April 1st, 2010
No one here racks up the frequent flyer mileage as much as Bob Lamkin, whether it’s checking out our factory in China, meeting with our OEM partners, or competing in tournaments. Last week Bob was in Orlando for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Not only did he meet with many of the Tour players who use our grips (including the winner of this year’s Transitions tournament) but he also played in the pro-am with the 2009 British Open champion. (Okay, Bob’s not one to brag but I will–he often looks like one of the pros out there and no, it’s not just because he dresses like one. You should have seen the crowd erupt at Bay Hill’s 18th when he finished with a birdie. Well, maybe it wasn’t a Sunday crowd, but there were at least 25 there!)  Anyway, it was a fun event and a great way to connect in person with many of the PGA players. Of course, a highlight was eating in the caddie van, thanks to our great “Tour Guide” Mike Neal. We are also privileged to have such a special relationship with Mr. Palmer. He certainly hosts a first class event. The course was in excellent condition and the pro-am was extremely well-organized. No wonder there’s a waiting list to play in it.
The great thing about traveling is knowing that when you return, beautiful San Diego awaits. It’s not surprising that almost all of the golf equipment manufacturers are located here, although Lamkin is actually located a bit away from the pack. Our offices are in Otay Mesa (close to the border) rather than in Carlsbad. This actually makes it easy to check in on our factory in Mexico. Wow are they busy. The new N-DUR and Performance Plus with 3GEN grips are in such demand that they’re working overtime. A good problem to have!
March 19th, 2010
Being in the grip business, we are accustomed to looking closely at Tour players on TV and in photos to determine which golf grips they are playing. Granted, sometimes it’s a stretch to figure it out and we have to rely on our star Tour rep Mike Neal to give us a clue. Nonetheless, it doesn’t stop us from assuming that every golf fan has such similar viewing habits. Of course golfers notice the grips on a Tour player’s clubs! Well, maybe not. I must admit it’s a bit nerdy. (Don’t tell that to our sales team.) So, if you’re not one to meticulously decipher which golf grip a certain player is using, you’re probably not alone. To be sure, Lamkin grips, particularly Crossline, have always had great acceptance by Tour players. In fact, three of the top five European Tour money leaders use Lamkin, two of the top five Champions Tour money leaders use our grips, as do some of the top ten PGA Tour players. But here’s the exciting news. A few months ago, we introduced our new N-DUR grips with 3GEN synthetic rubber. As you can imagine, it often takes awhile to gain Tour acceptance with a brand new product because many players are pretty set in their ways. However, this past week at The Puerto Rico Open, the second place finisher used N-DUR grips, one shot behind the winner. It certainly gave us reason to smile…and hunt down any photos we could find featuring the grips in play!
February 18th, 2010
 Check out the video of Bob discussing Lamkin’s new grips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok2aPWYywS4
He’s a natural on-air talent aka “One-Take Bob.”
February 9th, 2010
The last week of January is a busy one in the golf industry  Lamkin joined thousands of PGA professionals, retailers, distributors and golf companies at the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. For golf geeks, it’s a lot of fun to wander the isles and see what’s new in golf equipment and apparel. For sales teams, it’s a week of sleep deprivation, muscle soreness and voice hoarseness. All in all, it was a successful event, particularly the Demo Day which was held the Wednesday before the Show at Orange County National. The driving range there is phenomenal, a huge circle in which all the golf equipment companies line the perimeter and the attendees hit balls toward the center. Thank heaven it was sunny, even though the temperature wasn’t exactly what I envisioned for Florida. I’m grateful to have worn a winter coat. (Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a Southern California weather wimp. No one from the East or Midwest was complaining.)  The Show was also a chance to celebrate Lamkin’s 85th birthday. A huge card from PGA Magazine was propped up against our video screen which featured clips from Arnold Palmer talking about the importance of the golf grip, how his signature drink came about, his association with Lamkin, and the advancements in grip technology, including our new 3GEN synthetic rubber. Graphics in the booth featured our new ad campaign, now appearing in print in the national golf magazines and also online. It plays off lines from Caddyshack. As you might imagine, the research behind it was exhausting…many hours of movie watching. It’s always entertaining to get a group of golfers together and have them recall their favorite scenes and lines, It’s amazing how many websites are devoted to this, but I suppose it makes sense, the movie, like Lamkin, is a classic!
January 12th, 2010
As we begin the new year, it’s time to celebrate Lamkin’s 85th birthday. That’s a pretty impressive amount of time to be in business, especially as a family owned company. Lamkin sure has come a long way since the early 1920s when its founders, brothers Joseph H. and E.B. Lamkin, agreed to make a set of 12 grips for a sporting goods company. That company was seeking to find a local manufacturer to duplicate the leather grips that were then being made exclusively in England. After many trial and error attempts, they eventually succeeded in producing a grip that was superior to the English model, thus launching Lamkin Leather Co.
Of course, very few golfers (maybe one!) use leather these days, but Lamkin has always managed to be innovative and seek out new technologies and materials, the latest being the new 3GEN synthetic rubber. Appropriately, 3GEN could also signify that the third generation is now at the helm–Bob Lamkin, E.B.’s grandson. Here’s to another 85 years!
December 28th, 2009
 Lamkin San Diego employees celebrate the holidays It’s hard to believe another year has gone by, not to mention another decade! Although 2009 was a tough year for many, we at Lamkin have much to be thankful for. We’re looking forward to 2010 and hope that you share our excitement and optimism. In the coming year we will celebrate our 85th year in business as a family-owned company.
Although we’re taking some days off over this holiday season, things never slow down. Our factories are very busy making grips; our new N-DUR and Performance Plus with 3GEN grips have generated much demand. We’re also preparing for the annual PGA Show in Orlando at the end of January. In addition, we’ll be participating at the Demo Day held at Orange County National Golf Course. As soon as normal work hours resume January 4th, it’ll be crunch time. In the meantime, we wish you and your families all the best as 2009 comes to a close!
December 7th, 2009
Thanks to our stellar sales team, Lamkin now has a group on Facebook. Join it and keep up to date with current postings of our new ads, videos and product information. We’ll also be doing some give-aways and special promotions. Check out the faces behind the company. They’re not that bad looking. (Of course, can you really always believe what you see?! )
November 11th, 2009
It seems like all the golf publications and websites are always listing what drivers, irons, putters, etc. the pros play, but rarely do they mention what grips they use. Yes, money talks–most pros have endorsement deals with the equipment manufacturers and therefore it’s easier for those companies to publicize their connections. However, not many pros have deals with the grip companies. So, while I can’t name names, I can say that some of the very best PGA players in the world use Lamkin grips, as do many of the top players on the LPGA and Champions Tours. In later blogs I’ll drop hints. In the meantime, one name that I can mention is Zack Adams. (No, we don’t pay him.)Â Zack just competed in the 2009 Remax Long Drive Championship finals using Lamkin grips. After the event he said he was extremely happy with them, and he emphasized how important grips are to his performance because he doesn’t use a glove. Just a thought, but perhaps if I took off my glove I could hit it 400 plus yards. Yeah, right! Anyhow, the event will be televised on ESPN in December. I’ll be watching.
November 1st, 2009
 About a month ago, we went to Latrobe, Pennsylvania to film a few videos for our website with Arnold Palmer. What a treat. As you enter his front door you are immediately engulfed in golf history, but the best part about the experience was how comfortable it was. He made us feel right at home, as did his staff. Mr. Palmer had just celebrated his 80th birthday and his office was filled with cards. You realize how important family is to him when you glance at all his photographs. Off in another room is his workshop, a paradise for those who like to tinker with clubs. In fact, Mr. Palmer re-gripped his clubs with the new N-DUR grips as we were waiting for the crew to set up. If you look in the background of the video we have with Mr. Palmer and Bob Lamkin you can see the assortment of clubs, shafts and grips stacked about. We ended up filming for a little over an hour. We didn’t have a script, rather, it was an informal interview and chat. As you can tell, the result was a natural conversation, with Mr. Palmer speaking from his heart. You can’t fake authenticity. It certainly made our job easier! Of course, Bob also had a starring role, talking with Mr. Palmer about the advancements made in grip technology over the years. (Keep in mind, Lamkin has been in this business since 1925.) By the way, it’s truly fun to watch the two interact. There is a genuine bond between them, almost like a father and son. Bob even recalled the story about when he was a young kid in Chicago and his dad sent him to meet Mr. Palmer in a tournament parking lot to give him some new grips. I am really looking forward to returning some day. This time we’ll have to extend our time there so we can play Latrobe Country Club. It’s a beautiful place. I would expect nothing less–it’s the hometown of the King!
October 26th, 2009
Welcome to the new Lamkin website. We hope you’ll find it easy to navigate, filled with information, and entertaining. Please let us know what you think. When we were originally designing the site, we thought that we’d have a “Bob’s Blog,” authored by our fearless leader and president Bob Lamkin. Alas, being the astute business executive that he is, he has decided to delegate the task…and I drew the short straw! Actually, I’m just kidding because I feel honored to represent the company. Lamkin will soon celebrate its 85 year anniversary, and Bob is the third generation to head this family-owned company. And, “family” is the operative word. That’s how we employees feel, that we’re part of the family. We’re not some faceless corporate conglomerate and our sole company focus is on making the best grips for all golfers. We have a very dedicated team of individuals, many of whom are experts in grip technology, specific grip characteristics, etc. However, I am not one of them! So, if you have a grip question, don’t ask me–ask the experts! My goal is to bring you behind scene tidbits, wax philosophically, and generally not embarrass myself. That may be a tough assignment! Anyway, thanks for your patience as we begin this new journey together.
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