Golf prices

[Curly6 144]

Golf equipment doesn't have to break the bank. Budget conscious golfers all over look to previous model years at good discounts. Look hard enough and you can find plenty of quality product that everyone else is selling back a year later for even cheaper prices.

I find myself looking more now than ever before at the direct to consumer companies, ie the revamped Ben Hogan, Sub70, Maltby's of the world.

I myself am in a position where I'd like to look at a cleaner, more traditional looking iron than my Apex CF 16's. Sub70 is high on my radar. Granted, this is much more of a want than a need as the Apex irons are pretty well fit for me and have a ton of life in them still, but looking at a set that's half the price of a pretty new blade from Mizuno or Srixon has me curious.

[RickyBobby_PR 1,985]

14 minutes ago, Apes44 said:

Its frustrating though when you buy a driver and then the new one comes out before you even hit it! Honestly I dont even look at new clubs anymore due to cost!

Can you elaborate on timeframes here? There’s not a major golf brand that’s releasing on less than a 12 month cycle. Some brands like Callaway have two lines that are on different yearly cycles that allow them to carry each one for 18-24 months

Also a new release doesn’t automatically make the driver just bought stop working or less effective. In most cases the performance difference from year to year is minimal

[TwoCoatsOfWax 73]

2 hours ago, Apes44 said:

Its frustrating though when you buy a driver and then the new one comes out before you even hit it! Honestly I dont even look at new clubs anymore due to cost!

I hear ya!  My driver, 3W, 5W, and 4H are all Top Flite brand bought at Dick's Sporting Goods.  Through sales and/or coupons I paid $40 or less for each club.  Perfectly adequate clubs that, if I do my part, will hit the ball quite well.

[Redrider91 11]

9 hours ago, Curly6 said:

Golf equipment doesn't have to break the bank. Budget conscious golfers all over look to previous model years at good discounts. Look hard enough and you can find plenty of quality product that everyone else is selling back a year later for even cheaper prices.

I find myself looking more now than ever before at the direct to consumer companies, ie the revamped Ben Hogan, Sub70, Maltby's of the world.

I myself am in a position where I'd like to look at a cleaner, more traditional looking iron than my Apex CF 16's. Sub70 is high on my radar. Granted, this is much more of a want than a need as the Apex irons are pretty well fit for me and have a ton of life in them still, but looking at a set that's half the price of a pretty new blade from Mizuno or Srixon has me curious.

I actually Been looking at Ben Hogan line. 

 

[bens197 2,106]

I actually Been looking at Ben Hogan line. 
 

It’s worth a look.

This topic seems to regenerate itself more often than not. The best thing to do is work within your confines. Some can afford the latest and greatest and some can’t. Some people should be reminded that the happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.

[Apes44 737]

21 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Can you elaborate on timeframes here? There’s not a major golf brand that’s releasing on less than a 12 month cycle. Some brands like Callaway have two lines that are on different yearly cycles that allow them to carry each one for 18-24 months

Also a new release doesn’t automatically make the driver just bought stop working or less effective. In most cases the performance difference from year to year is minimal

Understood that it doesnt make it less effective, however the feel of the "latest and greatest" is gone.

 

TM has released new drivers almost every year since 2015, whether it be the same line or not, there is still the perception that you no longer have the newest and greatest. There can also be feelings of well now I overpaid for old tech (true or not). 

 

Just my feelings on it. The best advice I got is wait 3 weeks til after the newest model of the drive you want comes out and check the used rack because people will trade in the old one and you will pay a lot less. 

[jestrella18 12]

I think $500-600 is ridiculous for 1 club when you can almost get an entire set of irons for that price.

With certain things, I have tried buying used (like new) items such as woods and drivers.  I bought 2 Ping G400 Max last year in different lofts but before that, I got a used epic and M2 driver.  Sometimes you have to bite the bullet if think you can hit it better than your current club. 

Some people play the same clubs for 10+ years so $600 over a long span of time is not as expensive broken down by value of time.  Those who switch drivers almost annually just like spending money lol.   Just have to figure if the price is worth the gains you receive, whether it's straighter or longer than the old driver.  

 

[ChasingScratch 76]

On 4/7/2019 at 4:22 PM, GregB135 said:

General market modelling would suggest 'they' are selling enough at those prices to keep pricing the next one a little higher. Prices won't come down until the consumers show an unwillingness to purchase at the manufacturer's price.

The good news for us budget minded golfers is; there isn't typically a major leap in the technologies from one release year to the next. It is usually just some minor tweaks. A previous years release is usually just as good (in the hands of Joe Amateur anyway) and available at a big price drop from the current year. 

 

100%  I'm actually going to see my club fitter and (for the first time ever) buy a full set of custom fit clubs.  Here's the kicker, they will be 2017 or '16 models (all brand new) and any shaft option that is best custom fit for me.  I'll have them lofted, lie-checked, and everything for about $1,000.  Can't beat that!

[ChasingScratch 76]

6 hours ago, Apes44 said:

Understood that it doesnt make it less effective, however the feel of the "latest and greatest" is gone.

 

TM has released new drivers almost every year since 2015, whether it be the same line or not, there is still the perception that you no longer have the newest and greatest. There can also be feelings of well now I overpaid for old tech (true or not). 

 

Just my feelings on it. The best advice I got is wait 3 weeks til after the newest model of the drive you want comes out and check the used rack because people will trade in the old one and you will pay a lot less. 

Indeed.  I fell out of love for TaylorMade once they started bringing out 2 versions each year (or at least it felt like that often).  Now their new Rocket 3 wood is a whole 'nother story LOL.  That thing is a legitimate missile launcher! 

All drivers are basically at the legal limit nowadays.  I think Ryan Palmer is still using the M1 driver from 2016, so if 'old tech' is good enough for pros who depend on it to earn their living, why wouldn't it be good enough for a weekend warrior?  

Getting custom fit is more important than having the newest model.  My club fitter was telling me that a certain brand's driver from last year was actually a superior product to the new version. 

He also said that if a club fitter does their job properly, a golfer shouldn't need to see them again for at least 5-7 years (or ever, unless something drastically changes in their swing).

Another thing people don't always think about (or manufacturers fail to mention), is that the shaft length of drivers and woods has gotten longer over time.  A longer shaft = more speed (typically).  Also iron lofts have historically gotten stronger (less loft), so that all goes into the equation.

For golfers with enough club head speed, it really doesn't do much good to hit a 7 iron 225.  It's more important to have proper gaping throughout the bag.  I mean if your PW goes 175, you will have some serious issues with the shorter shots.

Edited May 3 by ChasingScratch

[Apes44 737]

On 5/3/2019 at 4:16 PM, ChasingScratch said:

Indeed.  I fell out of love for TaylorMade once they started bringing out 2 versions each year (or at least it felt like that often).  Now their new Rocket 3 wood is a whole 'nother story LOL.  That thing is a legitimate missile launcher! 

All drivers are basically at the legal limit nowadays.  I think Ryan Palmer is still using the M1 driver from 2016, so if 'old tech' is good enough for pros who depend on it to earn their living, why wouldn't it be good enough for a weekend warrior?  

Getting custom fit is more important than having the newest model.  My club fitter was telling me that a certain brand's driver from last year was actually a superior product to the new version. 

He also said that if a club fitter does their job properly, a golfer shouldn't need to see them again for at least 5-7 years (or ever, unless something drastically changes in their swing).

Another thing people don't always think about (or manufacturers fail to mention), is that the shaft length of drivers and woods has gotten longer over time.  A longer shaft = more speed (typically).  Also iron lofts have historically gotten stronger (less loft), so that all goes into the equation.

For golfers with enough club head speed, it really doesn't do much good to hit a 7 iron 225.  It's more important to have proper gaping throughout the bag.  I mean if your PW goes 175, you will have some serious issues with the shorter shots.

Isn't that the truth about proper gapping. Thats my biggest problem is I hit the ball far enough with clubs that I don't need the jacked lofts for distance, changed my driver shaft for 3 wood length so that its more accurate and only lost maybe 3-5 yards of distance. When I get to the 8+ irons and wedges takes too much thinking because its not all half, 1/4 or 3/4 swings to get a distance

[Hoganman1 12]

I think one issue is that if one wants to get fitted for clubs, they usually have to go with the current models. Maybe some independent club fitters do offer older models, but I haven't met one as yet. Our club has fitting sessions all season long with the popular OEMs. I've attended a Taylormade driver fitting and the only options were the M-5 and M-6. I've never had a fitting at Dick's but since they usually have some of last year's models in stock, they might do fittings for those clubs as well as the "latest and greatest". 

I do think it's important to have clubs that are properly fit. One less expensive way to do it is to pay for a fitting session and then buy the club (or clubs) from one of the many pre-owned sites online. I usually do this with drivers. Sometimes it takes awhile to find what you want, but it will save some bucks.

Edited May 21 by Hoganman1

[RickyBobby_PR 1,985]

18 minutes ago, Hoganman1 said:

I think one issue is that if one wants to get fitted for clubs, they usually have to go with the current models. Maybe some independent club fitters do offer older models, but I haven't met one as yet. Our club has fitting sessions all season long with the popular OEMs. I've attended a Taylormade driver fitting and the only options were the M-5 and M-6. I've never had a fitting at Dick's but since they usually have some of last year's models in stock, they might do fittings for those clubs as well as the "latest and greatest". 

I do think it's important to have clubs that are properly fit. One less expensive way to do it is to pay for a fitting session and then buy the club (or clubs) from one of the many pre-owned sites online. I usually do this with drivers. Sometimes it takes awhile to find what you want, but it will save some bucks.

Why would an OEM fitter/rep carry older product? You wouldn’t go to a new car dealer looking to buy a 2017 car in 2019. So yes finding older equipment to get fit for is going to be hard and maybe even harder to find the specs as you mentioned with the driver when searching the pre owned sites. Getting fit at a big box store is rolling the dice imo.

if I’m dropping $100+ on a fitting (going rate for most independent shops in DC) or the cost of what’s at CC or TruSpec I’m not looking to get older equipment because in some cases (mostly irons) the sound, feel, performance won’t be the same. Example AP2 from 714, 716, 718 all felt and sound different and I prefer the 718 over the 716 and those over the 714. Similar with Srixon z series

 

[PlaidJacket 6,534]

26 minutes ago, Hoganman1 said:

One less expensive way to do it is to pay for a fitting session and then buy the club (or clubs) from one of the many pre-owned sites online

Doesn't make sense. Pay for a fitting and then go buy un-fitted clubs from a pre-own'd website. How does that work? Do you get these clubs sent to you and then you take them out in the garage and disassemble them - and start rebuilding them with proper weight, shaft replacements and or adjusting the length, grip size, loft and lie, etc. Sounds like to me that in order to do that you'd have to be a club fitter yourself. I'm not.