Value of Aesthetics is Choosing Golf Equipment

[GolfSpy Dave]

This has come up in a couple of areas (Wilson design, black irons and woods).

 

How does the color of your club affect your decision to purchase?

 

Would certain colors or graphics turn you off from a club, even if it performed well?

 

Do you think that there is a market need for multiple colors of the same club?

 

Would you be interested in a club that had adjustable colors whose changing does not affect performance?

[Matt Saternus]

No and not at all were my poll answers. If OEMs want to offer multiple colors, more power to them, but it won't squeeze another cent out of me, and it will make me think of their brand in a worse light - as gimmicky. I value the way a club looks to a degree, but that has to do with shape, not color. That said, I would not be super pumped about a driver with an orange crown, black works just fine, thank you.

[mainuh]

Sac - my 2¢ on the issue of color -

 

Equipment costs enough these days that the added cost for Mfg's to tool up additional money for a different color of that driver,fairway, iron seems prohibitive. In the end that added inventory cost would be passed on to us.

 

I think that market is already pretty well served by any number of the putter / driver refinish businesses already available to us.

 

I recently saw a wedge done up by Morgan Mann in a bright color that looked really sharp.

 

One other thing - a few years ago I was looking at some Feel Dart Thrower wedges - each loft came in a different color. Problem was the one I was considering came in yellow only and was not a color I could wrap my brain around.

 

rob

[GolfSpy Dave]

Sac - my 2¢ on the issue of color -

 

Equipment costs enough these days that the added cost for Mfg's to tool up additional money for a different color of that driver,fairway, iron seems prohibitive. In the end that added inventory cost would be passed on to us.

 

I think that market is already pretty well served by any number of the putter / driver refinish businesses already available to us.

 

I recently saw a wedge done up by Morgan Mann in a bright color that looked really sharp.

 

One other thing - a few years ago I was looking at some Feel Dart Thrower wedges - each loft came in a different color. Problem was the one I was considering came in yellow only and was not a color I could wrap my brain around.

 

rob

Feel wedges are what actually brought this up in my head. Yesterday TGW sent out a add for discounted wedges and they had the feel colored wedges for $41. To bag a set, you bag a rainbow. Yellow, red, blue and bronze too if you go to pw.

I would have considered picking up a set at that price, if they were all one color. I also found that feel makes high loft wedges, well into the 70* range. full swing 8 ft wedge

[Moecat]

I don't know if anyone else felt similarly, but I wouldn't even go near the Nike Sumo line because of that yellow paint scheme.

[Matt Saternus]

I don't know if anyone else felt similarly, but I wouldn't even go near the Nike Sumo line because of that yellow paint scheme.

 

The yellow never bothered me, I actually almost bagged the original Sumo. The color of the sole/headcover/etc never really enters into my club buying decision outside of the fact that an attractive club will do a better job of catching my eye and perhaps making me demo it.

[GolfSpy Dave]

I don't know if anyone else felt similarly, but I wouldn't even go near the Nike Sumo line because of that yellow paint scheme.

I like the yellow in the 5000 actually. But I sort of like yellow. I wanted a full set of feel yellow wedges to match the bag. silly, but boredom can lead to cc purchases.

Check my wwib to see how cool yellow wedges would look. Maybe LaMont can yellow up some for me.

[Tony Covey MGS]

It's a fine line with color, I think. Two years later, I still think the TaylorMade SuperQuad is one of the best looking clubs ever made. Wasn't a fan of the the Sumo/Sasquatch yellow. Nor am I fan of what TaylorMade has done with the last couple of Burners, or Ping's neon green Rapture. When it comes to color in golf, I think understated is better. Anything that looks like it fell out of a Nintendo video game is non-starter for me.

 

Of course, others I'm sure disagree. To each his/her own.

[HoosierGolfer]

This has come up in a couple of areas (Wilson design, black irons and woods).

 

How does the color of your club affect your decision to purchase?

 

Would certain colors or graphics turn you off from a club, even if it performed well?

 

Do you think that there is a market need for multiple colors of the same club?

 

Would you be interested in a club that had adjustable colors whose changing does not affect performance?

I think these are very good questions. I've long liked Callaways clubs and headcovers that are built around the color(s) red, black and maybe grey or in the case of the FT line around black, grey, orange and white. I like sticking with a color scheme and it has always irk'd me at least a little when a OEM like Callaway changes the base color of a line but recently they have been sticking with a basic color for each of their three mens line of clubs and that has made me happy.

I have been somewhat turned off by Callaways Diablo line with the mid-evil look or whatever it is. Just does not work for me, and I was happy that the clubs didn't do it for me either so I don't have those ugly graphics in my bag.

Performance is always first with me, but.....you want the club to fit your eye as well. Multi color's may be the way to go? I'll have to think about that one, but I'm guessing it would just be another thing to drive the price up even more.

[robbo32]

I like the color options when it comes to clubs. I like that all blubs can be had in either chrome or black. I like some clubs in chrome like my irons but I think putters and wedges look great in black. For me its more about performance on a club rather than looks but looks to play a factor as well. I can stand clubs that are to futuristic and that have way to many colors on them. I prefer simple design but a tour chrome or black finish on the clubs is fine with me.

[mainuh]

Feel wedges are what actually brought this up in my head. Yesterday TGW sent out a add for discounted wedges and they had the feel colored wedges for $41. To bag a set, you bag a rainbow. Yellow, red, blue and bronze too if you go to pw.

I would have considered picking up a set at that price, if they were all one color. I also found that feel makes high loft wedges, well into the 70* range. full swing 8 ft wedge

 

Sac - @ $42.46 a wedge w/shaft thats a heckuva bargain. I've never read a bad review of this brand of the Feel (Dart Thrower) wedges and they would make a very good addition to any bag -

You would certainly not be wondering why you pulled the wrong wedge with this set.

 

rob

[GolfSpy Dave]

Sac - @ $42.46 a wedge w/shaft thats a heckuva bargain. I've never read a bad review of this brand of the Feel (Dart Thrower) wedges and they would make a very good addition to any bag -

You would certainly not be wondering why you pulled the wrong wedge with this set.

 

rob

I have heard good things too, but I really think that the mulit-color in the bag would end up being annoying and they would end up in the garage.

[jamo]

When I look for new clubs, I usually pick ones that look good to me, and then give then a leg up when I am checking the performance. There usually aren't any drivers that vastly out perform all of the others, but some so look much better than the others. It isn't a paint color thing, though I am partial to black, it is more of a design thing.

 

I did vote no for the first one. It wouldn't make sense manufacturing-wise, so I'm not going to ask for it.

[alpha_tot]

I have a black nickel lob wedge and a chrome gap wedge, makes it easier to quickly grab the right club from your bag. I really dont care how many colours/finished a manufacturer makes a club in, I just wish they'd stop making the colours and logos on everything so obnoxious to begin with

[jamo]

I want to add something: I think it matters a lot for putters because a lot of putting is mental, and a lot of putting is confidence. The more you like looking at your putter, the more you will like putting with it. Not to say you can't putt well with an ugly putter, just maybe it's a little harder.

 

Another thing is the look from address. That, rather than the color of the sole, will really affect performance.

[TWShoot67]

I don't know how the color on the sole can affect anyones decision, you never see the sole on your woods except when you pull the headcover off (unless ofcourse you don't use headcovers on your woods) LOL. Now color as being an option I see no problem with that as well. But I was thinking more along the lines of irons as people who like the raw,chrome,satin and black and that really wouldn't be that hard to offer in my opinion. now when it comes to woods I can see how some people may not buy a driver just because of some crazy color that doesn't suit their eye. They may just pick a club because of the color alone and that would be a shame because of some market team felt that puke green was this years color of choice. All that being said we really don't see that many strange colors when it comes to the crown on a wood by big OEM's just for that reason IMO because sales would be effected by a crappy color. Most are either a silver,or black. Every once in a while we see a Red or burgundy color But 9 times out of 10 it's black. But to get back to the OP's title I would have to say that YES, usually that's the first thing that draws someone to a club just like a man to a woman. It's only human nature that visual is the first thing that draws your attention, what something looks like and then later we find out their performance.

 

PS: I voted as follows,

 

yes

less than performance

[GolfSpy Dave]

I don't know how the color on the sole can affect anyones decision, you never see the sole on your woods except when you pull the headcover off (unless ofcourse you don't use headcovers on your woods) LOL. Now color as being an option I see no problem with that as well. But I was thinking more along the lines of irons as people who like the raw,chrome,satin and black and that really wouldn't be that hard to offer in my opinion. now when it comes to woods I can see how some people may not buy a driver just because of some crazy color that doesn't suit their eye. They may just pick a club because of the color alone and that would be a shame because of some market team felt that puke green was this years color of choice. All that being said we really don't see that many strange colors when it comes to the crown on a wood by big OEM's just for that reason IMO because sales would be effected by a crappy color. Most are either a silver,or black. Every once in a while we see a Red or burgundy color But 9 times out of 10 it's black. But to get back to the OP's title I would have to say that YES, usually that's the first thing that draws someone to a club just like a man to a woman. it's what something looks like and then later we find out their performance.

 

PS I voted

I wish we had a hero tag for that last line.

 

What is your take on the graphics that can creep their way to the top of the woods?