PXG and Bob Parsons Mark 10 Years Of Proving The Industry Wrong

Forbes

3 days ago

It's an odd phrase to define a brand premise, but one that makes complete sense for Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG). The maxim embodies a commitment to quality, excellence and accountability, and essentially means that if something is just 'pretty' clean, it's actually dirty. PXG is a black and white universe where gray doesn't exist, where there is no place for 'pretty' good, only the best.
'That can be seen across our entire brand because we take our time,' explained Leela Brennan, vice president of Brand Communication and Engagement. 'We pour every ounce of innovation into every new club that we're working on. We don't leave anything on the table.'
Since the first PXG product line, the PXG 0311 Gen 1 irons, was released 10 years ago, the company has experienced explosive growth.
The impressive journey began with a small staff working in humble trailers bordering Scottsdale National Golf Club, then progressed to assembling clubs in motorcycle build bays, to the current headquarters campus in Scottsdale, AZ. Five sleek, modern structures house the PXG retail experience, engineering, club assembly, build shop, apparel design studio, and distribution warehouse.
The company's global reach now includes 26 brick and mortar stores in the U.S. and two internationally (London and Tokyo). Those branded locations offer the same complete and immersive fitting experience as the PXG flagship store.
Brennan also pointed out that PXG has more than 200 third-party hub locations that offer customers the opportunity to book a fitting through the website and connect with mobile fitters who provide year-round service.
The original bare bones staff that assembled their own desks in a trailer has now grown to approximately 680 employees worldwide.
By now, most readers (especially golfers) know the story of PXG founder and CEO Bob Parsons, a multi-billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, author (Fire In The Hole) and visionary who just happens to be a golf addict. His business ventures include the world's largest Harley-Davidson dealership (and 22 franchises), Scottsdale National Golf Club and more than a dozen companies operating under YAM Worldwide, Inc.
The U.S. Marine Corps veteran, recipient of a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam, epitomizes entrepreneurship. He was an IT pioneer, establishing and ultimately selling Parsons Technology and GoDaddy for massive profits. With an estimated real-time net worth of $3.9 billion, his success enabled him to seriously indulge his passions for golf and philanthropy.
After investing hundreds of thousands of dollars on golf equipment that overpromised and underdelivered, he believed he could create something entirely different that would change the game.
The 74-year old Baltimore native is anything but traditional in his approach to business. His goal for PXG was, and remains, to create the very finest products without constraints of time, expense or immediate ROI. Ingenuity, imagination and innovation would be the secret sauce.
There's magic in those cubby holes.
Candace Oehler
The golf industry was stagnant when PXG was born. Explained Caleb Kroloff, director of Woods Research and Development, 'Our R&D group was based around our frustrations with the golf industry and the box of 'this is the way it's always been done.' '
Added Product Manager Brad Schweigert, who was lured to PXG from PING along with colleague Mike Nicolette, the golf industry is monotonous.
'It's like you're building out five-year product plans. You have everything planned out before you even start the design, and you kind of know what your price point needs to be,' he said.
There is no box at PXG. Parsons is committed to the idea that 'if it's not better, it won't be released,' an almost unheard-of concept in the competitive golf equipment landscape. Regardless of time, PXG products are only brought to market when ready.
Along with flexible product release cycles flexible, PXG differentiates itself from traditional club manufacturers in other significant ways.
Unlike the majority of OEMs, PXG is a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) company that will never distribute its clubs through big box stores. Instead of fighting for shelf space and adhering to an arbitrary retail price point and release schedule, PXG focuses on consumers and serving people one-on-one.
The PXG consumer experience is also unique. Products are engineered to be custom fitted and dialed in to meet the needs of a particular individual's swing. They don't make men's clubs, women's clubs, junior or senior clubs, just clubs for golfers.
Said Brennan, 'We know that performance doesn't care how you identify, it cares how you deliver the golf club.'
PXG initially focused on re-inventing irons, primarily because that category had seen the least amount of innovation over the longest period of time.
Designers and engineers were tasked with creating an iron that looked like a blade but performed like a cavity back. Parsons also mandated that it needed to feel better than any golf club he'd ever hit, and it needed to look unique, sexy even.
'It represented the greatest opportunity for our engineers to really lean in and achieve something that was new, which is exactly what we did,' said Kroloff. 'And the sciences that came out of that first iron really put PXG on the map, but it also changed the industry.'
PXG was the first to produce forged, hollow-body irons with a polymer on the inside that made the club face much thinner, while giving it a soft feel. Subsequent Generations have evolved with new materials, polymers that better transfer energy, inventive designs and the addition of several lines of drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, wedges, putters and even a mini-driver.
Many product designs never even make it to market, due to concepts that might be more theoretical than practical, elements that don't add to performance, or don't promote good sound and feel.
The new GEN7 irons feature QuantomCOR technology.
Courtesy of PXG
But at PXG, failure IS absolutely an option. According to staff, Parsons is a big believer in the value of moving forward, even if it's in the wrong direction.
The PXG launch was also an industry first. Parsons explains in his autobiography that he deliberately chose a significantly higher market price point for their products. Industry experts were skeptical, but PXG branded itself in the 'luxury business' and found plenty of consumers ready to pay for quality and the PXG experience.
The stable of professional ambassadors has grown strategically and now includes PGA, LPGA and Korn Ferry TOUR players like Eric Cole, Christian Bezuidenhout, Jake Knapp, Zach Johnson, Auston Kim, Celine Boutier, and more.
Like all successful entrepreneurs, Parsons populates his environment with hand-picked associates who share his passion and are capable of executing his vision.
Mike Nicolette, senior director of irons research and development, left a 23-year position at PING to join the PXG start-up. The 68-year old former PGA TOUR player, who won the 1983 Bay Hill Classic, was excited enough about the PXG concept that he sat out for a non-compete year, as did his colleague Brad Schweigert.
The chance to create something from nothing appealed to the industry veterans. And to do it with unlimited time and money was an opportunity neither could pass up.
The PXG culture starts at the top. Parsons' enthusiasm is described as 'contagious' and can be felt the minute you walk into the flagship headquarters. Associates appear to love what they're doing, want to be there, feel empowered, and take enormous pride in their work.
Explained Nicolette, 'Mr. Parsons has a certain personality, and we love it. Every day he's waking up thinking about golf. How can we do this better? What can we do? And we all kind of have that same passion.'
Parsons' subscribes to the philosophy of 'hire great people and give them the freedom to be awesome.'
Added Korloff, 'He is demanding, but in a way that he always gives you the resources and the opportunity to make sure you can go out and do what you need to get the job done.'
Staff opinions are valued in the decision-making process, making them feel personally and emotionally invested in helping shape the company's growth.
'Everybody has a seat at the table and everybody is part of making this company go,' said Brennen. 'And when things are hard, we're all doing it together as well.'
PXG has expanded its products to include apparel, golf balls, hats and accessories. Apparel, in particular, has gained momentum since 2019 under the direction of Renee Parsons, PXG chief marketing officer. Lindsay Weart, senior vice president of apparel, and Jose Vega, vice president of design and production are former New York City luxury lingerie designers who were recruited and charged with creating an apparel brand from, surprise, scratch.
The result is clothing that, like the golf equipment, stands out for its performance, feel and look. According to the designers, this is largely due to Renee, who Lindsay describes as a 'chic fashionista with an incredible eye.'
'She gives us so much leeway to design and to learn, which is super important.'
Custom prints with intricate details and luxury fabrics set the line apart.
Like the industry, golf and sport fashion apparel was pretty much a yawn for many years. The PXG collections – spring and summer, capsule and core collections, plus pop-ups – tap into a fashion-conscious market of men and women who want distinctive, unique clothes with a 'preppy-modern,' yet classic look that is never one-note.
Parsons is as renowned for his generosity as his business success. He and his wife established the Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation in 2012, a 100% pass-through foundation of their personal wealth.
He explained in his book, 'I like lifting people up. That makes me happy. And it's a genuine happiness that doesn't leave me the next day. It's the kind of happiness that fuels me to keep doing the things that fill my bucket.'
Since 2012, the foundation has awarded nearly $300 million to more than 100 charities and organizations worldwide.
The Parsons are not afraid to embrace unpopular causes, especially those that affect marginalized, underserved and underfunded communities. They champion LGBTQIA+ youth, DREAMERs, foster children, immigrants, the unhoused, and psychedelic assisted therapy for PTSD and trauma. The Foundation is also a major supporter of the Semper Fi Fund that serves all branches of the military.
The PXG Heroes Program is a separate initiative established to get PXG equipment into the hands of active and retired miliary, first responders, law enforcement, and now teachers and nurses. Clubs are offered to them at a discount, but they still receive the same fitting experience as a full price consumer.
Said Special Director Col. Kevin Hudson (Ret.), 'Our team is passionate about this program and the people we serve, especially the people who have done so much to protect all of the freedoms that we enjoy.'
He added, 'Golf is truly a means to allow these men and women to get out and kind of release stress. You know, nobody's shooting at you on the golf course last time I checked. '
Hudson also directs the PXG Heroes Squad, made up of wounded warrior 'ambassadors,' good amateur golfers who play PXG clubs and sport the apparel.
Parsons' dedication to serving veterans was recognized in 2019, when he was surprised and honored with the 'Marine for Life' award at a special ceremony aboard the USS Intrepid, at an event that also celebrated the Marine Corps 244th birthday.
PXG was originally perceived as an elite brand for well-to-do men. Advertising was bombastic, aggressive, loud and macho. Over the decade, however, a kinder, gentler PXG has emerged, with more pricing options, more inclusive marketing and more club lines, especially for casual golfers.
One thing that will never change is Bob Parsons' love of swimming upstream against a current of sharks and doubters.
'We're still very much a startup business. We're still scrappy, we still pivot quickly. And we are still adapting every day to be able to serve our customers better,' concluded Brennen.