Starting Wed, 7/20/11 - Get To Know Rob Rigg

[George Pazin]

Everyone on here is likely familiar with TRUE shoes - I thought it would be fun if we got to know the man behind the shoes. And lest there are any cynics out there, this was 100% my idea; as a struggling business owner myself, I take great delight in reading of others' successes. That makes Rob a hero of mine - which makes him like most of the posters on here...

Let fly with questions about the shoes, of course, but I think it would be more interesting to learn about Rob, the golfer. Rob's on vacation this week, so he indicated to me he will try to look in periodically to answer questions.

Have fun, play nice.

-----

On deck: ? Probably a new poster in early August

Full list:

List of GTK participants

[Jim Colton]

Where would you put Sand Hills on the Doak scale?

If you took your all-time best score in relation to par left-handed and right-handed, what's your combined score?

When can my adoring fans get their hands on the Special Edition True 155's?

[Wade Whitehead]

Rob:

1. Before TRUE, what golf shoes did you wear?
2. Have you met Jim Colton?
3. What is your favorite nine hole loop to walk?

Thanks.

WW

[Ulrich Mayring]

Where can I buy these shoes in Germany?

Ulrich

[George Pazin]

It's been so long, I can't even remember my standard opening questions, so this will have to do:

What brought you to golf?

What brought you to this site?

[Melvyn Morrow]

Into Walking, what about Walking the Dog, just too cool for cats, right   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPZVrmJ2HH8

Or is it that if you play Golf - you have to walk, is as much part of the game as ball clubs  and courses.

Keep on walking, Rob  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2_yXg6g-1s&feature=fvsr

Melvyn

[Emile Bonfiglio]

Rob-

What course or hole in the Portland area would you blow up and start over from scratch on?

Did you know there is a clan of skunks that lives in the rough between 11 and 12 at Ghost Creek?

If any advertising is good advertising, should I stop raking my bunkers and just leave the True prints as a branding message for others?

[Rob Rigg]

It's been so long, I can't even remember my standard opening questions, so this will have to do:

What brought you to golf?

What brought you to this site?

First off - big thanks to George for asking me to do this. I'll try to answer questions as they come between meetings and stuff. Vacation in the homeland isn't for a couple weeks unfortunately

I have been a golf junkie forever - my mum is from Ireland and we used to spend summers over there every other year. I grew up caddying for grandparents, aunts, uncles, anyone who would let me drag their sticks around the course - not for the pay, but because when they went off to the 19th hole I could head out to the practice green or sneak in a few holes at twilight. The colors of the course, scent of the air, the beautiful topography of golf courses have always stirred my blood and I am very grateful that I had a few summers hitchhiking from Arva to the club in Cavan for 54 holes before heading home. It was brilliant. I had the chance to play on the links at Ballybunion, Lahinch and Bundoran which was really special. I grew up in Toronto and my family did not have a membership at a club until my dad joined The Summit in high school so golf at home usually consisted of sneaking out to the neighboring school yard in late afternoon and hitting wedges from one set of goal posts to the other. Needless to say the field was missing turf from time to time.

After moving to Portland, OR from NYC I started to get back into golf (it was tough teeing it in Central Park). I was probably doing some reading about Bandon when I stumbled on GCA. I give the site credit for putting me in touch with some great people but also helping spark the idea for The Walking Golfer.com and The Walking Golfers Society, which was how Sean Eidson (the CEO of TRUE linkswear and the guy who noticed someone golfing in VFFs in Dallas one day) and I to meet.

[Mike Benham]

I will go with the most obvious question ... What is your shoe size and why?

[Rob Rigg]

Where would you put Sand Hills on the Doak scale?

If you took your all-time best score in relation to par left-handed and right-handed, what's your combined score?

When can my adoring fans get their hands on the Special Edition True 155's?

Oh goody, we start off with the Sand Hills question.   I think it's an 8 but I agree with the aspect of 9 that says "you should see this course sometime in your lifetime" because it was THE catalyst for minimalist golf design. SH is a very special place and I can understand why it is a 9 or maybe a 10 for a lot of people. The great thing about GCA is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and not everyone will agree.

I think my best score combined is 74 RH and 81 LH for 155 - I have only been playing lefty for a little over a month and it's a ton of fun so I think my scores will continue to drop as I improve this year.

Indeed, we'll have some special shoes available in '12 that Jim Colton has signed off on for his SEs. Pretty neat. Maybe we'll even bring them inline . . .

[Rob Rigg]

Rob:

1. Before TRUE, what golf shoes did you wear?
2. Have you met Jim Colton?
3. What is your favorite nine hole loop to walk?

Thanks.

WW

I used to work for a footwear and apparel company so I wore their product on the course - sometimes golf shoes but more and more often indoor soccer shoes.

Yes, I have met Jim "155 was a piece of cake, give me 2 hundy" Colton - he's a stud

Wade - On second thought I'll have to ask you for one more hole so I can play 1 to 7 at Old Mac - walk past the sickest half way house in golf - and play in from the Alps on 16 to 18. I honestly think that would be one of the most epic short loops in golf.

[Rob Rigg]

Where can I buy these shoes in Germany?

Ulrich

I think Capelli Golf has them and a few other places. Our distributor is just getting up and running so we still get orders direct to the TRUE linkswear website from Europe. Shoot me a PM and we'll get you sorted no problem.

[Rob Rigg]

Rob-

What course or hole in the Portland area would you blow up and start over from scratch on?

Did you know there is a clan of skunks that lives in the rough between 11 and 12 at Ghost Creek?

If any advertising is good advertising, should I stop raking my bunkers and just leave the True prints as a branding message for others?

Thanks Melvyn - I hope you are enjoying the balmy summer conditions in the old country!

Emile - hmm - Don't get me started - David Mihm and I have talked about this most thoroughly. 9 at Ghost is one of my least favorite holes in PDX along with 18 at Witch. Hopefully we can get The Walkers Course built one of these years and people can talk about blowing up holes on our golf course.

There was always an abundance of wildlife out at Pumpkin - nice to know the skunks are hanging out with the deer. Stinky.

We certainly enjoy seeing TRUE tracks on the course but we also don't want TRUE friends to get in trouble for messing up bunkers because we do believe in raking them. I enjoy dancing around in waste areas though - it is quite effective if you properly manage the spacing.

[Rob Rigg]

I will go with the most obvious question ... What is your shoe size and why?

I wear an 11 in TRUEs and usually a 12 in a barefoot/minimalist running shoe.

I like shoes without structure because you can wear a wide range of sizes and still be comfortable - I have some 10.5 samples in our shoes that I wear and an 11.5 is fine as well. I like the 11 bc there is a little extra room.

I guess the real why is because my feet are that size - trick question? That's sneaky.

[Tom_Doak]

Rob:

Any progress in trying to put together your walking-only course in the Portland area?

You can take the Fifth Amendment on this if you want to, since you are a U.S. citizen.

[Sean Leary]

How much does walkability factor into your course/Doak ratings? Has your rating gone up at Sand Hills with subsequent plays because i thought I remember you saying it was a 6...

[Emile Bonfiglio]

Rob:

Any progress in trying to put together your walking-only course in the Portland area?

You can take the Fifth Amendment on this if you want to, since you are a U.S. citizen.

Not sure why so many Oregonians love them some courses that are CPO (even in summer). Consider me a charter member when TWGC opens.

And yes 9 at Ghost is horrible, but after we talked about hitting into 1 on twitter a couple weeks ago, I dislike it less now.

[Chris Johnston]

Rob-

Ano other special additions coming?  Camo maybe?

CJ

[Dan Herrmann]

Rob,
What do the boys from Swooshtown think about Trues?    I know I would've worn Trues if they were around when I worked at Nike.  

Where do you play in Portland?   I used to play at Riverside (before they ruined things by shortening the 18th and building a new clubhouse).  Also spent time at Forest Hills, Heron Lakes, Rose City, and C-E.

[Steve Kline]

What is the theory behind the sole pad under the ball of the foot in the Trues? It made me feel like I was back on my heels when I tried them on. A very weird feeling to me even though everyone swears by them.

[David Harshbarger]

Rob,

Ryan Moore was getting some serious face time at the Open, in the interview room, but where were the logos?  You need to add some hats or turtlenecks to the catalog!

[Eric Smith]

Rob,

A couple things. First - you know I love the shoes. They are now essential gear when it comes to my golf. You wouldn't believe how disappointed I was when I left Ballyneal for Dismal and realized I had forgotten them in my room! I made do with a back up pair of Nike Airs, which are really great, but still - not the same thing.

So, how did you come up with the idea to put memory foam in the shoe? Do you know the weight density of your memory foam and is it made by a factory that produces sleep products? (Geek question I know, but I think maybe I told you last year that I'm selling a line of mf products?)

Do you travel through Shanghai or Honk Kong when you visit your manufactuer?

I look forward to crossing paths with you one of these days and wish you continued success in all of your endeavors.

[Garland Bayley]

Rob:

Any progress in trying to put together your walking-only course in the Portland area?

You can take the Fifth Amendment on this if you want to, since you are a U.S. citizen.

He asked me and my buddy Carl Icahn to back him on that venture. But, we turned him down. The admin and sales costs were too high.
We are threatening a proxy fight.

[JLahrman]

Rob, I wear a size 14 but it looks like you stop at 13.

Any likelihood of partnering with Oddball Shoe, which you probably know is in Portland and exclusively services size 13 and higher?

[Emile Bonfiglio]

Rob:

Any progress in trying to put together your walking-only course in the Portland area?

You can take the Fifth Amendment on this if you want to, since you are a U.S. citizen.

He asked me and my buddy Carl Icahn to back him on that venture. But, we turned him down. The admin and sales costs were too high.
We are threatening a proxy fight.

If Icahn can pick up Mentor Graphics, then he could donate some of that campus farmland in Wilsonville to the cause. Purchase the adjacent 60 Acre former mobile home park and you'd be set. They made Langdon farms out of worse land than that.