Under King’s leadership, the company’s sales rose from $300 million in 1999 to over $1 billion in 2006. It also has changed the world of golf forever with the stunning initial introduction of metal woods and, more recently, movable weight technology. His driver has been No. 1 on the Tour since 2001 and his metal woods have risen to No. 1 in worldwide sales. I asked him about his proudest moment as honcho of TaylorMade. “Great question,” exclaimed King. “I can’t remember the specific day, but I can remember what the day felt like. It was probably in 2002. |
| “When I became president of TaylorMade in 1999, Callaway’s metal-wood market share more than doubled ours. It upset me. I felt we should be the number one brand in the world because we invented the damn thing.” — Mark King |
“In 1999, the TaylorMade team didn’t even think of being No. 1 as a goal because it seemed unattainable. So, in the fall of that year we changed,” said King. “We dared to dream about becoming No. 1 and became determined to do it.
 Sergio Garcia (above right) is a frequent guest at King’s home where he loves to kick off his shoes, flop into a chair and watch TV. |
“And, by God, in the final analysis—we did it!” proclaimed King. “In 2003, we took the No. 1 metal wood market share position from Callaway. This was fueled by the success of our R500 and R500XD series drivers. We have remained No. 1 since that point with the exception of a brief two-month time period early in 2007 when we fell just shy due to the early season and Callaway’s launch timing.
“We are now more than 11 percent points higher than Callaway in a strong No. 1 position.
“These are my proudest moments,” smiled King.
But, Player Growth Still Flounders
It’s common knowledge that the game’s most annoying and lingering frustration has been the lack growth in players. Golf loses as many as it gains each year.
TaylorMade’s concern is clearly big time and I asked King about it.
His response was specific. “I think,” he said, “we have to get the kids back playing the game. Parents have to somehow get their kids interested in the game.
“Golf professionals have to give free clinics with lessons and junior tournaments.
“We need to get back to the grass roots. That’s why, Ed, we’re such a big supporter of The First Tee. We’re the only golf club manufacturer charter member of The First Tee, which means we gave them a one-time donation of $1 million and significant additional moneys every year.
“The future of the game is not about better equipment, not about better golf courses and fancier clubhouses. It’s about getting the kids excited about the game,” said King.
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“TaylorMade-adidas CEO & President Mark King was the first to donate $1 million to The First Tee. He recognized the importance of its mission to impact the lives of young people through golf.” — Joe Louis Barrow Jr., CEO, The First Tee |
“We have to embrace the kids. The problem with it from a profitability standpoint is short term. There’s no real payoff. Right? If I get more 40-year-old businessmen to play golf, I sell more golf clubs. If I get more 12-year-old kids, I don’t sell more golf clubs, but they represent our future. “I would say the state of the game is still extremely healthy,” said King. “I mean golfers are still enjoying the game. People that played ten years ago are still playing today. Some left the game, some new ones entered the game. “Others, like myself,” explained King, “who played 100 rounds each year in the past, now play only 50 rounds each year because their kids are in the 8-15 year age group. I was a workaholic until I was blessed with my two daughters. Now I make sure I have a nice balance between staying motivated and working hard without forfeiting time with my children. “I left golf to join my kids in their recreational pursuits. When my youngest daughter [now 13 years of age] turns 16 and gets her driver’s license like her sister who is 16, then I’ll be back, playing golf every Saturday and Sunday,” joshed King. |
 King working on his swing at TaylorMade’s party in Pittsburg at the 2007 U.S. Open |
“Fortunately, as an industry,” continued King, “rounds played in the last two or three years are starting to creep up again. When I say creep, Ed, I mean creep. Like one percent to two percent in the United States, not globally.”
“Has golf,” I asked, “plateaued in the United States?”
“No,” replied King. “Golf has plateaued over the past five or six years, but I think in the next 10 years it will start to grow faster than at any time in its history.
“Just as Bobby Ginn is predicting the housing market is going to surge when these baby boomers decide to buy their dream retirement homes, the golf industry will surge along with them,” predicted King.
“In the 90s, very few golf facilities were built. Very few have gone away.
“Prices have come down. Some have gone into bankruptcy. There are new owners.
“The point is, those facilities still exist and baby boomers will make the golf industry very healthy for the next 20 years.
“In other parts of the world, like Indonesia and China, golf is going to explode in the next five to 15 years. I’m not going to say in the next one to five years. It’s going to explode sometime after the next five years!” prognosticated King.
 Nick Faldo has recently signed a long term TaylorMade contract as a touring pro for broadcast and print commercials, speaking engagements, player recruitment, and counselor to help TaylorMade’s growth. |
The latest to join TaylorMade’s 55 PGA touring pros is Nick Faldo who was a member of the European Ryder Cup Team 11 times, won the Masters three times, won the Open Championship three times, and he’ll captain the European Ryder Cup team in September at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.
“The combination of working the Golf Channel and CBS-TV makes Faldo the voice of golf on television,” said King. “I think Johnny Miller has kind of had his day.”
“I think you’ve inadvertently overlooked Jim Nantz at CBS-TV,” I suggested.
“Yes,” replied King, “but Jim Nantz is the professional broadcaster for CBS-TV. He’s not just the color man, limited to PGA Tour golf. Isn’t Nantz the only sportscaster to cover the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four and the Masters all in the same year?”
“Yes.”
“Faldo, therefore, is becoming the voice of golf,” said King. “Let’s make one point clear up front. He’s not a professional sportscaster who covers all major sports, like Nantz. We do have some creative ideas for him like using his voice-over in all of our commercials to make it possible for you to go from a commercial with a Nick Faldo voice-over right into the telecast with Faldo speaking.
“Faldo’s incredible success as a player, his focus as an authentic golfer, his love of equipment, his love for the game, and now that he’s speaking to audiences in a different realm—authenticates it. When he’s out there on behalf of TaylorMade, it’s really a step up for us over our competition,” said King.
| “I think Johnny Miller has kind of had his day. The combination of working the Golf Channel and CBS-TV makes Faldo the color voice of golf on television. We plan on using his voice-over in all of our commercials.” — Mark King |
“Have you signed him on for a long term?” I asked.
“Yes,” replied King, “we have a very long term deal with him. We’re also going to use him for product development, for recruitment of new players, to mentor young kids, to share his wisdom and help our company to grow.”
“Faldo should be a big help in Europe, shouldn’t he?”
“A huge help. He’s captain of the European Ryder Cup team this year. We met in Hawaii at the Mercedes tournament this year and went through preliminary negotiations. He was bargaining for some things and we were angling for some things. Initially, we were not on the same page. But, the moment he and I spent an hour together, the deal was done and closed within 24 hours,” smiled King.
 TaylorMade’s research showed the most loved golfer in the world is not Palmer nor Woods. It’s John Daly. He’s not liked. He’s loved. |
King has always enjoyed a close working relationship with his touring pros. They get weary of staying in hotel rooms and often have dinner and spend the night at his home. Except John Daly. He prefers to spend the night in his $1 million-plus luxury bus-liner.
Last year, I bluntly told King he made a mistake signing John Daly as a touring pro.
I felt King was taking on an undependable carouser. I was wrong. “Daly is not liked,” said King, “he is loved! And he does more for this company day in and day out than any five of our contracted Tour players combined.
“John goes on sales calls with salesmen, entertains customers in his bus, and plays golf with anybody we ask him to. We’ve given him a lot of love and he’s given us a lot of love back,” grinned King.
I stand corrected with apologies to Daly.
 Mark King (left), 4x club champion, and Donald Trump, 3x club champion, are pictured strolling into the clubhouse after a round of golf at Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles. Neither posted their scores. |
A dynamic and creative golf company surpassing $1 billion in annual sales will get Donald Trump’s attention. He is a genuine golf purist, a scratch golfer, a club champion and a successful golf entrepreneur with five world-class golf clubs in the United States; one in the West Indies; and one under way at the Menie Estate at Balmedie, near Aberdeen, Scotland.
King’s association with Donald started with a round of golf at Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles, followed by a meeting in New York, and sponsorship of Donald’s Million Dollar Invitational in the West Indies.
Prior to this interview, I asked Donald about King and he said he found King to be audacious. “We’ve had some long talks and I’ve discovered him to be a dynamic business leader,” said Donald. “He’s able to see where things are going five years from now before others do. Knowing him, he’ll grow golf. We need more people like him,” said Donald.
The Kingdom At $5,000/Day
Linger Longer Communities, at Reynolds Plantation, in Greensboro, Georgia, launched its game enhancement facility, The Kingdom at Reynolds Plantation, in the fall of 2007. Its custom fitting is performed with TaylorMade’s MATT System, a sophisticated club-fitting tool that combines nine high-speed cameras and a computer to gather vital information and statistics.
 Grand opening ceremonies at The Kingdom, Reynolds Plantation, is led by Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, second from left, with (from left) Rob Mitchell, President/CEO, Linger Longer Communities; Jamie Reynolds, Vice Chairman, Linger Longer Companies; Mark King; Rabun Neal, President/COO, Reynolds Plantation; and Sergio Garcia. |
It is King’s pride and joy as evidenced by his reply when I asked him about it. “If you want to maximize your performance,” explained King, “you must have the right shaft, the right head, and the right ball for your particular swing.
 King at The Kingdom in Carlsbad, California. |
“Head weight distribution factors in the size of the head, the loft of the club, CG replacement in relationship to the hardness of the ball, the dimples, the launch angle, and whether the ball comes in descending or flat.
“That’s why we have the MATT system,” said King. “It’s the most complete software for an analysis that makes it possible for the pro to say confidently: ‘Ed, this is the club for you—the shaft, the head, and the ball. Now enjoy your game.’”
“What’s the cost, Mark?”
“If you’re an 18-handicapper and golf is your passion,” reasoned King, “investing some money at The Kingdom is a very good fit. You will become a better player through equipment.
“The reason we charge an incredible amount of money—$5,000 for a day—at The Kingdom in Carlsbad, California, and at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia, is because it’s a fit you cannot get anywhere else.”
“Wow, $5,000 is surprisingly high. How are the bookings?”
“We fit four people in the morning, four in the afternoon, five days a week. That’s 40 a week,” said King, “and we’re booked six weeks in advance.”
“Well, just for the hell of it, what are the phone numbers.”
| "The Kingdom in Carlsbad, California, and Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia, is a custom club-fitting facility for game enhancement. The cost is $5,000 for one day, and we’re sold out for the next six weeks.” — Mark King |
King was amused and replied: “Phone (760) 476-5932 for The Kingdom at our international headquarters in Carlsbad, California; and (706) 467-3563 for The Kingdom at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia.”
To contact Mark King, write to him at TaylorMade-adidas Golf, 5545 Fermi Court, Carlsbad, California 92008; or you may phone toll free at (800) 888-2582; or email mark.king@tmag.com. You may email Ed Pazdur at: edward@executivegolfermagazine.com.
