Category:David Billings

From PutterPedia

Dave Billings has been around art all his life. His father Ken was a talented artist and photographer, with a second degree in Printmaking from SMU in Dallas, where his mom Anne also earned a law degree. David’s parents originally met at Stanford, and instilled in David and his older brother Richard their thirst for knowledge, entrepreneurship and exploration of the world. David was trained in art at an early age, and was fortunate to be introduced to a wealth of opportunities at St. Marks School in Dallas, and at SMU where David worked as an Assistant to Professor Jon Minyard in the bronze-casting department. He also worked briefly at the Shidoni Foundry in Tesuque, New Mexico, broadening his skills. After graduating from Highland Park High School, Billings attended Richland College with his brother Richard, where they met a growing art community, and focused on forging a future path in the arts.

The Billings Brothers held several successful two-man shows at the college and several galleries in Dallas. Dave Billings then ventured out to study sculpture intensively in Pietrasanta, Italy, in the Carrara marble region, where he worked in a cooperative marble studio with other artists and local craftsmen. Billings then traveled around the world on Semester at Sea, where he studied photography and the psychology of art, as well as the art and cultures of the countries they visited. In 1985 Billings moved to Los Angeles, where he attended the Otis Art Institute of the Parsons School of Design, graduating in 1988 with a degree in Fine Art and a minor in Video Production. Newly married to his childhood sweetheart Margaret, and wanting and needing a steady income, Billings took an entry level job working for Yonex Corp. in Torrance, CA, fell in love with the game of golf, and has worked in the Golf industry ever since.

Billings held six titles in three years with Yonex, including R&D Coordinator, where he was responsible for coordinating new product development, product launches, the tour program, PR and promotional opportunities. Shortly after the birth of their first son David, the Billings’ returned from California to Dallas. Billings worked as Director of Marketing for Affluent Golf, a company Ray Cook started after selling his namesake. Unfortunately Mr. Cook’s health was declining and the business was shuttered.

After managing several golf retail stores, Billings landed back on the manufacturer side as Product Manager for HEAD Golf in Ft. Worth, Texas. It was there where Billings and Tom Stites first worked together. When HEAD relocated and disbanded, Billing formed Big D Industrial Designs, and did work with Stites new company Impact Golf Technologies, and also others including Mizuno, Nicklaus and HEAD, among many others.

While working on a carry bag invention, Billings watched his then 2-year old son David putt a ball with a bag tube, and the idea the HOG Putter was born in one of those Eureka! moments. Billings applied for and eventually received two utility patents for the oversized shaft and the totally oversized golf club. He also received USGA conformity, as he developed a business plan with his lifelong friend Mitch Cox. Billings sketched a drawing of the family dog Birdie, and the first Dogleg Right Dog & ball logos were created. With a modest $12,500 in seed capital, and a lot of big dreams, Dogleg Right was born.

Billings still uses his artistic and design skills in virtually every aspect of the conceptual, R&D and product development processes. From initial sketches of new concepts, to 2- and 3D CAD designs, to working with programmers and machinists on tooling path and all other CNC machining variables, Billings doesn’t like to leave any detail to chance, or cut any corners. Once the products are machined, and the process further refined, Billings really goes to work, personally hand-finishing his works. We believe that Dave Billings’ pride of authorship, passion for his work and attention to detail comes through in the finished product, and hope that you will be pleased and proud to own one of his creations.