Golf equipment is getting too expensive...

[tgoodspe1991]

Maybe it's just me, but I think new golf equipment prices are getting out of control.

 

With the introduction of PXG, then PING Blueprint, P7TW, and now both new Callaway releases, are we officially in an era where $200+ per iron is the new normal? Are next-gen drivers going to break that $600 mark?

 

I'm still young, but even I remember a time not too long ago when buying a $200 Scotty Cameron was a big purchase and the idea of spending over $999 for a 3-PW iron set was ludicrous. Now $1K will get you 75% of the iron set and $200 is a tight used putter budget. This doesn't even factor in the cost of getting fit and the world of aftermarket shafts.

 

I know I know, inflation, demand, marketing budgets, blah blah. I also know that nobody is forcing me to spend money, etc. I also know one person's "expensive" is another person's "cheap" and another person's "impossible." For me, it's not a question of affordability, but the value just isn't there anymore and it's not worth it. It kills all my desire to try new equipment and I fear for what it's going to be like in 5 years.

 

I guess this is one way to stop a true club-ho! So maybe it's not all bad... 😆

 

/rant

Edited October 15, 2020 by tgoodspe1991

[RogerinNewZealand]

So a week ago in nz..716mb 4..pw sells $1300nz,say 850us...4 years old...so string demand.. a set of T100 ex demo similar price,so i can agree with ex demo price...

[MattyO1984]

I am minded to agree but also remember either the Great Big Bertha or the Biggest Big Bertha back in the 90’s came out with a RRP of $500 or £500 over here in the UK. That said, that was something of an outlier with not many of the big name brands getting close to that price whereas now, the likes of Callaway, Taylor Made, Titleist, etc are all much of a muchness.

[Tommyj]

Driver prices have gotten out of control, but only if you think you need to upgrade every year.  Still decent value(relatively) to be found with some irons like Srixon Z585/785, JPX Hot Metals and Ping G and i series.  Hope Srixon stays reasonable with their new irons.  Putter prices are a bit absurd as well.  When Ping put out its Karsten series you got a great putter for $79 - now the entry point is the Sigma 2 at $199.

[Sean2]

I agree. It had been quite a while since I had been in a golf shop, and was quite surprised at the prices. I read some where that Titleist is coming out with a set of irons at $500 per iron. And yeah, at those prices it will definitely keep my buying and selling to a minimum, lol. 

[xkilgorextroutx]

It's only expensive if you decide to make it expensive.

 

If you need to have the latest and greatest, then yeah it's gonna hit you in the wallet.

 

If you're fine with trying multiple OEMs and you don't feel the need to upgrade your bag every year, then it's not expensive at all.

 

If you're fine with buying used, it's even less expensive when you take a minute or two to shop around for deals.

 

No one said you needed to rush out and buy new top end clubs the second they hit the shelves.

Edited October 15, 2020 by xkilgorextroutx

[Ger21]

7 hours ago, tgoodspe1991 said:

I'm still young, but even I remember a time not too long ago when buying a $200 Scotty Cameron was a big purchase
 

 

There's never been a $200 Scotty Cameron.

 

I paid $275 for mine in 1996.

 

Other than that, all of my clubs have been purchased new or like new, but 2-3 years old, for 50% or less of new prices.

You can buy prior model drivers for ~$200, fairway woods for ~$100, and iron sets in the ~$500 range, in new or like new condition.

[braincramp52]

You guys are startin' to bum me out. This type of talk is inappropriate.😄

[Emthree]

I disagree.

 

https://www.costco.co.uk/Sports-Spas-Leisure/Outdoor-Sports/Golf/Callaway-Edge-10-Piece-Golf-Set-Right-Handed/p/273385

 

I don't recall a time when I could get a full set of Callaway clubs and a odyssey putter for £490.

 

Off the rack drivers (before mainstream custom fit) were always £350-£500. Custom fitted clubs back then when they had glued hosels were £800 all in with the shaft+labour. 

Now you can get one fitted for RRP as long as you don't go for an upcharge shaft.

[Jonesy]

I agree

 

Prices here have gone through the roof, a new driver now is the same price as a great set of irons way back when. And some putters actually... And the problem with looking at 2nd hand stuff here is people charge too much or the stuff is in terrible condition... might find a good deal on the rare occasion.

[Colej]

It’s all about what you want to pay. There’s some other options out there. Sub70, New Level, and Golfworks can all build you clubs for a lot less than others. 
 

I know Sub70 has a demo program as well. 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Colej

[James the Hogan Fan]

2 hours ago, Tommyj said:

Driver prices have gotten out of control, but only if you think you need to upgrade every year.  Still decent value(relatively) to be found with some irons like Srixon Z585/785, JPX Hot Metals and Ping G and i series.  Hope Srixon stays reasonable with their new irons.  Putter prices are a bit absurd as well.  When Ping put out its Karsten series you got a great putter for $79 - now the entry point is the Sigma 2 at $199.

Wilson Harmonized putters are $50. It's crazy.

 

I think the whole tech and upgrade every year thing helps drive a perception of higher price. Back when every iron was some variation of the blade and every wood some variation of the sculpted wooden block, there was no need to buy a new set of clubs every year, much less every season, and some pros' woods became legendary for how long they'd been in the bag. 

 

If I just dropped $499 on a brand new SIM, and now next year Taylormade introduces the 2IM for $549 and it renders the SIM obsolete, there doesn't seem to be any value in my purchase. The expectation that a club will give you multiple years of service is not there.  Everyone talks about just buying 2 years ago's clubs for 50% off, but someone had to buy that club new, and for them it depreciated 50%. Makes the high price feel artificial. 

[spring70]

Sometimes I think that too, but really its just certain club types:

 

Drivers - I bought a brand new Great Big Bertha in ~1997? for $500. I bought a SIM and a Speedzone xtreme for essentially the same price 20+ years later

 

Balls - Titleist Professional were $50/box when they came out!!!

 

BUT

 

Irons - I bought new MP-14's in 1997 for I think $699, new Mp-20 are what almost double

 

Wedges - THEEEE wedge to have in the 90's were $80 588's, again now almost double

 

Putters - The Black Cameron's (1998ish) were <$300, basic Bettinardi's are $300

 

 

[MattM97]

Let's all remember that inflation is still a thing and I'm not sure people account for that. @spring7 mentioned a lot of prices and dates. That GBB he bought in 1997 for $500 would be $820 now. That's insane, you know the kinda driver I can build today for that price vs an OTR GBB? That box of ProV1s back in 2000 would be $72 now, imagine paying $72 for your favorite ball. The iron set about $1200 which is reasonable, about on par with the MP-20s today.

 

So in some cases prices have gone up, in some case prices have gone way down. Just be smart about your buying, do you need a new driver and iron set every year? If you do cool.  

[vtpachyderm]

3 hours ago, Tommyj said:

Driver prices have gotten out of control, but only if you think you need to upgrade every year.  Still decent value(relatively) to be found with some irons like Srixon Z585/785, JPX Hot Metals and Ping G and i series.  Hope Srixon stays reasonable with their new irons.  Putter prices are a bit absurd as well.  When Ping put out its Karsten series you got a great putter for $79 - now the entry point is the Sigma 2 at $199.

 

1 hour ago, xkilgorextroutx said:

It's only expensive if you decide to make it expensive.

 

If you need to have the latest and greatest, then yeah it's gonna hit you in the wallet.

 

If you're fine with trying multiple OEMs and you don't feel the need to upgrade your bag every year, then it's not expensive at all.

 

If you're fine with buying used, it's even less expensive when you take a minute or two to shop around for deals.

 

No one said you needed to rush out and buy new top end clubs the second they hit the shelves.

 

As the two above posts, it's only expensive if you want to make it so and want the newest gear every year. My clubs are all from 2016/2017 and all bought used, and I see no need to replace them - they fit me and my swing pretty well, and given the amount I play and practice, it works just fine.  So if you factor a 4 year lifespan, yearly costs aren't that much even if you buy new. Of course there are some brands/clubs/shafts  that charge a premium but that's just market forces at play and you can choose to go that route or cheaper if you really want new.

 

Me, personally, if I were to go custom fit and new, I'd want it to last me at least 4-5 years (maybe wedges about 3 but I've never worn out a wedge to be honest).

 

Don't forget - unless your custom fit clubs have some really out of the ordinary specs, you can recoup a lot of the cost in the used market if the clubs are in decent shape.

 

I'd counter the annual cost to play courses is getting quite pricey with memberships and green fees if you want variety and not stick to your same home course all the time.

[dmeeksDC]

No need to buy new if you like trying lots of clubs. New sets are like new cars — they drop in value immediately after you buy them. The used market is full of good deals. 
 

Or, it’s easy to buy new equipment from 2-3 releases ago for half of its original retail price. There is no difference performance wise vs the current models. 
 

Or buy new from the direct to consumer companies — Ben Hogan, Sub 70 and New Level all have great equipment at much lower prices. 

[NRJyzr]

There could be an interesting side effect.....

 

In the 90s and early 2000s, component clubs were a viable alternative to OEM purchases, with price being a not insignificant player in the decision for many.  I'm not talking about the clones, but the product found at GolfWorks, Golfsmith, Dynacraft/Hireko, the artist formerly known as SMT, and so on.  

 

A fair number of the advances in clubs came from the component world.  400cc and up drivers being a notable mention.  Carl Wolter, anyone?

 

The acceleration of product cycles in the OEM world, and the resulting effect on the used club market, reduced the component allure for many.  Especially for those entrenched in the Club Ho world.  Now, with prices rising as they are, component options are looking more attractive than they were a dozen years ago.

 

Personally, I've picked up a few wedges from GolfWorks, a couple from Hireko, and even built a Pinhawk SL set for myself just to see what it was about.  

 

It also doesn't hurt that the new gear doesn't catch my interest all that much.  😉

 

[getitdaily]

I think you'll see some negative bias on equipment prices mainly from folks here...no data to back that up, but

 

The more you read forums, check the bst, etc, the more you feel like you need to try something new. My lowest spend months came when I took a break from these forums and logged off...

[cgasucks]

There is no law saying that you HAVE to buy clubs brand new.  I've been playing this game since 2000 and USED clubs have never been more affordable and more available.  Thanks to local classifieds like Craigslist once can get a decent set of clubs made within the last 10 years for under $500.  I personally got my blades in a 2-PW from that site for $80....CDN (from a former staff pro of all people)!  Unfortunately, because of the resurgence of interest of golf because of this pandemic it has driven up demand for clubs (new and used) and thus prices, especially for the used market.  Golf tech has stagnated for years so you're not missing out on anything of you buying used clubs within the last 15 years.  

 

Above all, lessons and practice trumps all.  A club's performance is only as good as the person using it regardless how old the club is (within reason).

Edited October 19, 2020 by cgasucks

[third-times-a-charm]

Just like many other hobbies and industries...once a price goes up and people keep paying it, the manufacturers go "Well, look at that...." and it never goes back down. As is economics, you can expect prices to keep going up until they reach an uncanny peak of slowing sales then it will plateau. Maybe the data is already there for that - I'm not sure. But super premium product line off-shoots from the standard product lines are already a thing and you'll see more of it as other people have mentioned.

 

 

[boggyman]

Getting?? Been that way awhile I’d say. 

[Juice1121]

Yea, I  remember seeing the first 400 dollar driver and getting confused about the direction of these prices. I thought they were trying to get more people into the sport not price them out. 

 

Either way, if you are not trying to get fit then there are still deals to be had. If you buy used and buy 2-3 year old models you can build a bag reasonably.

 

Just this year I picked up:

Titleist t-mbs 4-pw for 299

Titleist ZB forged 3-pw for 165

2 Sets of Callaway xprotos - conforming 5-p heads for 225 and non conforming 2-pw for 450 

Taylormade m2 (2017) driver head - 135 

Taylormade M2 3w (picked up one with an addi for 180 and another for 95 bucks)

 

I even ventured off my rule and got a new club! Sim TI 3 wood for 250 with 2 upgraded shafts. Felt like a good deal considering they retail for 400 and are rarely under 300 used right now.

 

Now, when I write out all of this it is kind of alarming... but I digress. All of these clubs perform as well or close enough as their modern counterparts. They are affordable and they are classic and cool clubs IMO.

 

 

[kmay__]

Used market is where I dwell, SIMs are 699.99 otr here.... 1000-1200 for a fitted one with aftmrkt shaft. P7MC 4-pw here are 1649.99 off the rack. 620mb 3-pw 1879.99.

 

I'm only makin tradesperson money ova hee. lol But I agree the prices have gone up fairly consistently along with inflation and increased wages. New golf clubs were a big purchase then and they are still now. 

[bnperrone]

There are touring pros still playing G400 drivers, 818 and even 913 fairways and hybrids, etc.

 

Just because a new driver exists for $600+ doesn't mean that that is the only way to play good equipment. I saw somebody comment that Taylormade replacing the SIM would make the SIM obsolete. Hardly. There may be some tiny incremental improvement, but nobody on here is limited by the quality and technology in a SIM or virtually anything else sold. 

[gripandrip]

Putters. The most overpriced club. I can understand driver prices creeping up as the technology has continued to advance with multiple material composition, specialized machining and the use of unobtainium. Putters are a block of steel, some with minimal multi material composition. Huge markup on material and labor to produce. I don't even want to talk about "stability shafts".

[MattM97]

5 minutes ago, gripandrip said:

Putters. The most overpriced club. I can understand driver prices creeping up as the technology has continued to advance with multiple material composition, specialized machining and the use of unobtainium. Putters are a block of steel, some with minimal multi material composition. Huge markup on material and labor to produce. I don't even want to talk about "stability shafts".

 

I have nothing wrong with a putter being the most expensive club in the bag considering it's the club you use the most and if playing very competitive golf can be the difference between wins and losses. 

 

Now mark ups for metal like GSS or similar I'm not for that and find it to be pretty stupid, more GSS than anything else. 

[NoTalentLefty]

Yes to the statement.

The talk about buying used is not what he asked. 
Reasons: The market allows for it. The club R&D costs. Overall costs of making a club goes up, which includes wages, factory costs, materials, etc. And Greed. 
No particular order on any of these reasons. 

 

[cgasucks]

25 minutes ago, gripandrip said:

Putters. The most overpriced club. I can understand driver prices creeping up as the technology has continued to advance with multiple material composition, specialized machining and the use of unobtainium. Putters are a block of steel, some with minimal multi material composition. Huge markup on material and labor to produce. I don't even want to talk about "stability shafts".

If you think Putters are overpriced...what about their headcovers?  Would you pay $500 for a Hula Girl Embroidered on a piece of leather?

[madeintheshade]

10 hours ago, tgoodspe1991 said:

Maybe it's just me, but I think new golf equipment prices are getting out of control.

 

With the introduction of PXG, then PING Blueprint, P7TW, and now both new Callaway releases, are we officially in an era where $200+ per iron is the new normal? Are next-gen drivers going to break that $600 mark?

 

I'm still young, but even I remember a time not too long ago when buying a $200 Scotty Cameron was a big purchase and the idea of spending over $999 for a 3-PW iron set was ludicrous. Now $1K will get you 75% of the iron set and $200 is a tight used putter budget. This doesn't even factor in the cost of getting fit and the world of aftermarket shafts.

 

I know I know, inflation, demand, marketing budgets, blah blah. I also know that nobody is forcing me to spend money, etc. I also know one person's "expensive" is another person's "cheap" and another person's "impossible." For me, it's not a question of affordability, but the value just isn't there anymore and it's not worth it. It kills all my desire to try new equipment and I fear for what it's going to be like in 5 years.

 

I guess this is one way to stop a true club-ho! So maybe it's not all bad... 😆

 

/rant

It’s funny, PXG is selling their drivers for between 269 and 369. Meanwhile the new Titleist TSi2/TSi3 has an MSRP of 549. 

[dd564]

It's hard to complain about price when golf has as many options as it does.

 

If you want to pay high price, you can. If you want to pay low price equipment you can. If you want to buy nice equipment and a lower price, you can.

I find it frustrating when in a market with no realistic competition to push prices down. In this case, there is plenty at all levels.  Name brand, non-name brand. Game improvement sets, etc.

Also, golf clubs aren't exactly a consumable. You can keep the same clubs for a very long time, and from a competitive design standpoint, I don't think you'll see any groundbreaking designs that will magically play better in 3-5-10 years that will be significantly better than what you buy today.

 

I'm more frustrated by pricing for items you need to buy monthly, or every couple years (cars if you need to drive a lot), where prices continually rise.

Golf equipment isn't one of those areas.