Titleist Vokey SM9 Link on Wedge Works Coming Soon- UPDATED Pics Added Pg 4

[thezinfan]

39 minutes ago, KParks said:

I sure hope so but I don’t think one picture listed at the bottom of the page means that (and doesn’t mean it will be no additional cost). ☹️

It would be a big change for Vokey to sell raw at retail. I'd think they'd mention the change in the press release, but they didn't.

[DIIV]

This is why you don’t use range balls in your wedge reviews, folks. You end up taking spinrates around 3000rpm as your baseline. Just bizarre. 
 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZIDFDVla3P/?utm_medium=copy_link

[cw1209]

1 hour ago, DIIV said:

This is why you don’t use range balls in your wedge reviews, folks. You end up taking spinrates around 3000rpm as your baseline. Just bizarre. 
 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZIDFDVla3P/?utm_medium=copy_link

 

There is no way those spin rates are right, even with a range ball. Unless that guy was chunking every shot. 

 

The SM9 release is so bad. Nothing new compared to SM8 and $20 more. I think they even took the tungsten out of the lob wedges. Can't find any confirmation that the "huge" advancement in CG placement in the SM8 line is still there. Finishes and grinds are the same too. SM9 = $180 SM7. 

 

I'm happy with my SM8's. I feel like grooves on non-raw Vokey wedges last longer than almost everything else. One of the few remaining competitive advantages in my mind. 

[DIIV]

50 minutes ago, cw1209 said:

 

There is no way those spin rates are right, even with a range ball. Unless that guy was chunking every shot. 

 

The SM9 release is so bad. Nothing new compared to SM8 and $20 more. I think they even took the tungsten out of the lob wedges. Can't find any confirmation that the "huge" advancement in CG placement in the SM8 line is still there. Finishes and grinds are the same too. SM9 = $180 SM7. 

 

I'm happy with my SM8's. I feel like grooves on non-raw Vokey wedges last longer than almost everything else. One of the few remaining competitive advantages in my mind. 

You’re right, looks like they took the tungsten out of all of them. It really is an SM7 redux, With a price bump

[raywutang]

it doesnt look like we will be getting the raw finish at retail, at least according to what im seeing at carl's

[Warrick]

I see it……$225

 

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Warrick

[jaffabell]

3 hours ago, Warrick said:

I see it……$225

 

 

I think he was meaning more general release at the same price as the rest... so its pretty much confirmed it will be a custom order job at 40-50 more than the other finishes...

[NoCalHack]

$225!! 

Its a free market. More power to them if they get people pay it. But that’s ridiculous to me.  
 

So glad I went with Mizuno. 

[Warrick]

1 hour ago, jaffabell said:

I think he was meaning more general release at the same price as the rest... so its pretty much confirmed it will be a custom order job at 40-50 more than the other finishes...

What do you mean, more general release?  He said it didn’t look like it was retail, it is, put in cart, purchase.

[jaffabell]

11 minutes ago, Warrick said:

What do you mean, more general release?  He said it didn’t look like it was retail, it is, put in cart, purchase.

Not sure how it works in the US, i'm in the UK but essentially they will be ordering it via wedgeworks at the extra cost. So yeah in theory you could order at 'retail' but the main point everyone is making is that you will still be charged the additional wedgeworks cost for the raw head. We were all hoping the raw head would be 'general' release, as in the same price as the other finishes. Here in the UK the raw head isn't an option for pre order at most retailers, neither was the SM8 raw option.

[NoCalHack]

7 minutes ago, jaffabell said:

Not sure how it works in the US, i'm in the UK but essentially they will be ordering it via wedgeworks at the extra cost. So yeah in theory you could order at 'retail' but the main point everyone is making is that you will still be charged the additional wedgeworks cost for the raw head. We were all hoping the raw head would be 'general' release, as in the same price as the other finishes. Here in the UK the raw head isn't an option for pre order at most retailers, neither was the SM8 raw option.

 

Im sure this will be the company line. Even in the US. 
 

“this is a custom order that is not part of the general release and therefore costs are higher.”  Or something to that effect. 
 

But it’s complete BS. The real reason is that they think people will pay $35 extra for raw so they are going to charge it. It’s like when Tesla charges money for a software upgrade that costs them nothing. 
 

The wedge has no finish.  Unless there’s something I’m missing, it costs them less money to make. 

[jaffabell]

15 minutes ago, NoCalHack said:

 

Im sure this will be the company line. Even in the US. 
 

“this is a custom order that is not part of the general release and therefore costs are higher.”  Or something to that effect. 
 

But it’s complete BS. The real reason is that they think people will pay $35 extra for raw so they are going to charge it. It’s like when Tesla charges money for a software upgrade that costs them nothing. 
 

The wedge has no finish.  Unless there’s something I’m missing, it costs them less money to make. 

I would be tempted to strip back the black heads a bit with CLR, quite a few threads on here. If you look at Cam Smith's SM9's it almost looks like they did that with his, they don't look like the usual raw finish like the rest anyways... has anyone else noticed this? I love the way Cam's look..

[geauxWRX]

3 hours ago, jaffabell said:

I think he was meaning more general release at the same price as the rest... so its pretty much confirmed it will be a custom order job at 40-50 more than the other finishes...

 

I might as well get a custom artisan wedge made specifically for me less than $100 than a stock vokey raw

[Carson33]

2 hours ago, NoCalHack said:

 

Im sure this will be the company line. Even in the US. 
 

“this is a custom order that is not part of the general release and therefore costs are higher.”  Or something to that effect. 
 

But it’s complete BS. The real reason is that they think people will pay $35 extra for raw so they are going to charge it. It’s like when Tesla charges money for a software upgrade that costs them nothing. 
 

The wedge has no finish.  Unless there’s something I’m missing, it costs them less money to make. 

I know this is going to get off-topic, and I apologize.

 

First, someone on here that is smarter than me can chime in, but I do not think it is as simple as you say.  Aren't the grooves cut differently on a raw wedge, because they have to take into account that there is no finish and have to still meet USGA and R&A regulations on groove diameter, etc.?

 

Secondly, it does cost Tesla a LOT of money for what you deem should be free. Do you think all of the software programmers they employ work for free? Need no health benefits? Do the servers they purchase to maintain the software free? What about the data center and the real estate costs?  When it comes to running a company....NOTHING is free.

[NoCalHack]

4 minutes ago, Carson33 said:

I know this is going to get off-topic, and I apologize.

 

First, someone on here that is smarter than me can chime in, but I do not think it is as simple as you say.  Aren't the grooves cut differently on a raw wedge, because they have to take into account that there is no finish and have to still meet USGA and R&A regulations on groove diameter, etc.?

 

Secondly, it does cost Tesla a LOT of money for what you deem should be free. Do you think all of the software programmers they employ work for free? Need no health benefits? Do the servers they purchase to maintain the software free? What about the data center and the real estate costs?  When it comes to running a company....NOTHING is free.

 

 

I agree its a free market.  I own a Tesla and when I bought it, I paid extra for advanced autopilot.  I also paid $200 for a raw wedgeworks wedge last year.

 

So no, I don't disagree with you that "nothing is free" or don't disagree that they have a right to charge whatever the hell they want for the raw wedge.

 

But you are absolutely mistaken.  It doesn't cost a dime more to make.  And unlike Tesla's software, it doesn't cost them a dime more to develop.  So if people understand that and buy it, fine.  I'm actually pretty curious what they will say.

 

To me, the PR would be better if the regular wedges retailed for 199 and the raw cost 209.  But hey, that's me.

 

 

 

 

[MattC555]

If the grooves are the same then the wedge would cost marginally less to manufacture.  If the grooves are different, the wedge probably costs out similar or slightly higher than the standard offering depending on total quantity. 

[golfva28]

I wish they were cheaper too. Unfortunately, it’s not manufacturing cost that dictates price. It’s supply and demand - and demand for raw wedges is higher.

[jaffabell]

Does anyone know how Titleist get Cam Smith's wedges to look like this? They look a little different to the standard raw look, almost a bit darker and more gunmetal? They look more like a black head that has had the finish stripped, anyone else seeing that?

[btyh]

26 minutes ago, jaffabell said:

Does anyone know how Titleist get Cam Smith's wedges to look like this? They look a little different to the standard raw look, almost a bit darker and more gunmetal? They look more like a black head that has had the finish stripped, anyone else seeing that?

May have had his raw wedges gun blue

[btyh]

Look at it this way, what you see in the pros bags you can get for 224. What's even better is you can get them custom hand ground and hand stamped?!?! Do you see scotty doing this with his circle t putters? Heck no! so for vokey to have this tour availability to us hackers is pretty dang cool. It's all in how you look at things people 

[Carson33]

42 minutes ago, golfva28 said:

I wish they were cheaper too. Unfortunately, it’s not manufacturing cost that dictates price. It’s supply and demand - and demand for raw wedges is higher.

Or.....they do not sell as many raw wedges as other finishes due less demand. If you manufacturer less quantity, then it takes more revenue to recoup the set-up costs for the tooling machine.  Outside of a GolfWRX'er, how many raw wedges do you see out at the course?

[toddyc]

1 minute ago, btyh said:

Look at it this way, what you see in the pros bags you can get for 224. What's even better is you can get them custom hand ground and hand stamped?!?! Do you see scotty doing this with his circle t putters? Heck no! so for vokey to have this tour availability to us hackers is pretty dang cool. It's all in how you look at things people 

I knew when I saw the price of the raw the typical consoomer complainers would be out in force. Probably just need to ignore them like Vokey seems to

[jaffabell]

35 minutes ago, btyh said:

May have had his raw wedges gun blue

Gun blue??

[MPAndreassi]

There was quite a few posts on here about people preferring the SM7 over the SM8. Now that Vokey shifts back towards the SM7 other people aren’t happy. It’s impossible to please everyone with a single club. 
 

As far as the price of them is concerned, it seems like this forum can live in a bit of a bubble at times and dream about the days of old. Inflation on everything is through the rough right now. Raw materials are outrageous. It’s just the world we live in right now. 
 

From a retail perspective “Specialty” wedges have always been more expensive than a single iron or a set wedge. The rise is iron set costs was a dead give away that wedge prices were going to jump up to the $200 mark sooner than later.

 

All that said, the jump from the normal finishes to raw is a bit of a stretch this year. 

[btyh]

4 minutes ago, jaffabell said:

Gun blue??

its a metal die that can turn raw metal black. ment for turning metal gun barrels black but can use it on any raw metal. Scotty cameron used is for his putters in the 90s

[thezinfan]

The Raw upcharge has changed from $40 to $45. For SM8, this did get $35 in freebies (stamping the back of club ($25), custom ferrule ($5) and shaft band ($5).). It will be interesting to see if the package has changed for the extra $5, or the sub options went up in price.

 

I never felt is was an excessive charge, because I was going to get the stamping/ferrule anyways. 

[raywutang]

6 hours ago, Warrick said:

What do you mean, more general release?  He said it didn’t look like it was retail, it is, put in cart, purchase.

apologies for the confusion, i meant at retail price, since there was some chatter about the raw finish potentially being available at the same retail price as the other finishes.

with the "new" design and pricing, i wish i stocked up on some SM7 Raw heads back in the day, lol 

[scooterhd2]

I was under the impression that the finished head is cheaper because it is mass produced as a lighter raw head, and then can be plated and finished with whatever combo of nickel/chrome/steel desired. Those finishes add weight to reach the final head weight. So one head weight, makes every finish except raw. 

 

With a tour raw finish, the wedge must purposefully be made heavier to achieve the final headweight without an additional finish. Since you probably sell less raw vs all other finishes combined, there can be more cost into the raw head.

 

 

[mj2936]

Anyone know if this will come in slate blue?

[bkm97]

I ordered two SM9s from Rock Bottom Golf in a raw finish($15/each) with Dynamic Golf Black Onyx S400 shafts($17/each) and two Golf Pride Grips ($11/each) with a subtotal of $445.98. 
 

Rock Bottom only charged $15 per wedge for the raw up charge vs nearly $70 for both wedges. The shaft up charge was also cheaper (I forgot by how much but it was cheaper). The shipping was also drastically cheaper vs what I was being quoted everywhere else. So all in all the reason I bought these was because of what I saved at Rock Bottom vs going anywhere else I tried. 

edit: shipping was $0 vs being charged nearly $40 from titleist as well

 

edit2.0: just read this back and realized how much this sounded like it was an ad for Rock Bottom. I was just pointing out the cost difference in ordering everywhere else I tried vs what I received

Edited April 12, 2022 by bkm97