Rating: 6 points
Pros: Great release with something for everyone.
Cons: Extremely limited amounts.
2008 has come and is now gone with concern to Studio Store releases. In a year with not-so-arguably the best headcover releases ever, we also got a few surprises with the Holiday Release. This year's release consisted of a headcover, three pivot tool ornaments, three ball markers, a clip tool and a long sleeved t-shirt.
A well known marketing tactic is to use the "best of best" when implementing new products and offers... Scotty goes after this with the headcover release this year. In a departure from his traditionally Christmas/Holiday themed headcovers (which have been the norm since the initial 2004 release of the holiday Scotty Dogs), Scotty went with a champaign colored headcover with a mix of this year's headcover themes. The cover includes icons from the Hula, US Open, St. Patrick's Day, Ryder Cup, PGA Championship, Las Vegas, British Open, Masters and Halloween headcover releases. There is a lot crammed into one headcover, but Scotty has done a great job combining them.
Second on the list are the pivot tool snowflakes. There was some discussion leading up to this release regarding a few of these sculptures that found their way to eBay. Commanding a large premium on those auctions, the sculptures released from the studio have had a precedent set as very valuable collectible items. There were three colors released, Gold, Green and Red.
Next are the ball markers or "Cameron Coins" as they're being called. We saw these coins a few months ago after the Japan M&G Event... this time around they are complimented by a video on Scotty's website showcasing how they are made. There are three desings, Peace, Luck and the Circle T... all three matching the bag tags which were released in November. Interestingly enough, the same stainless steel bar stock that is used to make the Studio Select weights, is used to produce these unique ball markers.
Rounding out the release is the My Girl Clip Tool and the Art of Putters T-Shirt. Since the long sleeved t-shirt is a re-release of a popular shirt from last year, there isn't too much to say. However the My Girl tool... wow. Scotty has not been shy on the Clip Tool releases this year, and this release was no exception. The vibrant pink (named "Celestial Cotton Candy") tools are laser engraved with "My Girl of Carlsbad" and will be very popular among women and men collectors alike. Typically My Girl releases are very limited, and these tools are purported to be limited to 250 pieces.
Rating this release was a little tough... the only reasons it is not the full 7 point crown are that the snowflakes seemed to be extremly limited (rumors have them at 50 pieces each, which isn't necessarirly a bad thing) and the headcover is a little too out of the ordinary to be considered a "home run" cover. I also would have loved to see the headcover in white instead of champaign, especailly since Scotty had GREAT success with white headcovers this year.
Thanks for another great year of Studio Store releases, Scotty!
