As it seems the majority of the golf
industry moves towards high technology,
neon colors and a ‘bigger is
better’ attitude, Jones Sports Company is
going in an entirely different direction.
They're bringing back
the Jones Golf Bag, which ruled as an
industry staple in the 1970s, '80s and
'90s.
“It’s such a movement,” said Chris
Carnahan.”Our goal is to simplify.”
And simplify is what Jones has done in its
return to the golf market. Carnahan is the
business director at
the Portland, Ore.-based Jones Sports
Co., which has re-introduced Jones Golf
Bags to golfers across the
country.
The minimalistic bags were arguably the
most popular among amateurs when
George Jones launched
the line in 1971. Juniors, high schoolers,
collegiate players and other elite
amateurs never left home
without their trusty Jones bag.
And the common thread among those
golfers and the ones Carnahan is charged
with connecting with
more than 40 years later? They’d rather
walk than ride.
“The brand is all about simplifying golf,”
said Carnahan, who runs day-to-day
operations of the start-up.
“We ask ourselves, ‘Are we making this as
simple as possible?’
“That goes along with what made Jones
Sports so great from 1971 on.”
The lightweight and ultra-simple Jones
Golf Bags feature very little branding and
are designed as modern
replicas of the previous line. Currently,
Jones offers the Original Jones Bag, the
Players Series #001 Bag
and the Jones Rider Bag --- all with just
the single strap and constructed of MTL
Nylon and Jones Vinyl.
In 2013, the company plans to unveil its
Jones Stand Bag and the Junior Golf Bag.
Both models are sure
to expand the brand’s portfolio while
staying true to the minimalistic approach
and nostalgic feel that is
the Jones Golf Bag.
“With a brand likes this,” Carnahan said,
“you only have one chance to bring it out
into the market the
right way.
“We launched the website in July and
everything else is falling into place the
way we wanted it to.”
The brand was purchased last year by the
Lemman Family. Dean Lemman serves as
the company’s
President and CEO while his sons Matt
and Tim work along with Carnahan on
daily operations, fulfillment
and business growth.
The family theme the Lemmans brought to
the product gels well with where Jones
Golf is located. The
friendly northwest --- and in particular,
Portland --- is where Jones Golf first
earned its stripes in the
game of golf.
It’s also where the re-engineered styles
Jones Golf is putting into the market came
to fruition. You see, in
acquiring Jones Sports Co., Lemman
simply acquired the logo and nostalgia.
There were no blueprints,
design or inventory collected from the
transaction, leaving the new group empty
with remake ideas.
Until the local golf community chipped in
with original models, which were used to
remake the bags with
modern materials.
“All we got was logo and legacy. That's all
that was left,” Carnahan said. “Being in
Portland, a lot of our
family and friends had these bags. We
were able to get them and rebuild them to
exact specifications
with modern materials.”
Business is growing for Jones Sports Co.
According to Carnahan, approximately 80
percent of their
ongoing contracts are with green grass
accounts. Online sales and the company’s
presence in small-box
retailers across the country continue to
grow.
“As a startup, we’re putting the
importance on making the best product
possible,” he said. “And that
goes along with what Jones Sports has
always been. Everything they did, they
put extra thought into it.
They released products when they were
right. That’s the legacy we’re continuing.”
To learn more about the revival of the
Jones Golf Bag and Jones Sports Co., visit
the company’s official
website at:
JonesGol
fBags.com.