“Anybody can do it the other way – we thought you would want the real story”
“More than you have ever wanted to know about Dan Bennett”
“I’ve known Dennis a long time – he is OK to work with… most of the time”
“Never play a dollar-a-hole with “Coach” Harold Riley – he only looks easy!



“I’ve known Dennis a long time –
he is OK to work with… most of the time”

by Dan Bennett


Dennis leaves me pretty much alone. I do not know when it started but somehow each of us just started working in different parts of the business.

I am in charge of building the clubs, making certain nothing – nothing – ever leaves here that is less than perfect.

I tell Dennis what clubs we ought to offer and more importantly – what clubs we will not offer. Of course, he has to agree but I do not think he has ever disagreed with me on the matter of offering or not offering a specific club.

Dennis is better at telling you what the features of a club are and how those features improve your game. The only problem is – as you are probably learning – he will go on and on about it telling you every tiny detail.

He is better than me at buying the club components we need. He can convince manufacturers that we just could not possibly pay their asking price and they have to come down a bit more for us. But that means you pay less too.

It is not unusual to find him in the office at 5:30 in the morning. In fact, both of us come in fairly early in the morning. Except on Tuesdays, because we both go to a Monday night Bible study that doesn’t get out until 8:45. It just seems we can get more done before 9:00 than you can after 9:00 some days.

Dennis may think I have a few quirks – well, so does he. I never bring my dog to work – you probably don’t either. He does now and again.

Neither you nor I could hold an iron in our hands for twenty minutes trying to put into words how to describe it. He does.

I remember he carried around one of our Diamondback Pulse heads for a week in his pocket. He would take it out every now and again, look at it, then put it back. He said he was, “Getting to know it so he could better tell you about it.”

He thinks work is work and golf is golf. That’s dumb. I tell him that if we are in the golf business then golf is work and work is golf. What is funny is that while he is trying to figure that one out – I take a set of new clubs to the “Test Range” for awhile.

If he told you he can work with me it is because I leave him alone. And he doesn’t bother me. Sure, we have had more than a few disagreements over the years but he does what he does best and I do what I do best.

I’m never going to write a book on how to work with a partner but I think that is probably the most important part – let the other person do what he or she does best and don’t bug them about it.

That plus the important fact that we trust each other 100% is what makes it so easy to come in to work. We both share one thing -- we really like what we do. We really like coming to work each day. I don’t think either of us could imagine doing anything else.

I see Dennis showed you my divot tools. Well, they work. They are readily available. And he uses one himself!


“Never play a dollar-a-hole with “Coach”
Harold Riley – he only looks easy!

by Dan Bennett


Dennis first met Coach Harold by playing with him and three of Harold’s buddies.

I met Harold through Dennis. I have worked with him in our shop – Harold knows how to make a club! He is every bit the perfectionist I would want to make a club for me.

And Harold is a terrific golf teacher. He was a “coach” at an army base. Took his team to other bases and played in countless tournaments. He has one heck of a reputation. He really can spot a weakness and puts it in easy terms how to correct it.

My guess is that he has taken at least five to ten strokes off my score and that much off Dennis’ score. He still works with us and my guess is we will continue to see better scores.

Just as an example, I thought I had a tendency to push the ball or not get my club face closed on approach shots. Harold watched my hit a few balls. He fixed it so easily – it was not a swing problem. I simply was not aligned to the target correctly. He fixed it. He taught me a simple way to align my shots. I hit a lot straighter now.

I don’t know many teachers as gifted as the Coach.

That is why we include his instructions with some of our clubs. Listen to what he advises. Read what he suggests. Your game will be better for it – much better.



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