Ball shortage????

[cristphoto]

On 8/25/2021 at 11:22 AM, Abh159 said:

Was at my local Golf Galaxy yesterday because I needed a new golf umbrella, and their ball section was fully stocked (including Bridgestone and Callaway). 

 

Agree.  No problem with balls in my area.  Grips are another story.  I dare anyone to buy a Ping putter grip.  I was told Spring of next year.  

[TallGuy90]

I work in CPG . I was looking at a materials list Surlyn is listed as a scarce resource FYI 

[tsecor]

ethylene and methacrylic acid are readily available in the world market so i wonder if transporting is the main issue to get surlyn produced.

 

 

[Londo]

On 9/1/2021 at 1:20 PM, TallGuy90 said:

I work in CPG . I was looking at a materials list Surlyn is listed as a scarce resource FYI 

 

On 9/2/2021 at 8:14 AM, tsecor said:

ethylene and methacrylic acid are readily available in the world market so i wonder if transporting is the main issue to get surlyn produced.

 

 

This is the real issue is getting Surlyn through the supply chain to manufacturers. According to a friend working in the the industry a squeeze is beginning to happen, likely nothing emergency level but there will likely be shortages/extended lead times especially at the beginning of next year if nothing changes. The largest retailers in the industry would likely be prioritized with DTC and smaller companies getting hit a bit harder. All speculation at this point but thats the general outlook. I like the beginning of the season deals but may look to order over the winter esp. if outlook doesn't improve, paying full price for balls is better than waiting for a price increase due to demand or no balls at all.

[TallGuy90]

I noticed Snell has been limited. 

[Bonneville85308]

I don't know if there is a shortage of range balls in general or what, but a local muni near me has a sign posted asking for donations of large quantities of used balls to hold them over until they can get an order filled. This place has a packed tee sheet all day every day so I don't think it's about the money, I've never seen them put out a request like that ever before.

Edited September 6, 2021 by Bonneville85308

[phizzy30]

All the local stores here are fully stocked.  The small mom and pop's store I frequently visit specifically for balls actually has had a sale going on for quite some time now.  Pay cash and 10% off and they pay the tax.  Works for me. 

[phizzy30]

On 9/3/2021 at 9:33 AM, TallGuy90 said:

I noticed Snell has been limited. 

They've been limited for awhile.  Dean has increased prices, but when I run out of MTB-X balls, I will stock up again.  I just wish I could get ahold of the optic yellow version again. 

[driveandputtmachine]

14 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

They've been limited for awhile.  Dean has increased prices, but when I run out of MTB-X balls, I will stock up again.  I just wish I could get ahold of the optic yellow version again. 

This is the reason I have been contemplating buying a bunch on Vice Pro Plus since I can get them in yellow.

[miamistomp]

 Lots of golf balls in stores down here- Costco was full of their brand and Callaway-also had tons of gloves

 Don't listen to the smug peckerheads at the My Golf Shill site

Edited September 8, 2021 by miamistomp

[tsecor]

my gulf pie just did a podcast on this subject.

[SwingBlues]

2 hours ago, tsecor said:

my gulf pie just did a podcast on this subject.

 

Definitely not giving you any putts! 😋

 

Yeah, I didn't see this one coming, Surlyn and container costs was what I heard but the container cost jumped from 1.9K to 10.3K is going to effect everyone. Reckon on mid year 2022, DTC like Snell, Vice and others will be effected first and then may be the major brands cutting down on less sellable balls and focus on the mainstream balls. Very interesting discussion 4 sure...

Edited September 8, 2021 by SwingBlues

[driveandputtmachine]

Container costs have gone through the roof.  That is not from the other site.  That is pure unadulterated truth, this is all over the news, I have heard anywhere from 5 to 6 times what they cost 15 months or so ago.  This will ABSOLUTELY at some point increase the costs.

 

Container costs also will start to affect

Availability. Why?  Companies that do not make their premium balls in the US, getting containers is a problem, increasing cost.  If you make more money on the premium ball than the lower end ball, then you ship more of the high end.  We know this because only the high end balls are made in the US, low end balls where there isn't as much margin are still manufactured overseas where labor is cheaper.  While this may make you think since they are made in the US containers won't be a problem.......however

 

Only Titleist, Bridgestone, and Callaway make their premium balls in the US.  Taylormade makes cores overseas and finishes the balls in South Carolina, unless that has changed.  Most Surlyn (which is used in cores on premium balls) and covers on lower balls in made in the US in Texas.  There are also plants that make the no name ionomer (can't use the surlyn trademarked name) in other parts of the world.  Ionomer is cheaper than buying surlyn from DuPont so the cores of those premium balls may be getting their materials used for cores from overseas.  Companies exist to make money, so they choose the least expensive of two equal products every time.  Sometimes they sacrifice and take lesser product if they can "hide" it and still charge on the high end.

 

It will start with the DTC brands.  If you own an agnostic ball plant and can only ship so much per month to the US, whose materials are you shipping first?  Srixon, TM, or Vice, Snell and others?  Yeah, you ship Srixon, you ship the low level Titleist, Titleist not made in the US(many have seen ProV1's in stores in the US that were not manufactured in the US), low level balls from other brands, because they keep your machines running longer than any of the DTC brands.  At some point the ball market will feel what the club market was feeling.  Whether it is due to materials needed to manufacture in the US making it to the states, or it is the balls themselves coming from overseas plants. 

 

I am not saying it is definitely going to happen.  However with more people playing golf now than for the previous 5 years and warehouses with product emptier than ever before, and shipping strained higher than it ever has in my memory, there is a good chance.  The latest shipping forecasts I have seen say shipping from overseas could start to get back to normal early spring to late summer.  If it is early spring, then with a lot of the biggest golf buying places in the world coming up on off or cold season we might make it through with only a few companies raising prices a bit.  If it occurs later next summer then it could be an issue.

 

[JAM01]

Yes, already see it on some shelves. There’s balls, but the focus seems to be on the premium balls. Plenty of Pro V, TP5, Chrome Soft and RX versions. But the next tier and the tier below that are MIA. Plus I’m told the delta spike is starting to impact ball factories outside the US, as in employee quarantines. Not sure if it’s true but…

[Golf64]

Was at Golf Town yesterday, was told there will be a shortage come Q1 2022. Best stock up gents/ladies?!

[miamistomp]

Amazon has pretty much every golf ball out there, Rock Bottom has the too

  Walmart had tons of Nitro etc

    PGA store near me floor to ceiling Callaway . Costco too

      Maybe Florida is overstocked ?

[Lobby]

Hmmm.

Does that mean no Christmas golf ball sales?

[phil75070]

The Pro shop at my home course has plenty of Callaway and TM but the Titleist display rack is empty.

[Minarets]

Yellow balls have seemed to be scarce around me.  Haven’t seen yellow z stars yet.  Maxfli yellow hasn’t been in store until recently. It’s been online only.  As mentioned before Snell yellow has come and gone.   Pro v 1 yellow has been the only consistent one I’ve seen.  
 

TM yellow seems to be available but only in the last 2 months.   Nothing available before July around here. 

[gvogel]

No Titleist True Feel or Tour Speed at my local Golf Galaxy, or another golf store that I patronize.  One box of Tour Feel left.  No yellow titleist balls.

[snagy2000]

No need to worry boys, the frogmen will scoop up all your sunken golf balls and let you repurchase them...

[nsxguy]

Funny but I'm in SoFla and just 2 days ago, at my local PGATSS there wasn't a single dozen of ProV1s on the shelves.

 

Maybe 50 dozen or so of the V1x (1/3 of capacity ?). And a few left dashes but there's never many of those anyway.

[bekgolf]

Stocking up on $12.50 a dozen Costco balls this week.  I noticed they pulled the Callaway balls from their website.

[jjfcpa]

I wonder if this so called ball shortage is really just a supply chain shortage... that is, they just can't deliver them fast enough.  I've not seen any reports of a ball materials shortage from any newsworthy source.

[jjfcpa]

Could also be shipping delays in getting the balls to retail because I'm not seeing any shortages mentioned online.  

 

[Shilgy]

In response to a few posts…..

 

Our pro told me this past week he is currently limited to a mere 12 dozen per week on the Prov1 balls.  I believe he meant combined V1 and V1X.  Also mentioned he tried to order a few Newport 2.5 for stock and wa told by Titleist rep he couldn’t sell any Cameron putters as his allotment of 100 was filled.  WTF?
 

Also, a post above mentioned range balls.  Our pro was told to place his order now for the 2023 season.   Yes, that’s correct and not a typo.  He is to purchase balls now, not for next season but the season after!

[snagy2000]

32 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

In response to a few posts…..

 

Our pro told me this past week he is currently limited to a mere 12 dozen per week on the Prov1 balls.  I believe he meant combined V1 and V1X.  Also mentioned he tried to order a few Newport 2.5 for stock and wa told by Titleist rep he couldn’t sell any Cameron putters as his allotment of 100 was filled.  WTF?
 

Also, a post above mentioned range balls.  Our pro was told to place his order now for the 2023 season.   Yes, that’s correct and not a typo.  He is to purchase balls now, not for next season but the season after!

Titleist is having issues getting Cameron grips and headcovers...Guess we won't be getting our traditional box of Pro V1s at our annual MGA membership meeting...

[TheDominator273]

54 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

In response to a few posts…..

 

Our pro told me this past week he is currently limited to a mere 12 dozen per week on the Prov1 balls.  I believe he meant combined V1 and V1X.  Also mentioned he tried to order a few Newport 2.5 for stock and wa told by Titleist rep he couldn’t sell any Cameron putters as his allotment of 100 was filled.  WTF?
 

Also, a post above mentioned range balls.  Our pro was told to place his order now for the 2023 season.   Yes, that’s correct and not a typo.  He is to purchase balls now, not for next season but the season after!

I work at a Country Club and we are limited to 24 dozen a month on ProV1s/AVX and have been all season.  Needless to say it's tough to keep balls in stock on the shelf.  With the projected shortage of Surlyn I'm planning to order us a bunch of balls to have on hand so we will be minimally effected.  We did the same thing with grips and have made it through the season with little issues as we had enough on hand.

[GoGoErky]

1 hour ago, jjfcpa said:

I wonder if this so called ball shortage is really just a supply chain shortage... that is, they just can't deliver them fast enough.  I've not seen any reports of a ball materials shortage from any newsworthy source.

It’s a material shortage and they can’t make them. I was told the materials needed to make ionomer is the issue 

[Tanner25]

Will we see price increases on used balls, like in the car market?