John Holmes's blog

TaylorMade-adidas Golf has been the biggest success story in golf – and I would argue one of the most notable success stories in all of business – in recent years.

The latest proof of that came Thursday, when TaylorMade announced that it achieved record sales in 2012, bringing in more than $1.7 billion. With sales of golf clubs, balls, footwear, apparel and accessories up 20 percent on a currency-neutral basis, the company said, last year was its best ever.

Last week at the Honda Classic, several PGA Tour players test-drove some Ferraris around Palm Beach International Speedway. On Wednesday, those golfers with the need for speed took a quick trip from Doral down to Homestead-Miami Speedway to check out some high-velocity Cadillacs.

Congressman Louie Gohmert, a Republican from East Texas, is a consistent critic of President Obama, and this week he teed off on Obama's love of golf.

Specifically, Gohmert insisted that Obama not be allowed to play any more golf until public tours of the White House are reinstated. Those tours were eliminated because of staffing cuts enacted when the budget-cutting legislation known as the sequester went into effect at the first of March.

The PGA of America has teamed with clothier Fore!! Axel & Hudson to launch a golf-inspired children's apparel brand. The PGA Authentic Junior line by Fore!! Axel & Hudson is available this spring at department stores and premier boutiques nationwide.

The PGA Authentic Junior collection includes a balance of classic and fashion-forward clothes, accessories and headwear. Capturing Fore!! Axel and Hudson's Southern California roots and the PGA's pride and passion for the game, the designs feature eye-catching details and luxurious, eco-friendly fabrics.

A judge in Dallas has ordered an auction company to hold onto a champion's green jacket from the Masters until a trial can be held to determine its ownership.

Judge Emily Tobolowsky granted Augusta National Golf Club a temporary injunction to stop Dallas-based Heritage Auctions from selling the jacket won by Art Wall Jr. in 1959. Last month the club, which claims the jacket was stolen, was granted a temporary restraining order days before the jacket was to be auctioned.

The new Golf Boys video, "2.Oh," has been out less than 36 hours as I write this, and it's already approaching 1 million views on YouTube. And seeing as I began my career in journalism as a film and music critic, I can tell you that my professional opinion is that this new video is even better than the first one.

If you win the Masters, do you actually own the green jacket you get for your victory?

The men who run Augusta National Golf Club say no. They've gone to court to try to block the sale of one of those jackets, and the case will be heard in a district court in Dallas on Monday.

Golf course openings in the United States remain at historically low levels, according to a new report by the National Golf Foundation. Measured in 18-hole equivalents, the NGF said that only 13.5 courses opened in 2012, while 154.5 courses closed. A total of 68 percent of those closures came among lower-priced public facilities, which continues a trend that has run throughout the economic downturn.

How do you get your motor running for a big golf tournament? Well, this week some PGA Tour players did it by, literally, getting their motors running.

On Tuesday, Ian Poulter – well known as one of golf's greatest motorheads – hosted several of his colleagues at the Palm Beach International Raceway. At the small track near West Palm Beach, Poulter arranged for Ferrari USA to provide a stable of ''prancing horses'' for the players to test out.

Serena Williams spent part of her Friday at the Honda Classic, where she followed Tiger Woods for a little bit. The tennis superstar – who lives near PGA National, where the tournament is being played – wanted to take a photo of Woods with her cell phone, but an ever-vigilant marshal caught her in the act.

Amazingly, someone caught the incident on video, and you can see it here.

Williams admitted her infraction later on Twitter: