Have a vegetable hater in the house? Then you need to try roasted carrot coulis. Seriously. If there ever was a recipe that shows off all the glory of healthy veggies (besides a salad), it’s this one. A quick rough chop of sweet carrots, savory red bell peppers, and spicy sweet sliced onion — roasted...
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Being a mom is hard work. Really hard work!! I love my children, but that doesn’t make it easy. As moms our help and support is in constant demand … but you can’t give from an empty cup. (Unless the cup is filled with wine … I kid, I kid!) I’ve learned from experience that...
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Click here to read 20 Lucky Shamrock Crafts for Kids to Make this St. Patrick’s Day on Hands On As We Grow
Make fun shamrock crafts for kids to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
St. Patrick’s day is full of fun and laughter for adults, lots of green beer, right? St. Patrick’s day is one of the two times a year my small town has a parade. We take it as a sign of spring and it makes us all happy to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.
After such a hard and very cold winter, I can’t help but wait and wait for the day that spring will come. I feel like it will be a really lucky day.
What better way to prepare for that lucky day than with some shamrock crafts for the kids to make?!
P.S. So many of these shamrock crafts for kids to make are from the Hands On As We Grow archives. Some ideas other hands on moms who submit their craftiness. Lots of hands on moms submit their crafty ideas, as well as fun activities, here on Hands On As We Grow.
Plus some are just from my favorite blogs that I couldn’t leave out!
Shamrocks means spring is getting close! There’s so many fun spring crafts for kids to make this time of year!
At any point during 2017, the status on Miura's Facebook page could have listed its status as "In transition."
Miura's calling card had always been forged blades and players' cavity-backs along with high-performance wedges. This helped it to establish a cult-like following with better players, but at times, Miura seemed reticent to deviate from this script, due in part to the exceptionally loyal fan base.
But change was inevitable and frankly, necessary for Miura to retain relevance as other OEM's (Epon, PXG, amongst others) pushed performance boundaries while blurring once rigid category definitions.
The small family business started by Katsuhiro Miura in 1957, acquired a new investor in Howard Milstein and named Hoyt McGarity, CEO of True Spec Golf, as president of its North American operations.
Now as 2018 begins to unfold, consumers are starting to see some tangible evidence of where Miura might be headed and how its reorganization will impact the final product.
This year Miura is primed for three equipment releases, the first being the MC-501 irons ($260/each MAP), which are available 3-PW for right-handed players only. This is Miura's first entirely new iron design (since the 1957 CB series) and aims to prove itself worthy of the self-proclaimed title "The Modern Blade."
Say's McGarity, “Although blade models typically target a specific skill set, Shinei wanted this new model to appeal beyond just the low-handicap player.”
Traditional blade irons offer golfers maximum shot-shaping control by centering mass behind impact coupled with a relatively high CG. With that, the typical opportunity cost of workability is forgiveness. The MC-501 will never be mistaken for a game-improvement club, but engineers have taken several steps to maintain the traditional elements of a muscleback iron while boosting performance on off-center strikes.
With the MC-501, engineers sculpted channels into the muscle of the club, carving out 20 grams of weight, which is repositioned in the sole. The result the longest total blade length of any Miura blade model (which is still quite compact by industry standards) and a lower CG which generally leads to higher launch with lower spin.
The company line seems to suggest this is a cavityback iron in muscleback clothing. I'd say it is more a muscleback and a half. The MC-501 lacks the forgiveness one would expect from a perimeter-weighted cavityback iron on heel/toe misses as well as shots struck high on the face (noticed this particularly in the rough). However, if your miss is generally limited to thin shots, the additional repositioned weight makes an appreciable difference.
In my individual testing, it didn't take long to figure out the MC-501's personality. It's effectively a marginally more forgiving muscleback iron and isn't for the player who struggles to find the center of the face. The Y-grind (Y denotes the grinds creator, Yoshitaka Miura) softens and blunts the leading edge to promote cleaner turf interaction, especially for those with a steeper angle of attack. Because perimeter weighting is virtually nonexistent, manipulating ball flight and trajectory is quite enjoyable, but caveat emptor, the guts of the MC-501 are still that of a muscleback. Slight alternations in face angle and swing plane will produce pronounced changes in ball flight.
Simply, the MC-501 is an iron which will respond best to players who like to work the ball but could benefit from a bit more launch and/or whose primary miss is thin.
I think there's a tendency for the golfing public to get too far out over their skis with irons like the MC-501. Because forgiveness is emphasized and touted as a selling point, some will take this to mean it's a viable option for the majority of golfers. It's not. It's still a niche product, best suited for accomplished players or competitive amateurs.
This is an iron with divisive curb appeal. Some Miura traditionalists won't like it because it doesn't look like the MB-001 or Baby Blade - or any number of classic blade style irons. Others will note the deli-sliced thin topline and still quite compact footprint and see, for lack of a better descriptor, the "X" styled cavity as dynamic and different enough to stand out in a good way. The copper-nickel satin finish is pure, and each head is still forged at Miura's factory in Himeji, Japan from soft S25C carbon steel.
Regardless, it doesn't look entirely like MB's from Miura's past, but it's not supposed to.
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The MC-501 reminds me of an iron which is well over a decade old – Mizuno's MP-32. The purpose of both is relatively similar (muscleback aesthetics and cavityback performance achieved largely by repositioning weight from the cavity to the sole) even if the exact engineering is not. What the MP-32 did for Mizuno was to attract a set of golfers who didn't have the game for the MP-33s or MP-67s but wanted to bag clubs which looked (mostly) like them. Similarly, the MC-501 could pull in a contingent with the game to comfortably play a club like Miura's CB-57 or PP-9003, but want something which, at face value, looks like a muscleback.
Change is as uncomfortable as it is unavoidable. Katsuhiro Miura's two sons (Shinei and Yoshitaka) will continue to play a more significant role in product design and because Miura wants to attract a wider swath of golfers, future releases (this year included) will almost certainly look different than previous ones. Some will laud a more modern and inclusive approach, while others will criticize and decry the moves as evidence Miura is moving an uncomfortable distance from its roots.
It's a challenging position for Miura. There's a tenuous balance to be struck which honors its heritage and history while taking measured steps forward to address existing gaps – namely equipment to draw in higher handicap golfers.
This is the beginning of Miura's redefinition. Do you like what you see?
Ever heard of switchel? It is a fermented beverage that hasn’t seemed to gain the popularity of kombucha … yet (though I suspect it will soon!). It relies on pre-fermented apple cider vinegar and does not have a long fermentation process like kombucha or kefir do, making it a great first drink for anyone new to...
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I know the Olympics are over, but Bridgestone Golf may have just copped the Gold in Synchronized Stealth Marketing.
It was so stealthy that unless you were actually reading Twitter yesterday instead of just doing the scan-and-scroll two-step, you’d have missed it entirely. Most OEMs will at least drop us a postcard or throw us a line for even the smallest update or release, but Bridgestone is seemingly trying to sneak its new driving iron into the marketplace.
And yes, they’re calling it a driving iron instead of the more politically correct utility iron.
Don't look for Bridgestone's Tour B X-HI at retail: you won't find it. The new driving iron is an extremely limited release that’s available only on Bridgestone’s website, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Sort of.
“It’s an in-line product in Japan,” says Zack Kupperbusch, Bridgestone’s golf club product manager. “We wanted to bring it in over here in limited quantities to test the popularity. Assuming it sells well we’ll look to bring it in as a full line release in the near future.”
This is Bridgestone’s first release in this growing niche since the J33 Air Muscle; a club Kupperbusch says customers still ask about.
“From working with shaft companies and gauging the market, we feel like the driving iron category is making a comeback. We wanted to get in front and see how well this would be received.”
I doubt a 2018 test market run of a product line that’s been pretty much on everyone else’s radar since 2012 or so qualifies as getting in front of it, but the fact is if you want one, you better hurry.
The Tour B X-HI as currently constituted is available only in a 20-degree model and comes stock with a Golf Pride MCC grip, the KBS Tour Hybrid Prototype shaft and an impressive array of no-upcharge options. And at $189.99 it's a relative bargain in its category - not bad for a product Bridgestone admits is being test marketed.
“We’re being really aggressive with the price,” adds Kupperbusch, “because we want to see how quickly we can sell-through this first batch of inventory. If it sells pretty quickly, then hopefully we can bring more in as a full-line product."
The Japanese versions sell in 18, 20 and 22-degree models. Bridgestone isn’t releasing much information regarding technical details, other than to say it’s hollow-bodied construction that’s thicker all around with a wider sole, like most other driving irons, er, I mean utility irons.
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Given Bridgestone's standing in equipment market share, this type of release makes sense, especially considering the niche: gauge the market's appetite for the particular product at that particular price before making a bigger investment.
The Bridgestone Tour B X-HI is available only on Bridgestone’s website and in extremely limited quantities.
Bridgestone’s business is getting curiouser and curiouser. Weeks ago the company announced a record-setting year in terms of ball volume sales, which was followed by persistent rumors of red ink on the North American bottom line. We’re also hearing about new Tiger-centric marketing initiatives, and no doubt the gang in Covington had to be pleased with Tiger’s performance, and the ever-obsequious coverage by CBS at the Honda over the weekend.
Also, Bridgestone CEO Angel Ilagan has been a vocal proponent of rolling back the ball on the PGA Tour, which seems to be picking up steam with the USGA. A ball manufacturer calling for a dialed-back, standardized tour ball gives the cynics among us plenty of fodder for late night debates.
On the equipment side - a tiny fraction of Bridgestone's overall business - the company is making its premium Tour B metal woods and irons available online after a year of exclusivity with a select network of club fitters. We also hear rumors of an overhaul of the old-ish JGR metal woods and irons offering.
Given the face-plant Bridgestone endured following the J15 release, it's easy to understand limited edition test marketing for new equipment, particularly with something as niche-oriented as a driving iron. 2017 was a busy year for Bridgestone, and it appears 2018 will be as well. The company remains #3 in ball market share and, despite solid performers in virtually every category, it remains on the outside looking in when it comes to equipment.
Balls are where the money is, and Bridgestone will need to be creative to maintain its market position. The company appears to be taking a very conservative, low-risk approach on the equipment side, which - given its history - is a prudent move.
Click here to read Follow-the-String Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids on Hands On As We Grow
An indoor scavenger hunt for kids is switched up with a little string and letters.
In an attempt to keep bringing the same fun for my younger kids, we just redid this string indoor scavenger hunt to spell your name with George.
Whether its their name, or finding little gems you’ve hidden along the way, it doesn’t matter. But having them find the letters of their name just adds a little fun learning twist.
To begin, I weaved yarn in and out, under and over, our dining room table and chairs.
I pulled the chairs away from the table toward the edge of the room.
Find 32 scavenger hunt ideas for kids that they’ll love to hunt for!
I started the string at one of the room by tying it to a chair.
Then strung it through the chair backs, legs, table legs, and so on throughout the room.
I weaved it so that George would have to step over chairs, bend and crawl under the table to follow the string.
I have letter foam stickers that I stuck to little pieces of paper. (You could just write letters on paper instead.) I made enough to spell his name.
I clipped those letters onto the string. I put them in order of his name, but he didn’t spell his name as he was going. It was done at the end, so the order doesn’t really matter.
From the starting point of the yarn, George ran his hand along the yarn to find his way through the course.
I guess this is more of an obstacle course than a scavenger hunt. But he searched for the letters of his name as he went through.
That was the main rule I had for the activity, to keep his hand on the string so he’d know where he was at (and not skip over to the string next to it and miss out!).
At the end, he spread out his findings to spell his name!
Here’s his version from a few years ago.
During nap time, I set up this simple ‘follow the string’ indoor scavenger hunt for kids.
I strung yarn around the room (a couple of rooms actually).
Looping it through furniture and toys, creating a tangled mess.
I found this string scavenger hunt idea for outside awhile back from Ready. Set. Read! but recently saw another similar scavenger hunt at Having Fun at Home with ribbons.
Find all sorts of scavenger hunt ideas for kids here.
With clothespins, I pinned stickers and letters to hunt for along the course of the string.
Henry awoke and instantly began climbing through, over and under the strings.
He wasn’t really sure what I had intended with this mess.
Luckily, during a quick potty break, I explained the rules:
Henry continued his climbing over and under each string as he came across it.
Crawling under the table where the string took him.
Finding treasures as he came across them.
In the end, the letters spelled his name (in order, but that didn’t matter since he wouldn’t put them down and they got all jumbled up in his hand).
There were also ‘treasures’ of Bob the Builder stickers.
Henry’s been continually playing with his machine (Bob the Builder) stickers as if they were toys.
Another indoor scavenger hunt for kids to do is search for letters and numbers! It’s great for matching upper and lowercase letters, along with practicing counting. Try it!
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Stress kills. No, really… Even if a person has all the other factors right, high levels of stress can derail health. Unfortunately, just knowing stress is a problem doesn’t fix it. It can even add to it! If you’re like me, the need to reduce stress just adds another item on the “to-do” list. Laundry…...
The post Tips to Naturally Reduce Stress … Starting Now! appeared first on Wellness Mama®.
Click here to read DIY Family Mailboxes for All Ages on Hands On As We Grow
Let your little one play mail carrier with DIY family mailboxes from Rachel!
My girls love to write notes and draw pictures for others. Having a special place to “mail” their letters makes it easier for everyone.
These DIY family mailboxes are an easy way to get the whole family creating together! They also provide endless opportunities for creating, learning, and connecting.
Check out these other family time ideas!
There are many ways to make DIY family mailboxes. It should be fun and relaxing, so definitely don’t make a trip to the store for supplies.
You can make it work with just about anything. We used those clasping full-size manila envelopes.
You could also use file folders – just staple the sides shut. Two pieces of cardstock or construction paper stapled on three sides would work, too.
Once you have your “mailbox” figured out, collect some items to decorate them and get creating! We used fine-line markers, dot markers, stamps, and stickers.
Make sure each mailbox has the owner’s name on it – other than that, everyone should decorate however they want!
Hannah’s name was added too early in the process and got covered up with her decorating skills. But we still know which one is hers!
You could skip the possible confusion by adding names last or using a white sticker label instead.
I hung our DIY family mailboxes on the inside of the pantry door using some removable adhesive squares.
Now, whenever anyone wants, they can draw a picture or write a note for a family member and slip it in their mailbox.
The girls are having so much fun with our DIY family mailboxes. They love creating mail for others and finding something in their mailbox.
The kids are having so much fun, they don’t even realize how much they are learning!
For Hannah (age 4), we talk about colors and shapes when she is making a picture for someone. She is also starting to get into letters, so we talk about letters while I help her write notes.
Emma (6) practices her handwriting, phonics, and spelling as she writes her notes.
Izzie (8) is obsessed with writing in cursive, so she practices her cursive and spelling with her notes.
So much learning and they don’t even think about it!
I am here today with Dr. Christopher Centeno, MD, who is an international expert and specialist in regenerative medicine. He’s at the forefront of research on using adult stem cells in orthopedics to repair common injuries and provide an alternative to painful and invasive surgery. I’m just starting to learn about the huge potential of...
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Several weeks back, we introduced you to Jacob Sanborn, Fourteen Golf's Wedge Wizard.
Now, you have the chance to help him design a one-of-a-kind custom wedge.
When Jacob picks your design, he'll build one for you and one for MyGolfSpy to give away on social media.
How to enter?
Comment below and tell us what you'd like to see. In X weeks, we'll announce the winner.
We have held a number of successful dessert evenings for parents to learn more about the future of SAS and the direction of our strategic plan. In continuing the dialogue we invite you to an evening with the superintendent where we will share with you our vision for personalized learning and our facilities master plan. We would love to have you attend the next event on March 1, 7:00 p.m. at the Pan Pacific Orchard Hotel. No RSVP is necessary.
Click here to read Learning Letters Action Game on Hands On As We Grow
Your child will have a blast with a fun learning letters action game that’s also a follow-the-leader activity!
Being a stay-at-home parent can be challenging. You have to be “on” all day, every day.
On the other hand, you do get to monopolize all the sticky kisses, sweet hugs, and create priceless memories constantly. Plus, you get to enjoy those ah-ha moments, like the learning letters action game our Member of the Month created for her children.
Our Member of the Month, Rachel, knows firsthand the highs, and lows, of being a full-time stay at home mom.
“As a stay at home parent you don’t really get any praise or acknowledgment for the ‘work’ you do,” explains Rachel. “But also there is no one checking if you are ‘slacking’.”
It can be quite isolating, especially for parents who are going from working full time to being at home all the time.
Rachel uses The Activity Room as her source of inspiration and as a support system for those tough days.
“The Activity Room isn’t just ideas for play. It’s a whole support network for parents,” Rachel says. “I’m so encouraged everytime I post something and get a comment I feel like ‘yes I am doing a good job!’ and it gives me some accountability.”
“Many members post ideas and encourage each other to try things I wouldn’t have thought of and share ways to adapt activities which gives me more confidence to try new things,” gushes Rachel.
Plus, having a community to laugh with during “parenting fails” makes being a stay at home parent feel less lonely.
“I love it when people share epic failures, it makes me realize ‘it’s not just me’!”
Let’s Meet Rachel!
How many kids do you have and how old are they?
3 kids. 2 boys 4 & 5 and a girl 7 months old.
How long have you been in The Activity Room?
since December 2017
What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?
The Christmas tree letters match! We did a number match for the youngest, but it was so easy to adapt and kept the boys entertained for ages.
What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?
Their favorite thing is hide-and-seek! I like to go outdoors on an adventure. We often do a ‘bear hunt’ or go looking for ‘The Gruffalo”. We just wear wellies and waterproofs if it’s raining.
If it’s only a few moments I like to get out the masking tape and make a road or a maze on the floor to race the cars around. Sometimes I set this up when they’re at school / pre-school. They are super excited to get their cars out when they walk through the door.
What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?
Make it as mess free as possible for easy cleanup. we keep any “dry” activities on a mat. Everything for the activity has to stay on the mat.
This saves small bits and pieces being spread across the whole house. I can lift the whole mat up out of the way so the littlest one isn’t picking up anything she might choke on.
“Wet/ messy” activities are done on a tuft tray to keep everything contained and it can go straight out to the garden to clean. Rain is great for washing away the paint!
Anything on the kitchen table like baking or even stickers is done on a paper tablecloth that can be folded up with all the mess inside for a quick cleanup at meal times.
Before The Activity Room, I spent a lot of time watching TV with my toddler feeling guilty for not making the most of my time with him but being unsure of what activities he’d enjoy.
Now with The Activity Room, I have an idea for every day, I spend more quality time with both of my boys and they even ask me to repeat activities.
I feel like a more successful parent as I feel less guilty when I do need downtime and let them watch cartoons. I know we’ve spent quality time together playing.
Share your favorite quote
“There’s no such thing as a perfect parent so just be a real one.” ~Sue Atkins
I’m trying to help my 4-year-old with his phonics so we’re doing a lot of letter games.
His favorite is where we write 4 letters on 4 pieces of card. Then, we place them in the corners of the room. We love this learning letters action game!
Then, I shout out a letter and the action he has to carry out to get to the letter, like dance to “A”, or bunny hop to “S”.
We can play this learning letters action game for ages!
Practice letter recognition with fun games!
A couple of weeks ago, we asked you to send in whatever questions you might have for MyGolfSpy. In the first video in our new #AskMyGolfSpy series, we answered some of them.
We're just getting started, so keep the questions coming!
You all know I’m a fan of using coconut oil on skin and hair, but another all-star natural moisturizer for these uses and more around the home is shea butter. (Something about the name just even sounds luxurious, doesn’t it?) Shea butter is very thick and solid at room temperature but has a buttery rich...
Continue Reading...21 Shea Butter Benefits and Uses
I’m here today with Dr. Mindy Pelz, who is such a wealth of information I don’t even really know where to start! Dr. Mindy has built one of the largest natural family wellness clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s especially knowledgeable on the role of generational toxins on health — a long term...
Continue Reading...139: Understanding Generational Toxins and Epigenetic Changes with Dr. Mindy Pelz
I’m guessing most of you just mouthed, "Who?" while wondering if you missed something. You didn't.
Toru Kamatari is one of the most influential architects of the modern golf industry, even if his name rarely percolates to the surface of conversations centered around his more famous contemporaries.
Scotty Cameron, Bob Bettinardi, Kia Ma, Ken Giannini, Byron Morgan, Dick De La Cruz, Teddy McCabe, TP Mills, and most recently, Sean Toulon; an impressive list connected by a nearly invisible thread. Call it 6 degrees of Toru Kamatari.
Toru spent the first eight-teen years of his life in Japan where he came to appreciate American culture as illustrated by Steven Spielberg films (He lists Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. as favorites). Though his parents made sure he was in bed by 8 PM, Toru would often spend weekends at his grandparents' home, where less stringent rules allowed him to stay up later, absorbing as much Hollywood magic as his mind could handle.
Toru knew all along he wanted to end up in America and his father saw an entrepreneurial spirit in Toru which he felt would be best fulfilled overseas. The pivotal conversation took place at a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Japan where the 16-year-old Toru was working at the time. Toru's father told him, in no uncertain terms, he needed to find an occupation that would allow him to be his own boss, not a limited salary position where somebody else tells you what to do. The plumbing business his father owned, while possibly a convenient next step, wasn't really what Toru (or his father) had in mind.
While I’m sure it seemed innocuous at the time, the exchange would prove to be momentous as it set Toru on a path where his contributions would help Scotty Cameron and Bob Bettinardi to become industry royalty.
From 1989 through 1997, Toru managed the day to day operations (eventually moving into the role of Vice President) for Piece of Time, a golf retail shop in Hawaii specializing in classic lifestyle goods, apparel and golf merchandise. During his tenure, Toru cultivated an exceptionally strong network of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and publicists in the United States and Asia. Kamatari, who wasn't big on formal education, had an insatiable desire to learn, and in this capitalist environment, Toru became a master at forging relationships, ultimately creating the first modern American-Asian distribution model centered around high-end, upmarket golf equipment and apparel.
This labyrinth and Toru's ability to help businesses navigate it and gain entrance into the often-closed doors of Japanese retail gained him the reputation as one of, if not the most, connected, influential, and knowledgeable people in this segment of the industry – a sector in which he'd establish a virtual monopoly.
Asia was replete with unexplored financial opportunity. Even thirty years ago, Kamatari told MyGolfSpy, the Japanese market loved Limited Edition, Prototype, and Tour Spec gear, even if the hype was largely manufactured. Golf equipment is also viewed, in part, by Japanese culture as a status symbol and therefore, the more expensive, the better.
The Japanese love golf and they love to spend money on American golf products. Toru Kamatari is the conduit which connected these two disparate worlds.
"Successful? I'm not successful, but I've made many people successful" - Toru Kamatari
As Kamatari tells it, Scotty Cameron, who was working as a rep for Ray Cook, was honeymooning in Hawaii when he connected with Toru at Peace of Time. Cameron, who was keenly aware that Toru could help unlock the Asian market, had aspirations of becoming the next Ken Giannini, whose putters were already very popular in Japan.
Karsten Solheim's patent on the Anser putter expired in 1984, but the market's yet to be satiated demand, particularly abroad, for these archetypal models provided ample opportunity for Cameron. Toru knew what would sell in Japan and suggested that Cameron mimic the iconic Ping templates, many of which would be among the first models released by Cameron under his own entity (Cameron Golf International) as part of the Classics Series in 1993.
Toru’s standards are high, and he understood the quality and attention to detail required to sell overseas. Asian consumers will willingly pay premium prices, but in return, the expectation is a product which pays due attention to nuance while maintaining a distinct and decidedly upmarket aesthetic.
Scotty needed a signature look and the straight lettering didn’t quite distinguish Cameron in a manner commensurate with what Toru felt would sell, hence the dancing signature which has become emblematic of the Cameron brand.
After some refinement to the designs, given Cameron’s work and Toru connections, it made sense for the parties to enter a 5-year agreement whereby Toru would have exclusive distribution rights for all Scotty Cameron putters in Japan. Early on, Kamatari made sure to supply fewer putters to Japan than he knew would sell. This purposeful exclusivity drove prices up and established the first collector-driven market for Scotty Cameron putters.
A large contingent of top end putter makers used K&M (Kia Ma's operation) in San Marcos, CA for finishing work. It was there Cameron met Bob Bettinardi, who had been doing some milling for Ken Giannini. Bettinardi would end up milling putters for Scotty from 1992 until 1998. Technically, Bettinardi milled for Cameron directly from 1992 – 1995 and then for Titleist from 1995-1998 once Cameron entered into an exclusive agreement to craft putters for the Acushnet Company. Notably, this included the putter used by Bernhard Langer to win the 1993 Masters as well as Cameron Golf International's Classics Series (1993) and The Scotsman Series (1994) as well as the first Scotty Cameron by Titleist release in 1996.
Several years into the 5-year agreement, Cameron began doing OEM work for Mizuno. The OEM business didn’t present any issues for Toru or his Asian buyers given that an OEM putter selling for $75-$100 would have little impact on the Japanese market where Cameron putters were selling for four times as much.
As the term of the original contract expired, Toru assumed that he and Cameron would re-up. Instead, a friend told him that Cameron had decided to sign with Titleist. The move made perfect business sense, but Kamatari admits it hurt not to receive the news directly from Cameron, who, in addition to being a partner, was also a friend. Toru never begrudged Cameron's decision, telling him at that year's PGA show, "If I were you I would have done the same thing." Sometimes that’s just how business goes.
Toru was one of several individuals who contributed to what would ultimately become the Cameron empire. From the "Dancing Cameron" to the absence of the #4 in the original line (the number four is considered unlucky in Japanese culture), to the connections with Kia Ma and the influential buyers in Japan; it's not a reach to think that if not for Toru, Cameron's career very well might have taken a much different trajectory.
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Shortly after the split with Cameron, Toru approached Bob Bettinardi to gauge his interest in continuing to mill some classic designs to fill the temporary void left in portions of the Asian market. Bettinardi was heavily invested in milling for a number of large OEMs, including Titleist, but according to Kamatari, by this point Bob had accumulated numerous CAD designs from his OEM work (Tad Moor, Tear Drop, Titleist, and others) which could be easily tweaked, sent to Kia Ma for polishing, and then sold to the various Asian markets. Kamatari and Bettinardi never produced large production runs in this fashion, but it meant the two stayed in contact, albeit rather infrequent.
Toru left Piece of Time in May of 1997. With a Rolodex full of industry contacts, Toru thought the time was right to venture out on his own…to, at last, be his own boss. Several months later, Bob Bettinardi reached out to discuss distribution in Japan, which seemed a bit curious considering Bettinardi was still under contract with Titleist. Toru believed that Bettinardi’s Titleist contract wouldn’t be renewed and that Bob was ready to explore other options. As he'd done with Cameron, Toru agreed to shop Bettinardi's work to several contacts in Japan as part of an agreement to serve as the exclusive distributor.
By December of that year, Bridgestone had agreed to a 2500-piece limited edition run milled by Bettinardi and Shigeki Maruyama's father was running distribution for the brand throughout Japan. At that time, Shigeki Maruyama was the Michael Jordan of Japan. He was more than a person of influence, he was the needle and single-handedly changed the course of Bettinardi's career. There was no more discerning clientele than the Japanese, and with Maruyama's validation, Bettinardi had every reason to believe there wasn't a country or country club in the world where he couldn't sell a putter.
As luck would have it, Shigeki Maruyama was about to leave Japan for the U.S. So not only had Bettinardi snagged the most influential golfer in Japan, with Maruyama about to step on golf's biggest and brightest stage, Bettinardi couldn't have bought this type of exposure had he wanted to.
Bob and Toru's professional relationship officially lasted until June of 2004, but for all intents and purposes, it was over in 2003. Bettinardi sued Kamatari for distribution rights in Japan, contending Toru had violated terms of the agreement. According to Bettinardi, Kamatari had become distracted running several other businesses (namely Sonartec and Trion-Z) and wasn't completing the work to which he was contractually obligated.
Toru counter-sued claiming Bettinardi needed access to sell his putters in Japan in order to woo the Ben Hogan company, which would likely want guaranteed access to all markets, including Japan, before entering into a formal agreement with Bettinardi. Kamatari contends that he sold something in the neighborhood of 10,000 putters per year during the last several years of the agreement; evidence that he was holding up his end of the bargain. The cased filed by Bettinardi in Illinois was eventually dismissed, and the counter-suit filed by Kamatari in California resulted in a stay.
According to Bob Bettinardi, the legal proceedings were simply part of what happens during the course of business, adding "I have absolutely no ill-will toward Toru. If I saw him in a restaurant, I'd go over and talk to him and I think he'd do the same thing."
For Bettinardi and so many others, Toru’s connection to their success simply can't be overstated.
Bettinardi recalls, "Toru was instrumental in getting me set up in Japan...He allowed me to bring Shigeki on board." Bettinardi's early success in Japan was inextricably linked to Shigeki, and it was what both legitimized the brand in Asia and provided a platform from which Bettinardi could launch in the U.S.
After the way things ended with Bettinardi, Toru had little interest in launching another putter brands in Japan. That is, until a longtime friend, Sean Toulon, called. Sean and Toru were first introduced by industry icon and founder of what would become Callaway Golf, Dick De La Cruz.
Toulon, then 56 years old, had just left his position as Executive VP of Product Creation and Marketing at TaylorMade to start Toulon Design with his two sons. After a 20-year stint at TaylorMade, Toulon knew everything there was to know about the golf equipment business, and when it came time to set up distribution channels in Asia, the decision wasn't difficult. In fact, there wasn't a decision at all. Still, some 25 years after Cameron sauntered into Piece of Time, Toru still stood as the preeminent authority on Japans' golf retail environment.
"Toru is extremely well-connected,” Toulon told me. “He knows all the main players and retailers. He's all about the details and understands the nuances the Asian market demands. His character and integrity are beyond reproach."
Toru's impulse was to politely decline the opportunity, but "after he showed me all of his drawings, CAD designs, Toulon design logos and his business concept,” says Katamari, “It was very difficult to refuse it even I was sick and tired of helping another putter brand launching in Japan. He is so organized, and he is a designer, concept guy, and a good business man."
Part of what made this situation different was that Toulon didn't want to employ the same machine shops others were using. He wanted to explore different manufacturing techniques and use only premium materials. Toru recollects he sold 3000-4000 pieces in Japan before Callaway Golf acquired Toulon Design six-months after it launched.
While Toru Kamatari is slow to accept accolades, he’s quick to disclose his perceived failures. Such is the case with Royal Collection/Sonartec. It was always Toru's dream to start his own equipment company, and when he reached an agreement to license Royal Collection’s U-shaped fairway metal and hybrid technology under the U.S. based Sonartec brand, he had full confidence the operation would succeed. Todd Hamilton seemed to all but cement that reality with his British Open victory at Royal Troon in 2004, where he used a 17* (bent to 14°) Sonartec MD Hybrid to pull off the tournaments' signature shot – a difficult up and down on the final playoff hole to defeat Ernie Els.
Not an unusual situation when a small brand receives a sudden influx of interest, Sonartec wasn't prepared to handle the massive uptick in demand. It was like trying to play the ultimate game of whack-a-mole with one hand while juggling flaming tennis balls with the other. As a result of a series of poor market projections and mismanaged product cycles, Sonartec's one bright future was quickly fading.
Toru's last glimmer of hope came in the form of a Canadian businessman, Peter Pocklington, who had the cash necessary to reinvigorate the brand. A new company, Sonartec International, LLC was formed in March of 2007. Less than 12 months later, Kamatari filed suit against Pocklington, claiming breach of contract – specifically, that Pocklington never delivered the agreed upon cash.
While Toru’s dream wasn’t all he’d hoped it would be, he had proved he could design clubs to meet the demands of both professional players and the most discerning consumers looking for a classically shaped fairway wood.
Today, Toru is more or less out of the equipment business, spending most of his time as Japan's 2UNDR distributor and lead sales agent for DIY Design Inc. (makers of OUUL golf bags). I'm not sure Toru ever thought he'd trade putters and metalwoods for underwear and golf bags, but Kamatari knows as well as anyone that the golf world can be an odd one – equally full of surprises, disappointments, triumphs, and tragedies.
At his core, Toru Kamatari is an extremely gifted facilitator, though it's unlikely one would see that term on his business card. Toru created structures and provided entrepreneurs with tools to make collaboration possible. What shouldn't get lost in the anecdotes is that both Cameron and Bettinardi leveraged success in Japan to launch exceptionally lucrative careers, none of which would have been possible without Toru.
Success isn't something one achieves without help – and in the final analysis, that will be Toru's lasting legacy – that he helped others achieve what they otherwise couldn't accomplish alone.
Scotty Cameron declined to comment for this story.
