Golf Apparel & Accessories: The Asia/America Disparity - Part 1

I've often marveled at the sheer variety of golf apparel and accessories available in Japan... not to mention the unabashed whimsicality of many their designs.   You may have seen my musings on the subject right here a time or two. Or ten.  

Well, once again I'm pondering the puzzle of Japan's disproportionate, golf-product plenty.  This time due to a online encounter with the item above.

It's a putting mat, and it's pink... and that probably seems implausible to many here in the US because... who would ever buy a pink putting mat?   Particularly one emblazoned with hearts and flowers, like the Women's Flat Putt L.

East/west cultural differences not withstanding, I think it's safe to assume that this product is targeted at a young, female market.  As would be most of the items featured here, and a seemingly endless number of similar sites.  Clearly, there are many dozens of Japanese companies large and small, targeting this particular golf demographic... each offering a plethora of product in a multitude of colors. 

The abundance isn't limited to the young ladies market either.  When it comes to golf stuff, men, women and juniors... avid and occasional golfers alike... all seem to be served with a dizzying array of options in Japan and remarkably, one notices that in addition the voluminous offerings of local companies, US companies like Callaway offer an impressive selection of products exclusively for Japan.

Here in the US, our choice of products just seems to substantially more limited than in Japan... and that's what I've always wondered about... because when you look the number of golfers in each country the disparity doesn't seem to make sense. What is it that makes the two markets so different?

With the game's increasingly global reach this is a timely topic, and a couple of weeks ago it inspired a lively LinkedIn chat I'll talk about later today tomorrow in Part 2 of Golf Apparel & Accessories: The Asia/America Disparity.

Read Part 2