Is there any company you shy away from just because?

[Drivingrangehero]

I don’t shy away from any manufacturers completely, but I will most likely never play Ping Irons. Something about the look, feel, and turf interaction just never worked well for me. I hit the i59 a few weeks back and 😒 not impressed. I love their drivers and play one currently. 
 

The only major OEM I have never owned is Taylormade.  Not that I didn’t like some of their offerings, I just happened to like their competitors better at that particular time. I almost bought a set of TM RAC TP, but they lost out to Mizuno MP-67’s. 

 

I hadn’t played a Callaway club from the original Big Bertha Driver 94’ all the way till the Callaway Apex hybrid in 2016, so I never rule out a brand or label. 

 

 

 

[Marty86]

I’m turned off by callaway but that’s only because of their designs. They just aren’t appealing to me and don’t pass the eye test. I’m sure they make phenomenal clubs tho. 

[PuffyC]

Surprised at the amount of hate for Ping, Callaway and PXG, three brands I tend to gravitate towards.

 

For me it’s anything Nike. It’s impossible to avoid every evil company in the world but between them and Facebook I consider it a good start.

[BallerNate]

2 hours ago, BallerNate said:

The 3 I’ve steered clear from are PXG (horrible commercials), PING (name & club design), and Titleist (elitist reputation).
 

That being said, I recently got fitted for a Scotty Cameron Newport Special Select 2 that is awesome so far!

 

I’ve recently gained an appreciation for Titleist balls also, so I guess PXG and PING are the only ones on the list for me now.

I should clarify my position…I shy away from Titleist and PING, but the only OEM that really makes me throw up in my mouth is PXG. Just find the commercials excruciating to listen to, I think the clubs are gaudy and overworked, and the stories I hear about the CEO and his son turn me off even more!

 

I pulled the trigger on a Scotty, and came close on a G425 LST this season, but I can’t ever see myself willing to pull out my wallet for anything made by PXG.

[Alpha3]

Would never support Nike 

[EaglesGolf99]

Intentionally? .... I guess not. I'm open to what works. 

 

But. When you find what works, it is that much tougher to get it out of the bag.

 

I've carried a combination of Callaway and Miura for what seems like forever now. Will be ten years next March, come to think of it. 

 

If it is outside of Callaway and Miura, it is a tough to break into the approved club. Fourteen and T.P. Mills were given the green light this past year. The Fourteen, Driving Irons, I'm still sorting out Shafts, but the heads, albeit 'old school' are still awesome. T.P. Mills, Putters, two of them, one specific one does lead the race, but they are both getting their new Grips as we speak. 

[Nels55]

Sketchers for me.  Don't like the name or the look and also not a fan of Matt Kuchar.

[DArnie]

1 hour ago, PuffyC said:

Surprised at the amount of hate for Ping, Callaway and PXG, three brands I tend to gravitate towards.

 

For me it’s anything Nike. It’s impossible to avoid every evil company in the world but between them and Facebook I consider it a good start.

Nike here also. Never liked their golf equipment nor their business model. Now if they can get the rest of their businesses to go the way their golf clubs did! 

[hartonjok]

I was caught by PXG's 50% blow out sale last year and tried their Gen2 fairway wood & hybrid. All I've got to say is that they're probably one of the worst products I've ever tested. 

 

The Gen2 fairways spin so much, and after checking it under a digital loft scale my 15 degree fairway turned out to be at 18 degrees! That's just ridiculous. The hybrid wasn't any much better, the thing just wanted to go left for some reason. Anytime I was 220 in, I'm laying up. Rather than losing a ball OB or have my third shot from a bunker - pretty dissapointing. 

 

So yeah, PXG's aren't all that it promises to be. 

[WestCoastGolf]

Taylormade. I REALLY enjoyed the original Penta TP5, but couldn't bring myself to swing a white crowned driver. I have liked the look of their clubs recently, but I only look at them. They are really the only one's that I am just closed minded to

[Righty to Lefty]

Great question.  I am not opposed to playing any club that fits my game but of the major OEM's I have never bagged a Ping, Mizuno, or Titleist club and have only briefly played a set of Taylormade irons.  I am a lefty and thus my options are always limited but I guess it boils down to timing as I like the Ping Blueprints and I also really like the Titleist TMB's and AP2's and the Mizuno woods and irons but am content with my current irons and woods. I am highly unlikely to ever play PXG clubs for some reason and I guess it is because I would play many other manufactures before I eventually go to their clubs.  

[vman]

Had a spell where Ping irons were bubbling and delaminating, that plus CTP's flying out and losing them and I've never returned to Ping. Did love the Eye 2's and ISI's over a 15 year spell tho'.

[BIG STU]

I guess I will be the most boring one on here. I am as brand agnostic as one gets. Now some clubs I do not care for--- Callaway is a good example--- I do not care for any of their newer irons because of the soles---- But with that being said I do like the wedges but By God they were designed by Roger Cleveland--- TM I am a big fanboy of the old V-Steel woods and lately became a fan of the TP CBs I am hitting---  I liked the old Penta balls back in the day but do not like any of the TP series balls now they seem clicky to me. Srixon I do not really like any of their clubs but am a big fan of their balls. PXG I have not seen anything from them that floats my boat. Titleist I used to be a Pro V fan but have switched to basically Srixon, Vice or Snell. Never did like the set up or feel of any Titleist irons even in the blade days

 

With all of that being said I do not really outright hate any company regardless of their offerings or their sales methods etc. I play what I feel works for me without any reservations and I say to others play whatever floats your boat politics etc be dammed

[Superbrit]

Callaway, dont really know why, nothing of theirs has ever really appealed to me (odyssey aside)

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I shy away from any maker that prices their product at more than I'm willing to pay. Right now, that's about every OEM!

 

Of the Big Four (TM, Callaway, PING, Titleist, and Mizu...). FIVE! Of the Big Five (TM, Callaway, PING, Titleist, Mizuno, and Sri...). SIX! Of the Big Six (TM, Callaway, PING, Titleist, Mizuno, and Srixon), Titleist are probably the most expensive right now where I am (Japan). It's not that I don't like some of their products, it's just that I'm not prepared to pay around US$300 for a forged wedge, or US$1150 for 5 irons (6i-PW), when I could pay the same amount for some Mizunos and at least get a 5i with the set.

 

Not that I'm overjoyed about paying US$1150 for six irons, either.

[putterboy75]

5 hours ago, PuffyC said:

Surprised at the amount of hate for Ping, Callaway and PXG, three brands I tend to gravitate towards.

 

For me it’s anything Nike. It’s impossible to avoid every evil company in the world but between them and Facebook I consider it a good start.

 

Ditto, I don't love PXG mostly due to the annoying (VERY) advertisements and I can't speak to if they're worth the extra $$. I push back on Ping because it's a true golfer's brand - they haven't sold out to a bigger conglomerate and only make golf equipment (in the United States!) which is refreshing. I don't own a Callaway club but I think it's pretty universally accepted the metal woods are some of the best on the market.

 

Never liked Nike, like they've done with other sports over the years, the company just throws big money at any sport they want to build a presence. This worked for awhile in the golf market, but eventually people saw the product inferiority and weren't willing to pay for the swoosh. Does anyone notice that Nike golf clubs aren't on the shelves anymore? After all, didn't they just reverse engineer other brands irons?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I have no quantitative evidence to support this claim, but it seems to me that a good indicator of a company's stature is the amateur market and what these players use on their own accord. A lot have responded that Titleist is "elitist" and I agree they USED to have a narrow offering only for better players, but I don't think this is the case any more. It's still the purest brand and thankfully seems to have upheld a lot of the traditions and craftsmanship of the old days.

 

Just my two cents...

[Aviador Naval]

No absolutes but any product by Callaway/Taylormade or any driver/fairway/hybrid by Ping would have to substantially out perform anything else in the category due primarily to aesthetics.

[Golfingfanatic]

I think Callaway is starting to lose me a little bit with all the tour only stuff. I mean, I get that sometimes a certain player requires a certain look, but when most of your staff uses tour only gear that's not a good look for your retail line-up in my opinion.

[NRJyzr]

2 hours ago, putterboy75 said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I have no quantitative evidence to support this claim, but it seems to me that a good indicator of a company's stature is the amateur market and what these players use on their own accord

 

It's almost diametrically opposite of how you describe.  They seed the amateur ranks with very low cost, or free, goodies.  Get 'em while they're young.

 

2 hours ago, putterboy75 said:

 

A lot have responded that Titleist is "elitist" and I agree they USED to have a narrow offering only for better players, but I don't think this is the case any more. It's still the purest brand and thankfully seems to have upheld a lot of the traditions and craftsmanship of the old days.

 

Just my two cents...

 

I mean no offense, but I find this a little funny.  It's not all that long ago that Titleist *refused* to offer a forged iron; their irons were limited to 17-4 stainless steel CBs.  This was being done after they had signed The Man himself to a deal.  They even released a comment that their designs were "too complicated to produce as a forged clubhead."

 

Watching it play out was a little bewildering

 

[dekez]

Taylormade.  I developed a hate for them during the days when they released a new driver every quarter.  It hasnt subsided.

[btyh]

Anyone saying titleist is for elitist definitely forgot when PXG first hit the market. Lol Worst part is nothing performed and any tour player to partner with them really didn't get much boosted success after switching. They maybe affordable now but that did it for me. I'm open to all, loved ping then grew to titleist. All are great and look good but something about how titleist keeps the classic look While delivering performance has me hooked. 

[GolfManCollin]

#1 is PXG. No question. I don't even look in that direction.

 

I want to love Ping, but I just don't find myself liking anything other than my barrel of ansers and my dads old ping eye2s

 

I have dabbled with a cobra club over the last few years, but I find myself staying away from the cobra/puma stuff too.

 

I'm not opposed to trying new things, but I've found what works for me and I tend to stay in that lane.

[Jab3384]

Bombtech 

[NevinW]

None.  I play what ever I think will work for me.  No brand loyalty, no brand dislike.

[PJE]

PXG- Overpriced Pings although lately prices have come down.

Ping irons- I think I’m mental. Great clubs but I just don’t keep them for very long. 
Vokeys- I favor Cleveland. 
Taylor Made drivers- Just too much hype and marketing for too long, e.g., 

SLDR drivers/loft up, then the next year back to low CG, screws on the face, blah, blah, blah. 

Mizuno irons- I stopped playing blades   and Mizuno and “forgiving “ do not go together (for other categories of irons). 

Scotty Cameron and Bettinardi- Too expensive, too much hype, too much pretentiousness.  I still own two SCs but I sold off my Bettis. 
 

Edited November 22, 2021 by PJE

[596]

Titleist 

I can hit any club no matter how it looks, except the pear shape of Titleist woods/hybrids.  I can not stand that pear shape.

 

 

[Redbear90]

I don't know that there is a brand as a whole that I shy away from, other than PXG. I think it is absurd that they put such a high price tag on their product when there are great or better performing products on the market from other OEM's for half the price. 

 

There are products from certain OEM's that I will stay away from though, and most of them fall in the wood category. 

 

Bridgestone: Just never hit any of their product because it is not readily available. 

Callaway: I feel they have gone in the wrong direction with their AI face design. Played the original GBB Epic SZ driver for a while and absolutely loved it. Then they started working towards AI technology. 

Cleveland/Srixon: Never liked the look of Cleveland wedges, woods just don't seem to perform.

Cobra: Honestly just never got the itch to try anything. They are one of the companies that I feel pushes the envelope in terms of packing technology into their products though. 

Mizuno: Woods are and have been behind the times. 

Ping: Honestly the sound of their woods turned me off the first time I ever heard it. 

Titleist: I know their woods have improved, but for the longest time they were like hot air balloons. Pretty to look at, but every ball you hit turned into a balloon. (Also, Eliteist mentality)

 

[Abh159]

Callaway

 

I've just never been a big fan of the way their clubs look. A little too busy in terms of the designs and graphics for my taste. I don't need a giant X on the club face to know where the sweet spot on a driver is...

[RainShadow]

Titleist, because I haven't liked anything since the 910 Driver, until the TSi stuff came out.

Nike, because of politics numerous other issues i have with them.

 

[Ivyguy]

11 hours ago, brutus27 said:

Nike for me. And, 

Ah, Adams is back with TM. Haven’t you seen the new Tight Lies commercials with Brian Moog? Adams is a niche market.

It is now….

 

Back ten years ago, I’d argue that they made some of the best iron, fairway/hybrids and drivers on the market. 
 

they never made great wedges though.