CLICK HERE TO SHOP HONMA GOLF GEAR AVAILABLE NOW AT WORLDWIDE GOLF SHOPS
PROFILE Q&A
ver.indd
1
12/1/1
ver.indd
1
12/1/1
ver.indd
1
12/1/1
ver.indd
1
12/1/1
more business in the United States as we build out
relationships with some of the big retailers and de-
velop unique shops within shops in as many
places to distribute our products.
We want to present our product in the market-
place differently. We're trying to establish elevated
brand experiences with a really upscale feel.
Look, golf clubs aren't cheap and if you're in the
market for a new set, the red carpet should be
rolled out. We want to really take care of our cus-
tomer and provide them with an outstanding
front-to-back buying experience that makes the
consumer know, not feel, that Honma really cares
about them.
uuu
What was it like for you seeing Justin Rose
win at the Farmers Insurance Open after sign-
ing with Honma? It was just cool. I was really
happy for Justin, obviously, but beyond that I was
really happy for Chairman Liu and the team at our
factory in Sakata, Japan. They've made incredible
products for a really long time and Justin brought
that into the forefront almost immediately.
Justin deserves everything he gets. He works so
hard and is so dedicated to his craft. We're happy
we could help in a small way.
uuu
What does it mean to have the No. 1 player
in the world representing your brand? There
just couldn't be anyone better to represent us. If
you think about it, Honma has really two brands –
Beres and Tour World. The Beres is the super-pre-
mium, high-end, luxury stuff and Tour World is
premium performance. Justin Rose is the perfect
intersection of those two things. He enjoys the
finer things in life, but aside from that, he's the
best player in the world.
And look, Justin does his homework. You don't
get to where he is in his field without some serious
dedication. If he didn't think our product could
help him improve, he would not have switched.
And when the best player in the world thinks your
stuff can make him better, it sort of confirms your
stuff is pretty good.
uuu
Are there plans to bring any other Tour pros
on staff in the near future? We've identified
some guys that we think can really help us. Justin
will always be the focal point, but we'll certainly
look at building out a team around him.
uuu
Honma clubs are known for being higher
priced, but what do you think justifies the cost?
It's important to differentiate here, because yes we
do sell some higher-priced equipment in our Beres
line, but our Tour World line is priced very com-
petitively. But getting to your question, is spending
$200,000 dollars on a Lamborghini justifiable?
Probably not, but Lamborghinis are still pretty
cool! The fact remains, you will always be able to
buy a functional product at a lower price point.
Honma clubs appeal to your emotion.
World No. 1 Justin Rose took his
Honma clubs to Torrey Pines and
won the Farmers Insurance Open.
