Adams Golf, Inc. was an American

sports equipment Sports equipment, sporting equipment, also called sporting goods, are the tools, materials, apparel, and gear used to compete in a sport and varies depending on the sport. The equipment ranges from balls, nets, and protective gear like helmets. ...

manufacturing company based in

Plano, Texas Plano ( ) is a city in Collin County, Texas, Collin County and Denton County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Hist ...

, focused on the

golf equipment Golf equipment encompasses the various items that are used to play the sport of golf. Types of equipment include the golf ball, golf clubs, and devices that aid in the sport. Equipment Balls Originally, golf balls were made of a hardwood, s ...

market. The company produced golf equipment (more specifically

clubs Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

). In 2012 it was acquired by

TaylorMade TaylorMade Golf Company is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Carlsbad, California, United States. The company focuses on the golf equipment market, producing golf clubs, balls, and clothing. TaylorMade Golf is currently ...

(owned by

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...

), becoming one of its

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

History

In 1983, Barney Adams joined

Dave Pelz David T. Pelz is an American golf coach, known for his expertise and published writing on the art of the short game, particularly putting. Pelz's ''Short Game Bible'' was a ''New York Times'' "national best-seller" in 1999. Eleven of Pelz's prof ...

Golf in

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census, making it the 27th-most populous city in the state of Texas. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statis ...

. When Pelz's '' Preceptor Golf'' went

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debt ...

in 1988, Adams bought the assets and started Adams Golf. He moved the company to

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

in 1991. Adams Golf initially specialized in custom fitted golf clubs, initially becoming associated with

Hank Haney Hank Haney (born August 24, 1955) is an American professional golf instructor best known for coaching Tiger Woods and two-time major championship winner Mark O'Meara. Graduate of the University of Tulsa. Biography Haney says, "My philosophy a ...

setting up a club fitting and repair shop at the Hank Haney Golf Ranch. Adams "Tight Lies" fairway

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

became a commercial success as the result of television infomercial, with sportscaster Jack Whittaker as the host and narrator; Haney, then

Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records. * * * Woods is widely regarded as ...

' coach; Bill Rogers, British Open winner and PGA Player of the Year in 1981; and LPGA Hall of Famer

Carol Mann Carol Mann (February 3, 1941 – May 20, 2018) was an American professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1961 and won two major championships and 38 LPGA Tour events in all. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Am ...

, as spokespersons. In 1998, Adams Golf went public on

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for t ...

, with an

initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investment ...

underwritten by

Lehman Brothers Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. ( ) was an American global financial services firm founded in 1847. Before Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, filing for bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth-largest investment bank in the United States (behind Gol ...

. Barney Adams was selected as Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year by

Ernst & Young Ernst & Young Global Limited, trade name EY, is a multinational professional services partnership headquartered in London, England. EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and Pricewaterh ...

in 1999. Although semi-retired since 2000, Barney Adams retains the title

Chairman of the Board The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

until 2012. In 2012, Adams Golf was acquired by

TaylorMade Golf TaylorMade Golf Company is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Carlsbad, California, United States. The company focuses on the golf equipment market, producing golf clubs, balls, and clothing. TaylorMade Golf is currently ...

(which was owned by

by then) for

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

10.80 per share in cash (roughly 70 million). As a result, Adams was added to the corporation set of golf brands, such as Adidas Golf and TaylorMade–adidas Golf. TaylorMade assured that Adams' headquarters in Plano, Texas, would remain. Nevertheless, by 2016 the Adams brand had lost market position, with some media considering it "an afterthought" at TaylorMade.

Sponsorships

Adams Golf has maintained endorsement deals with many

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

s playing on the leading

tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...

, including

Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer (; born 27 August 1957) is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, he became the sport's first official number one ra ...

Brittany Lincicome Brittany Grace Lincicome (born September 19, 1985) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. She currently resides in Gulfport, Florida. Lincicome is one of the longest drivers in women's golf. In her rookie year, 2005, she ...

Yani Tseng Yani Tseng (; born 23 January 1989) is a Taiwanese professional golfer playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She is the youngest player ever, male or female, to win five major championships and was ranked number 1 in the Women's World Golf Ranki ...

and Tom Watson.

References

External links

Adams Golf company
(archived, 3 Feb 2011)
Adams Golf
(TaylorMade brand) (archived, 5 Jul 2017) {{Adidas Golf equipment manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Texas Companies based in Plano, Texas Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Manufacturing companies established in 1991 1998 initial public offerings 2012 mergers and acquisitions 1991 establishments in Texas 2012 disestablishments in Texas Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2012