Grand opening on course

Andrew Edwards

A titanium wood might sound like an improbable compound to a chemist,

but to a to golfer, one can be a great tool to transform a small

white ball into a missile.

Roger Dunn Golf Shops has racks full of titanium, graphite and

steel clubs and has been open at the Newport Beach Golf Course for

about six weeks. The store is set to begin its official, two-day

grand opening today.

The golf course locale is a first for the Roger Dunn chain, store

manager Christy Xavier said.

“We’ve got a few on ranges, but not a course,” he said.

Because of the store’s location, golfers can take the shop’s woods

and irons for a test drive.

“If anyone wants to hit something out on the range, they can test

it out,” Xavier said. “It’s sometimes better than hitting into nets.”

The grand opening schedule includes product demonstrations from

major golf manufacturers. Today, representatives from TaylorMade,

PING, Cobra Golf and Mizuno are expected to attend. Saturday’s slate

is set to include Titleist, Callaway Golf, Nike and Cleveland Golf.

The shop employs three golf pros, including John Leonard, who ran

his own golf shop at the Newport Beach Golf Course for 28 years.

Roger Dunn signed a lease to take over Leonard’s store in February.

Leonard wanted to spend more time on the green, rather than inside

a store.

“I’m a golf professional, teaching professional. I wanted to spend

more time doing that,” Leonard said as he watched three students

practice the art of putting.

During club fittings, store pros use more than their own instincts

when recommending clubs. Customers can have their swing evaluated by

a device called the Vector Launch System, which looks like a little

black box with a camera lens in its center.

The machine takes two pictures of the ball during a drive, store

pro Bob Breeding said. The device analyzes the speed, angle and spin

of a ball in flight.

“It just gives more credibility, frankly, when you’re fitting

clubs,” Breeding said.