Winter 2012 Presidents Message
Recently we received a threatening letter from the legal department of the PGA Tour. As our goal has always been one of innovation, we established the World Golf Association, which is a social network site for golfers worldwide. The site is similar to Facebook, except it’s for golfers: www.WorldGolfAssociation.com.
In our process of trademarking the name World Golf Association, the PGA Tour felt as though we had no right to do so, as they own a “family” of “World Golf” terms. They requested that we cease and desist further use of the name. In response, our legal team brought light to the fact that the USGTF also owns a “family” of “World Golf” terms, namely the World Golf Teachers Federation and the World Golf Teachers Cup, both registered prior to any of their “family” of “World Golf” terms.
Our reply went on to say, “In fact, as a junior user of the name ‘World Golf,’ it is the PGA Tour that has engendered any confusion that may have occurred in the marketplace, and therefore it is your client, not ours, that should cease and desist its use of the term.”
It’s a funny thing about innovation, change, challenging the status quo, or providing opportunity when none previously existed: They always seem to go hand-in-hand with opposition, naysayers, jealously, and even bullies! But fortunately, we all live in a country were monopolies, as well as restrictive trade practices are frowned upon.
Back in 1995, Greg Norman, one of golf’s most successful entrepreneurs, proposed the initiation of a World Golf Tour in which the tour would be owned by the players. He felt that the PGA Tour was basically a domestic tour and was not spreading its wings internationally. The tour he proposed would take the top 30 players and start with about eight tournaments held not only in the United States, but also in various other countries throughout the world. These events would not interfere with any players’ obligations to their respective tours. He even had an agreement in place with Fox Television to televise the events.
To make a long story short, PGA Tour commissioner Tim inchem implied he would suspend and/or fine any player who participated on the World Golf Tour – not exactly one of golf’s finest moments! In the end, naturally, the players backed down, Norman was the recipient of much unfair negative branding, and the World Golf Tour was an idea that the PGA Tour, in a roundabout way, eventually but blandly did themselves.
Greg stated that one of the toughest things for him to swallow in the wake of the World Golf Tour was losing the friendship and camaraderie of many professional golfers whom he had long considered good friends. Many of these fair-weather friends had never before, nor since, been given the option of an enhanced career opportunity. Even Arnold Palmer gave an impassioned plea against Greg and his whole idea of the World Golf Tour.
Moreover, when the dust settled, it became evident to everyone that resistance to Norman’s idea, which in my opinion would have been great for the game as well as the players, was due in fact that the PGA Tour did not think of the concept themselves. Furthermore, it’s ironic that 16 years later, they want to further restrict anyone from using the term “World Golf”….even those who have owned and continually used the term prior to them!
Of course, over the years we have also had legal issues with the USGA and the PGA of America. They both did their best to curtail our momentum. But, I’ve always remembered the words of a very wise man who once said to me, “Geoff, there will always be predators, dictators, and bullies, and the thing is that every now and then you have to get up on your hind legs and fight!”
That wise man was the late great Julius Richardson, officially recognized as the USGTF’s teaching professional of the century back in the year 2000. Julius was an African- American who fought in the Second World War and put four daughters through Ivy League universities. Julius was not welcomed into the “family” of the PGA Tour or the PGA of America, but fortunately, due to advice from people like Julius and others, the USGTF has prevailed in all of its legal battles. And, the main benefactors have been the World Golf Teachers Federation, its 25,000 members, all of their clients, and most importantly, the game of golf
