Golf clothing is overpriced

[djanchik]

While working for a promotional products company, I often did research into finding Chinese manufacturers for products.  One of the products I looked into was polo shirts.  Here's the breakdown from my research: Cost: 1,000 pieces: $7.21 Shipping / pc: $0.30 Total cost per piece: $7.51 Factoring in that the major golf clothing companies are manufacturing 10,000 pieces per run, this would bring the cost down to $6.43 /pc Now look at how much they're charging (taken from golfsmith.com) Puma: $80 Nike: $80 Travis Matthew: $80 Footjoy: $72 Adidas: $65 Obviously they have a lot of marketing costs and player endorsement costs to factor in, but seriously - these guys are marking polos up 900 - 1,200% I see a HUGE opening for a golf clothing company to come out there with $15 - $20 quality/cool polos.

[djanchik]

This a company I just bought from that puts their stuff on sale 50-70 percent off. Let me pullout my cc bill and see if I can remember the name

[meenman]

While working for a promotional products company, I often did research into finding Chinese manufacturers for products.  One of the products I looked into was polo shirts.  Here's the breakdown from my research: Cost: 1,000 pieces: $7.21 Shipping / pc: $0.30 Total cost per piece: $7.51 Factoring in that the major golf clothing companies are manufacturing 10,000 pieces per run, this would bring the cost down to $6.43 /pc Now look at how much they're charging (taken from golfsmith.com) Puma: $80 Nike: $80 Travis Matthew: $80 Footjoy: $72 Adidas: $65 Obviously they have a lot of marketing costs and player endorsement costs to factor in, but seriously - these guys are marking polos up 900 - 1,200% I see a HUGE opening for a golf clothing company to come out there with $15 - $20 quality/cool polos.

I wouldnt say that there is a huge opening to sell at those prices, you or I could do it selling out of our house or the back of our car. There are still R+D people to pay, the several layers of distribution and the retail outlets need a mark up too. Remember, once it comes from China it has to be stored somewhere, then shipped to company's warehouses and then onto retail, being handled each time. It is not like Golfsmith is sending 10000 Nike shirts to each of it's stores individually. Are they expensive to the average consumer? Yes, but there are more costs involved than picking it up from China and selling to the consumer.

[preisman]

I have plenty of cheap off brand polos and I have a couple of nice Nike polos. And I almost always wear the Nike stuff. They are just better. More confort overall. I have a $15 polo that the collar never stays down in the wind. Do you know how annoying it is to have your collar flap up in your face mid swing? It sucks. I also have another that sucks at moisture wicking. In the summer here it gets over 100 degrees and I need something that can handle the heat. So, as I do have cheap and high end polos, I perfer the top Nike shirts.

As for shorts/pants, I stick with the cheap stuff. Most places I play are not opposed to cargo shorts so I wear those. I have a pair of Nike shorts and pants, but got them for $25. And I just ordered a pair of IJP pants. I can't wait to try those out. I got them for $50, and I think most people would spend that much on a nice pair of troussers.

Are prices getting high, yes, but the quality is also improving. As long as the product is great I am fine spending $50 on a polo. Some of the designer stuff that is over $100, well that is designer and more like anything else that is designer. But, I think we would all find top quality clothes for less than $50 if you are patient. There are always sales.

[JET949]

As a new golfer, I'm under the impression that everything golf related is overpriced...

[indykappa]

Originally Posted by JET949

As a new golfer, I'm under the impression that everything golf related is overpriced...

jet, i'm a newbie and i feel the same way

i own around 5 or 6 moisture wicking/dri-fit style shirts.  4 of them came from burlington coat factory (around 9-14 bucks a pop) and the other 2 came from haggar mens clothing (around 12-18 bucks a pop).

they all work VERY well, but i have never worn a $70 golf polo from one of the major manufacturers to compare.  however, having played football and baseball thru college, i feel like i'm a pretty good judge of athletic apparel.  i have no problems with the quality (or fashion design) of the shirts that i currently own, and if i don't find a nike/ping/callaway/whatever shirt at that price range i will likely never purchase one.

and dammit, I KNOW I LOOK GOOD

[Liko81]

Of course they have ridiculous markups. It's golf; the people who have to care how they look on the course are the people who can afford to drop $80 on a polo.

It doesn't need to be a golf shirt. Any polo shirt that fits slightly loose to allow free range of motion will be perfectly fine for a round. Down here in Texas, color is more important than material; a white cotton polo will beat the starch out of any advanced moisture-wicking synthetic in a dark color. Even in the same color, I have fellow golfers who prefer cotton, because even though it holds moisture, it insulates against solar gain better. The poly fabrics may be breezier, but with no breeze, the heat from the sun goes right through the material onto your back and shoulders.

Most of the shirts I wear to the golf course were bought for some other purpose (usually work), and I pair them with casual khaki slacks (No shorts; cooler or not, they just don't work on me unless I'm poolside). I do have a couple of moisture-wicking, outdoor activity shirts purpose-bought for the course, but my only true golf shirt is black.

[forepoints]

Originally Posted by David in FL

You can find good quality, and even top brand-name polos all day long in the $20 range. Look at any of the many on-line golf discounters, or check out TJ Maxx or your local equivalent.

I second that. There are plenty of stores like Marshall's, Ross, TJ Max and even Target if you're looking for good quality polo shirts. I'm not knocking the stuff from China but the quality isn't quite there. The $5 shirts that you buy become disposable after the first wash.

[RickK]

About $45 is the max I will pay for a golf shirt.  Most of my 100 or so golf shirts cost around $25, were bought during store sales or at outlet mall.  I tend to have a lot of pro shop credit so every now an then I will get a $70 or so priced shirt but not paying cash out of pocket for it.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by RickK

About $45 is the max I will pay for a golf shirt.  Most of my 100 or so golf shirts cost around $25, were bought during store sales or at outlet mall.  I tend to have a lot of pro shop credit so every now an then I will get a $70 or so priced shirt but not paying cash out of pocket for it.

I'll happily pay $500 per golf shirt.  But I only own 5 of them, so it's OK. ;)

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

I'll happily pay $500 per golf shirt.  But I only own 5 of them, so it's OK. ;)

Boy, do I have a DEAL for you!

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Boy, do I have a DEAL for you!

I'm just amazed that somebody could actually own 100 golf shirts.  I'm not sure if own 100 pieces of clothing TOTAL, even if I get to count the socks as two.

[I guarantee you if I exclude everything I own that doesn't fit me I wouldn't reach 100.  You know, all of the "well it's a little snug now, but it's still in great shape and if I just lose a few pounds it'll fit great again" stuff.  That's probably 60% of my wardrobe. :)]

[Mr. Desmond]

I go to ebay,  rockbottomgolf, etc. for clothing finds. TGW has a sale section -finding the correct size is the problem.