Polo Ralph Lauren Golf - did it dissapear from most pro shops?

[putterboy75]

I feel like I've been to a lot of different pro shops of muni's, resorts, public, and private cc's in several states over the past couple of years, but none of them seem to carry Polo Golf shirts anymore. Polo shirts used to be my go to but it seems courses are only working with Peter Millar, Holderness & Bourne (a new favorite) Turtleson, Rhoback, Grayson, and others...but not RL.

 

Does anyone have any ideas what could have happened to have caused this?

 

For what it's worth, the RL shirts I did get at various clubs were made of the "performance" fabric which stretched out after a few washes and didn't hold up over time. So my sense is the quality went down.

[BCC1898]

Seems like they also moved more into RLX and away from Polo…for golf anyway. 

[NetBogey]

I read an article non related to golf about how Polo’s sport section was losing lots of money. I wonder if they are scaling back their golf apparel as a part of it. 

[JeffreySpicoli]

Ralph’s empire is a shadow of its former self. After about 1986, it was all downhill.

[MattM97]

I don't remember seeing Polo much in golf shops or stores except for in the mall or department stores. Maybe quality went down, maybe small shops are getting better prices for other brands or demands is higher with other brands.

[Hawkeye77]

The guy refuses to call a 36 waist a 34 - enough said!

[ctfuzz21]

I think the reason you dont see more of RLX or Polo Golf in golf shops is the margins aren’t as good as they are on other brands. I’m sure someone who buys for a Club might be able to chime in, but that was the reason our Club doesn’t carry RLX/Polo Golf anymore. 

Edited June 16, 2021 by ctfuzz21

[tourseeking]

They don’t give the pro shops the price breaks that some of the other lines do; jonnie o/Peter Millar.

[putterboy75]

3 hours ago, ctfuzz21 said:

I think the reason you dont see more of RLX or Polo Golf in golf shops is the margins aren’t as good as they are on other brands. I’m sure someone who buys for a Club might be able to chime in, but that was the reason our Club doesn’t carry RLX/Polo Golf anymore. 

Wow, I never thought of that, makes total sense. Seemed like it happened overnight at every place I looked, so I was thinking the quality was the issue. Similar to Cutter & Buck many years ago and Bobby Jones. But neither of these had anywhere close to the presence RL did across the industry.

[MattyO1984]

It might differ in the US but I know here in the UK that RL are very strict with their pricing. Basically, if you stock it, the RRP is not a suggestion but an instruction that you will sell it at a certain price.

 

I don’t know of any Pro Shops around my way that stock it but an upscale store stocks the stuff. The price there is the same as it is online and online every site that sells it has it at the same price. When the items go on sale at the end of a season, they end up all at the same price. I can’t imagine that that makes for an attractive proposition for pro shops..

[adamscottmaster2013]

12 hours ago, MattM97 said:

I don't remember seeing Polo much in golf shops or stores except for in the mall or department stores. Maybe quality went down, maybe small shops are getting better prices for other brands or demands is higher with other brands.

People still shop in stores?  I do clothes shopping 100% online with Uniqlo, RLX and Lacoste.  My favorite is Uniqlo brand with the logo worn by Adam Scott 😉

[Octabogey]

After Ralph Lauren pulled the crap they did with Justin Thomas I threw everything in my closet that was RL. Will not buy anymore!!

[Abh159]

On 6/15/2021 at 4:11 PM, putterboy75 said:

I feel like I've been to a lot of different pro shops of muni's, resorts, public, and private cc's in several states over the past couple of years, but none of them seem to carry Polo Golf shirts anymore. Polo shirts used to be my go to but it seems courses are only working with Peter Millar, Holderness & Bourne (a new favorite) Turtleson, Rhoback, Grayson, and others...but not RL.

 

Does anyone have any ideas what could have happened to have caused this?

 

For what it's worth, the RL shirts I did get at various clubs were made of the "performance" fabric which stretched out after a few washes and didn't hold up over time. So my sense is the quality went down.

 

I think they've really cut down in terms of their "Polo Golf" offerings in general. Even if you look on their website about 90% is RLX and the other 10% "Polo Golf". 

[Davidv]

Poor quality, boring styles and ridiculous pricing, not a good combo.

[ND2005]

On 6/16/2021 at 7:32 AM, adamscottmaster2013 said:

People still shop in stores?  I do clothes shopping 100% online with Uniqlo, RLX and Lacoste.  My favorite is Uniqlo brand with the logo worn by Adam Scott 😉

 

The only clothes I buy in person are golf shirts with the course logo...