New Bedford, MA, July 5, 2006. . . . . . . . . Ahead, a leader in branded headwear, apparel and accessories for the golf marketplace, introduces an evolutionary new divot tool called the TurfDoc™.   This new divot repair tool allows ball marks to heal quicker due to a shorter prong design.  

“Industry research has shown that a shorter prong divot tool, along with using it properly, can help ball marks repair up to two weeks quicker,” said Jeff Waller, national sales director for Ahead.  “We’ve all seen the contributions non-metal spikes have made to the game.  We believe the TurfDoc can contribute in similar ways, especially as more people use it and learn how to properly repair their ball marks”.

Typical long pronged divot tools can damage roots when used incorrectly.  An un-repaired ball mark will heal quicker than one repaired when a long pronged divot tool is used incorrectly.  However, a ball-mark left unattended leaves an uneven putting surface. Long divot tools can do more harm than good if golfers improperly twist and lift the soil instead of pulling or pushing the surrounding soil towards the divot.  Combining this effort with a shorter prong repair tool significantly reduces root damage.

The Ahead TufrDoc is ergonomically designed with a thumb rest engineered to make divot repairs quick, effective and comfortable.  Like all Ahead accessories, the TurfDoc can be customized to include a ball marker with club logo.  The TurfDoc comes in either antique brass or matte nickel with a black rubber coating.  In the Kate Lord Line for women, the TurfDoc comes in matte nickel with three different rubber coating colors:  bright orange, Carribean blue and hot pink. The suggested retail is $20.00.  Ahead offers a complete collection of both short and long pronged divot tools that can all be customized.

“If the age-old belief is true that doctors are typically found playing golf on their day off, I can’t help but think they’ll be soon prescribing the TurfDoc to all their patients” said an amused Waller. “If it will help keep the greens nicer and their scores lower you just might hear them say take two TurfDocs and call me in the morning.”

Ahead is a designer and marketer of branded headwear, apparel and accessories. Headquartered in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the company operates four distinct business units-- the Ahead Authentic apparel line, the Kate Lord Collection of fine women's hats, apparel and accessories, the Ahead "Heavy Metal" line of golf accessories, and the Company's unparalleled line of Ahead Headgear. Ahead is a sponsor of PGA Authentic and a supporting partner of PGA Golf Retirement Plus.  For more information on Ahead call 800 293 9599 or www.aheadweb.com.