Club Champion

[RollingStone73]

11 hours ago, princelyryno said:

Am I the only one who is put off by a club champion rep posting a specific phone conversation and quoting the call to defend an order being months late?  A company with good customer service would be apologizing for the delay and offering some sort of discount. Posting quotes from a recorded phone call on a public forum basically saying the poster is misleading at best, a liar at worst rubs me the wrong way. 

No, it was classless in the extreme - pretty much what I’d expect based on my own experiences with them.  

[5 O'Clock Charlie]

Support your local PGA professionals, not these retail chains. They are the ground-pounders making a living at this and trying to make golf at your local clubs a more enjoyable experience. Believe me they are not in the golf business for the pay, I used to be one. Take advantage of their services with demo days and fittings and order local. 

[lefthack]

22 hours ago, princelyryno said:

Am I the only one who is put off by a club champion rep posting a specific phone conversation and quoting the call to defend an order being months late?  A company with good customer service would be apologizing for the delay and offering some sort of discount. Posting quotes from a recorded phone call on a public forum basically saying the poster is misleading at best, a liar at worst rubs me the wrong way. 

 

Seriously, that is not how I would appreciate being taken care of. While I hadn't planned on going to one, I sure wouldn't now.

[glennQNYC]

My industry (high-end consumer audio/video) is experiencing the same challenges. Unprecedented volume has everything backed up and moving slower than ever before. This issue is then compounded by technicians and system designers (akin to Clubfitters) being overwhelmed by a huge number of inquiries about logistics. Traditionally these people spent their time honing their technical skills, and haven’t had any need to focus much on logistics as things just showed up in a timely fashion. Now the global supply chain is straining, information is simply HORRIBLE, and they’re the ones being looked at to explain. 
 

I know it’s frustrating but keep perspective... You’re “paying for” the skill the Clubfitter has in prescribing a performance golf club. Be careful not to let logistical challenges distract you from this primary goal. If you decide that a bird in the hand is of primary importance, then perhaps buy off the rack. 

Edited March 14, 2021 by glennQNYC

[dukebasketball717]

I just got fit the other day at Club Champion and they told me 4-6 weeks so I decided to buy the components based on the spec sheet and build it myself.  The shaft will be here next week and I can pick the head up anywhere.  

 

I ordered a set of P770's from TM direct in October and didn't get them until the end of December.  

[Afternoon Spray]

Just now, dukebasketball717 said:

I just got fit the other day at Club Champion and they told me 4-6 weeks so I decided to buy the components based on the spec sheet and build it myself.  The shaft will be here next week and I can pick the head up anywhere.  

 

I ordered a set of P770's from TM direct in October and didn't get them until the end of December.  

Nice. Yeah I wish I had the foresight to do that at the time. The only club I bought separately was my driver head because I had store credit somewhere else, and that way I could keep the stock shaft as a backup, but I still bought another driver shaft through CC.

[Afternoon Spray]

UPDATE:

 

The clubs finally arrived. I debated cancelling there for a while but with the delay everyone has been saying Ping is experiencing I didn't want to go back to square one. And to all who let me know how much I overpaid, I knew that I would be overpaying going in.  This was my first ever set of clubs that aren't hand me downs and I was ok paying a little extra to get fit for stuff that would be perfect for me. I cut some costs by not getting any of my iron shafts pured. I definitely overpaid for my driver and 3 wood and that didn't help keep costs down but I'm happy with what I have.

 

In the future I will definitely go with a local PGA pro over club champion. Definitely don't want to repeat the poor customer service experience.

 

At the end of the day the fitters I worked with on site were great.  The guys who work at my local location are awesome. But after my experience with their customer support team at their headquarters, it has turned me off of ever using them again in the future. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by Afternoon Spray

[dukebasketball717]

yeah, the TM experience woke me up.  I don't think it was TM's fault it's just the environment we live in at the moment.

[Stretchr]

I’ve only spoken with one person on the course so far with fitted clubs by CC (quite new) but their experience was much the same. Good in person experience with the fitter, horrendous CS experience and being hung out to dry well over an estimate with no apology or attempt to help the situation.

 

Was hoping that was a fluke but it seems to be a trend. Something they need to address, because the second I asked him about his clubs he lit up ready to tell me how awful the experience was and how much he didn’t suggest using them. 
 

 

[teaguerr]

If you are in DFW, I could not recommend stripe show clubfitters more. Jake (the owner) does a bang up job with excellent customer service. 

[me05501]

It’s a little surprising to me that a retailer would charge a premium on clubs purchased after a paid fitting. The cost of the fitting should be the “premium” IMO. 

[glennQNYC]

Seems like suggested retail is seen by some as "charging a premium." 🤪

[NorthStar7]

On 3/25/2021 at 11:22 AM, Afternoon Spray said:

I cut some costs by not getting any of my iron shafts pured

That’s one way to look at it!  Another is that you dodged a bullet for a dubious, at best, service. 

 

 

[shackmangolf]

That is the most corporate bullsh** response from Club Champion that I’ve ever heard. I own a consumer products company and my response would have been a direct message with my phone number asking me to call me so I can make it more than right vs a bullxxxx “consumer you are wrong” answer.   
 

@Club Champion you can do so much better than that.  
 

original poster - I would cancel your order right now and take your specs directly to ping.  I would tel them what club champion told you and ask them to help. You will get so much better service from ping (who has the ceo building clubs) vs club champion (whose reputation generally is less than awesome).  

[mylesb21]

Does anyone know if CC pays their fitters a commission of their club sales resulting from fittings? 

[taylorx300]

100%

[countach711]

I had a horrible experience with Club Champion and wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy.  I won't go into details but I've got some $1,800 doorstops I can't hit that I need to take bath on on Ebay.  Tried to do the right thing and it bit me in the a** big time!

[RogerinNewZealand]

Countach,look on the bright side, you are actually selling a hard too find in demand commodity, ex demo custom fit xyz irons, available now, not in 90 days.Sell the Benefit.

[glennQNYC]

10 hours ago, countach711 said:

I had a horrible experience with Club Champion and wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy.  I won't go into details but I've got some $1,800 doorstops I can't hit that I need to take bath on on Ebay.  Tried to do the right thing and it bit me in the a** big time!

Apparently we’ve transitioned from accusations of CC ripping people off (by charging the manufacturers’ suggested retail prices), charging for (completely optional) services, allegedly poor customer service... To now they’re crappy clubfitters too? And this poor club fitting we’re to believe is found universally at all locations? Poppycock. 

[mylesb21]

I did a Club Champion fitting last week. Hitting only 6-irons to fit for an entire bag of irons doesn’t seem like the best way to fit someone for clubs. There’s no option to determine how/if a split set works for a particular golfer, and personally, I was blown away by the cost estimate for a new set. For example, a new set of T100s irons with graphite shafts was quoted at $2031, while I can buy these through any online club seller for $1600. 
 

I will say that the fitting experience was decent, but as an educated golf enthusiast, I could have fit myself just as well with access to the various heads that they carry. 

[jimwgt26]

Add me to the list of dissatisfied Club Champion customers. My experience not only includes similar poor communication regarding delivery, a driver and 3w that had an immediate rattle in the heads. After gaining experience using and understanding Trackman data, totally misfit clubs. lesson learned, 
 

I do find @ClubChampion’s response inappropriate. 

 

[mikec3672]

Try walking in there and buying a driver for under $1k, ain't happening, and they would never get my business. As one poster noted, I can fit myself, and the PGA Superstore Tour Van fitting bays have Trackman! I walked out with a Paradym Triple Diamond, HZRDUS Silver 5.5. MSRP $599, done!

[glennQNYC]

Just now, mikec3672 said:

Try walking in there and buying a driver for under $1k, ain't happening, and they would never get my business. As one poster noted, I can fit myself, and the PGA Superstore Tour Van fitting bays have Trackman! I walked out with a Paradym Triple Diamond, HZRDUS Silver 5.5. MSRP $599, done!

CC will fit you for stock or no-up charge shaft options if that’s all you’re interested in. Actually CC will fit you and you can purchase the hardware elsewhere. Not sure why you’re spreading misinformation. 

[glennQNYC]

On 4/2/2021 at 8:18 AM, mylesb21 said:

I did a Club Champion fitting last week. Hitting only 6-irons to fit for an entire bag of irons doesn’t seem like the best way to fit someone for clubs. There’s no option to determine how/if a split set works for a particular golfer, and personally, I was blown away by the cost estimate for a new set. For example, a new set of T100s irons with graphite shafts was quoted at $2031, while I can buy these through any online club seller for $1600. 
 

I will say that the fitting experience was decent, but as an educated golf enthusiast, I could have fit myself just as well with access to the various heads that they carry. 

First, the huge selection of components is a big part of how CC delivers value to the marketplace. 
 

I agree that fitting a set of irons with a single club isn’t perfect, but who does their fittings differently? Real question. 

[bcflyguy1]

20 minutes ago, glennQNYC said:

First, the huge selection of components is a big part of how CC delivers value to the marketplace. 
 

I agree that fitting a set of irons with a single club isn’t perfect, but who does their fittings differently? Real question. 

Since you ask, Callaway has multiple irons at all its green grass fitting events.

[mylesb21]

25 minutes ago, glennQNYC said:

First, the huge selection of components is a big part of how CC delivers value to the marketplace. 
 

I agree that fitting a set of irons with a single club isn’t perfect, but who does their fittings differently? Real question. 

I don’t know any fitters who have the entire set, or at least the wedge that goes with the set to try during a fitting. I do agree, however, having access to an entire inventory of heads and shafts is worth the cost of the fitting. I just wouldn’t pay the upcharge for the build. 

[mikec3672]

5 hours ago, glennQNYC said:

CC will fit you for stock or no-up charge shaft options if that’s all you’re interested in. Actually CC will fit you and you can purchase the hardware elsewhere. Not sure why you’re spreading misinformation. 

I never said you could not get fitted and pay for it, buy elsewhere, or just buy a shaft, or even buy stock options. I said, try buying a driver for less than $1k. They always push all the super exotic shafts, and charge their build/puring etc, which I personally don't need, and nor do most others. Unless you demand to see the stock vs the exotics, they never start there. The same club that would be $724 from Callaway (eg Paradym with a GD AD DI, which is $350+$600, but $724 built), would easily be $1200, when all is said and done at CC. I have seen it time and again. It's my opinion, and for my money/needs, I see no need to pay nearly double, to what the OEM's MSRP is, for "their build" (for what, puring the shaft??). 

Edited February 22, 2023 by mikec3672

[glennQNYC]

3 hours ago, mikec3672 said:

I never said you could not get fitted and pay for it, buy elsewhere, or just buy a shaft, or even buy stock options. I said, try buying a driver for less than $1k. They always push all the super exotic shafts, and charge their build/puring etc, which I personally don't need, and nor do most others. Unless you demand to see the stock vs the exotics, they never start there. The same club that would be $724 from Callaway (eg Paradym with a GD AD DI, which is $350+$600, but $724 built), would easily be $1200, when all is said and done at CC. I have seen it time and again. It's my opinion, and for my money/needs, I see no need to pay nearly double, to what the OEM's MSRP is, for "their build" (for what, puring the shaft??). 

Again, you’re either mistaken or misleading people here. You can get fit for no-up charge shaft options if that’s all you want. You just have to explain what you’re interested in from the start. Further, you don’t even need CC to build your club at all if you don’t like their process. For example, you can get fit for a driver, and only choose the oem optional shafts; then have the manufacturer build the club instead of CC. 
 

Simply put, if you lay out a boundary of no-up charge shafts, nobody is going to waste their time fitting you for shafts you already told them you’re not willing/able to pay for. They’re not there to waste time. 
 

If you have the resources and knowledge to fit yourself; and don’t like CC’s process; then I agree it’s difficult to think of why you’d personally go to CC. But you need to realize you’re the exception and not the rule. 

Edited February 23, 2023 by glennQNYC

[glennQNYC]

6 hours ago, bcflyguy1 said:

Since you ask, Callaway has multiple irons at all its green grass fitting events.

That’s not exactly what we’re envisioning. In a perfect world we’d be able to fit any irons in the set with custom shaft options. Actually, this layman doesn’t understand how people effectively fit a blended set that transitions between two different iron heads when we’re only fitting to a single club. 

Edited February 23, 2023 by glennQNYC

[PNW]

16 minutes ago, glennQNYC said:

Again, you’re either mistaken or misleading people here. You can get fit for no-up charge shaft options if that’s all you want. You just have to explain what you’re interested in from the start. Further, you don’t even need CC to build your club at all if you don’t like their process. For example, you can get fit for a driver, and only choose the oem optional shafts; then have the manufacturer build the club instead of CC. 
 

If you have the resources and knowledge to fit yourself; and don’t like CC’s process; then I agree it’s difficult to think of why you’d personally go to CC. But you need to realize you’re the exception and not the rule. 

 

I've been fit at CC a few times and think there is value there in certain circumstances. I also agree that for the person with resource and knowledge to fit yourself then probably not the best route to go to CC. 

 

The issue is that the people who don't have the resources or knowledge to fit themselves also tend to not know the difference between and upcharge or OEM shaft offering. They don't go through the custom 'build' sections of the OEM sites or know what an Oban iron shaft is. Then they go through the fitting and get slapped with a $1,200 driver build, leaving at the end thinking what just happened? Taylormade's website says their drivers are $599? CC could be more consultative and ask about this type of stuff at the beginning of a fitting (are you willing to consider upcharge shafts or stick with the OEM?). 

 

We are the exception being on this forum and knowing to expect this. We are also not the typical CC customer. In the end it's a sales process that they could refine and improve for more equipment sales. It would also probably increase trust and repeat customers, referrals, etc.