IN THE BAG

The Japanese company’s first generation of ZX irons, launched in 2021, had a large and committed following. So, when Srixon’s Senior Product Manager, Brian Schielke, says the second generation has been “improved in so many ways,” you can’t help but be curious. Designed for the best ball-strikers in the world, the ZX7 Mk II Iron is a true players’ iron (Shane Lowry, Keegan Bradley, Sepp Straka) with incredible feel. PureFrame, an all-new design characteristic exclusive to ZX7 Mk II Irons, enhances feel by reducing unwanted vibrations. PureFrame is forged into the body of the iron — just behind the sweet spot – as an 80 percent thicker portion of 1020 carbon steel. The result is a soft yet solid feel at impact. Meanwhile, the rest of the ZX Mk II Iron line features the second generation of Srixon’s MainFrame technology. MainFrame is a variable thickness pattern of grooves, channels, and cavities carefully milled into the back of the ZX4 and ZX5 faces that maximize flex at impact. It not only boosts ball speed, but also, says Srixon, repositions mass away from the face and more toward the toe which makes the club more forgiving and consistent. A mainstay of Srixon Iron design, the Tour V.T. Sole which helps maintain the speed of the clubhead through impact, and popular sole notches which reduce drag, are a feature of the ZX Mk II Irons. Finally, the forged Z-Forged II is a muscle back blade that certainly isn’t for everyone regardless of how attractive it is. By the way, Srixon was the official club at the Seattle Golf Show in March and wildly popular all weekend.

Pat Ripp, Research and Business Solutions Engineer at Cleveland Golf/Srixon USA, says the RTX 6 ZipCore Wedge may have the classic look on the outside but is “packed on the inside with three technological breakthroughs.” HydraZip is a dynamic blast and laser-milled line system that creates roughness that increases friction at impact. That increases spin in all conditions from anywhere around the green. ZipCore is Cleveland’s low-density core technology added to the heel/hosel that is designed to position the club’s Center of Gravity (CG) at the exact point the club contacts the ball. That, according to Cleveland, not only expands the sweet spot and helps optimize spin but also helps increases feel and control to help you hit more consistent short-game shots. Meanwhile, by adding an abundance of high/low and heel/toe MOI into every loft in the line, you should experience increased spin, consistency, feel, and control. And UltiZip is a system of grooves that are sharper, deeper, and more tightly spaced than is typical. That allows the club to slice through debris and bite harder for enhanced spin and control. “All the work put into this wedge, we really focused on finding the perfect balance of versatility and consistency,” Ripp says. “UltiZip is a notable example. Without grooves you don’t have a wedge, so we equipped the RTX 6 ZipCore with our sharpest groove radii ever.” The RTX 6 ZipCore Wedge has four different sole grinds (LOW, LOW+, MID, FULL) with a variety of lofts available ranging 46-60 degrees.

There’s nothing better than getting the opportunity to feature one of our own on these pages – that’s to say a company from our neck of the woods that makes golf equipment — and not just any old golf equipment but truly innovative, ground-breaking stuff with a global reputation. True Linkswear is, of course, the shoe brand conceived by the Moore boys — Ryan and Jason back in the days when Jason caddied for Ryan on the PGA Tour. A third brother, Jeremy, is also a big part of the company (and President of Makers Sports Management, too) who oversaw its rise to sixth in global market share amongst several billion-dollar companies. The Tacoma-based manufacturer’s first shoe, the TRUE Tour (T1), was spikeless, significantly wider than conventional golf shoes and featured a flat, zero-drop sole. It looked and performed very differently to its competitors and, like every pair TRUE has ever made, could be worn out to dinner just as easily as on the golf course. Dozens more shoes have come and gone since the T1, while the current list of offerings (which also features apparel now) includes these three typically comfortable, stylish models. The Lux Hybrid is a leather saddle combined with the company’s popular Knit upper. The Original 1.2 ‘Bulletproof’, with alternative (eco-friendly) leather upper and two-year waterproof guarantee. And the new All-Day True Knit 3, which features an updated Wanderlux foam in the midsole that makes you feel like you’re walking on clouds, coupled with stylish cosmetic changes, makes this an exciting shoe.

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

His LinkedIn profile says he’s the ‘General Manager’, but Mike Livingston is not a big titles guy. He really doesn’t mind what position you credit him with or what comes after his name. But make no mistake, Livingston is the man in charge at Puetz Golf, and has been for 20 years.

After a nomadic childhood (his father was in the Marine Corps), Livingston settled in the Seattle area and attended Inglemoor High School, graduating in 1981. He immediately joined the Army and spent four years as a reconnaissance scout for the 25th Infantry Division in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Following his time in the military, Livingston went to work for Pro Golf Discount simultaneously earning an Associate degree from Bellevue College and playing on the golf team.

From there, he transferred to the University of Washington and left there with a Bachelor’s in Economics. During his time at Montlake, he also made the move from Pro Golf Discount to Puetz Golf, working at the company’s second store in Bellevue when not knee-deep in textbooks.

Things started ramping up from there. “In the fall of 1990, I was given the opportunity to open Puetz Golf’s third store — in Tacoma — and jumped on it,” Livingston remembers. “I stayed there from the fall of 1990 to the spring of ’95 when I had the game-changing opportunity to design, build, staff, stock and merchandise the fourth location in the Southcenter area.”

Three years later, David Puetz had seen enough. The son of Peter Puetz who had founded the company at its humble Aurora Avenue driving range in 1945 together with his brother Alvin, and who was now operating the business, summoned Livingston from Southcenter and installed him at company headquarters where he assisted with marketing and buying.

In late 2003 though, Puetz stepped down from the daily operation, and gave Livingston the responsibility of steering the company at a time when golf equipment was about ready to explode with innovation.

Livingston acknowledges the terrific impact David Puetz had on his career. “David was an absolute gem to work for,” he says. “He was the wizard behind the curtain — just got the job done quietly and efficiently.”

Livingston clearly learned a great deal from his boss, because in the 25 years he has been Puetz Golf’s general manager (or whatever you want to call him) he’s become something of a behind-the-scenes wizard himself.

And he’s seen a lot of changes in his time. “I remember starting in golf retail when woods were made of wood,” he says. “But when titanium took over and, though it certainly wasn’t the only factor, it helped revolutionize golf equipment. Golf gear got so much better very quickly and, though its rise wasn’t quite as lively, club fitting wasn’t very far behind. The level of fitting we can offer today with state-of-the-art launch monitors and a highly-skilled team is like night and day compared with where fitting was 20 years ago.”

How he does business has also evolved almost beyond recognition. “The internet and improvement in software has obviously changed the world and, consequently, how companies are run,” he says. “Today, I can keep track of everything incredibly close, and even remotely. I can access sales figures, inventory numbers, staff details, etc. from a desk at home, or on the road, and conduct meetings with vendors virtually.”

Outside of Puetz, golf retail has seen many significant developments this century and equipment sales have evolved. Hard goods have moved almost entirely out of pro shops (green grass accounts) and into big-box golf stores of which Dick’s Sporting Goods, PGA Superstore and Worldwide Golf Shops (made up of eight separate retail brands including Edwin Watts Golf, Roger Dunn Golf Shops and the Golfer’s Warehouse, with a total of over 80 stores in 20 states) are currently the leaders, and Livingston recognizes the stability they have brought to the industry.

“Their emergence has generally been a good thing for the golf consumer,” he says. “They’ve helped bring a large measure of cohesion to golf retail since the economic meltdown of 2008 through 2010.”

The stores Livingston mentions are certainly competitors, of course, but the Seattle market is dominated by two entirely local, independent companies — Puetz Golf and Pro Golf Discount with whom Livingston says he enjoys a healthy, respectful relationship with their principal leadership.

Retaining that dominance in the face of big-business is one of Livingston’s proudest accomplishments at Puetz, and has been achieved, he adds, partly by being a member of a powerful, 43-member buying group (National Golf Buyers Association,) partly because of his hard-working and passionate staff and partly because the western Washington golfer feels comfortable buying at Puetz.

“Our relationship with our customers is obviously very important,” he says, “and something we’ve always worked hard to foster. I think they appreciate the authentic, local vibe.”

The success of the Southcenter store which he opened 28 years ago has been another highlight of Livingston’s career but, despite these, and numerous other significant wins, he distills the reason for his longevity at Puetz into a few simple words. “I just think I’ve made more good decisions than bad,” he said.

While that’s certainly true, it could be a straightforward, more instinctive, visceral quality that has enabled Livingston to thrive — he loves it. Golf, business, and the golf business — he loves it all.

He does have interests outside the game, but Livingston would be the first to admit he is a golf person. “I met my wife on a golf course,” he says. “My best friends are all golfers. I love the people I work with and making deals with our vendors whom I regard as good friends. I love the golf industry and feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”

Livingston has obviously earned the perks that come with the job, and some of those perks are special for sure. He’s been invited to Oakmont, Oakland Hills, and numerous other historic courses. He’s been a patron at countless Masters and been a guest at Berckmans Place (mega-exclusive, club-owned hospitality building to the right of the 5th fairway at Augusta National). “And I’ve played with the likes of Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Tony Finau and most notably Tiger Woods.”

The occasion was a Nike client day at Trump National in Palos Verdes, Calif., in the fall of 2006 where Woods had just come off five or six victories in a row. “That was pretty special,” says Livingston.

Most days aren’t like that, of course. A more typical day might see him settling in his office around 7 a.m. when he’ll begin working through an extensive ‘to do’ list that might include Zoom or in-person meetings with vendors, checking inventory, previewing new equipment, renewing store location leases, reviewing 401k plans, interviewing candidates for staff positions, and any number of smaller, but no less important, tasks to ensure the continued success of Seattle’s original golf retailer.

After all that and when he finally calls it a day, Livingston might prepare dinner for his wife and son, a competitive ski racer with whom he heads to Snoqualmie for practice three or four times a week. “I’m a bit of an amateur chef,” he says, “and there’s no greater pleasure than cooking and eating a good meal with my family.” In addition to being a true family man, he’s also a huge Seattle sports nut — a season-ticket holder of the Kraken, a Mariners apologist and die-hard Huskies fan.

If there are no games on and dinner’s over, however, he’ll sit down in front of the TV and turn on the Golf Channel. He might have been surrounded by the game and its people for nearly 40 years, and it might take up 90 percent of his waking hours, but he can’t get enough of the game. Because, at the end of the day, the only title Mike Livingston really cares about is ‘golfer’.