The pit crews of golf : A behind-the-scenes look at the equipment vans that follow the tour

Golf Digest, Sept, 2001 by Scott Smith

Early each week during the PGA Tour season, a convoy of specially outfitted trucks rolls into town and sets up shop beside the practice range. Funded by clubmakers and shaft companies, the pit crews and tour reps keep their staff pros' clubs in tiptop shape--and take their best shot at putting their company's clubs in other players' hands.

Pro shop on wheels

On-site from Monday through Wednesday at virtually every PGA Tour stop, the TaylorMade equipment van has been a particularly busy place this year. The company's 300 Series drivers are the most popular on tour, winning 26 out of 28 weekly driver counts, through early July, according to the Darrell Survey. At the Canon Greater Hartford Open, where these photographs were taken, TaylorMade had 69 drivers in play out of a total field of 156 players. At left, tour rep Eric Rogers measures the lie angle of a newly shafted 320 Ti clubhead for tour veteran Kenny Perry (in background). A hands-on repairman himself, Perry uses his downtime to put a new grip on one of his clubs. Below, Rogers tweaks the loft of the driver to match it with Perry's exact specs.

Every day is a demo day

Not only do the vans and their crews provide essential technical support for players, each week before tournament play begins, scores of tour reps from equipment companies large and small crowd the practice range and putting green. Their mission is to persuade players to try their product, and ultimately, get them to put the club in their bag for use in actual play. At right, Aussie pro Geoff Ogilvy takes a new putter for a test roll on the Hartford practice green. Pictured below are some of the demo bags from the club and shaft companies that lined the back of the GHO range. What if a company doesn't have a club on-site with a player's particular specs? No problem: Help is just an overnight delivery away.