Calling all women, is the golf industry addressing your needs?

[DrvFrShow]

Shoe sizes. Michelle Wie is about 6'2 - 6'3" vs. her stated height of 6'0". Lexi Thompson is 6'0". There is no way these women wear size 10-1/2 to size 11 shoes. If they did they'd fall over. Nike and Puma must make specials for them in the colors.

Other apparel there is no problem. Pants I can get at other stores, although my Eddie Bauer source is about to dry up since they're getting out of women's casual. Good thing their stuff lasts a long time and I bought extra pairs last year, right?

Clubs: It's tough. The fact that I'm fitted for men's +1" isn't helping. They're quite heavy. D6 SW. While it's nice to feel the club head they require a bit of strength to take back. They're like swinging a hammer. I'd really have liked them around a D2. I could counterbalance them, but then that makes the whole club heavier, and they don't make counterbalance weight kits for graphite shafts, and that's a lot of lead tape on each club. At 62, I really felt the wear and tear on my shoulders this year, and am awaiting a visit with the orthopedist on Tuesday. I wonder if I'll need PEDs to keep hitting these things for the next 15 years or give up the game.

Women's irons are the same as men's except in different colors and shorter, more flexible shafts. Add the length and you're back with the same problem. Weight in the club head.

Chopping an inch off my driver dropped it from a D2 to a C8, and I can hit it further.

What's the solution? I don't know.

[Golf Girl]

Shoe sizes. Michelle Wie is about 6'2 - 6'3" vs. her stated height of 6'0". Lexi Thompson is 6'0". There is no way these women wear size 10-1/2 to size 11 shoes. If they did they'd fall over. Nike and Puma must make specials for them in the colors.

Other apparel there is no problem. Pants I can get at other stores, although my Eddie Bauer source is about to dry up since they're getting out of women's casual. Good thing their stuff lasts a long time and I bought extra pairs last year, right?

Clubs: It's tough. The fact that I'm fitted for men's +1" isn't helping. They're quite heavy. D6 SW. While it's nice to feel the club head they require a bit of strength to take back. They're like swinging a hammer. I'd really have liked them around a D2. I could counterbalance them, but then that makes the whole club heavier, and they don't make counterbalance weight kits for graphite shafts, and that's a lot of lead tape on each club. At 62, I really felt the wear and tear on my shoulders this year, and am awaiting a visit with the orthopedist on Tuesday. I wonder if I'll need PEDs to keep hitting these things for the next 15 years or give up the game.

Women's irons are the same as men's except in different colors and shorter, more flexible shafts. Add the length and you're back with the same problem. Weight in the club head.

Chopping an inch off my driver dropped it from a D2 to a C8, and I can hit it further.

What's the solution? I don't know.

If it wasn't for Eddie Bauer, I'd have to wear shorts or skirts all year. :)

I haven't thought about the weight differential between men and women's irons. I've hit with them for so long that I'd probably throw a women's club out of my hands!

[Jon Hoover]

Down here in South Florida there is an abundance of golf equipment, ladies, men's, lefties what ever you want heck the PGA superstore is the size of Cost Co anything you want you can find. Literally rows of ladies equipment. I play in a weekly league and there is 4 ladies in it. There is no technical difference between ladies equipment and men's senior equipment. One lady in our league can drive it 200-220 and is constantly winning skins with birdies, she uses i guess you'd call it men's clubs R11 driver, i think clubs are unisex you just have to get the shafts for your swing speed. I think most people just don't want to put for the time and effort to improve their game they get decent and are happy with where they are at, there is just a lot more men playing. More women play then people think, I've played with more then i can count.

[imsys0042]

I definitely think that there are gaps.   While a lot of club companies have ladies clubs, the selection is not as robust as men's clubs.   I agree that golf companies will go where the money is and more men probably play than women, but that creates a chicken and egg problem where women don't feel like they are on a level playing field with men.   I think there is plenty of apparel options, although I tend to find that if you are a woman who doesn't like "girly" colors to play golf in, your selection is limited.

Many courses don't have a good set of tees for the women.   I feel like they are tacked on and not a lot of thought was given to length and playability for women players.   A woman who hits the ball reasonably long has the choice of tees too short for them, or moving back to the men's tees and there might be holes where that is the right place.   And I mean that as either too long, or too short.  I know from experience that if I play from tees where several holes are outside my distance or too short to be reasonable that it's annoying.

I'm happy that my home course treats women members the same as men members.   No blackout times where women cannot play.  The pro shop has a large section for women's apparel.   There are a lot of women's events.   Youth programs have a nice mix between girls and boys.   In fact last month I played with a 16 year old young woman who was scratch for a few holes.  Really nice to see.   I hate it when women feel intimidated or less than equal at golf courses.   I've played with many and they are no better/worse than the men.

[vangator]

I've only played with a couple of women in the past 10 years or so. One was ridiculously long and good. She was a one handicap. She played the blues with us and usually beat us. Constantly out drove us and I'm typically in the 275 range off the tee. And she's 5'4 120lbs. I'm not kidding. Would have went pro but she blew out her back her junior year in college. Played some scrambles with her teeing from the reds. Wasn't fair. :-) On one par 5, the reds were about 120 yards in front of the men's tees. I won the long drive on the hole with a 310 yarder. I picked it up because her drive from the reds was 50 yards in front of mine. Hit a 9 iron into the green. :-) I neglected to tell the prize committee we didn't use my drive, :-) Also played a scramble with Brittany Lincicome in the group right behind us. She was still in HS at the time. Man could she bomb the ball. And could stick her irons. And she was quite shapely at the time.

[Vinsk]

I've only played with a couple of women in the past 10 years or so. One was ridiculously long and good. She was a one handicap. She played the blues with us and usually beat us. Constantly out drove us and I'm typically in the 275 range off the tee. And she's 5'4 120lbs. I'm not kidding. Would have went pro but she blew out her back her junior year in college. Played some scrambles with her teeing from the reds. Wasn't fair. :-) On one par 5, the reds were about 120 yards in front of the men's tees. I won the long drive on the hole with a 310 yarder. I picked it up because her drive from the reds was 50 yards in front of mine. Hit a 9 iron into the green. :-) I neglected to tell the prize committee we didn't use my drive, :-) Also played a scramble with Brittany Lincicome in the group right behind us. She was still in HS at the time. Man could she bomb the ball. And could stick her irons. And she was quite shapely at the time.

So she drove it 240? Not ridiculously long and if you average 275 I don't see her constantly out driving you. Not razzing your fondness of her, I've played with many good women players ...but never was "ridiculously long" a phrase that would ever describe any of them.

[Golf Girl]

Curious....what's ridiculously long for a female golfer (non pro that is). I'm close to even of past the guys in my group pretty consistently.

[billchao]

So she drove it 240? Not ridiculously long and if you average 275 I don't see her constantly out driving you. Not razzing your fondness of her, I've played with many good women players ...but never was "ridiculously long" a phrase that would ever describe any of them.

240 would be long for a woman. Not "ridiculously long" if you compare it to how far men can hit, but I'd consider it "ridiculously long" for a woman.

Here's a chart showing Trackman averages for tour players as a comparison:

Curious....what's ridiculously long for a female golfer (non pro that is). I'm close to even of past the guys in my group pretty consistently.

See above. If a player on the LPGA tour averages 220 carry, I'd consider that long for an amateur. Same if an amateur male golfer averaged 270 carry.

[Vinsk]

240 would be long Cfor a woman. Not "ridiculously long" if you compare it to how far men can hit, but I'd consider it "ridiculously long" for a woman. True. I was just being unnecessarily skeptical because at first he said she was playing the blues with him and out driving him regularly (he averaged 275). Then he marvels at a drive of hers that was 240. No biggie, I'm just being annoying.

[vangator]

That drive wasn't one of her longest. It was probably more than a 50 yard distance. That was a guess. The bottom line was my ball was in my pocket. Many a time I would catch a drive well and she would out drive me. Kind of humbling. She came in second in the state amateur a few years back.

[k-troop]

That drive wasn't one of her longest. It was probably more than a 50 yard distance. That was a guess. The bottom line was my ball was in my pocket. Many a time I would catch a drive well and she would out drive me. Kind of humbling. She came in second in the state amateur a few years back.

But did she feel the golf equipment industry was meeting her needs. Like, she found exactly one manufacturer (Ping) that made a driver that met her specs (x-stiff, low spin) in a feminine color (pink), but they only make it in a left-handed model??

[DrvFrShow]

Well, my Game Golf numbers and GC2 numbers put me in the LPGA carry range. Now if I could only hit the ball on target, I'd have something. I'll carry 215-220 most of the time with my driver. If I put some extra heat on it I can get 230 carry (like on a wide open fairway), but that's about it. I don't want to swing like that all day.

But did she feel the golf equipment industry was meeting her needs. Like, she found exactly one manufacturer (Ping) that made a driver that met her specs (x-stiff, low spin) in a feminine color (pink), but they only make it in a left-handed model??

Ping probably sponsored a pro who used a left handed pink model and had some extra heads around.

Cobra will assemble any of their clubs in women's colors with any shaft via direct order. It's finding a low spin driver head that's a problem - most of us don't swing fast enough to need one.

[vangator]

But did she feel the golf equipment industry was meeting her needs. Like, she found exactly one manufacturer (Ping) that made a driver that met her specs (x-stiff, low spin) in a feminine color (pink), but they only make it in a left-handed model??

She got her equipment free in college. She plays men's clubs. Titleist's I think. Plus both parents are doctors, so she had all the stuff she ever needed. Liked DT Solo though. That was weird. I throw those away. As far as women's equipment, play the same equipment men do. Get the right SW, shaft flex and grip size. You're done. There are so many low compression balls out there if that's what you're looking for.

[DrvFrShow]

She got her equipment free in college. She plays men's clubs. Titleist's I think. Plus both parents are doctors, so she had all the stuff she ever needed.

Liked DT Solo though. That was weird. I throw those away.

As far as women's equipment, play the same equipment men do. Get the right SW, shaft flex and grip size. You're done. There are so many low compression balls out there if that's what you're looking for.

Except for Ping and Callaway, they're usually the same heads. The Cobra stuff is just higher loft adjustment. It's just the shaft flex, length, and grips that are different.

NOTE: Do not go by what the LPGA pros use. They get entirely different stuff than what we see in the stores.

[Spitfisher]

My wife and I started golf at the same time, and we play probably 120+ rounds/year together.   Since I am the golf equipment supplier for both of us, I can tell unequivocally that golf industry does not cater to women adequately.   There is far less choice of everything from golf gloves to driver.   For example, it's almost impossible to find a pair of golf shoes that fits my wife's.  There aren't too many good choice for golf balls either and she ended up favoring Bridgestone E6.  The list goes on and on.   This is probably b/c the market is far too small compare to men's.

Golf courses are even worse.  On one course we frequented, there were no properly built women's tee boxes.   They were just small mounds in middle of fairway.   Hole yardage seems to be done at random.

Your average male golfer doesn't carry the ball 185 yards with a driver, how far do you think the average women carrys their ball with a driver?   I'll give you a clue, maybe 130 yards. They likely hit their 3 wood further. That is one reason why their are not alot of drivers available for women,simple design would be at least a 12 degree and maybe a 14- but again with the added physical length of the driver they will square up much better and easier with a 3 wood.  Shafts for drivers would have to be <50 grams. So from a manufacturing stand point there is only so much they can do with a small audiance that doesn't swing any faster than 70 MPH CHS

15 men for every 1 female golfer

as far as balls go, there are hundreds of softer balls models.  I also subcribe to the fact that the difference of distance between a 5 year old pinnacle ( or any advertised long ball) and a proV1 ( of any premium ball forthat mattter)  distance wise is under 10 feet for most of us.  Now a 95 mph club head speed with an 8,9,pw,gap etc. that is an entirely different conversation between the two balls.The two balls on the market she should try for high spin and soft whould be the taylormade projectA and the cally chome soft. These same balls would be very suitable for the average male golfer as well.

The lack of tee boxes for  women on the course that you frequent , Im not sure why, when was it built or renovated?  My guess in the early 90s at the latest.  Make a recommendation to the pro or owner that the course be re-rated to include the forward tee marker by the governing body. If its a muni course use a lazer or gps to determine distances.    Womens course length should be in the 4500-5100 range

[Spitfisher]

Except for Ping and Callaway, they're usually the same heads. The Cobra stuff is just higher loft adjustment. It's just the shaft flex, length, and grips that are different.

NOTE: Do not go by what the LPGA pros use. They get entirely different stuff than what we see in the stores.

With very few exception are there womens heads,besides color I have never seen one in tournement play. all of taylormades for example are the same heads.

They get the same heads as men, just a different shaft, for example Stace lewis uses an TM R1 head, with a graphite design AD di6 shaft  so yeah you won't find that off the shelf for men either. Its custom and part of a fitting process for her and Male players too.

[Lihu]

My daughter uses senior flex clubs cut down. I joked that she could just paint them pink or purple. :-P My wife uses her Callaway Solaire set from years ago. Not enough stuff for women and lefties of either gender. . .

[newtogolf]

My daughter uses senior flex clubs cut down. I joked that she could just paint them pink or purple.

My wife uses her Callaway Solaire set from years ago.

Not enough stuff for women and lefties of either gender. . .

Lefties have it bad, females have it worse, left handed females must really have a limited selection