 1981, the USGA ruled that balls must have a symmetrical dimple pattern in order to conform to the rules.
"They were originally conforming, but the golf companies wanted them out," Felker said. "It's a fascinating story about the politics and the crap that goes on behind closed doors at the USGA."
Polara sued the USGA, which eventually agreed to pay a settlement of $1.4 million.
The Polara disappeared, however, until Felker, who by then had left Callaway, resurrected it three years ago. His Polara Ultimate Straight ball was a huge improvement on the original and corrected hooks and slices by 95%.
"It took a 100-foot slice and brought it back to 5 feet of center," Felker said. "It was a little shorter than we wanted it to be so we compromised with a product that was 75% correcting."
In May 2011, the New York Times ran a front-page story on the rebirth of the Polara, sparking a media blitz and creating demand that crashed Polara Golf's computer server for hours.
In January 2012, Polara introduced its new XD and XDS models, which produced a higher ball flight and increased distance.
Felker said most golfers were skeptical of Polara's claims until they actually tried the ball.
"Almost 45% of the people who try it buy it on the spot," he said.
Polara also makes nonconforming drivers with thin titanium faces that exceed the USGA's limit for coefficient of restitution, or the so-called "trampoline effect."
"With the Polara golf ball and the Polara driver, I can hit almost every fairway," said Felker, who plays to a 28 handicap. "I've been hugged and kissed by a lot of golfers who are so happy that we cured their slice."
Felker predicted it wouldn't be long before traditional equipment companies started making and marketing nonconforming equipment. He said TaylorMade plans to sell such equipment, geared toward recreational golfers, in the near future.
"Everybody recognizes recreational golf is where everything is moving," he said. "It's the big growth area in golf. There is no other growth area.
"The recreational market is underserved. There are 17 million recreational golfers and if you offer them a product that will help their game, 63% say they don't care if it conforms or not. They will buy it if it helps them."
Polara products can be ordered at www.polaragolf.com.
"We've basically scratched the surface," Felker said. "As far as recognition, a small fraction of golfers know who we are. But 63% of golfers will play nonconforming equipment if it helps their game. It's a huge market. And once the other golf companies start doing this and give permission, so to speak, it's going to go to 85%."
None of them will be a U.S. Open champion. But who cares?
To read full online version: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/golf/polara-products-enhance-fun-for-golfers-b9950572z1-214858821.html
