Barney Adams
Encyclopedia
Byron H. Adams (born March 24, 1939 in Syracuse, New York
), is an entrepreneur
, the founder of Adams Golf
, inventor of the Tight Lies fairway wood, holder of several patents on golf products, and author of The WOW Factor.
. Adams attended Clarkson College
on an athletic scholarship, graduating in 1962 with a Business Management (BBA) degree and also became a member of Sigma Delta, a local fraternity on the Clarkson campus. After graduation, Adams worked for Corning Glass in various engineering positions, and then entered the supermarket industry in Southern California
as an independent sales representative. He then led a Silicon Valley
startup making microprocessor
s to reduce retail energy usage. In 1983 Adams joined Dave Pelz
Golf in Abilene, Texas
.
Adams book, The Wow Factor, is an insiders look at the golf industry and offers business advice to entrepreneurs. Adams continues to be an avid golfer, but now mainly pursues his hobby, saltwater fly fishing
.
s, the company rapidly expanded after the creation of the Adams Tight Lies fairway wood
. In 1998 Adams Golf went public on Wall Street
, with an initial public offering
underwritten by Lehman Brothers
. In 1999, Adams was selected as Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young
in 1999. Although semi-retired since 2000, Barney Adams retains the title Chairman of the Board
.
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
), is an entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, the founder of Adams Golf
Adams Golf
Adams Golf Inc. is a NASDAQ listed golf club manufacturer based in Plano, Texas.In 1983 Barney Adams joined Dave Pelz Golf in Abilene, Texas. When Pelz's Preceptor Golf went bankrupt in 1988, Adams bought the assets and started Adams Golf...
, inventor of the Tight Lies fairway wood, holder of several patents on golf products, and author of The WOW Factor.
Biography
Adams began playing golfing at 14, caddying at Onondaga Country Club in Fayetteville, New YorkFayetteville, New York
Fayetteville is a village located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the village had a population of 4,190. The village is named after Lafayette, a national hero of both France and the United States...
. Adams attended Clarkson College
Clarkson University
-The Clarkson School:The Clarkson School, a special division of Clarkson University, was founded in 1978 as a unique educational opportunity. The School offers students an early entrance opportunity into college, replacing the typical senior year of high school with a year of college...
on an athletic scholarship, graduating in 1962 with a Business Management (BBA) degree and also became a member of Sigma Delta, a local fraternity on the Clarkson campus. After graduation, Adams worked for Corning Glass in various engineering positions, and then entered the supermarket industry in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
as an independent sales representative. He then led a Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
startup making microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
s to reduce retail energy usage. In 1983 Adams joined Dave Pelz
Dave Pelz
Dave Pelz is a United States golf coach, known for his expertise and published writing on the art of the short game, particularly putting.Pelz's Short Game Bible was a New York Times “national best-seller” in 1999. Pelz was named by Golf Digest magazine as one of the 25 most influential instructors...
Golf in Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
.
Adams book, The Wow Factor, is an insiders look at the golf industry and offers business advice to entrepreneurs. Adams continues to be an avid golfer, but now mainly pursues his hobby, saltwater fly fishing
Saltwater fly fishing
Saltwater fly fishing is the practice of fly fishing in saltwater, especially in coastal areas.- Sources :* Herd, Andrew. A Fly Fishing History. http://www.flyfishinghistory.com/salt_water_fly_fishing.htm...
.
Adams Golf
When Dave Pelz Golf Golf Inc. went bankrupt, Adams bought the assets and started Adams Golf. Initially specializing in custom fitted golf clubGolf club (equipment)
A golf club is used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a clubhead. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety of shots; Hybrids that combine design elements of woods and...
s, the company rapidly expanded after the creation of the Adams Tight Lies fairway wood
Wood (golf)
A wood is a type of club used in the sport of golf. Woods are used to hit the ball farther than any other type of golf club....
. In 1998 Adams Golf went public on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
, with an initial public offering
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
underwritten by Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm. Before declaring bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth largest investment bank in the USA , doing business in investment banking, equity and fixed-income sales and trading Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (former NYSE ticker...
. In 1999, Adams was selected as Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
in 1999. Although semi-retired since 2000, Barney Adams retains the title Chairman of the Board
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
.