Fred Ball...Speaks on TowCaddy

Transcript from KSL/Zions Bank Speaking on Business; June 4th, 2009:

Click here to listen to the spot.

This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.

When Howard Fullmer took up golf a little more than three years ago, he couldn't have known the changes it would create in his life.

Howard only lives four miles away from the Hobble Creek Golf Course in Springville. He enjoyed being so close to the course but hated having to load his clubs into his car and drive such a short distance, especially with high gas prices. He figured there had to be a more economical way to transport his clubs.

One day, as Howard was looking around his garage, his eye fell on the trailer that could be attached to a bike to transport a child. This gave Howard the idea to create a device similar to the trailer that could be used for hauling his golf clubs. After several months of experimentation, Howard created the TowCaddy.

Like a trailer, the TowCaddy is designed to attach to a bike for transport and then detaches so it can be pushed or pulled around the golf course. With rugged all-aluminum construction for strength and large diameter wheels for easy rolling over potholes and speed bumps, the TowCaddy is ready for the challenges of the road. It's also light enough to pull smoothly as golfers walk along the fairway. Once a golfer returns home, the TowCaddy folds up so it stores easily.

Howard tells me the TowCaddy has been warmly received since its release in January 2009 at the PGA show in Orlando, Fla. He is already developing a number of alterations and attachments to make the product more versatile so it can be used to haul anything from groceries to books to musical instruments. The TowCaddy is even safe for children to use when going to and from the golf course.

TowCaddy is headquartered in Springville, and Howard says the product is manufactured right here in Utah. His company is the only one he knows of that allows its customers to safely ride a bike to the golf course instead of driving.

For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.

TowCaddy LLC 928 N. 700 East Springville, UT 84663 801-822-7799 www.towcaddy.com email: info@towcaddy.com

The Long Ride to the Long Day

We're back from the Long Ride to the Golf Wasatch Long Day Challenge. It was a great trip and tournament (though a little wet on Saturday). At 7120ft (2170m), climbing Parley's Summit was the high point of the trip (pun intended)! The ride from Uinta Golf to Mountain Dell was a nice hour and a half. I had assumed with the climb, it would take longer. It was a little overcast and cool as the rain flirted with falling for most of the ride. Thanks to Mike Brinley, the Pro at Mountain Dell for letting us play. Next time, we will need to bring more TowCaddys as there was an opportunity to sell some of them photos of Mountain Dell soon.

Day two started us off at Park City TV with on air personality Scot before heading over to Park City Golf Course where we averaged 11 minutes a hole on the back nine. Craig Sanchez is the pro there and the municiple golf course is really well kept. You can check out PCTV's YouTube video of the golf online or attached to the blog. The golf was a lot of fun and afterward, we had a lot of people looking at the TowCaddy, wanting to know more and wanting to demo it. There were a couple of kids who rode up on thier bikes, bags on their shoulders. It could have been better had we planned it as their clubs feel out of their bags while they tried to get off their bikes. Then, as they were trying to keep their clubs from falling, they got tangled up in their bikes and began to tip over. Next time I see them, I will have to slip them some cash for the advertising.

After the golf we ate at the great Flippin' Burgers while watching the US Open. Then it was back into our biking gear for the trip to Midway for the next day's Golf Wasatch Long Day Challenge. The 17 mile ride to Zermatt resort took just an hour and a half. Not bad for towing a bag full of clubs and balls. There we met our families, got set up for the tournament and relaxed a bit. Special thanks go to James Brown and Zermatt Resort for setting up our stay! It is a little slice of Europe and the perfect place for a family! If you travel to Utah any time soon (or later) or if you are heading out here to ski, avoid staying at Park City and visit Zermatt. You will only be 20 minutes or so from the backside lift at Deer Valley and you will be staying in a much better location.

Some special thanks go out to Mizuno for the Aerolite bags that save a lot of weight climbing those mountain passes. Also, Alpine Innovations for the CaddyCloth golf towel. These towels fit into at small neoprene bag so that they didn't flap in the wind as we rode. Dixon Earth Balls let us use their 100% recycled golf balls for the trip. They are a great ball with a nice, soft feel. I give them all the credit for the 35 foot par 3 birdie put I made at on the Wasatch Mountain Course. In fact, Golf Mesquite's team also used the same ball. Finally, Delta 7 bikes were the perfect ride for the trip. Light and responsive, and cool as anything you have ever seen, we love riding them.