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Callaway VIP program biting the dust...Not so fast my friend...


GolfSpyC

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Made a phone call today to order a club for a junior player. Turns out, Callaway is discontinuing this program and will only look to help provide equipment for top ranked junior players. Personally, I think this stinks. 

 

On one hand I get it - TaylorMade did something similar this year by substantially increasing prices on product they make available to high school programs. They said it was to "protect the green grass accounts." I'm not certain I believe them as I can't imagine this was a huge drain on their bottom line. 

 

But on the other hand, something just doesn't sit right - If this is a financially motivated move, how much money are they actually saving? I can't imagine it's a bunch...but maybe I'm wrong as I certainly don't have access to their financial information - But I'm not talking about some mid-market OEM trying to get their name out there - This is Callaway after all. 

 

The reality is, some of us count on being able to order a handful of clubs each year for players and the extra 15% or so they save makes a difference to them. It's a shame Callaway no longer sees this as an important part of what they do. 

 

Honestly, the two best OEM's to work with now for helping out the average HS player are Cobra and Bridgestone. The good news is, they both make fantastic clubs. 

 

 

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I know from running the old golf shop the Callaway people were great to deal with. I can give you a good story. My best friend his daughter was playing competetive golf in high school. She had one of the Hogan CS-5 drivers. Now at the time Callaway bought the rights to Hogan. She cracked that driver. They contacted Callaway. They sent her a Callaway driver which she did not want. Callaway told her they no longer made that driver. Well they contacted me and I called Callaway. I told them I knew where they had "dumped" a whole bunch of them at a discount golf store here. The told me to get one get a receipt and they would pay me back. I did that got one to her exact specs. Our Cally rep came by with a check. She asked them what to do with the replacement Cally driver they sent her. They told her keep it for free.  yeah good customer service but do not get me started on Adams

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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I know from running the old golf shop the Callaway people were great to deal with. I can give you a good story. My best friend his daughter was playing competetive golf in high school. She had one of the Hogan CS-5 drivers. Now at the time Callaway bought the rights to Hogan. She cracked that driver. They contacted Callaway. They sent her a Callaway driver which she did not want. Callaway told her they no longer made that driver. Well they contacted me and I called Callaway. I told them I knew where they had "dumped" a whole bunch of them at a discount golf store here. The told me to get one get a receipt and they would pay me back. I did that got one to her exact specs. Our Cally rep came by with a check. She asked them what to do with the replacement Cally driver they sent her. They told her keep it for free. yeah good customer service but do not get me started on Adams

 

Sounds like that needs its own thread Stu!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy mobile app

 

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FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
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  • SPY VIP

I know from running the old golf shop the Callaway people were great to deal with. I can give you a good story. My best friend his daughter was playing competetive golf in high school. She had one of the Hogan CS-5 drivers. Now at the time Callaway bought the rights to Hogan. She cracked that driver. They contacted Callaway. They sent her a Callaway driver which she did not want. Callaway told her they no longer made that driver. Well they contacted me and I called Callaway. I told them I knew where they had "dumped" a whole bunch of them at a discount golf store here. The told me to get one get a receipt and they would pay me back. I did that got one to her exact specs. Our Cally rep came by with a check. She asked them what to do with the replacement Cally driver they sent her. They told her keep it for free.  yeah good customer service but do not get me started on Adams

 

That's a great story and I know how much we all glom on to negative press, but I love hearing about these type of things and the fact Harry reached out to me personally to take care of things is something he needs to get credit for. 

 

If you're going to criticize large OEM's for the suspect things they do, you have to be willing to give them kudos when they go out of the way to make a customer happy. 

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I've never understood the Callaway VIP program or the need for it. In fact, I hate it. I have never understood how so many unqualified people can receive and feel entitled to discounts and is one thing I've never understood about golf in general.

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I've never understood the Callaway VIP program or the need for it. In fact, I hate it. I have never understood how so many unqualified people can receive and feel entitled to discounts and is one thing I've never understood about golf in general.

I think it goes back to the late Mr Callaway himself. I never met him but have read nothing but positive about him. From what I gathered about him he was grateful to have been a success and was passing some back. Really it is not a bad marketing ploy either I mean suppose some jr golfer gets a break on that equipment and is a success then that is good advertising. 

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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Sounds like that needs its own thread Stu!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Oh yeah the Adams thing. If you go back in the archives of MGS you can probably find a story I did on them on those facts. I got bashed by some including Rookie who bashed me good but I forgive and forget and move on

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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  • SPY VIP

I've never understood the Callaway VIP program or the need for it. In fact, I hate it. I have never understood how so many unqualified people can receive and feel entitled to discounts and is one thing I've never understood about golf in general.

 

 

I think it's awesome to have programs which give benefits to junior golfers who play on a team. Truthfully, I don't know who all is eligible for the VIP program, but if it's junior players, various pros, employees, etc I don't see how these people are "unqualified" or why it's that big of a deal. 

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I know from running the old golf shop the Callaway people were great to deal with. I can give you a good story. My best friend his daughter was playing competetive golf in high school. She had one of the Hogan CS-5 drivers. Now at the time Callaway bought the rights to Hogan. She cracked that driver. They contacted Callaway. They sent her a Callaway driver which she did not want. Callaway told her they no longer made that driver. Well they contacted me and I called Callaway. I told them I knew where they had "dumped" a whole bunch of them at a discount golf store here. The told me to get one get a receipt and they would pay me back. I did that got one to her exact specs. Our Cally rep came by with a check. She asked them what to do with the replacement Cally driver they sent her. They told her keep it for free.  yeah good customer service but do not get me started on Adams

I think the bigger story there is there was someone who was actually a fan of that Hogan CS-5 driver (although I thought it was the CS-3).  That thing was gawd awful!

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I think the bigger story there is there was someone who was actually a fan of that Hogan CS-5 driver (although I thought it was the CS-3).  That thing was gawd awful!

It was a CS-3 you are correct--- I was a big fan of that driver with a NVS 65 stiff in it--- In fact I still have mine. It was the back up to my custom Hathaway until I did a deal and got a 915 D-2 and a Nike Vapor. For some reason quite a few folks thought like you that they were awful but I loved mine front line gamed it for 3 years

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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I'd love to hear the Adams story, but can't seem to find it. Maybe my incompetence, but could you post a link?

WITB: 

Adams 9064LS 9.5* (until I cracked the face)

Adams Super LS 17*

Adams XTD Ti 23*

Wilson Staff Ci7 4-PW

Adams wedges: 52/7 56/13 60/7

Wilson Staff Infinite Southside putter/Odyssey DualForce 660 putter

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Oh yeah, I remember this. Thanks, Bob!

WITB: 

Adams 9064LS 9.5* (until I cracked the face)

Adams Super LS 17*

Adams XTD Ti 23*

Wilson Staff Ci7 4-PW

Adams wedges: 52/7 56/13 60/7

Wilson Staff Infinite Southside putter/Odyssey DualForce 660 putter

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  • 2 months later...

Yep that was it way back in 2012--- Sounds funny don't it?   LOL Rookie really roasted me on that and Barney Adams no longer owns Adams Golf. I heard from some folks still in the business actively that their customer service improved when T-Mag took over

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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