The modern golf industry is dominated by massive companies with multi-million, and in some cases multi-billion, dollar turnovers. This environment produces intense competition so it’s always interesting when a new company arrives on the scene. ORKA golf has only been around a short time but in that time it has managed to produce not just one complete line up but two: one for better players and one for game improvement.

We got to ask Stuart Johnson, MD and Senior Designer of ORKA golf a few questions.

Golfwrx: Could you tell us a little about your background in general and in the golf industry?

Stuart: I spent the last 6 years as Marketing Director and Head of Product Design and Development for a European golf brand. We experienced market leading growth in this time and it was a great experience, but I felt I wanted to create a brand under a different vision than mass market, one size fits all approach. Prior to that I have been part of several successful start-up businesses, some in other industries including one start-up for the Virgin group of companies.

Golfwrx: How long has ORKA been around and how did it come about?

Stuart: ORKA was started at the beginning of this year with first product being made available in July. ORKA has been born out of my passion for the game and product, I am afraid I am a product nut! I am not one of those product designers that is too blinkered as to be unable to acknowledge so many of the other outstanding products there are out there. I believe totally in custom fitting, and ORKA is a Custom fit brand, by pure definition this means that in order for people to play their best golf some people will have a great fit with ORKA, others may be better off with another brand, and this could be for any number of reasons, but that is the nature of individuality.

Golfwrx: Do you see yourself as an OEM or a component company?

Stuart: We are probably somewhere in between, almost a hybrid company in that respect. We supply in both forms, but essentially this is so that we can meet people’s individual needs and preference. Right now we are experiencing a number of customers who need to change their driver in order to conform to the regulations in Jan, some will buy a new club but many only need to replace the head as they like the feel of the shaft and it gives them great performance. They don’t need a new shaft so why buy one? Our market position therefore allows us to meet both sets of needs.

Golfwrx: What is your main target market?

Stuart: Players who understand the benefit of custom fitting. This is not defined by their handicap in fact there is an argument that higher handicap players may benefit more. Players who are not defined by the name on their clubs, but by the performance they get, but recognise that the best is not always the most expensive.

Golfwrx: What makes ORKA Golf equipment different?

Stuart: There is a lot of great equipment out there. It is an incredibly competitive market so outstanding product performance needs to be a given, but I believe that we can find several additional points of difference in the whole experience. We are certainly making top level custom fit more affordable, with an ambition to offer an unrivalled level of customer service. Relationship with our end user will be paramount to the success of the brand, so we have a number of methods to assist this via the website. Players can register to be testers, for this we will send them out prototype product for testing. Clearly there is a confidentiality thing in this, but it emphasises the importance we are placing on relationship with our customers. We are also handpicking the clubmakers we are working with, and are not looking to saturate the market. But probably one of our biggest points of difference is that we are also a brand with a social conscience, understanding our wider social responsibilities, with a vision to re-invest into the communities we are dealing with as a business.

Golfwrx: Your websites allow a wide range of customization and cover the full range of options – cast game improvement/players forgings, moveable weights and various shafts. How important is equipment fitting for golfers and why does your company put such emphasis on it in comparison to others?

Stuart: Fitting is imperative to playing the best golf you can, anyone who argues probably has never been custom fitted. We have designed the range to give the maximum flexibility for the clubmakers to be able to match the clubs to you and your swing. It is like buying a suit, you can get a great one off the shelf, but there is a completely different feel to a suit that is measured for you, clubfitting is exactly the same. We totally believe that custom fitting your clubs will result in better more consistent golf, but be aware my clubmakers are also not afraid to advise you to get a lesson rather than buying a new product! They are clubmakers not miracle workers after all! The webfit is there as a tool, it is not the complete picture but whilst we build up the network of clubmakers it is a great resource.

Golfwrx: Your website only allows users to select regular and stiff shafts. What is the reason behind this and is there a way to select other shafts?

Stuart: With respect to shaft flexes, yes anything is available and if its not there send me an email and we will come back to you. The reason we only have a limited number of shafts on there at the moment is that we want to encourage people to the clubmakers to be properly fitted, I do not want the internet fitting system to act as a substitute for seeing a clubmaker, it simply is not. It is there for those who cannot or do not want to go to a clubmaker, but my encouragement for everyone is to go and have the experience. We are adding more shaft options all the time, and within reason everything is available but more on a request basis at this stage so that I can truly discuss with people their requirements, and ensure that they are getting as close to what is right for them as possible.

Golfwrx: How do the target markets for the XR and Kii ranges differ?

Stuart: I see XR as much more of an internet range in that it competes at tough price points and offers great product for golfers on more of a budget, but at the same time still offering the option to have custom fit on it, either online or at the clubmakers, where as the Kii is much more suited to the clubmakers skills with its configurable weight system in the woods which allows them to set up numerous launch options suited to the individual. The Kii is superior in terms of its technology and its flexibility and thus more suited to their skills.

Golfwrx: When you would be releasing your equipment to the US and would you ship there from the UK/AUS?

Stuart: The short answer to product in the US is yes, the longer answer involves finding the right method of bringing that to market and whether that is a partnership or we distribute ourselves. In the meantime we are looking at the most effective way of servicing a US client base from the European hub in the UK.

Golfwrx: Where and how are your clubs made, specifically castings and forgings?

Stuart: OK, all clubs are made to specific order, you will not be able to ring up and place an order and have it shipped that day as it will be made bespoke to your fitting requirements, assembled by a qualified club-maker. With respect to the heads themselves, these are made in China, alongside some of the major brands. Historically production has moved around the world from the USA to Taiwan, to China and now to other areas such as Vietnam. This has been as manufacturers attempt to keep production costs low as raw material costs such as Titanium have gone through the roof.

Golfwrx: As a new company what is your view of Golf Magazines Top Equipment Lists? Do you feel as though it is a fair representation of the current generation of equipment or is there an unspoken prejudice against the smaller companies as very few seem to be represented?

Stuart: Tough question! I know many equipment editors, and have the highest respect for their impartiality. Obviously the larger companies represent greater advertising revenues than a brand such as ORKA, but my experience is that advertising with a magazine may enable you to be involved in more tests or features but in no way guarantees you the result. In the past I know I have benefited greatly from the objectivity of the equipment editors, and their willingness to recognise product on its individual merits, even upsetting some big advertisers. I do believe that the cream will rise to the top, and good product will get recognised, from a small manufacturers point of view Tom Wishon’s products are a great example of this. All in all I have no complaints on the system, it is what it is.

Golfwrx: How are you going to make your mark in an industry that is dominated by the big companies like Ping, Callaway, Titleist et al?

Stuart: I recognised long ago that if someone wants to buy a "brand" you can’t fight it. We will make our mark with people who are more passionate about the game than they are about the name on the clubs. We will do this through our network of Custom Fit Centres and by the quality of our product and service. I cannot emphasise enough how great an experience this is, and once you go to a clubmaker you are, in my opinion, very unlikely to ever buy a club off the shelf again. With respect to competing with the big companies, I believe we already do this in terms of design and performance, so then it is just about marketing spend. I think more people are becoming wise to the fact that when they buy a big name brand, a percentage of that purchase is going towards tour players.

Golfwrx: What is likely to be your product release cycle? Does Orka golf have any new models coming out in the near future?

Stuart: At this stage all products will have at least a two year lifecycle, and if I cannot design anything better or there are no new technologies or material improvements then they will last longer. We will not bring out product unless there is a clear improvement. That said designers never stop tinkering with products and there are always little things you would like to change after sign off. Currently we have 2 main ranges in the XR and Kii ranges. There are new products for next year including a range which will only be available through our clubmakers, rather than also available on line such as the XR and Kii, but these are to complete the range rather than removing any of the existing product line up.

Golfwrx: Is Tour presence essential for the success of a golf company?

Stuart: I guess that depends on how you want to grade success. Personally success for ORKA will be judged by seeing people satisfied with the choice so that they come back when they need something new, so for me success is judged more on brand loyalty. We are not trying to be the largest brand in the industry, we simply want to provide excellent kit that is fairly priced and performs beyond the expectation of the end user. My honest belief is that if we can do that then "success" of the brand will follow. I think if we were to focus on "Success" we would probably fail. Tour presence does not guarantee results, it can be like a needle in a haystack. So for me product performance is always more important than tour players. Moreover I believe the golfing public are pretty switched on to tour counts and its relevance.

Golfwrx: Where do you see the golf industry going in the next 5 years with regards to new developments?

Stuart: The search for a new material to replace Titanium will continue, brought about by the increase in air travel pushing the raw material costs through the roof, but we have been looking for some time and as yet there is nothing quite like it. "Traditional" shapes for drivers and woods may well come back again, the benefits of a "Square" driver are excellent if you don’t hit the ball straight but if you do why would you want one? and if you don’t maybe a few lessons is a good option too. The biggest changes may well be with irons and a focus on higher MOI. The biggest impact will come from any rule changes that are made as they try to stop the driver / wedge rounds, as they can’t keep making courses longer, but that will be one for the R&A and the USGA.

Golfwrx: Where do you see ORKA Golf in 5 years?

Stuart: Making great, market leading, technologically advanced golf equipment supplied through our network of outstanding clubmakers – in short our vision for the business will be unchanged, we will just aim to be even better at it in 5 years time!!