Golf Pride has been making golf grips since 1949 and is now the No. 1 grip brand in golf. Rubber grips were rare back when Thomas L. Fawick figured out that rubber could be superior substitute to leather. Fast forward 73 years and the Golf Pride team, including president Jamie Ledford, are welcoming in a new era in golf grips as well as a new headquarters in North Carolina. The new building is located in the iconic Pinehurst Resort, one of the iconic destinations for golf in the United States. Jamie explained how Pinehurst was such an easy choice since the golf world revolves around the community here.

The new Golf Pride building was designed to fit into the Pinehurst Resort with its style and location. Jamie explained how they went to great lengths, including working with the people at Pinehurst, in order to create a timeless look. If the Golf Pride logo wasn’t on the outside of the building you would think you were pulling up to the clubhouse of a private club. The off-white brick, large windows, and dark brown timbers welcome you in to the front door and reception lobby.

The building looks small and quaint from the front, but what you don’t see is what Ledford is so proud ofL a retail store, expansive office space, and a whole prototype facility behind the facade. I was lucky enough to get the full tour and what you don’t see is very impressive. From the large employee lounge to the 9-hole putting course that is built into the floor, it is modern and exciting to be in.

Bringing golfers into the world of Golf Pride is one of Ledford biggest opportunities and you can see his excitement when he showed off the new Golf Pride Retail Lab. This part of the building is where a regular golfer like you and I can walk in and get a new set of grips installed while you wait. The Retail Lab will have all the Golf Pride grips on display as well as full-time employees to educate you on anything you would like to know about grips. As a person who has installed a lot of grips in his day, the new Retail Lab doesn’t have the lingering smell of grip solvent yet! A large counter with stools surrounds a gripping station where you can take a seat and watch your favorite clubs get paired with your favorite Golf Pride grips.

Ledford was also very excited to show off another room near the front of the building that is dedicated to a new endeavor for Golf Pride, data collection. Golf Pride has brought in a new engineer to specifically start collecting data on grips. Ledford explained that this process is in its infancy and they don’t yet have many details they can share. Collecting this data will of course influence future products and also provide more opportunity to educate golfers on their grip and regripping needs.

Speaking of new products, the new CPX grip is the first grip to be released in the new headquarters. We got a tour of the prototype facility in the rear of the building and Golf Pride has diverse collection of machinery there. They have some cutting edge machines, that I can’t talk about, working on some of the latest ideas and designs. Right next to those are machines that have been producing grips for decades. It is here were they are creating brand new designs in small batches as well as mimic the high capacity manufacturing methods to ensure that each grip will meet their high quality standards.

Golf Pride knows that being the No. 1 grip in golf isn’t something that just happens by accident and keeping that title takes evolution. Ledford and his team are committed to making the best grips for golfers on all levels and their new headquarters is offering them a place to take that to a new level.

 

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