Monday, June 25, 2012

Starting Time announces growing interest in their patented Fix with Mix, sand and seed dispensers


The Fix with Mix was Starting Time's first product nearly 10 years ago according to Hugh Penton, President.

"I was playing at our club and preferred walking using a push cart, but always a little disturbed that there was no way for a player using a push cart to easily fill their fairway divots," Penton said. "My partner was equally perturbed and carried around a used tennis ball can filled with sand suspended from the handle of his cart to solve the problem. A lot of the other walkers just ignored filling the divots or tried to fill with a piece of sod that they pushed in place with their foot. That type of "repair" would soon die and turn brown, and leave an ugly spot on the course. So, that began the birth of Starting Time and Fix with Mix."

Hugh Penton, who golfed regularly decided that a sample could be made to take down to the PGA Show in Orlando and had a prototype made up. He spent a week talking to distributors and other golf product accessory companies about the need, design and pricing. Frankly, according to Mr. Penton, the interest varied, but it was good enough to decide to go into production. Push carts were fairly new on the golf scene and most of the manufacturers and distributors were not as interested in course maintenance as in selling their clubs that were causing all of the fairway divots.

The tooling was first made in China and then moved to San Diego, where the molds were substantially improved upon and a better product design developed to United States standards. A handsome stand was developed from plastic wood and a return box developed to hold the dispensers after the players’ rounds. The hanging clip was strengthened, caps and lids redesigned and the injection molding process brought up to U.S. quality standards to make the total product higher quality and longer lasting.

Starting Time reps started selling them to hang on the bags on the back of the electric carts which eliminated the high cost of the heavy bottles and expensive brackets. This opened up a whole new market for "cart" use and saved the club that hidden expense. Golfers found that on "cart path only" days that they had a lightweight dispenser to take with them to their ball and use rather than taking a heavy bottle of sand to do the same job as the Fix with Mix. Club owners save money and the course definitely looks far better and plays better too according to Club executive Ted Axe, Regional Manager of American Golf.

A new program of re-packaging for the retail market is underway now. The dispensers are seen by the pro shop and the retailers that the market is now growing for such a handy dispenser. Most golfers like to keep their courses in the best shape possible and this is an easy way to do it, whether you walk or ride. The idea of using an old tennis ball can has grown now to a product line that should continue to grow and keep our courses playing and looking better as the golfers make the filling of their divots a priority on their rounds.

Please visit our website: www.startingtimegolf.com.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

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