Am I the only.....

[Fourputt]

... semi-serious player here who isn't worried about putting a scratch or ding in a golf club? I buy them to USE them. They hit ball off of the ground, and when done correctly will penetrate the surface of the ground. That means that they will sometimes impact a pebble, and they will definitely scrape through sand, etc. I've played many shots over the years from gravel paths and maintenance roads when the drop option would make the ball virtually unplayable. I consider that to be part of the game, and although I keep my clubs clean, the scratches and dings are battle scars that I am proud to display.

Maybe it's because I don't buy my clubs with the intent of trading them off in 5 months like so many forum golfers do. Once I'm finished with a set, there isn't much value left in them, and that's fine with me. I will have used them for 5 or 6 years by then, and even in pristine condition for that age they wouldn't be worth much. I always feel that I got my money's worth out of them, so whether I hand them off to a junior golf program or just sell them at a garage sale, they will have served me well.

I'm the same way with my car. I take good care of it, but I bought my previous vehicle new in 1989 and drove it until 2003. I traded in that 14 year old Toyota truck and got the Honda I drive now. This one is just getting comfortable after 6 years... barring a major catastrophe I'll have it for at least 6-8 more years, and it will serve me well. But when it comes time for a new car, my 2003 Accord V-6 Coupe won't be worth much any more.

The same is true of my (now) shiny new AP2 irons. They will look and be well used when the time comes for a change, and I'm ok with that.

[GDWindowpane]

You're not alone... I put another good ding in my Cleveland CG14 yesterday. Rock was barried under rough, couldn't see it. I felt it when I hit though. Ended up with a birdie on the hole so it was worth it.

[Bump-n-MI]

  Fourputt said:

... semi-serious player here who isn't worried about putting a scratch or ding in a golf club?

Nope. Although "idiot" marks bother the hell out of me.

  Fourputt said:

I buy them to USE them.

As do I. I'll keep a set for 3-4 years until I'm ready for new ones...never been concerned about resale.

[earn_h]

I could care less what happens to my irons or what they look like as long as they get the job done. I do however take care of them, I do what I can to stop bag chatter and try to avoid scratches but it is not the end of the world if they get banged up. Lets just say I don't think about it.

[iacas]

  Fourputt said:

I buy them to USE them.

Ditto.

  Bump-n-MI said:

Nope. Although "idiot" marks bother the hell out of me.

Agreed, but that's not a "battle scar you're proud of" - kind of the opposite, really.

  earn_h said:

I could care less what happens to my irons or what they look like as long as they get the job done.

[petpeeve]How much less could you care?[/petpeeve]

[Shindig]

Seriously! I keep getting asked where the 3-iron and PW are in my set. I bought my set 4-9, and then bought a FLI HI 3 and wedge PW. People tell me this will adversely affect the resale value of my clubs, to not have the full set. I can't imagine why this should affect which I purchase. Maybe - maybe - if an option on a car purchase affected resale value 10 years down the road, I would consider it, but not for golf clubs. Not unless I'm buying those super-expensive clubs with diamonds in the cavity.

I have no idea what I'm doing with my irons when I'm done with them, but that's far off and I can't imagine wanting to sell them. I can imagine wanting to have a garage with a couple of loaner sets in it for when my friends come into town and want to play.

[TyCobb]

Apparently, money is not an issue for most people here. Good for you. But for me, if I'm spending $400 or more for some irons, you're damn right I am going to take care of them. Maybe it's just me being a college kid, but that's a lot of money to me to just abuse them and not look after them.

[Eeryck]

I think your mentality about the nature, use and value of things is perfectly reasonable Fourputt.

I think you can easily value your clubs in this fashion because you get the use and enjoyment out of them that they were intended for.

For many, I suspect that because they are constantly exposed to "consumerism" they are looking for the "next" or "newer" or "better" thing. They are always concerned with what they paid and what it is worth when they want something different. Never just being happy with the fact that they have a suitable tool to complete the job.

What Fourputt described about usage, I don't think is reasonble to consider abuse. While the cost may be considered "high" for golf equipment, I would spin it slightly differently. Say you were to splurge and pay $2000 for a complete set of clubs. It would be reasonable to play it for 5-years at 60 rounds per year. That is 300 rounds or $6.67 per round cost for equipment. If you walk and pay ~$35 green fee that is ~$41.67 per round. Say you are fortunate enough to have 4 hour rounds that is ~$10.41 per hour for your entertainment, less if you "enjoy" 5-hour or longer rounds (which most here don't).

While the cost up front could be considered high, if you were to look at it over time, I think it is hard to argue that at ~$6.67 per round you did not get the value out of your clubs.

Regards,
-E

[st0wgolf08]

  iacas said:

Ditto.

seriously. Big pet peeve of mine too. People, if you could care less, that means you care somewhat. If you couldn't care less, that means you don't care.

[earn_h]

  st0wgolf08 said:

seriously. Big pet peeve of mine too. People, if you could care less, that means you care somewhat. If you couldn't care less, that means you don't care.

Pet peeve of mine is people who complain about their pet peeves.

If you read my post you would understand that I do in fact somewhat care.

[lumpuckeroo]

I try to keep my clubs looking decent, but I buy them to be played and expect some wear and tear and don't worry when it happens. My last set I played 7 or 8 years.

[Fourputt]

  TyCobb said:

Apparently, money is not an issue for most people here. Good for you. But for me, if I'm spending $400 or more for some irons, you're damn right I am going to take care of them. Maybe it's just me being a college kid, but that's a lot of money to me to just abuse them and not look after them.

I didn't see anyone here who condones abuse. But most of us buy them to use them in the way that golf clubs are expected to be used, and that doesn't mean treating them like a lead crystal wine glass. I've read so many posts in the past by players who seem more concerned about the resale value of their clubs than they are about the useful functionality of them while they own them. I don't think I've ever bought anything in my life for my own use where my primary concern was resale value.

Certainly when I buy a car, I have some interest in the eventual trade in value, but at the same time, I'm not going to buy a car that I can't afford, or a car that I don't like, just because the model has high demand in the used car market. I'm going to list the ones I want, then evaluate them on several points, only one of which is resale value.

[TyCobb]

It's not just the resale value, but if I buy something I am going to take care of them while I'm using it. It lasts longer and looks better. I'm the same with shoes, my truck, etc.

[cigarnut81]

No you are not! I never roll my ball out of the rocks and slot of times I take that lie on the cart path. Golf clubs are designed to be pounded into the ground and I pound them into the ground! The only time I take relief from rocks is if I can not advance the ball in a reasonable direction!

[ACE]

I agree, clubs should not be bought to make aprofit from them.. unless you are a buyer, or are using them to win money off guys at the course.

However, I really dont like making a ding in my putter...

[Fourputt]

  ACE said:

I agree, clubs should not be bought to make aprofit from them.. unless you are a buyer, or are using them to win money off guys at the course.

Absolutely... excellent point. I treat my putter like fine crystal... but then it isn't designed to be swung at speeds approaching or exceeding 100 mph and hitting the ground at those speeds. I see most clubs in the same vein as a butcher's cleaver, designed to hack and chop with brute force. But the putter is more like a surgeons scalpel... intended for precision cutting, and I handle my putter that way (and to some extent, I treat my wedges that way, too).

[TheLauncher]

I have no problems with what happens to my clubs in the course of normal play, or in being carried by myself or a cart. To me it comes down to vanity versus utility. Don't get me wrong, I like my stuff to look good. I keep it clean and am careful not to abuse it unnecessarily. But scratches and dings don't affect playability and that's what matters.

This conversation reminds me of two things. First is the kid in grade school that would get a new box or crayons, but wouldn't use them so as not to wear down the nice fine point. Why not just get a picture of crayons then? You shure as hell won't be drawing one.

Second is a golf joke that I think works here. Two friends are playing together with a friendly wager on the round. One player finds his ball in the middle of a gravelly roadway and asks his partner if he can move it. When the partner answers that they've agreed play it as it lies, the guy addresses his ball with determination. He take a mighty swing, sparks and gravel fly everywhere, the ball lands on the green and takes two hops to within three feet. The partner says "hey, that was a great shot, what club did you hit?" And he says, "your five iron."

[Ben]

Dings and scratches suck, but they're innevitable. I don't go out of my way to bang my clubs up. I've had my X forged for about 6 months now, and they are starting to get a little on the too banged up side. But, I use the things everyday. Again, innevitable.