Three Grand Down the Drain

[RetiredBoomer]

Has anybody else bought a brand new set of clubs for a golf season that will probably never begin this year?

We've got a 1300s style plague in bloom, and I can't even go to the club for a sandwich and coffee, never mind golf.

I'm in the high risk group.  Maybe I shouldn't be thinking about golf.  Still could use coffee and a sandwich though.

 

[Middler]

There will be golf again this season, we just don’t know when yet. The more we can isolate, the lower the impact will be which improves the chances our finite healthcare resources will be able to keep up. We’ll get through this, but it’s up to each of us how it all plays out.

[fozcycle]

Playing every week, just very cautious.


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[RetiredBoomer]

3 minutes ago, fozcycle said:

Playing every week, just very cautious.


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We're completely closed.

[Mr. 82]

16 minutes ago, RetiredBoomer said:

Has anybody else bought a brand new set of clubs for a golf season that will probably never begin this year?

We've got a 1300s style plague in bloom, and I can't even go to the club for a sandwich and coffee, never mind golf.

I'm in the high risk group.  Maybe I shouldn't be thinking about golf.  Still could use coffee and a sandwich though.

 

There are going to be a TON of people losing their jobs and livelihoods in the coming weeks, thanks to whatever this is you want to call it.  Be thankful you are retired and the worst thing that has happened in your life is not being able to go to your club for food (that you can make from home).

I'm really starting to get depressed over all of this.  But if this is the worst that happens to you, well, consider yourself blessed.

[RetiredBoomer]

2 minutes ago, Mr. 82 said:

There are going to be a TON of people losing their jobs and livelihoods in the coming weeks, thanks to whatever this is you want to call it.  Be thankful you are retired and the worst thing that has happened in your life is not being able to go to your club for food (that you can make from home).

I'm really starting to get depressed over all of this.  But if this is the worst that happens to you, well, consider yourself blessed.

Believe me, I don't disagree with you at all. 

I just mentioned this from a golf perspective because this is a golf forum.

But you're right, there will be worse things to deal with for sure.

As I mentioned, I'm in the high risk group.

I'd rather think about the lesser consequences rather than the equally likely severe ones, at least in my case.

[JonMUSC08]

I think this would b a good time for Trackman, Foresight, or SkyTrak to reduce prices and advertise on here!

[RickyBobby_PR]

Based on the title buying most luxury items is a bad investment. The good thing with golf clubs is they don’t stop working from lack of use or when new stuff comes out and as long as grooves aren’t work out will last multiple seasons.

So gar courses here aren’t closed and as soon as Mother Nature allows ill be hitting balls

[RetiredBoomer]

12 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Based on the title buying most luxury items is a bad investment. The good thing with golf clubs is they don’t stop working from lack of use or when new stuff comes out and as long as grooves aren’t work out will last multiple seasons.

So gar courses here aren’t closed and as soon as Mother Nature allows ill be hitting balls

It's my first new set in over twenty year, RB, so I wouldn't call it a luxury!

I've only had an all new set four times: 1972, 1978, 1997, and 2020.

[Jmikecpa]

Based on the title buying most luxury items is a bad investment. The good thing with golf clubs is they don’t stop working from lack of use or when new stuff comes out and as long as grooves aren’t work out will last multiple seasons.
So gar courses here aren’t closed and as soon as Mother Nature allows ill be hitting balls

So I should keep the PXGs that I got for my run through US Open qualifying??? Darn, I told the wife they were specific use clubs :)


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[RickyBobby_PR]

4 hours ago, RetiredBoomer said:

It's my first new set in over twenty year, RB, so I wouldn't call it a luxury!

I've only had an all new set four times: 1972, 1978, 1997, and 2020.

Golf is a luxury. For some it can be more luxurious than others. Like many hobbies it can be as cheap or as expensive as a person chooses. Golf and golf clubs aren’t essential parts of life thus a luxury. Unless buying something like a tour putter from scotty cameron or a rare item the vast majority of golf purchases lose value the minute they are bought so anyone looking at purchases as an investment is in the wrong business 

[GaDawg]

9 hours ago, RetiredBoomer said:

It's my first new set in over twenty year, RB, so I wouldn't call it a luxury!

I've only had an all new set four times: 1972, 1978, 1997, and 2020.

When golf does return for you, I hope you are healthy enough to enjoy your new clubs.

[PuffyC]

9 hours ago, Mr. 82 said:

There are going to be a TON of people losing their jobs and livelihoods in the coming weeks, thanks to whatever this is you want to call it.  Be thankful you are retired and the worst thing that has happened in your life is not being able to go to your club for food (that you can make from home).

I'm really starting to get depressed over all of this.  But if this is the worst that happens to you, well, consider yourself blessed.

This. I don’t fear this virus but I most definitely fear what the government is doing to save us from it. The unreported death toll from the looming financial collapse, not to mention the millions and millions who will merely have their lives shattered, may be one for the record books.

[RetiredBoomer]

On 3/18/2020 at 3:41 PM, RickyBobby_PR said:

Golf is a luxury. For some it can be more luxurious than others. Like many hobbies it can be as cheap or as expensive as a person chooses. Golf and golf clubs aren’t essential parts of life thus a luxury. Unless buying something like a tour putter from scotty cameron or a rare item the vast majority of golf purchases lose value the minute they are bought so anyone looking at purchases as an investment is in the wrong business 

The concept that golf equipment purchases are an investment is absolutely ludicrous and nobody, to my knowledge, has ever advanced that theory.

Golf equipment purchases are very obviously consumption, plain and simple.

And yes, playing golf itself is not a necessity, but it's a luxury in which all of us here indulge ourselves, so we shouldn't be too critical of each other.

As to how the game can be played cheaply, that a secret that you know and I don't. It's an obscenely expensive game as far as I can see.

You imply that spending three grand on clubs is excessive, but this is the fact if you have an adding machine.   Go to someplace like TGW, and without spending a dime on a custom fitting session or anything like that, add up the cost of fourteen new brand name brand clubs and a new bag, a couple dozen new balls, and try to do it for less than three grand.

I haven't bought a new set since 1997, so I am completely baffled at how buying one now can be considered an extravagance. 

From my perspective, we're carrying populism a little too far in this country and should all aspire to at least a small measure of elitism, just for the joy of it.

Edited March 21, 2020 by RetiredBoomer

[RetiredBoomer]

14 hours ago, PuffyC said:

This. I don’t fear this virus but I most definitely fear what the government is doing to save us from it. The unreported death toll from the looming financial collapse, not to mention the millions and millions who will merely have their lives shattered, may be one for the record books.

People with different ideological leanings are going to disagree on the correct approaches from the local, state, and federal governments.

We live in a time when Americans can reach broad consensus on absolutely nothing.

Taking it beyond that brings us close to the moral codes.

[Kenny B]

11 minutes ago, RetiredBoomer said:

The concept that golf equipment purchases are an investment is absolutely ludicrous and nobody, to my knowledge, has ever advanced that theory.

Golf equipment purchases are very obviously consumption, plain and simple.

And yes, playing golf itself is not a necessity, but it's a luxury in which all of us here indulge ourselves, so we shouldn't be too critical of each other.

As to how the game can be played cheaply, that a secret that you know and I don't. It's an obscenely expensive game as far as I can see.

You imply that spending three grand on clubs is excessive, but this is the fact if you have an adding machine.   Go to someplace like TGW, and without spending a dime on a custom fitting session or anything like that, add up the cost of fourteen new brand name brand clubs and a new bag, a couple dozen new balls, and try to do it for less than three grand.

I haven't bought a new set since 1978, so I am completely baffled at how buying one now can be considered an extravagance. 

From my perspective, we're carrying populism a little too far in this country and should all aspire to at least a small measure of elitism, just for the joy of it.

People that say golf equipment purchases are an investment are not talking about it in a financial perspective.  Of course, clubs are expensive if you choose to buy new, no matter where you buy them.  Of course, their value drops immediately upon purchase.  However, the equipment can be an investment in your game.  Each person must consider which clubs and related equipment they need to pursue this game and how much they are willing to spend.   Does certain equipment help you play better?  If it does, then you have made an investment in your game that will last for years.  If it doesn't, then you are choosing to spend money to simply have something different.  It's as simple as that.  

Many people have chosen to buy quality used equipment that will be better than what they had, and that is an "investment" in their game that cost only a fraction of new equipment.  There have been threads on the forum that listed quality equipment that can be purchased for less than $500 for everything.  The point of the thread is to show that someone starting out can make a cheap initial "investment" that will allow them to enjoy the game.  Do a search.

[RetiredBoomer]

6 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

The point of the thread is to show that someone starting out can make a cheap initial "investment" that will allow them to enjoy the game.  Do a search.

I'm sure that you're absolutely right about being able to piece together a good set from previously played equipment, and in that sense, that would be a good investment in his/her recreation.

But that was the point of your post, of course, rather than the point of my thread.

The point of my thread was my being pissed off about buying a new set and not being able to play with it!

 

 

[RickyBobby_PR]

39 minutes ago, RetiredBoomer said:

The concept that golf equipment purchases are an investment is absolutely ludicrous and nobody, to my knowledge, has ever advanced that theory.

Golf equipment purchases are very obviously consumption, plain and simple.

And yes, playing golf itself is not a necessity, but it's a luxury in which all of us here indulge ourselves, so we shouldn't be too critical of each other.

As to how the game can be played cheaply, that a secret that you know and I don't. It's an obscenely expensive game as far as I can see.

You imply that spending three grand on clubs is excessive, but this is the fact if you have an adding machine.   Go to someplace like TGW, and without spending a dime on a custom fitting session or anything like that, add up the cost of fourteen new brand name brand clubs and a new bag, a couple dozen new balls, and try to do it for less than three grand.

I haven't bought a new set since 1978, so I am completely baffled at how buying one now can be considered an extravagance. 

From my perspective, we're carrying populism a little too far in this country and should all aspire to at least a small measure of elitism, just for the joy of it.

Believe or not some people and I’ve seen it on forums complain about the resale value of clubs. Why i have no idea but for some reason they feel like it shouldn’t happen. A brand new driver is worth 50% or less of the value the minute the purchase is completed

As I mentioned in my initial post the title of your thread implies $3k was wasted but by your own admission you don’t buy clubs very often so how is that money wasted if you miss a few months of golf over the course of several years of using the new clubs.

One with limited funds can play 9 holes instead of 18, play executive courses and local muni instead of the higher end or mid range courses. So there are numerous ways to spend little amounts of money playing or paying a lot by using high end courses, memberships of some sort whether private or semi private. Walk vs ride.

The number of golfers who walk into a big box store or local pro shop and buy 14 clubs or even 13 minus the putter in my experience isn’t the norm. What I have seen is most buy a new driver and woods/hybrids one year and irons the next or years later. This is based on my experience attending numerous demo days over the years and talking with my fitter regularly when I’m at the range. So while it may cost 3k or more to fill a bag it’s not the norm. 

[Jmikecpa]

People that say golf equipment purchases are an investment are not talking about it in a financial perspective.  Of course, clubs are expensive if you choose to buy new, no matter where you buy them.  Of course, their value drops immediately upon purchase.  However, the equipment can be an investment in your game.  Each person must consider which clubs and related equipment they need to pursue this game and how much they are willing to spend.   Does certain equipment help you play better?  If it does, then you have made an investment in your game that will last for years.  If it doesn't, then you are choosing to spend money to simply have something different.  It's as simple as that.  
Many people have chosen to buy quality used equipment that will be better than what they had, and that is an "investment" in their game that cost only a fraction of new equipment.  There have been threads on the forum that listed quality equipment that can be purchased for less than $500 for everything.  The point of the thread is to show that someone starting out can make a cheap initial "investment" that will allow them to enjoy the game.  Do a search.

To this point I will go the extreme opposite with my son’s bag. Last year he went from Jr clubs to men’s clubs and with the way he is growing i didn’t want to build him a bag that he would outgrow in a year or so.

Driver: TM M2 with stock S shaft $85
Fairway: TM M2 with stock S shaft $50
Hybrid: TM M2 19* with stock S shaft $60
Hybrid: TM Aeroburner 22* stock S shaft $20
Irons: Callaway Steelhead XR 5-AW KBS 90s R flex $315 new on clearance
Wedges: Callaway MD Forged 54* & 58* $100 total from CPO
Putter: Scotty Futura 5r (from my stash)
Bag: Ogio Black Ops Carry bag $90 off eBay

All in I am just over $700 for an entire bag with some pretty nice stuff in it. I would have taken this as a 13 year old in a heartbeat.


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[Mr. 82]

Please don't feed the troll.