Champ golf spikes in conjunction with The Masters Golf Company have launched a “Safety First for winter” campaign. The aim is to encourage golfers to wear metal spikes in winter to maintain traction and avoid injuries from slipping. The Champ promotion comprises posters and leaflets for display in pro shops and a mailing to club secretaries, explaining why it is in the best interest of golfers and all those involved in club management to recommend metal spikes in wet and wintry conditions.
Club Secretaries can send off for a Champ Safety First for Winter Kit. This includes posters for display on the club notice board, a letter to club members explaining why the club recommends metal spikes in winter and sample packs of Champ Cer-Mec spikes, said to be golf’s most green-friendly metal spikes.
For the past few years a fierce debate has been raging over the relative merits of metal spikes and plastic cleats. MacNeill Engineering are global leaders in sports cleat technology and manufacture a wide range of metal and plastic products under the Champ brand. Cliff Hitchcock, their director of European operations, is in no doubt that there is a future for both products but stressed that metal spikes are better for winter. “Plastic cleats are great in good conditions and can be more friendly to greens. However, during our winter months rainfall greatly exceeds evaporation and there are long periods of inactive growth. This results in slippery, muddy areas on many golf courses. In these circumstances plastic cleats fail to match the traction of metal, and many are also more prone to clogging – rendering them completely ineffective. In the current ‘compensation culture’ club management would be well advised to think twice before banning metal spikes in the winter months to avoid legal action from golfers who slip and injure themselves.”
Hitchcock claimed that clubs who recommend Champ Cer-Mec spikes to their members can have the best of both worlds. “Champ Cer-Mec spikes have a unique ball tip that makes them the most green-friendly metal spikes. In contrast to the punching effect of traditional metal products, Cer-Mec spikes ease their way into the ground, causing less damage to greens and other surfaces. They retain their traction for much longer again reducing the damage to greens from the imprint of worn down spikes. For the wearer this also means less frequent spike changes. By recommending Cer-Mec to all your members between October and March everyone benefits. Golfers retain essential traction in winter conditions, the likelihood of injuries from players slipping is reduced and greens stay in better order.”