marketplace, bringing along their own innovations, to fill the growing demand for new grips.

In the early days of the rubber grip, Golf Pride was a regular advertiser in various golf magazines and sponsored radio broadcasts to keep the name in the public ear. On a promotional level, it should also be noted that Golf Pride was one of the originators of the PGA Merchandise Show, which began from the following of club pros south during the winter to display wares and products for their use. That too helped generate public acceptance of the new grip and fostered the booming grip market. For clubmakers, the evolution of the grip has added significance since, in large part, the promotion of re-gripping by Golf Pride and other firms helped foster the clubmaking industry.

But even large finished club manufacturers are quick to recognize the value of the rubber grip’s invention. When Nat C. Rosasco of Northwestern Golf Co. was asked about the most significant