Matt Adams returns to Scottsdale National Golf Club to share a behind the scenes look at PXG (Parsons Xtreme Golf). From innovatively engineered golf equipment to top fashion apparel, this deep dive into the company founded by U.S. Marine Bob Parsons will help the average golfer see all of the work that goes into creating a top of the line golf brand.
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Welcome to the most listened to golf in the world. The Fairways of Life show on air, online, and around the world with the most candid interviews, unforgettable stories, taking you beyond the ropes. Here’s your host, New York Times bestselling author Matt Adams. as we welcome you to the Fairways of Life show. You know, you guys have heard me say for so long now. Welcome into the PXG Custom Studios. Well, today we’re welcoming you to the real PXG Custom Studios because we’re here at their global headquarters. Cannot wait for everything that is before us. And this is something we’re going to get into more and more over the coming months. And that is taking you behind the scenes of a major equipment manufacturer. But for PXG, it’s even more than that. It’s about a lifestyle. It’s about the apparel. It’s about how, when, and where you can get fit. It’s about the realities that the PXG that you think you know probably goes beyond that. And what I mean by that is is that PXG, even from an equipment standpoint, is not just about the best, most elite, best performing equipment. It’s about ensuring that there is equipment available for everybody regardless of your budget. We’ll get into all of the details of that and more. We’re going to get a chance to speak with Bob and Renee Parsons coming up on the show today. We’re going to talk to engineers. We’re going to talk about the philosophy of PXG and how it reaches out beyond just the world of golf and it’s actually touching and changing lives. So, there’s so much to show you. I’m so excited about it because like I said, this to me is step one of you truly understanding the how and the why, the motivations behind a company like this that it even exists and how you could benefit from it with your golf game on top of everything else. So much coming up. Next step for us is going inside. So, we’ve made our way upstairs into the R&D area of PXG. Brad Swagger is here. He’s the chief product officer. We’re going to get a chance to talk to Brad. We’ve talked a lot over the years about PXG and product development, but the concepts that go behind it all really kind of starts right here. What’s up, my man? Good to see you. How you doing? Everything okay? Yeah, good. Um, this area that we’re in, you just heard me talking about the fact that this is kind of the brain trust of PXG. Where are we? How would you define what goes on here? Well, this is where our our R&D team kind of works from a office perspective. So, you know, later we’ll show you like the R&D lab and that’s where we get to play with all the toys, but up here we have all our computers, all our CAD software kind of we sit down and and go to work in terms of like ideiation and and developing the actual products. Over the years, you have told me that PXG’s philosophy is dot dot dot. I’m not trying to define it in retrospect. I want to ask you for it now and this year. Yeah. So when we started this company, you know, Bob, he he was very much a golf afficionado and but he saw some of the weaknesses that were in the industry and where he came at from a place and what when he challenged myself and Mike Nichollet to join him was what could happen if we took all the barriers away and we sat down and tried to develop the very best product possible with no time constraints, no constraints relative to cost. He’s like don’t do anything crazy, but if we can make it perform better, let’s do it. And so, you know, we we entered with that kind of philosophy and, you know, kind of took all the guardrails off and and started developing product with the mindset of just how can we make it better. Has it surprised you that as you move through the PXG generations that you can continue to find things to make them better and better and better? Yeah, it’s always a big challenge, you know, like especially, you know, right after we launch a product, we’re like, man, that product is amazing. I don’t know how we’re going to be able to adopt it. But, you know, we get back to work. Um, you know, you break down the problem into small bites and you try to to to focus on areas where maybe there’s a little bit of weakness. Um, you know, over the years when we first introduced with our Gen One technology, our iron technology, it was very groundbreaking. I I think it really shifted the industry so to speak on how um irons were iron technology was was was approached. But um you know, some of the what we found out later and and what we were able to continue to evolve and learn is the core material itself. There was a lot of opportunity for improvement in terms of the core material. So we spent years and years over a decade kind of optimizing the core material for our process. And so that’s just an example of like through optimizing the internal core material. Some people think oh it’s just like a you know a polymer material to help with feel and sound. That was the original thought but optimizing it um over the years we actually able to get a lot more performance out of the product. How much has your approach and mentality developed over the years too, Brad, in terms of you now create, is it safe to say you now create product that’s pretty much for players of all ability levels? No question. Yeah. One of the things that Bob and and Renee too are really passionate about, we want to make golf fun for everybody. You know, that’s what our our mission here is at PHG. And so, you know, we don’t just focus we do focus on the top players in the world, but we don’t just focus on the top players in the world. them. And we don’t just focus on on avid golfers who are low handicap. We we have products for them, but we also have products for beginners. We have our Wildcat series, which is a great beginner set um or or lower skill sets. A lot of everything that’s gone in the design to make it fun and easy to use, very intuitive set. Um so, you know, less number of pieces in the set. So, every single club has like an intended use and it’s just easier to to pick up the game and learn how to play the game with that set. Do you think that there are misconceptions in the marketplace in terms of being able to buy a set of PXG clubs? Yeah, I mean, no question. Probably from the time that we entered the market, we entered very high relative to everybody else at the time. So, our products were two or three times more expensive at the time than than everybody else. But, you know, as we as we became um more more uh more developed and as we became, you know, larger scales of of mass, we were able to kind of bring those costs down. And now now we live, you know, at the at the upper end, but but we have products for at different tiers for all golfers. And one of the things that we do do is we have an incredible heroes discount u which makes our product many cases more affordable than the competitors for for a large segment of the population that’s out there. So that’s not only military, but it’s also first responders, teachers, medical uh personnel. So So it it it broadens the the scope of the business for a lot of customers out there. That is so cool that you’re giving back in that way. Very very neat indeed. How close are we to being in Willy Wonka’s factory where the manufacturing all of it to test? It’s just right downstairs. You want to see it? Yeah, I’d love to see it. Let’s go check it out. I’d love to see it. I know zero torque is super super popular with putters right now, but in from your standpoint of expertise, could you explain to the world what that means? Yes. So, this is going to be released shortly, but it’s our zero torque Mustang, and it has a unique hoszle geometry that positions the axis, shaft axis just toe side of the center of gravity. So, what that does is it aligns the face in a toe up fashion. And really, when you’re at setup, that’s going to align itself directly at the target. these putters, how much uh is is MOI like out of the world because of the way that that axis is set to impact? Yep. So, like with the Mustang, we have these flared wings which really pushes the weighting out towards the perimeter of the golf club. Let me just hold that so can see it. So, that positions the MOI higher because the waiting is getting out towards the perimeter. And we have a hollow core here behind the face. So, this is a thin face. It’s a 303 stainless steel and that’s injected with our S core polymer. Really? Yeah. So, it’s a lightweight polymer. Really boosts our MOI and provides a very consistent uh response off the stage. All right. So, this 303 stainless steel which is which is a surgical grade stainless steel that you’re using. This is all coming from the CAD system to start. Yep. Fully mil directly. There’s not one spec on here that’s out of tolerance. So it’s it’s fully off the CNC machine, every aspect of it. This is kind of cool that when when is this going to be out, by the way? Um, shortly when you know, next week. Next week. All right. So next week, this will this will be out and available to you guys around the world. You have a number of putters here in front of me. Are these all part of that same Mustang family? So these are part of our zero torque family. So this would be our Baditech. Similar idea. It has the hollow escore fill perimeter weighting pyramid face structure. All the technology is packed in here and it’s just a larger mallet. We have interchangeable weights. Yep. So that’s going to hold a lot of the density of the club head and really boost the MOI. And how come what’s what does it have over the putter? What’s that all about? So this is our zero torque spotter. So this is a tool that allows us to showcase the technology of the zero torque. So, if I were to put a traditional uh just plumbers’s neck hoszle in here, see it doesn’t want to hang in a tow up fashion. So, when I put it down and start to swing, it’ll just move all about not consistent. That just kind of shows you some of the physics that are getting imparted on your hands during the stroke. Yep. With a traditional putter. So, with zero torque, the bat attack is in here. It’s free to spin. So, I put this down and again, it wants to hang in that tow up fashion, point it at the hole, and it’s just going to want to stay right there. Wow. Now, that that piece that you’re using there, Matt, yes. Is is that used in the fitting process at all, or is that really more about the marketing of the message? A little bit of both. Um, you can certainly hit putts with it if you’d like, but it’s really showcases the technology difference between this and a traditional putter. Which one of these putters would you use to make this 6′ 7 foot putt? probably a Mustang. Okay, let’s let’s put it to the test and all right see if the man that was helped design all of this. Let’s see how we do can make it. Never a doubt about that. Thank you very much, my man. We have more to show you here at PXG. You heard Brad talk about one of the things that’s so important to the heart and soul of who PXG is, and that’s giving back. And that’s talking about taking care of people that are heroes amongst us every single day. We want to get into the details of how PXG is doing just that. It takes focus, calculated aggression, and a precise mindset for shots like these. 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You saw the Marine Insignia and a veteranowned company, a company that dares to be different. It’s very much about the DNA of PXG and also about that of Bob Parsons. So, I promised we’d be talking about the giving back. And I I think this is one of those areas perfectly illustrated here at PXG that helps define the why. It’s it’s part of what I call a revelation of a corporate soul. What’s behind what you do and why you do it. Kevin Hudson is with me. He’s a special director of PXG Heroes, former colonel with the Marines. You you are a Marine, my friend. You’ve been retired what, 10 years? 10 years almost this. How did you get involved in this and how would you describe the program? So, uh, Mr. Parsons reached out to me as I was getting ready to retire. He was looking to bring an exec out. He had already had, uh, some success, I believe, hiring some other, uh, retired Marine colonels. And, uh, I came out, offered me an opportunity, and, and the rest is history. It’s been almost 10 years now. So, if we were sitting at a bar someplace, we’re we’re only missing a couple of probably whisies here between us, and I said to you, how do you describe what you do? What is it that you do and why? So, one of the biggest programs that I run is the PhD for heroes program. About eight years ago, Bob came up to me and and said, “I want to start a program. I want to try to give back to those that sacrifice the most.” We started with military and then we expanded that rapidly to all first responders. And now it’s uh expanded to to heroes and teachers. And you know, Bob and Renee already gives so much through the the foundation that they really didn’t have to give another kind of charitable towards the military. But that’s the kind of guy Bob is. He really wanted to make sure that we got the best golf equipment in our the hands of our nation’s best at affordable price because let’s face it, a lot of military guys can’t afford golf equipment. So at this price point, through the program, they now can. What kind of fulfillment do you think it gives? Whether we define it by Bob or PXG at large or even in your heart and mind, what kind of fulfillment does it give you to know that you’re touching and changing lives because of this program? You know, out of out of all the jobs that I do, I have a lot of collateral duties around here. It’s the one that that I’m most honored about, you know, and and I and I Bob is obviously it’s it’s the core of our company. We want to give back. And what we found is a lot of veterans are struggling with PTSD. Yeah. And and golf is truly a means for these young men and women to get get on the uh get on a field of competition and vent. And uh it’s been very therapeutic for dealing with PTSD. How if if if someone came up to you such as I’m about to do in in earnest, how does someone find out about the program, how can they take advantage of it? So, uh what I call I’ve marine proved it, right? Dummy proved it. Uh you simply go to phd.com, you go to programs, you click on phd for heroes, and uh we we will verify you and we can verify anybody. The one thing that that Bob is is very clear and very proud of is we’re the only OEM that I know of that actually extends the discount not just to the veteran or the first responder, the teacher, the nurse, but their families. Because what a lot of people don’t realize is the families are the ones that are sacrificing when you know the Marine is deployed in a in harm’s way. And that way we actually not only give to the veteran, we give back to the families. Awesome, man. Thanks for what you’re doing. Thank you. Appreciate you. Nice meeting you, man. as we welcome you back inside of the PXG design studio for PXG apparel. Uh Lindsay and Jose are here with me and where we are behind us with the photos from influencers wearing the fall line and more. What is this space? What do you guys actually do here? So we do everything from the first is the concepting of the new uh season. So we have all of our design uh team members in this space, productions down the hallway, we have our buyers down the hallway, our marketing sales leaison as well. Um so this is the room where all the magic happens where we go concept design final production and fittings it on the floor and there’s a million milestones in between. Yeah. Jose, I thought it was you that was doing the labored breathing, but it’s Penelopey here that is helping us out with Is this the Is this the key and the magic to all of your designs? She’s the therapy dog. She very very sweet and the best assistant we’ve ever had. So, when you’re in a setting like this and you’re working on concepts, do you draw from every possible source of inspiration? Yeah, pretty much. Uh uh part of fashion is being like being aware of what it’s happening everywhere you know politics, economy, fashion, arts, music and we bring all together traveling um we bring all these concepts together and see what’s happening as well in golf mostly as well and how we can push the limit in golf as well and then we bring a concept together and then there we go we start designing we start bringing colors colors is very very important for us uh it’s kind of the key of what separates one season to another season as part of as well as fabrications obviously, but colors are very very important to us. How important is it, Lindsay, nowadays that when you’re designing golf apparel, the apparel obviously has to work from the standpoint of an athletic movement, but it also has to work maybe you’re going out to dinner that night or maybe you’re going to the gym. How much is it now not just about golf apparel, but lifestyle apparel? Oh, totally. We always everything we design we just think about versatility and of course functionality functionality but how does it go beyond the course and because that’s really what we built PXG apparel to be um you know we really set out to be the fashion meets sport um and we take everything but hidden in all of that is all function and performance and we really through all the things you find in all the golf apparel. Ours just is very conceptually designed and um you know we think about where are they going you know through their day and and women especially since it’s such a niche market out there we always think about you know how could it be not just one note not just to wear on the course but how could she also wear it to the office and to uh drinks with the ladies or you know running errands any endeavor really like layering you know like um no one has time anymore you know to do all these things during the day. So, it’s important to think about the factor of how you can go and play and immediately just wear a jacket after and feel like you can go to a club with the same outfit, you know. Well, we’ve made our way out to Scottsdale National and as you can see, it is an incredibly beautiful place. So, very, very inspiring to be a place like this. As we welcome you back to the Fairways of Life Show, I’m joined by Yan and Brian. And as you can see from their respective titles covering broad area for what is our look at PXG but also a look at Scottsdale National because they are tied together. Yan, let me start with you. We’re now 10 years on for PXG. I can’t even imagine when we talk about the realm of sales what kind of changes you’ve seen over that time span. Yeah, Matt, it’s been um it’s been a it’s been a long journey. Um, you know, from 2015, uh, we started with, uh, just a small group of mobile fitters. Uh, we knew that with the engineering of our golf clubs, the passion that Bob has for golf, yeah, we knew that fitted golf clubs were going to be very integral to our sales uh, philosophy. So, we started with just a small group of mobile fitters that would canvas the uh, the nation uh, which grew and grew uh, till we got to a point where we had most of the nation covered in mobile fitting. we felt a need to expand into the uh retail market. So we we embarked upon a long journey and now we have 27 brickandmortar stores across the United States. We have about 200 uh hub locations across the United States and then a network of international partners that we work across the world to bring our goods to the uh the customers. That’s absolutely amazing. The experience that a player can have obviously is incredible when they’re able to work with an expert about being fit. But to get to that point, Yan, where do they start? What kind of information? Would you recommend logging on to pxg.com and getting your information there? Yeah. Um, logging on to pxg.com is a great way to start. It’s going to give you a a broad uh overview of what we do as a company. Um, from then, you know, your local golf pro, your local PXG retail store, our call center are all good resources in which to start learning about PXG. When you talk about your local golf pro, could you talk to me about the relationship between PXG and the local pro and the PGA of America? Absolutely. As a PJ member, uh, I do feel that the the PJ of America is the heart and backbone of our golfing community. uh it’s integral that we work with those golf pros and we leverage that uh relationship so we can deliver our product to their customers. That’s very very cool. Uh to that point that we started with in change and now again we’re we’re 10 years down the road. You spoke about all of these changes in terms of how people can have their touch points with PXG. I can’t even imagine how much you’ve seen in terms of change across the board for PXG over the last decade. It’s been a lot, man. Um you like I said you know I I started uh working in a van. Uh it was fantastic getting to know you know each of your customers that custom fit experience to now you know a global entity in which we’re we’re in every corner of the world right now and it’s just fantastic. It’s crazy. It’s crazy. Brian, you spent so many years fitting people and ensuring that that they’re fit. So it kind of takes this philosophy and moves it from what was a micro level to now a macro level back to the personal level. What’s it like for you when you get someone connected with the equipment that’s right for their game regardless of their ability level? Yeah, I I think people are shocked when they get fit who have never been fit. Um I really see how getting clubs that are fit properly for you, they can change the ball flight immediately for somebody. Um having Misfit golf clubs makes makes the game much harder. And I’ve been able to see, especially with this brand and and our our clubs, what it can do for someone. It’s pretty amazing. Does it surprise people when they find out how many different options there actually are? Always. Yes. I think people assume they just get a set of clubs and and they just start playing and then once they see our whole fitting process, they’re usually blown away and and can’t believe the results. Take us down the road then just for a second in terms of we’re talking about chafts, we’re talking about flexes, we’re talking about all the different variables that go into it, plus the way you customize the weight on a head. Yeah, I think you know as we switch swing weights and lengths and lofts and lies, there’s people can’t believe how much it changes just the impact of the ball. Um, a lot of a lot of times people make good swings that don’t get the result they deserve. Good point. And you know, as a guy who’s been around the game for a while, that hurts me. And, uh, you’ll see during a fitting just how much it changes on the low point and the ball fight. And it’s a pretty amazing process. The last thing I want to ask you about then is when we’re talking about PXG, many of you are going to be familiar with PXG, of course, because of tour players from around the world and all the different tours, LPGA, PGA Tour, etc. playing PXG, but fitting applies to everybody regardless of your ability level. 100%. Sometimes I think it’s more important for the everyday golfer than than a highly skilled one. Obviously, there’s a different nuance to it, but I would say when people get into the game, you know, having the proper equipment can speed up the process exponentially for them. Very cool. Again, we want to reiterate the fact that pxg.com is a great place to get started for that kind of information. Absolutely. Perfect. Thank you guys. It was good to see you. 10 years down the road here at PXG and still the cornerstone is ensuring that the clubs that you play are perfectly right for you. [Music] Yes. This is golf. Nice shot, honey. And this is golf’s supertore. Oh, yeah. We’ll take this. In Ireland, golf is more than just a game. Come and experience our world famous Lynx courses and our world famous Parkland courses. All set alongside world famous scenery and visit our world famous historic sites. And while you’re here, enjoy our world famous hospitality. Fill your heart with Ireland at Ireland.com/golf. Ben Hogan Golf Equipment is back. Established in 1953, we serve golfers who demand excellence of their equipment. Designed by the game’s best engineers, forged in the world’s best foundaries, and built to order in the USA. Don’t settle for off- therackck disappointment. Elevate your game with custom clubs at direct to consumer pricing. Exclusively at benhoganolf.com. That’s benhoganolf.com. 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[Music] As we welcome you back to this very special show in which we’re taking a look behind the scenes at PXG. And when you’re out here in Scottsdale at PXG, you may be lucky enough to find yourself here at Scottsdale National as well. And that’s where I have found my friend Renee Parsons. So Renee, we’re in an absolutely gorgeous setting. Could you tell the world where we are and and how where we’re sitting right now was also a culmination of your own vision? Sure. Absolutely. Well, thanks for being here. It’s great to have you back. Pleasure. And we’re hitting it perfectly with the weather right now. It’s a beautiful early fall day in the Sonorin Desert. Uh we’re at the PXG house right now at Scottsdale National Golf Club overlooking the 18th hole and the fairway and it’s just a stunning stunning day today. So it is absolutely excited you’re here today. When when you set about trying to find the vibe of all of Scottsdale National, I mean where we’re talking about the villas where we’re talking about where we’re sitting. What was the theme? What was what was going through your mind in terms of what you wanted to capture? Yes. Well, we really wanted to capture um a sense of place and essence, right, of the uh beautiful Sonor and Desert. It’s such a unique landscape and part of this country uh that has so much to give and offer and it’s so different than pretty much everywhere else in in the world. So, first and foremost, we wanted to honor the the place and and our location here. Uh we had an existing clubhouse uh which is we call the National Clubhouse now and it’s built in a hianda style, very traditional, very cozy. uh mortar wash, brick beams and and etc. Uh this clubhouse and and really the villas as well and all of the architecture with the new build. We wanted to capture that hiandanda traditional sonor and desert style that you find in the desert but then put a modern twist on it and then capture really the views with larger windows, indooroutdoor lifestyle. And as you can see, this all opens up to the outside in this beautiful weather. And at night, you’ve got the fire pits going and it’s just a perfect place for oprey golf andor just a beautiful night out or a date night. Uh, and most of our members really love to celebrate their special occasions here, which is an honor for us uh that they choose to do that here, whether it’s an anniversary, a birthday party, uh, engagement, or even a bachelorette. It’s it’s funny because I’m thinking about, you know, when when we buy a house and they have you go and say, “Pick out the cabinets and pick out, you know, all all the the the different rugs, whatever it is, tiles that you have to have.” Yeah. You had to make, I’m guessing, hundreds of decisions in terms of how you’re going to decorate all of this. Absolutely. Yeah. So, of course, it starts with the architecture and the physical structure. Uh, so once we had that hammered out, which includes thinking about the staff and the service, because I come from a hotel restaurant background. So, all of those things were considered and then you get into the fun things which is all of this the like you said all of the finishes, the details, uh the the the wood floor, the beams, what color are the beams, what type of artwork do we want? We wanted to choose artwork that was in keeping with the sonor and southwest. So, we chose local artists uh for all of the works here. And they’re a bit more modern, though. So, it’s a modern interpretation of a southwest uh sort of style of art. Beautiful. So, um we we try to capture both. Yeah. And I I think and I hope it’s a compliment to to everything that you set out to do when you’re sitting in this space. There’s a sense of relaxation that goes with it. Is it you almost feel like you’re home. Yeah. Abs. That’s what we wanted to create. So, I’m glad you you feel that way. Yeah. Yeah. We wanted our members and guests to feel like this is their home away from home, but in the best way and that you’re having, you know, five-star service, somebody’s cooking for you. You have amazing cocktails and and and beautiful wines and so you can relax like you’re home, but you are catered to and waited on and you just feel comfortable. So, with everything that Renee Parsons has going on in your life, from the philanthropy that you and Bob are involved in in Moore, you took on another assignment. What December was it when you became CMO, chief marketing officer of PXG as well. Yeah. What went into that decision and how do you feel it’s going for you so far? Just one more thing on your plate, right? Yeah, it’s definitely one more thing on my plate, but it’s been great. It’s been a wonderful experience. It’s been almost a year, which is crazy to think. Um, and we have a great team. We had have a lot of professionals on the team that have been with us a long time and who I’ve known for for years. So it makes it easier to step into the role when you know the players, you kind of know the flow of the business, you understand the nuance and what we do. And so it’s been a great transition and um been more involved obviously for the brand and for all aspects, all categories, all products and really trying to impact um all aspects of the business and marketing and advertising and social media and PR and all the things. How much do you think that people understand the brand that is PXG now and how would you define it? Okay. Well, I’ I’d like to think that people understand uh who we are and are very familiar with PXG. Uh but you know, we’re we’re a lifestyle. We’re we’re definitely a a whole golf lifestyle brand. So, you know, we we feel different. We are different. Our experience with our customers is different. Our fitting experience, so when you’re first introduced to the brand, typically it’s through the equipment and and being fit for the clubs. It’s really an experience like no other at any other location or retailer you’re going to find this. So, we really take that extra step. It’s like a personal shopping experience in a way in that you have a relationship with your salesperson, your fitter, and you really go through an hour and a half of getting to know one another. Um, really going through the process of finding the right clubs for you, the right chefs, the right grip, the right everything. And then you have a relationship. So, it’s like you can call, you have a cell phone, you can call them afterwards. Oh, you know, I need to tweak something. I have a question. They’re there for you. And then of course as you walk into our stores, you’ve got all of the products that represent PXG which include I’m wearing a PXG apparel top today. Um but you know, so you’ve got you can complete the look in so many levels and um and we really put a lot of thought into all of the products. From that standpoint, let’s talk about PXG apparel for a second. Sure. Was that born out of this realization that PXG represented more than going into a shop and just buying a set of clubs? people were invested in this lifestyle as you called it and that brought you into the apparel side. Absolutely. Yes. I love fashion as well and I love golf. So, it was a really great opportunity to combine the two loves into what we thought was a a missing piece of the market and that stylish, fashionable, flattering golf apparel that you can wear on and off the course. So, I really wanted it to be again the lifestyle. I keep saying it, but like I want to look chic in the clubhouse after I play golf. I don’t want to feel frumpy or unattractive, you know. So, I think men and women want to feel that way. They they want to feel put together. They want to feel um like they’re elevated and and they look good. And so, I that’s what we wanted to achieve. And also just lifestyle. So, you’re like going from a morning round to going to pick up the kids from school or whatever it is. You don’t want to have to go change your clothes or like you said, maybe going out to dinner afterwards or what have you. How much do you feel that apparel, properly designed apparel that is lifestyle apparel, whether it’s golf based or otherwise is also kind of an expression of fun and an expression of joy that goes along with it. Absolutely. And who you are. It’s an expression of self. So I think when we wear something that we feel good in, it boosts our confidence, right? And um when your confidence is boosted, you go in walk into a room feeling more comfortable. You feel good about yourself. you just have that, you know, sort of janiqua, you know, you just have that way about you that attracts other people. And um I think it’s a big part of of what we do every day as human beings. To the point of the brand, here we are now more than 10 years down the road since all of this started. Yeah. When you look back, could you have imagined it evolving to this point? And has it happened on the on the timeline that you expected? Yeah. You know, I didn’t really have any expectations at the beginning, right? Um, everybody thought Bob was crazy for getting into this space, you know, the golf equipment space at the time and very literally. So, we didn’t have didn’t go into it with any expectations. But then we saw how, you know, people really gravitated to the brand. They loved who we were, what we stood for. We were different. And then the products, frankly, backed up the the hype. You know, you got to have the product. So, I think um hype will only get you so far. But once people started swinging clubs, they were like, “Wow, this is a game changer.” literally. And so then we did the same thing with every other product, whether it’s our headear or apparel, what have you. We wanted it to be done with that level of care and thought and detail. And if we’re not going to do it to the best of our ability and that it’s impeccable, then we’re not going to do it. Period. And so that’s sort of the ethos of the brand. Very, very cool. Do you see the brand continuing to evolve and get stronger? Definitely. Absolutely. Yes. I mean, we’ve even, you know, gotten into other little categories. Pickle ball paddles, you know. Really? Yes. Yes. Yep. So, it’s like, okay, people that want to be part of the lifestyle. They play multiports, right? Not just golf. So, we want to be there for them in all areas of their life. How much has this philosophy of doing things your way, doing things different than everyone else? How much does that impact your role as chief marketing officer? How much does that impact your role as a visionary with PXG Apparel? How much does it impact the overall brand as you move forward? Yes, I think it totally impacts it. You know, we just kind of do it our way, not really looking at everybody else. It’s like what feels right to us, what feels right and authentic to who we are at PXG and and frankly Scottsdale National even. So when we endeavor to start something, whether it’s Scottdale National, PXG, we do it because we have a vision and we know how we want it to be and it’s really not based on another club or another equipment company or apparel company. It’s just like how we want it to be. Beautiful. Yeah. The game of golf course is getting stronger and stronger because so many people are taking to the game. And in particular, one of the areas that’s very encouraging is the increase in percentage of women playing the game. Whether we’re talking about I mean with with young girls now, we’re we’re up to almost between 30 and 40% of of new players coming into the game, children who are female. How exciting is that when we look down the road to say now we’re welcoming to women and we have our arms stretched out to say please come into the game of golf. Yes. And it’s so exciting. I’m I’m very enthused about it. I’m a huge supporter of women in golf and women in general and I just want everybody to experience it. It’s brought a lot to my life and but I’ve also seen, you know, the challenges over the years based on my age and how my generation, but I’m loving seeing that change in my lifetime, you know, and it starts with all of us and it starts with the kids really because they show an interest and we bring them in and make them feel welcome and then you’re just going to have more representation um which is what we all want. When it’s all said and done, do you think PXG can be a brand, can be a message for anyone, men, women, kids of inspiration? I hope so. That’s my hope. And um and we’re here and very, you know, welcoming and we, you know, we want to make it approachable. Golf can sometimes be intimidating, but we hope with our marketing and the way we present ourselves and our stores and how everybody’s so friendly that people start to relax and not be so intimidated by the whole experience. and pick it up because it’s a lot of fun. It’s beautiful. I’m going to toast you as we as we head out. Lovely to see it, my friend. Congratulations with your success. Thank you so much. Now, talking about fun, as you guys probably know already, if you’ve watched his show for a while, Dom is a foodie and so he has absolutely insisted that he go behind the scenes. He’s with Chef Mel right now whipping up some culinary delights. Well, Matt, I did it. I made my way into the kitchen. This is Chef Mel. How you doing? Very good. How are you? This is the Mustang Gorilla. What they have going on here is a symphony. You can see behind me the chain gang doing their thing and in front of me I I I’m speechless. Tell me a little bit about the concept here at Mustang Grill. A Mustang Grill is a Italian steakhouse. So we have um some beautiful steaks. Wagu. This is uh this is the Aon standalone ped montes. uh Brussels sprouts, the bacon, char, marsala mushroom sauce, and we have um tiger browns with um pecorino, bukatini pasta. This is a kacio pepper. Um a little bit parsley, obviously, black pepper, parmesan, pecorino, New York steak, 30-day dry age, roasted asparagus, a little bit garlic. This is um chili and sebas with coconut rice, baby back choy. And then we have pear salad, which is white wine, porch pear, h pistachio crusted go cheese, little bit organic greens with Asian pear. And then we have the amuse here. So every night, every guest that comes in, they will get a little bite before you get your appetizers. And then you eat the rest of this. Yes. And then just kind of open the appetite. So changes every single day. So if you come in five days a night, you’re going to see five different things. So, what about what about So, and then we have this beautiful dessert here or past chef Scott macaroon golf ball uh golf ball uh m uh little bon in it. What’s in there? Scott, you want to talk about uh your little dessert over here? We have is milk chocolate and peanut butter in golf ball. Can I eat that right now? Yeah, sure. Okay, it’s okay. Keep talking. Absolutely. Tell me about why you how you designed this menu. So, uh, I’ve been here for nine years. Uh, this big she house opened seven years ago. So, when we change the concept and we create the menu, we have a menu that changes, um, every week. Every week we have tree appetizers, tree entre, but just kind of keeps the chefs inspired and keeps the chefs, you know, changing the menu seasonally. And then we have the menu for every day if you want to, you know, just simple pasta or you want to just grill steak, mashed potatoes. So we have the menu for every day. So you can eat here seven days a week and there’s always going to see something different on the menu. This is dangerous to put all this in front of me, especially with so little time that we have. I I just I have to say I am outrageously impressed with what you’ve built. How big is your team here? But I have total of 20. So when I was here nine years ago, I have a team of four. So the whole evolution four people. So, so I was doing everything myself and then as when we open this clubhouse, that’s when we transform what fine dining is. So, what we’re trying to achieve here in the club is people want to come in and you don’t want to see the same thing that you see any other club. So, this is like, you know, reinventing the food and the clubouses. So, literally what what this one is. Well, this experience is extraordinary. I’m going to say thank you and I’m going to eat some of this food. Absolutely. Very excited to eat all of it. And I appreciate all the time when we come when we come back, Matt is going to sit down with the man who had the vision for all of this. I got ball fit in 2000 and went on a little run. [Applause] Then Bridgestone fit me again and I went on another run. [Music] [Applause] I just got fit again for the new Tour BX. The ball fitting’s been helping me. Will it help you? What does it take to be an original? Cam knows something about that. So does Chi-Chi, Charlie, and you get it. In 1955, we stepped onto the scene. Now, a new generation of pros are wearing the most iconic styles in the game. The fit, the feel, the look. It’s all an expression of you. Original Penguin. Here for the good times. Offers today are a different breed. Who me? We see the game in a different way. We all have our own styles. We swing our own swing. We have one thing in common. We are all about the details. Introducing the Rebel line of grips from SuperStroke. With three distinct offerings to choose from, the Rebel is in the details. Want more distance, accuracy, and forgiveness with your irons? Yeah, you do. PXG’s exceptional Gen 7 irons are custom fitted for your swing and feature unmatched precision adjustability to maximize your performance. To play your best, play the best. PXG Gen7 irons. Book your fitting at pxg.com or PXG location near you. Nice, straight, and fun. Funest experience I’ve ever had. Would recommend it to anyone. PXG, you’ve never played like this before. Flight Scope Meo Plus is the ultimate indoor and outdoor golf launch monitor and simulator. It gives you the club and ball data you need with the accuracy you demand. Mibo Plus comes with ownership of simulated golf courses for you to play and practice at home. Meo Plus is an essential golf partner to help you improve and understand your game better. Put more purpose in your practice. To learn more and get your MEO Plus, shop now at flightcope.com. When you choose Newton shafts, you’re choosing more than a product. You’re choosing innovation, pride, and excellence right here in America. We pay attention to the minutest of details, and you can feel that in the performance of our shafts. [Music] Welcome back to the Fairways of Life Show. Pleasure to have your company from wherever you are joining us around the world. And around the world, the man that I’m with right now is very, very well known. This is Bob Parsons. He the visionary behind all of this. Yes. Here at Scottsdale National and also with PXG. Bob, when we’re walking at a place as incredibly beautiful as this, if we go back a decade ago, could you have envisioned all that you’ve built? You know, I never thought about it. I never thought about it. I just thought uh whatever I own, I make better. And um made this a lot better. Uh when I bought it, I bought it for a small amount. And um it had uh just a little over 200 acres. Now it’s over 700 acres. And it has got three golf courses, uh, two, uh, championship 18hole courses, one uh, ninehole devilish course. And, uh, it is absolutely pristine. It has the best service. It and it has no rules and our members absolutely love and adore that. Matter of fact, it does have one rule. I thought you told me there was one rule. What is that? one rule and and it is it amounts to no rules, but the one rule is no member shall ever interfere with another member’s good time. That’s a pretty strong rule. There’s no doubt about that. When you think about Scottsdale National and PXG, how much are those both tied into the DNA that’s actually Bob Parsons? Oh, totally. Totally. I mean, they’re they’re all about me. I mean, neither one does anything that anybody else that that any of the other operations do. Like for example, uh this this uh all this acreage in these three golf courses, we’re one of the few golf courses in in the valley and I think it might be one one used to that we don’t overseed. We don’t overseed at all. We found out how to keep um you know, Bermuda grass growing all year, no matter whether it’s cold or it’s not cold. We save millions of gallons of water. And while all the competitors are closing right now, so they can oversee, we’re wide open. Beautiful. It’s absolutely beautiful. Let’s talk about PXG’s evolution. Now, as we mentioned, it’s more than a decade down the road. When you set out with the vision of what you wanted PXG to be then versus what it is now, is it the same or has it evolved along the way? Well, yeah, it you know it it evolved. You know, at at first I I knew I wanted to make golf clubs and I knew I wanted to make them better, but I didn’t realize how absolutely much better we would make them. I mean, we make fantastic golf equipment and you know, I I believe, of course, that we make the finest in the industry, and I have competitors that make some very fine stuff, but I think ours is better. And um you know what, we worked hard because unless our equipment is is absolutely noticeably better than what’s been released before by us, we’ll keep working on it. So that commitment to excellence that you have, obviously we feel it here at Scottsdale National, you spoke to it in fact, but that commitment to excellence with PXG, it requires amongst various things, investment is one of them, a shared philosophy amongst your people, but it also requires patience. Did everything play out on the timeline that you thought it would, or has it gone faster than you anticipated? Well, we never had a timeline. Interesting. So, so it’s it’s it’s kind of hard to hard to say. You know, our our first clubs when when when we released them, uh, and, you know, was well over a year in business and so forth. Um, you know, we we were uh blown away with with how they came out. Everybody else was too. They’re just wasn’t anything like them. And uh and then we kept up and we kept making it better and making it better and we kept hearing and even we would say we don’t know how we’re going to make it better but we always did. You know my question would be and I was going to start out by saying in your wildest dreams but I’m not going to say that with Bob Parsons because you manifest the realities that you create. Without any reservation, where do you see PXG going down the road? Well, I think we’re going to do more of the same. I mean, we’re we’re a research and development company, and we research and develop the performance of golf equipment. And I look forward to us finding ways, new and better ways to make it better. Not necessarily longer, but easier to hit, right? More fun to hit. It feels better. And you know, and then does it go further? Yeah, sure it goes further, but uh your scores are better. Uh, and our our slogan now is you’ve never played like this before. That is for sure. That that’s a very strong slogan. But you also heard talk about more fun and that’s the one rule that you can’t violate here at Scottsdale National. Don’t interfere with another member’s fun. On another point, we’re right now looking at an emblem secured forever more into this rock that I know means so much to you in blazing 1966 to 1970. Could you tell us what we’re looking at and what this means? Okay, what we’re looking at is we’re looking at the logo of the 26 marine uh regiment and uh I was in the first battalion, 26 Marines, Delta Company. Um and uh sec first squad, the second I mean first platoon, second squad. And uh I’m I’m going to tell you I was with him one month. One month. And uh it was the month of of March 1969. Mhm. And to the day I was I was wounded. I was I hit a trap going through a village at night. We seen combat, you know, a lot of times. And uh the guys I was was with, we bonded so good. I I’m in touch with many of them now. Amazing. And it’s I mean it’s been well well over 50 years since the war. Purple Heart recipient is Bob Parsons for what he did to serve his country and the sacrifices that he and so many others made. And to that point of the others, you have maintained this this commitment and this contact and this passion for the Marines that’s not only about those that you served alongside of, but it is now extended itself in a greater and greater array. Yeah. to to the entire Marine Corps and for that matter we help the uh all armed forces and we do it through a wonderful organization called the seer five fund and America’s fund uh sometimes they’re called the fund be honest with you I’m not really sure what they’re called uh but uh I do know they’re a wonderful wonderful organization and uh if you’re in the military and you’re you know you’re on the wrong side of anything you’re going to hear from them and they’ll be by your It’s amazing. They have Bob Parsons by their side as well, sir. Thank you for your service to the country as ever. And thank you for everything that you’ve done now for the game of golf, too. Well, I’ll tell you what. It’s it’s it’s what it’s what my purpose is. You know, I read once that, you know, to be happy, you need somebody to love and you need a purpose. This is my purpose. Beautiful. He has found it. There’s little doubt about that. Folks, thank you for joining us. As I promised you at the start of the show today, we wanted to take you behind the curtain and show you how and why PXG is so special and now you got a chance to get a glimpse here of Scottsdale National as well. Yes, all of it ties together and we hope you enjoyed this very unique view. Thank you so much for your company and until we are together again, be well and goodbye for now. [Music]
