Where are Callaway Irons made?

[Itsjustagame]

As long as these are publicly traded companies and Wall Street/share price determines senior management compensation there will always be someplace other than the US making golf clubs, bicycles, television, cell phones etc, etc. because it drives roi.

[Yarra]

I think you guys take 'Made in America' trademark and its association with quality to a wrong direction. Just because something is made in somewhere does not mean it will definitely have good/bad quality. I have travelled to enough factories to see how things work. I have seen good quality coming from unexpected places and bad quality coming from respectable factories.

[jmck]

Agreed. One thing a lot of people don't understand about manufacturing in China is they'll build anything you want to exactly the specs you specify. You can specify very, very high quality stuff quite easily in China, just like you can quite easily specify lower quality stuff at any other facility in any other country anywhere in the world. China = low quality is a myth left over from 30+ years ago. Likewise, the idea that there's anything that simply can't be done in American is a myth. The technology, facilities, knowledge, and people are all still out there, they're just a spread much thinner on the ground than they were 30+ years ago. And if you want to blame someone for thinning that stuff and those folks out I can assure you the EPA isn't some boogeyman which has driven everything off-shore, it's capitalism at its basest that has.

Anyway, I think the OP was approaching it less from a quality point of view, more from a patriotic or protectionist point of view, and as we all know politics are off limits around here, as well they should be. But suffice to say you can buy golf clubs which are not made in China if you're so inclined....just don't be surprised if their quality is more or less identical to the made-in-China clubs.

[Yarra]

Circle T's are made in USA

[jmck]

Well there you go. Stick 14 of them in the bag and you're all set ;)

[FairwayFred]

I made it my mission in 2008-2012 or so to get a line of wedges and eventually irons that were made entirely in the USA. Was going to use True Temper shafts and Pure grips made in the USA.

I got pretty far into my mission and in the end was derailed by the cost increases added by the USGA groove rule change in 2010. We would have brought a 100% made in the USA cast 8620 steel wedge with a milled face and grooves to the market at a comparable price to Vokeys, maybe even a hair less. The groove rule change made it much more complicated and expensive to machine grooves to the new tolerances and specs. My price for just getting grooves done would have been more than for manufacturing the rest of the club in its entirety.

I also tried to get a forged line going after that and ran into the same issue along with just the tooling costs associated with making new dies being too high. We did get a few prototypes made but the club would have had to cost alot more than the cast wedge I mention above. It would have only worked for higher end, hand ground custom wedged sold at a higher price.

Hopefully someone else out there takes on this project and has more luck than I do. If looking for clubs made outside of China id look at Japanese manufacturers like mentioned above or if you wanted to go with something higher end and made to spec we (National Custom Works) get raw, extra heavy blank forgings from Japan and then do all the rest of the manufacturing in the USA. Each head is completely ground and shaped by hand by one of our master craftsman in either MI or GA.

[PhlashPhace]

If you ever want to try to source products in the US again I know almost every Foundry, Forge Shop and Machining outfit in the US. I don't think it would be impossible but it would be difficult. I know literally every shop that has the capabilities you would need so if you connect with the right places and have the ability to get multiple RFQs I think you could get a product out at a cost that consumers would pay given the current sentiment. PXG has also helped break through some barriers so its a little different atmosphere than when Scratch was at its peak. PM me if you're interested.

[Yarra]

Interesting... can you please elaborate how did PXG break through some barriers?

[PhlashPhace]

I'm talking in terms of pricing. I was in the business as a PGA Professional from 2000 to about 2010 and golfers seem to have much more of an appetite for big price tags nowadays. I get that there have always been ultra-premium lines but I don't think any of them have been nearly as mainstream as PXG.

[Yarra]

Yeah. But do you notice that they are dropping their pricing (other than wedges and irons) with every new products that comes out? The products are getting better but cheaper. You can get their proto driver cheaper than a Mavrik, I think...

[PhlashPhace]

I thought we were talking about irons and wedges...

[Yarra]

I was talking about the brands in general and where they produce their products.

[PhlashPhace]

@fairwayfred was talking about the costs associated with forging irons and casting wedges in the US and that's why I pointed out the difference between consumer appetite for higher price tags compared to when he owned Scratch.

[Yarra]

In that case, when PXG first came out, they were selling 'technology' and 'feel' with their TPEs.

 

With the right marketing, maybe. That's where Scratch was lacking last time, in my opinion.

[FairwayFred]

Unfortunately for me there's a HUGE difference between my bank accounts and those of Mr. Parsons........

 

I do agree PXG changed the game with regard to pricing and what consumers are willing to pay for higher end products.

[PhlashPhace]

I think ultra-premium wedges and irons are a lot more plausible today than they were ten years ago, especially for a made in the USA product. I look at all the boutique putter shops popping up and selling out no matter how much they charge as an example of what people are willing to spend these days. Unfortunately I think you need to develop brand recognition FAST if you want to be a sizable player in irons and wedges and the easiest way to do that is to be a billionaire.

[Yarra]

Yup, it's unfortunate. That marketing budget can spin stories and sell things.

 

What I am trying to say is that eventually they will lower their prices and chase the bigger market. There are a lot of corporate issues behind this decision but that's another matter. Strongly believe if the cheaper driver works, they will do the same with all their lines. Maybe not Sugar Daddys and STs, but who knows...

[indianagolf2]

I purchased the pm grind wedge few years back, said made in mexico

[Jack Pearsall]

Pure grips are just junk. What kind of sadist designed the Dlx?

He still can’t believe a mavrik cost $500. Great driver...5 bills.

 

 

[Yarra]

Is Taiwan considered China?