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The WOW Factor

The WOW Factor is the story of the successes and failures of Barney Adams in the golf industry.

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Barney Adams may not be one of the more well known names in the golf industry. My first impression was: Who is this guy? Quickly I realized that he is "that Adams guy". As in Adams Golf. Barney Adams has one of the most impressive stories of succeeding through passion and determination. The WOW Factor reads as a combination of both the story behind one of the most successful brands in the game and also a guide for all entrepreneurs to read before jumping into business.

Adams Golf wasn’t founded overnight, nor were they an overnight success. Barney Adams spent an entire career working as an engineer and management before he got his start in golf. In the late 1970’s, he became friends with Dave Pelz. Together, they tried to make Pelz Golf a success. Barney and Dave struggled through about five years of up and down sales before they were eventually forced to close for good.

Barney saw this as an opportunity to buy all of the assets left behind and to start his own company. Adam Golf was born. The best idea he ever had was to focus on one club rather than trying to make an entire line. Barney set to work trying to design the best club he could. He took a look at his own swing and the swings around him, and decided he needed to create an easy to hit fairway wood. The club that Barney designed was the Adams Tight Lies fairway wood. 

 

 This all sounds very good, but the biggest struggle Barney found was getting the capital to run a company. All of Adams Golf was being financed by one of the best games of credit card roulette I have ever heard. It was the Tight Lies and the WOW Factor that saved the day. We have all experienced the WOW Factor. Imagine hitting your favorite golf club for the first time. What is your reaction to that first shot you kill down the middle? WOW! This is the principle that Adams Golf was founded on.

The WOW Factor is a great book for more than equipment junkies. It is filled with insight for entrepreneurs and golfers alike. Barney doesn’t pull any punches in telling the story of Adams Golf. He tells of the failures and successes throughout his career. Adams Golf has over 30 years in the making, and they are always striving to create better and better products.  

Anyone that wants a behind the scenes look at the industry and what it takes to succeed should read The WOW Factor. The WOW Factor is available at www.skyhorsepublishing.com/details.php . It is definitely recommended reading.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. QWKDTSN

    Sep 22, 2008 at 10:53 pm

    This is very interesting, as I was always skeptical of Adams clubs – until I demo’d a #2 hybrid – I hit it off the deck and WOW! I stuck it on a tee and WOW! I hit again and again and every time my jaw dropped. I almost hit someone because I was hitting over the trees at the back of the range. I went out and bought an Adams #4 hybrid and 3 Hybrid-FW the next day. I have hit plenty of clubs that were fine but those Adams clubs still have WOW factor for me.

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GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

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A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down. 

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

 

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

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With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

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From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

 

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.

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