Kevin Downey was in Leawood, Kan., in 2003, working on a real estate project. But he was also working on something else: the creation of a new golf company and the making of its first product.
The company was Innovex Golf, and the clubs were the System RLS Irons. The result is a young company with a growing product line built around the RLS (Revolutionary Loft Specification) system, and a flock of awards from golf reviewers and publications.
Downey's journey to becoming the founder of a golf equipment manufacturer began in 1992, when he was a golf professional at Crystal Tree Golf and Country Club in Orland Park, Ill.
"I quickly found out that I wasn't a good enough teacher to continue in the business in that capacity," Downey said, "but I enjoyed the industry, so I looked for an opportunity on the sales side of golf."
He went to work for a scorecard and map company in Chicago, then joined Slazenger as a sales rep in 1997. In 2000, Downey moved over to Callaway, where he worked the Kansas/Western Missouri territory.
However, family concerns soon led Downey to seek a change, and he and his family turned to the real estate project in Kansas. But it was during this time that he began thinking of starting his own golf company.
The history of individuals with dreams of marketing their own golf clubs is a long one full of failure. Many try, few succeed. To have any chance of building a brand that will last, the founder must have a good idea, execute it well, and impress customers quickly with the quality of his clubs.
Downey hired a club designer in 2003 to start working on the RLS Irons, and Innovex launched in the spring of 2004. The idea was straightforward: provide high quality, pro-line equipment built around the RLS system and a lower price structure.
"With Innovex, we wanted to bring the price down on premium equipment, while making sure that our products were 'leading-edge' from a technological point of view," Downey said. "(Another) goal was to introduce a line of irons and hybrids that were gapped evenly through the set."
Over the years, golf companies have taken to strengthening the lofts of their irons (that is, decreasing the loft of each iron in the set). This is done to increase distance.
"Today’s 9-iron is about the same loft as Ben Hogan's 7-iron," Downey explained. "In doing this, manufacturers have decreased the loft gaps between the longer irons in the bag, which is why so many golfers hit their 3- and 4-irons the same distance, or their 4- and 5-irons the same distance."
Restoring appropriate gaps between clubs is the hallmark of the RLS system. Of course, the iron set Downey was launching Innovex with would have to be high quality in every other respect, too, and judging by the reaction from golf reviewers, golf gearheads and customers, Downey and Innovex have been incredibly successful in meeting the company's goals.
Many of the better-known golf equipment testing companies, such as Rankmark and Golf Test USA, have raved about the RLS Irons from Innovex. Scroll through the forums frequented by equipment gurus (such as Golf Equipment Aficionados, www.4gea.com) and you'll find generous praise for Innovex clubs.
And since its launch in 2004, Innovex has added many new products: the RLS wedges, RLS fairway woods and RLS hybrids. All have garnered praise. A driver is on the way. The company offers several accessories (a stand bag, caps and shirts, etc.) and Downey has written a well-received book, "The Art and Science of Breaking 90: A Guide to Modern Golf Course Strategy and Equipment."
The equipment-focused blog SirShanksALot.com named Innovex its Manufacturer of the Year for 2005.
Innovex is also branching out from its original direct-to-the-customer sales model. While customers can still order directly from the company, Innovex clubs are starting to show up in brick-and-mortar retail shops.
"We got our feet wet the first year by selling directly to consumers all over the world," Downey said. "Over time I knew we would get to retailers with our product, but I wanted to make sure we were successful first. We were, and therefore, started offering our equipment through retailers in mid-2005. Our focus is still to offer the best golf equipment for the money in the world – period. That hasn't changed.
"Innovex Golf is still in its infancy, but with the numerous awards and a growing retailer base, we are growing quickly. I believe that more and more golfers are looking for top-level, premium equipment that is priced more affordably. That is our specialty – original-design, award-winning clubs that cost golfers less because we limit our ad budget and do not pay tour players."
Let's take a closer look at several of the Innovex Golf product lines:
System RLS Irons and Wedges
The first clubs produced by Innovex, the System RLS Irons received a "Best of Irons" award from Rankmark, and Golf Test USA's "Seal of Excellence" (recurring themes for Innovex clubs).
