Interview With The Boz From Vision Golf Balls

Thanks for Taking time for the interview “The Boz” and telling people about your company and very exciting new Vision golf product.

Can you please let us know who “The Boz from Oz” is and where are you from?

Hi JB,   thanks for taking the time to ask about things. “The Boz from Oz” is really two people as it relates to my father Bill and me, Wayne Bosley; my Dad has been in the industry for a while and is well known as The Boz. We are currently based in Sydney, New South Wales over in Oz.

Tell us a little bit about what you started in the Golf Business?

 Bozgolf has an elite pedigree in the Australian golf ball industry. The Bosley family has been in the golf business in Australia for nearly 50 years. My father was, a talented amateur golfer, started working with PGF in 1960 and was with them for 20 years. In 1980, he acquired the Australian agency for Acushnet, the owners of Titleist/Footjoy and the Pinnacle brands, and set about introducing, promoting and distributing their products in Australia.  According to Dominic Wall, author of Golf Excellence, it would be an understatement to say that my father is a legend in Australian golf. 

Our family has always played elite golf so it was natural that I began to play golf at a very early age. We were always around touring professionals and golf designers from the major brands so of course this progressed when I was old enough to start working during holidays with Dad.

The family business really got going in late 1980 and together we successfully oversaw the introduction and expansion of the Acushnet brands here in Australia.

Tell us how you started your company and what is its mission statement?

By the year 2000, Acushnet had acquired Cobra and were interested in re-aligning their international distribution partnerships. Consequently, the landscape of the Titleist distribution in Australia shifted and by 2004, the Bosley family decided the time was right to explore new opportunities. That is when discussions started about a partnership to develop and market a new HiViz glowing golf ball with the Fantom Golf Company, a Korean chemical company with experience in plastics, adhesives and rubbers.

Fantom gave me the confidence and support to start testing my own concepts and designs which lead to the establishment of my VISION Project that would concentrate on developing a true High Performance Game Improvement balls looking to make the game more enjoyable and exciting for both existing and new players of all ages. 

 I believe the ball you play has an enormous effect on the way you play , your enjoyment of the game and your overall development as a player and as a person. 

Play better golf and you will be a happier person I have no doubts about that. J

How is the state of golf in your country?

We had recognized that, although the golf ball market is saturated with too many brands and models  the majority of golfers are amateurs whacking away at above single figure marks. We decided to develop a new ball type tailored specifically to the needs of the average golfer and apply their industry expertise and connections to growing their new brand in the highly competitive golf ball market.

Golf in general terms is going ok here in Oz but the economy is still very tough.

How is it different from the US and Europe Markets, especially for bringing a new product to the market?

The traditional golf ball marketing methodology utilizes a leadership program. It is a pyramid of influence that requires getting the better players and coaches using and endorsing the products. Having produced a ball targeted at the average handicap golfer, we required a different marketing strategy. We decided to get people using the balls and then get feedback directly from the public on the ball’s performance. We founded a Test Pilot Program in Australia that is continuing today and supply test balls to many amateur players to trial and supply feedback on performance to me to help with my future designs.

Give us a brief overview of what sets your golf balls and other products apart from other companies:

Our ongoing Test Pilot research work with club players here in Australia and overseas with regard to our UV Yellow colour has found that they all love it. The other major winner has been the Ezy 2 See Big Number format that is gaining supporters everyday because it makes it so much easier to see and identify balls when in play. Our high tech game improvement models are surprising new player's every day.

Can you go into specifics for each golf ball your making? (What market they are targeting, what price range, what balls, if any, do they compare to, and their physical break down)

I am not a big fan of telling players what ball will suit them through specs and as such I am happier to allow players the opportunity to buy a TP pack to trail the various balls that allows them to find the ball that suits their total dynamics.

Basically I have two current performance types,

The 2011 Gel X Series – X-pert or Xtra Shot Control  -                                                                                                    X3 Bright White and Gold Pearl  / X3UV – UV Green-Yellow

The 2011 Gel V Series – Velocity / Long Straight – The UV – Super Bright UV Yellow /  The Gel – Bright Clear White / Arctic – Bright White with Gold Pearl effect and the Pinky with the Tru Blue later this year.

You are about to lock yourself into a battle with the huge OEM Golf Companies for a share of the golf b all market, what is your plan?

The world golf ball market is not like the club market where there is a multitude of competition, In the ball market there are so few players, it is almost like a cartel and it is very difficult to compete with that sort of muscle. We really are in a David and Goliath situation. 

We are not new comers to the golf industry with a heritage that runs deep with our products being thoroughly tested and used by club players. We are talking to our ball users on a regular basis and this relationship gives them confidence in what we are doing and where we are heading with our ball designs. 

 Are there any Tour Players currently testing your products?

The marketing of equipment as used by Touring Pro's confuses the average player as to what products they should be using to both enjoy and improve their game so we are taking a much more personnel approach around the world and it is working. Having said that the Australian Woman’s Team coach is currently playing my designs by choice.

What phase of testing are you in, and who is testing for you?

Moving on to my next phase of development being a Tour Vision designed for the better golfer that is looking for a better visibility design.

What sets your company and your products apart from all the other brands in the market currently?

Our UV ball is the best introductory ball ever. It trains new golfers to watch the ball and makes it easier for them to follow it in flight and see where it finishes. This speeds up play and gives both new and existing players the confidence to improve and build on their golfing experience. 

Where do you see yourself and your company in 5 years?

I hope to have sales in a number of International markets but in a more boutique format like Scotty Cameron had done with his putters prior to Titleist taking him on under their umbrella as I want to have Vision players that know who The Boz is and can  always make contact with him in regards to their game.

Where do you see the game of golf in 5 years?

We see a great opportunity for golf to develop as a genuine family game with more 9 hole or genuine Pitch and Putt courses being made available. This will enable new and regular players that are increasingly time poor to play without rushing, and enjoy a better game of golf.

What’s the craziest thing that has happened to you or your company since starting out?

Crows in Australia like UV Yellow golf balls and as such take them from the course in certain parts of Oz while they are in play, it has been really frustrating to have an Ezy2See / Ezy2Find story almost wrecked by the loss of balls to these big black birds.

Do you have a specific marketing campaign in place or is there another plan?

I am working more on an international viral information strategy at this time from that I will see what approaches will work best to find my new players.

Of course, as with any interview, we have to ask who your dream foursome is:

 Jack Nicklaus / Tiger Woods / John Daly

Anything else you would like to add about yourself, your company or your testers?

I strongly believe "The ball you play makes all the difference to how you play!" Fitting golf balls to players and giving them simple straight forward practical Information in a language they can understand is one of the most important ways to improve their overall game.

Thank you very much for your time, and as many pictures you can include would truly help!

John Barry

The Golfer’s Trip

http://thegolferstrip.blogspot.com/