Value as the Deal

[Hoosier Bogey]

A deal is much more than price

While there will never be a consensus as to what actually defines a “Deal or No Deal,” it seems to me many people define a deal purely by the bottom-line price instead of what seems more logical – the VALUE of the deal.
Value, which obviously includes price, must also include at least some of the following:
• Customer support: Both from the place you purchase the product (pro shop, off course retailer, etc) and the company backing its equipment (Titleist, Ping, Callaway, Taylor Made, etc.) How many of us have ordered product online only to find out it hasn’t even been released yet? Will the local guys help you send the product back to the manufacturer should a problem arise?
• Testing the product before you buy: My local off-course retailer (A Golf Headquarters in Plainfield, Ind.) has an outdoor range to test equipment. I’d much rather pay for a bucket of balls – or five buckets – to make sure I get the clubs that feel the best than hope I like the shaft offered online. It’s cheaper to buy a few buckets than replace a shaft. (Golf Headquarters will take the price of a small bucket off of the sale of a club anyway.)
• A NET?: Why do we trust the swing “analysis” offered by a computer instead of our own eyes? I went to the Indy Golf Show and the machine said I drove the ball 345 yards – with a slice! Did people even get a good price? It cost $10 to get in and probably another $5 to park. Suddenly those $35 shoes don’t seem to be such a good value, especially when Golf Headquarters and my local course had better shoes at less than $50 on clearance.
• (I’ve seen the analogy of buying a new car by using a simulator and thought it was a good one. I don’t trust the simulator to tell me how loud the wind noise was with the top down, I take the car on the road.)
• Getting fit: A professional club fitter can help golfers of all skill levels, as we all know.
• Knowledge of the sales staff: Even if my local guys don’t know the answer, I trust they will find it before the person at the call center in India!
• Knowing you are getting “real” product: Callaway and Ping seem to be the most proactive fighting “knock-offs” or “look-alikes” Let’s face it, too much of the stuff on e-bay are being passed as original to the unsuspecting public or there wouldn’t even need to be a Deal or No Deal section!
• Price: Sure, price matters, but most retailers offer some sort of price matching and guarantee anyway, don’t they?

Finally, what’s the cost of not supporting the local guys? A Wal-Mart with a McDonald’s on every corner, probably.

I can’t wait to hear the feedback on this one!

[ronaldroettger]

I think you have a very valid point.

[senseigolfer]

:russian_roulette: :russian_roulette: :cheesy: :cheesy:

 

Good Show!!!!

 

Glad to see some is shopping with the independent shops...I get tired of hearing about the BIG BOX stores. I realize some of you have no choice....but I guess that's the point. Support the little shops and you will have a choice!!! Golf Balls are designed to be hit outside...not in a closet or net.

[DRGJR72]

Nets are bad. They can give you a feel for the club, but that is about it. Without the aid of a computer to tell you where the ball went, it is just a place to see how it feels. I think that buying a club is more than that. You need to see the ball flight, know it is flying the right height for you and your game, etc...There are so many things that go into it.

 

The bottom line is if you are fit correctly for a set of clubs and they then perform for you in that same way, then it is a good deal. Value is subjective. A 10,000 dolllar cameron might be a value to one person and a rip off to another.

 

I guess you get what you pay for, and sometimes it is a little less than anticipated...... :russian_roulette:

 

Dan