CROSLAND HEATH Golf Club and Longwood Edge have provided the inspiration for a stunning new launch of Progen golf equipment.
Not that anyone would be aware of the locations from the ‘after-shots’ which have been skilfully photo-shopped, transforming them into stormy land and seascapes.
Also unrecognisable is the man in the middle attempting to drive off the rocky ledge, none other than Direct Golf’s head of product development, James Graham, who drew the short straw when someone was needed to scramble up to the sort of location normally reserved for birds of prey.
Graham, who is actually a member at Crosland Heath said: “I come from Wakefield, where it’s pretty flat, but I was walking around Longwood Edge during the summer, and seeing this harsh landscape with the rocks and heather, the idea suddenly came to me.”
To achieve the image, James and colleagues Nick Woodhead and Ben Green trekked out to Longwood Edge to photograph James about to drive off from a rocky ledge. The photos were taken from the top of Longwood Tower.
“We took about 60 shots to get the right one. There were winds of 40 to 50mph blowing and I had to crouch down between shots to avoid being blown over the edge,” added Graham.
The foaming sea crashing onto rocks, the jagged mountain, the menacing red sky – and the rolling green fairway – were all blended into the shot by Woodhead, with James using his golfing know-how to advise.
“It took us three days to get from the original shots to the finished pictures and the images will be used for the international marketing campaign, which will be launched in March. The aim was to get away from the traditional golf product shots and be a bit more ‘in your face’.”
The other image to be used was taken at the back of the 18th tee at Crosland Heath before also being ‘doctored’ for added effect.
More than 40 distributors worldwide, including ones in South Africa, Poland, Iceland and Australia, will use the striking imagery as part of the campaign to promote the Progen range of golf clubs, bags, towels and umbrellas.
