Equipment

Worldwide Golf acquires Edwin Watts Golf Shops

Published

12 years ago

Jan 30, 2014

Worldwide Golf, the largest golf specialty retailer on the West Coast, has acquired Edwin Watts Golf Shops, the largest golf specialty retailer in the southeastern United States.

In joining Worldwide Golf, Edwin Watts now operates alongside a stable of leading specialty golf retailers, including Roger Dunn Golf Shops, Van’s Golf Shops, The Golf Mart and Golfer’s Warehouse in forming a powerful national golf retail conglomerate.

Edwin Watts has a reputation based on its strong customer service, experienced club fitters and talented club repair staff. The retailer also touts a price-match guarantee on all new equipment and has earned the title of “America’s Golf Club.”

“This acquisition will also give Worldwide Golf a national presence in the very competitive golf retail landscape, as Edwin Watts Golf provides us with the leading Southeast golf specialty retailer and rounds out our formidable stable of brands that now operate from coast to coast,” said Al Morris, president of Worldwide Golf.

As part of the acquisition agreement, Worldwide Golf will operate 45 stores in 13 states and will retain the Edwin Watts Golf Shops name. Additionally, Worldwide Golf will operate the five Uinta Golf Shops in Utah and rebrand those stores back to the original Uinta Golf name.

The most noticeable change consumers will notice will be the implementing of Worldwide Golf’s 90-day, 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed policy. The policy will be implemented immediately in all Edwin Watts locations in-store and online. Customers are able to try new equipment for up to 90 days with the option to return it for a full refund if they are not fully satisfied with the product.

For those wondering what this acquisition means for the average golfer, the answer is probably not much. After all, the retail prices are still determined by the manufacturers. However, golfers can now take advantage of Worldwide’s (or any other golf retailer’s) customer satisfaction policies. The sales associates at stores that have these kinds of policies are extremely knowledgeable about equipment and are trained to give you the best possible recommendation based on the information you provide them about your golf game. Furthermore, these policies allow you to try equipment under the conditions in which you normally play.

It’s easy to swing well in the simulators many stores have or putt well on the store’s Augusta-esque artificial turf greens, but will you trust the equipment when you are put under a little bit of pressure? Will that putter still roll the ball the same way when you take it outside? How does that set of irons perform when you get in thick rough? Will that wedge dig too much when you hit it on real grass? There’s only one way to find out!

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Grant Shafranski

Grant Shafranski is the Program Director for the First Tee of Minneapolis and Head Teaching Professional at Hiawatha Golf Club in Minneapolis, MN. He is a Level 2 PGA Apprentice following a successful amateur career where he played collegiately at Division III University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN).

9 Comments

Chris

Feb 16, 2014 at 7:58 am

If I recently bought the X2 Hot Pro and feel like I made a mistake in my choice….does the 90 day policy apply to new iron sets as well? Or is there limitations to it

Reply Report comment
Mike

Jan 31, 2014 at 11:11 am

i’m in utah and the uinta stores were just bought by edwinn watts a couple years ago and rebrand to reflect the change. i’m surprised that after all that they’re going to just change the utah stores back to uinta. i live right in between two of these shops and both have several simulator bays which are usually all out of service. whenever i ask if they’re planning to repair them, i’m get this question in response..”do you know how much these cost to repair?!” hopefully the big boys that just bought them will invest in something useful rather than just the sign out front.

Reply Report comment
- markb
  
  Jan 31, 2014 at 4:38 pm
  
  Good news Mike. The rebranding back to Uinta from EW is GREAT for us in Utah. One of the reasons why those simulators were always “broken” is that the EW staffers were so disillusioned with the change and fear of impending liquidation that they had all but given up. Now they have new life, are hoping for a return to the old Uinta policies (specifically with regard to used equipment buybacks) and things are definitely upturning.
  
  The Orem store just picked up a new GC2 monitor and there are lines to use it. Of course, they only want to let you use it if you’re fitting for new clubs, but a sawbuck can usually buy you time if they aren’t busy.
  
  The used club bins (always Uinta’s strong suit) are starting to fill up again with decent and decently priced stuff. My store had a full stock of just about everything newly released from Apexes to Tour Preferreds. I couldn’t be happier and who knows, in my giddiness maybe I’ll stop buying clubs on-line at half off.
  
  Reply Report comment
Tony Lynam

Jan 31, 2014 at 6:14 am

We have two Edwin Watts here in the greater Tampa area, with one in Tampa closing down (a huge Golfsmith was just down the street). The other Edwin Watts is in the Tampa suburb of Brandon. It is small, run down and has hardly any product in the store. The sales associates there for the most part are stuck up and have attitudes. I recently ordered a pair of golf shoes from Edwin Watts and received, after about three weeks of waiting for them, the wrong color, style and size. It took over a month to get it straightened out as it turned out the shoes I originally ordered were not even in stock to begin with. Golfsmith’s retail store here is the best. They have huge hitting bay’s and the sales associates are helpful and friendly and the store is always well stocked. It did not surprise me that EW went under and was acquired.

Reply Report comment
Bob

Jan 30, 2014 at 7:56 pm

The 90-day return policy will give you back full amount spent in store-credit, but not a full refund. There is a difference. It’s still a great policy.

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Dakota

Jan 30, 2014 at 2:11 pm

I would love to have one in our area have to drive an hour to get to either Golf Galaxy or Golf Smith.

Reply Report comment
- Billy
  
  Jan 31, 2014 at 1:32 am
  
  Best in the business policy. I don’t even bother to shop at PGA, Golfsmith or any golf retailer anymore.
  
  The golfsmith near me is the size of a pro shop. Horrible service as well.
  
  Reply Report comment
t

Jan 30, 2014 at 12:53 pm

Golfsmith hq is located in Texas

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michael

Jan 30, 2014 at 12:00 pm

thats funny they just closed down I beleave 2 in dallas texas, seems golfsmith is more popular and has more stores through DFW.

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Equipment

Slab city on the Korn Ferry Tour — Lead Tape Report

Published

12 hours ago

Jun 10, 2026

Andrew Von Lossow

This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.

Joel Thelen

Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.

First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.

Mitchell Meissner

Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.

Whats in the Bag

Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)

Published

12 hours ago

Jun 10, 2026

Will Schube

Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.

Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX

7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX

Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

See more in-hand photos of Bud Cauley’s clubs here.

Equipment

Name every set of irons you’ve owned – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

12 hours ago

Jun 10, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.

@Lamosteve began:

Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine

Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6

Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”

Entire Thread: “Name every set of irons you’ve owned.”