Made in USA

[QWKDTSN]

Hi guys. I was just reading the thread about the new Nike wedges in the Tour Talk forum and golf_junkie27 made a post as follows:

100% correct. He's already using these irons, too. The Nike Logo is up top, his "TW" emblem is stamped in Red and placed on the left hand corner of the iron. Also, they look nothing like the ones he was using. (For that matter, also what Justin Leonard and Paul Casey, too)

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthr...t=13640&page;=2 This made me think about a couple of things. One, I was looking at Nike SQ drivers at the pro shop the other day. I noticed, while looking at the shaft for the flex specs, that it carried a sticker: "Head made in China. Shaft made in China. Assembled in China." I recently bought two new Cleveland wedges (boy do I love 'em!). When I was at the store I noticed that the exact same wedge was available with two different shafts: One a True Temper wedge shaft and the other a Cleveland 'TrAction' shaft. The one with the TT shaft had a sticker: "Head made in China. Shaft made in USA. Assembled in USA." While the TrAction shafted model's shaft was made in Taiwan. I was buying both a 56 and 60 wedge, and the only way I could have both wedges with matching shafts was to pick the one made in Taiwan. (The 'shaft guy' at the shop assured me there was no difference between them.) At least Cleveland is doing assembly in the USA, though some of their parts are still made in various parts of Asia; From what I have seen Nike's parts are all from China; And I would not be surprised if 90% of golf gear is made in China, Thailand, or Taiwan. I cannot be a snob because I am currently playing a basic set of clubs that was bought from Wal-Mart and was 100% made in China; This was a basic cost-saving measure because I had absolutely no idea I'd become as immediately hooked on golf as I did. But with the options readily available, I will always buy gear made and assembled in the USA first. Are there any gear companies 100% born and built in the USA? Do all manufacturers use shafts from Asia? For that matter, are the big golf grips made in the USA - If I were buying what I thought was an 100% American made club, would I be surprised to find that the grip was made in China? In today's world I'd like to support a homegrown company first. What do you guys think about this subject?

[teal]

As a veteran, I would much rather buy Made in the USA. Can I all the time? I don't know but it is something I do look for.

[joshtpa]

Although I agree with some stuff above and disagree with others, this topic is very political. Slippery slope. Nike is a homegrown company. They survive and thrive by having their stuff built elsewhere. Just like many other companies. USA is a wonderful place. But it is also filled with gaping holes in the economic structure. Most companies including my own simply cannot afford to have a staff made up here. All of my call centers are overseas, because they have to be, not because I want them to. So I understand wanting to keep it here. But I wouldnt be in business anymore if I did. If Nike and all these companies that are American companies manufactured and made their products here too, none of us could afford them. Take a look at GM auto recently? Most USA built products are struggling. Not necessarily because they are inferior, but because the cost is just too high and in the end, they cannot compete. Our tax system and wage laws are much different than overseas. Regardless of who is right or wrong, it sometimes comes down to economics and only economics.

[DDBowdoin]

is Ping the last major manufacturer left in the US? Personally it really pisses me off... companies simply continue to cut costs and continue to charge more and more for clubs. Honestly I'd prefer products made here in the US but its starting to become an issue of quality. Would I be opposed to a forging made in Japan? NO, because of their reputation for quality but I'm sick of crap being made in China and Taiwan.

I'd be happy to pay an extra 30 - 40 dollars to know something came from the US or another high quality source

[iacas]

is Ping the last major manufacturer left in the US?

Of golf clubs? Perhaps. Titleist makes all their golf balls in the U.S.

[DDBowdoin]

Yeah... I believe Ping is the only manufacturer who still has USA made Irons, Scotty Cameron and his putters are as well but other than I'm not sure

[nico002]

When was the last time you had a problem with a club made by a major manufacturer just because it was made in China?

Is made in the USA more marketable? Yes. Is it cooler? Probably. Will it actually be a higher quality club? No.

[golf_junkie27]

There was an article in Golf Digest about this very subject. Like another poster stated, it's just more economically viable. Would I like to see prices drop since the cost of manufacturing these products are lower? Sure. However, I live in a country that thrives on capitalism, which I fully support. Whatever the market will bare, so to speak.

[MunkeyGolfer]

It's plain and simple, money. The world thrives on it and in other countries the wages are low. The quality control is non-existent. And with nothing or no one regulating them, they can give the companies in the US a better price. Does it affect quality that things are made in other countries? I think so. Look at all of the toy recalls. Look at all of the pharmaceutical recalls. Right there in itself shows everyone that these companies are not regulated and don't care for the safety and well-being of it's customers.

I personally would love to buy what I can of goods made in the US. But until our country decides to level out the amount of goods being imported, it will always be cheaper to buy overseas. And with a slumping economy, I am watching my money very closely.

[MonkeyClaw]

Ping's irons are made in the USA. I prefer to buy from companies that keep their jobs in the US with less concern about where the profits go - but then again I'm a US citizen. If I was from Canada, I'd probably prefer jobs be kept in Canada. If I was a Chinese national, my life (as a consumer) would be much simpler...

I bought the G10's and this was an influence in my decision. They are wonderful clubs too. My wife will be getting new irons before too long, and she will be getting Ping's. Obviously if they were an inferior product or didn't meet my needs, I'd look at another manufacturer.

Ping doesn't make their drivers in the US - my driver is a Callaway, as is my 3w. I would still have gone with Ping but I had been looking at the Callaway FT-i. I'll probably go with Ping for my hybrids though.

[glebert]

I was going to say that maybe by going to a boutique company like Scratch you could get US made clubs, but I looked and their foundry is in Japan too. Louisville Golf has a big "Made in the USA" banner on their website but I could not confirm if this was all of it's clubs or just the persimmons, also sometimes "Made in the USA" means "assembled in the USA with parts from other places."

[MunkeyGolfer]

also sometimes "Made in the USA" means "assembled in the USA with parts from other places."

I am sure this probably happens, but there are regulations that are suppose to not allow a company to mislead consumers in to thinking the product is "Made in the USA". I have seen products that say "Assembled in the USA".

For a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S.

[GaijinGolfer]

Hi guys. I was just reading the thread about the new Nike wedges in the Tour Talk forum and golf_junkie27 made a post as follows:

Im not sure if you could say that they are 100% made in the USA, but Titleist makes their clubs and balls in the USA and their r&d; is done in the USA.

Ball Plant I: Acushnet Company 4 Slocum Street Acushnet, MA 02743 (800)225-8500 Ball Plant II: Acushnet Company 256 Samuel Barnett Blvd North Dartmouth, MA 02747 (800)225-8500 Ball Plant III: Acushnet Company 215 Duchaine Boulevard New Bedford, MA 02745 (800)225-8500 Custom Operations (Plant C): Acushnet Company 700 Belleville Avenue New Bedford, MA 02745 (800)225-8500 Clubs R & D: Acushnet Company 1818 Aston Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008 (760)930-2100 Clubs Assembly Facility & Clubs Sales: Acushnet Company 2819 Loker Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92010 (760)804-6500 Ive owned quite a few Titleist clubs and they all said, "MADE IN USA" on them. Thats one of the reasons I really like Titleist. They are an American company who makes their clubs and balls in the USA. No doubt their clothing and Footjoy shoes arent made in the USA though... I try to buy Ameirican whenever possible (or at least buy products made by American companies) because it really does matter. If we keep outsourcing everything to other countries because of cheap labor, before long the only jobs that you will be able to find in American are $8 an hour service jobs. According to Nike's website, the clubs and balls are made in the USA, China and Japan. I tried to look up some other companies. Taylormade's website didnt say, but it did say that they are owned by Adidas AG and the company's yearly revenue is listed in Euros, so I wouldnt call them American. I tried to look up Ping, but my computer freezes up every time I try to load their webpage, so I cant tell you that one.

[clemsontiger]

I like stuff that is made in USA. quality control is better. No offense.

[DDBowdoin]

I thought a lot of tileist gear reads "assembled in mexico"

[clemsontiger]

I thought a lot of tileist gear reads "assembled in mexico"

It does, but at least it is designed in US and owned in US, i think. Dont tell me if I am wrong. I like to think that.

Then with Mizuno, it is designed in Japan and made in US.

[DDBowdoin]

I've always found that funny... "designed" in the USA... obviously! I dont think a 14 year old Thai worker is designing the flange on my new putter lol

[joshtpa]

I've always found that funny... "designed" in the USA... obviously! I dont think a 14 year old Thai worker is designing the flange on my new putter lol

I dont know if we need to say that....Most likely a 14 year old worker from anywhere could not design it...I dont think a persons ethnicity makes them smart or not.