The Story (of Focalpoint) So Far

From the moment we could walk, my dad put golf clubs in our hands. While we played other sports, we always came back to golfing with dad. 

Have you ever been excited to wake up before the sun on a Sunday morning? Well, we were, because Sunday morning meant we got to be on the course for four glorious hours together, worrying about nothing except for our score.

Truth be told, we liked to play scramble together. Whether it was all four of us trying to beat our course record or a two vs. two game for supremacy of our last name, we cherished every moment out on the course with each other. 

Let's flashback to the summer of 2015. We were all on the 14th green at Whittle Springs Golf Course in Knoxville, TN when suddenly, after a putt, one of us asked my dad why most putters looked the same (referring to blade putters specifically). He, being the brilliant engineer he was, responded with his answer, which centered around tradition and lack of innovation.

So naturally, I said, "Why don't we just make our own putter?" It was like a real lightbulb above the head moment. At that moment, all in unison, we agreed we would go for it. We would try to make a putter that helped real golfers on the green.

And so our young idea was born. A couple of years of hard work went by, and we had an entire brand called Focalpoint ready to introduce to the world. Now we just had to finish the putter. 

We went through endless designs and iterations until we found the perfect putter. 

Once we had our design, which looked very similar to our final version of the Optimum, we were ready to submit it to the USGA for approval. The first time we submitted it, we were rejected. So I began to rework the design to fit the parameters laid out by our rejection.

We resubmitted the putter to the USGA in the summer of 2020. A month later, we received an email stating that our putter conforms to the rules of golf. This was huge because any golfer could now play anywhere in any competitive event with our putter.

I still remember the moment I got to break the news to my dad. We couldn't believe it. He was so proud of everything we all had accomplished. Little did we know that in less than six months, he would be gone forever.

During the first week of 2021, my father unexpectedly passed away. He was 59, a few months short of 60.

We were devasted. Not only had we lost our best friend and father, but also our golf partner and someone who always saw us for who we were.

Fast forward to today, and we are more determined than ever to succeed. Our father had a vision for the company, and we believe we have to bring that vision to life. 

So here's to those we've lost on the way. May we never forget the impact they had on our lives. And may we have the strength to work hard and be someone they would be proud of.

Hollis Oliver McLain III