Titleist'S Parent Company Will Be Released This Year.

The popularity of golf in the United States may be declining, but it has nothing to do with it.

The parent company completed the listing this year.

US local time October 28th, its own

Titleist, FootJoy, Vokey Design and Pinnacle Acushnet holding company are listed on the New York stock exchange, the code is GOLF, the price is 17 US dollars per share, the company's goal is to raise 100 million US dollars.

During the day, Acushnet shares rose slightly to $17.80.

This is the beginning of a "mild".

A week before the listing, the company had been hoping that its offering price would be between 21 and 24 dollars until the issue price was lowered one night before the listing.

By the end of November 17th, the closing price of Acushnet was US $18.59. From the 15 full trading days of the company in the NYSE, the overall stock price was on the rise.

In 1932, Phil Skipper Young, a Massachusetts entrepreneur, created a new type of golf ball and named it Titleist.

In the past 84 years, Young's company has undergone many dynastic changes, and now the completion of the listing also means that the company has opened a new chapter.

Since it was stripped from Fortune Brands (now Beam Inc.) in 2011, Acushnet was held by a group of Korean investors before that.

For a golf equipment company, IPO was rather awkward at this stage.

The company's sales in 2015 were $1 billion 500 million, down from $1 billion 540 million in 2014.

Last year, they lost nearly $1 million.

Where is the problem? Golf as a whole is in decline, at least in the US, but in the United States.

In 2014, it accounted for more than 40% of the total Acushnet market (Japan and South Korea followed by a total of more than 30%).

The most important reason is that the times are different: golf is not popular in the millennial generation (and beyond) compared with those born during the boomers (after the two World War) and the X generation (from the early 1960s to the mid 70s).

According to the National Golf Foundation, the number of people who play golf at least once a year is 30 million in 2005, but by 2016 this figure has dropped to 24 million.

In addition, a lot of stadium closes and "post Tiger Woods era" lack of superstars are all the reasons for the decline of the sport.

Acushnet's CEO Wally Uihlein is not particularly troubled by these trends. He thinks it is a "necessary correction" rather than a downturn in the sport.

For a long time, golf was booming because of phenomenal players, which led to oversupply of golf courses and equipment retail.

Uihlein believes that the future of Acushnet is bright because their target customers are "professional golfer". He thinks such a person has 8 million and spends $1200 a year on golf activities in the United States (doubles in Japan and Korea).

"Our target market is professional golfers. They are the cornerstone of the global golf industry," the company wrote in a S-1 document submitted to the securities and Exchange Commission.

"The best golfers use most of our products. We make use of influential products and" Pyramid marketing "strategy, which is very attractive to the players who want to improve their performance.

"Although the total number of golf in the United States fell from 2006 to the end of 2014," the company wrote in the S-1 document, "but we believe that the fundamentals of the golf industry are good, especially in developed markets such as the United States, Europe and Japan, which have improved since the beginning of 2015."

For Acushnet, there is still a glimmer of dawn.

If the participation of golf can be kept stable, Acushnet will benefit from its strong brand effect.

After all, golf has been the top choice of golf for 68 years, and golf alone accounts for 36% of the company's total sales (35% of its clubs and clothing). Titleist

Another brand FootJoy's sneakers and gloves are also popular with PGA Tour Tennis Players, accounting for another 28% of the company's sales.

At the same time, Nike and Adidas are reducing or abandoning their business in the field of golf. In a shrinking market, it has also cleared the way for Acushnet.

Uihlein also saw growth opportunities for other businesses, including overseas markets such as China, as well as customized services provided by the company.

Acushnet sells hundreds of thousands of golf clubs and ball accessories every year, and is committed to educating consumers how to use their equipment that is suitable for personal swing speed and style to improve their skills.

Acushnet also hopes to retain American business customers.

The risks listed in its IPO declaration documents include: "business spending on customized golf is decreasing."

In Acushnet's net Golf sales last year, these customized products accounted for more than 25% of the total.