Equipment
Acushnet files with SEC for proposed IPO
Late last month, Reuters reported that Acushnet Holdings Corp., the umbrella company for Titleist and FootJoy, was preparing for an IPO. Today, the company made it official.
Related: Titleist unveils new 917 drivers at Quicken Loans National
Acushnet announced that it has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed IPO of its common stock under the symbol “GOLF,” with J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley acting as lead book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters. Credit Suisse, Daiwa Capital Markets Deutche Bank Securities, Jeffries and Wells Fargo Securities are also acting as joint book-running managers. The number of shares and price range have not yet been determined.
In 2011, Fortune Brands sold Acushnet to Fila Korea Ltd and Mirae Asset Private Equity for $1.23 billion.
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.
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
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”
Justin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
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Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
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Best irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
Asterisk Talley WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Brianna Do WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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bob
Jun 20, 2016 at 11:33 pm
the problem for the industry, if they let retailers do what they want with pricing, the internet will bust everybody thats left. if you just have a web site to pay for, you can sell everything at cost plus 5% and do well. the brick and mortar retailer needs at least 30-35% and high volume to survive. i was in the business for years before the internet, and at my peak my gross margins were 18-20%, but we did big numbers because of no internet. no way you could survive today.
Justin
Jun 20, 2016 at 7:16 pm
Pro V 1 most used ball by looser’s of 2016 U.S. Open…only one winner and he used a Taylormade ball….
Newsguy
Jun 20, 2016 at 9:15 pm
Losers….
Scooter McGavin
Jun 20, 2016 at 3:36 pm
Are there actually people that would buy stock in golf companies now?
Cam
Jun 20, 2016 at 7:14 pm
This just means the investors (Fila) has run the numbers and it makes no sense to keep pouring money into a dead horse….D J winning with a Taylor Made ball this week does not help, runner ups were only 1 out 3 with a Pro V 1 also……
Cr
Jun 20, 2016 at 7:17 pm
I think it’s more to do with attempting making the company more American owned, again, than having a foreign company be the major shareholder. People heard that Titleist is owned by Koreans and sales dropped
D Louis
Jun 20, 2016 at 1:50 pm
I agree it’s the beginning of the end, once they go public and are driven by shareholders that are only concerned with a return on their investment, the high quality products they’re known for will slowly be replaced with lower cost, higher margin products much like they direction Taylormade took. Eventually, it will be difficult to tell the fifference between TM and Titleist products.
Garry Pierce
Jun 20, 2016 at 1:40 pm
This is the beginning of the end. Why I say this. Titleist is a $500 million a year company. Be a terrible investment. Golf stocks have been non performers for years. Will Titleist become another Golfsmith addition. Snake eyes – MacGregor.
Tim you don’t know how many times I got my account suspended for selling below MAP. AND ebay is a real be no no now. Taylor thought they could shut ebay down and buyers would run to The PGA Store. BAD idea. NOW they are up for sale. They went from 1.5 billion to 900 million and dropping. MAP and MSRP are the biggest loads of crap. Let me as the retailer decide how much I want to make on an item. $35 on Pro V1’s won’t happen. That is wholesale cost to dealers. and add shipping on top of that. Balls is where the money is. Clubs are break even. Shirts and balls.
I have always maintained from the 18 years in the golf biz,,,, the dumbest people in business run the golf biz. Club pros are the laziest… they love that MAP and MSRP. They don’t have to leave the bar to make a sells pitch. ab=nd now add the USGA farce and you cab=n see why golf has a problem. Out of touch imbeciles driving the car over the cliff
Cam
Jun 20, 2016 at 7:10 pm
Most companies that go public are signing their death warrants….Most be a billion companies that ran fine and made Mom and Pop a good living for years….then talked into growing and farming control of the products out to Joe and Jane College, saw a huge jump only to end up on top of the mountain with one and a half feet hinging over the cliff and Joe and Jane College stepping on that half foot as they took there golden parachutes and walked away. If anyone is dump enough to buy titlist stock just remember for the most part you are paying off some investors and giving some higher ups a big check to go away smiling.
fred
Jun 20, 2016 at 1:17 pm
Does this mean that the ancient Acushnet Bullseye putter I have will now be worth something?
Cr
Jun 20, 2016 at 7:16 pm
No, worth less
Tim
Jun 20, 2016 at 12:46 pm
If all these big golf companies want to make money they will pull away from controlling the price their retailers can sell their stuff for…..It is still strange how they continue to control the pricing of their balls and clubs etc. Price fixing was outlawed years ago but these companies found a loop hole, something to do with patents or something. No retailer can even give you a dozen balls or free shipping in many cases unless the OEM approves. I have found a few independent golf pro shops that sell under market but that is always on a one to one thing,, never advertised. If the price fixing was out we may find a retailer selling some REAL specials like maybe PROV’s for $35 instead of $48, which still gives the manufacture his profit and lets the retailer go after some volume and foot traffic and a lot of Sporting/Golf stores could use some sales volume.