Golf Club Pricing

[useless149149]

A couple of days ago I was looking back at the 2006 Golf Magazine Clubtest and it seemed like clubs today are cheaper than from a couple of years ago. Here's a bit of evidence that I think supports it.

Drivers, graphite shafted

2006
Callaway Fusion FT3: $500
Cleveland Launcher Ti460: $390
Cobra HS9: $480
Nike Sasquatch: $359
Ping G5: $350
Srixon W-506: $425
TaylorMade r7 425: $500
Tour Edge Exotics: $399

2007
Callaway Fusion FT5: $429 (-70)
Cleveland HiBore XL: $299 (-90)
Cobra Speed LD: $299 (-180)
Nike SasQuatch Sumo: $299 (-60)
Ping Rapture: $429 (+80)
Srixon Z-RW: $299 (-125)
TaylorMade r7 Draw: $299 (-200)
Tour Edge XCG: $399 (0)

Average price drop: $80.63


Fairway Woods, graphite shafted

2006
Callaway X: $250
Cobra HS9: $230
Nike SasQuatch: $159
Sonartec SS-2.5 Mid Face: $269
TaylorMade r7 TP: $500
Tour Edge Bazooka JMAX QL: $119

2007
Callaway Big Bertha: $199 (-50)
Cobra Speed LD: $225 (-5)
Nike SasQuatch 2: $199 (+40)
Sonartec GS Tour: $239 (-30)
TaylorMade r7 Draw: $179 (-320 )
Tour Edge Bazooka GeoMax: $149 (+30)

Average price drop: $55.83

Hybrids, graphite shafted

2006
Adams Idea a2: $199
Bridgestone J33 Utility: $249
Callaway FT: $250
Cleveland Halo: $129
Cobra Baffler Utility: $180
Ping G5: $215
TaylorMade Rescue Dual: $275

2007
Adams Idea a3 Boxer: $149 (-50)
Bridgestone Gravity Chamber: $149 (-100)
Callaway X: $159 (-90)
Cleveland HiBore: $179 (+50)
Cobra Baffler DWS: $149 (-30)
Ping Rapture: $209 (-5)
TaylorMade r7 Draw: $149 (-125)

Average price drop: $50.00

Iron and wedge data coming soon!

[Bowker]

Well, according to your useful stats on the prices, it appears they are steadily dropping.

I was thinking this anyway but I couldn't come up with past figures off the top of my head.

Seems pretty logical though.

[Guest]

i agree because companies that have been around and have been hot lately like taylormade and titleist have been raising there prices, which cause smaller companies to lower theirs...


and also if you guys could help me out, how do you post what you play with?

[Linkster]

Old pricing guides were based on MSRP. Now the companies have implemented the MAP, (min. advertised price) so it seems lower. EX. the new HiBore XLS MSRP is 400.00 but MAP is 299.00, MP-57, MSRP 1000.00 MAP. 849.00

[gogolfing]

I also read that in the past, companies would jack the price up when something was new and then drop it significantly at the end of the season when new product comes out. They found that people were just waiting to the end of the season to buy, so they dropped initial prices to entice people to buy sooner, and thus make the same money in the long run. While club prices obviously still drop after the club has been out for a while, the initial price is lower.

[Big_M]

I think there is another force at work as well...

OEM's are releasing clubs faster and faster... sometimes twice a year. The older clubs are ALWAYS a little cheaper. This means there are just more clubs out there at discounted prices. Also, as someone pointed out, even the newly released clubs are a little cheaper or the same in most cases.

[neudi]

If you are talking about clubs that came out 3 years ago but are still being made today are decreasing in price, but that is too the demand being lower and the fact that the technology is 3 years old. I agree with decreasing in that fashion. But with clubs that come out every year that are new I would say the prices have been around the same...Ping, Titleist, Callaway, all their drivers are 400-500 dollars...I work at a course as well, and the Ping Rep that comes in has a book with him. In this book there are 3 different colors, there is one color that says you can advertise the club at any price, one that says you have to advertise it at a certain price, and one that says it can't be lower than a price listed. If they find out you have broken the rules then they will actually cut off your ties to Ping and they will not allow you to sell their equipment anymore. Are all companies doing this or is it just ping at this point?

[Big_M]

If you are talking about clubs that came out 3 years ago but are still being made today are decreasing in price, but that is too the demand being lower and the fact that the technology is 3 years old. I agree with decreasing in that fashion. But with clubs that come out every year that are new I would say the prices have been around the same...Ping, Titleist, Callaway, all their drivers are 400-500 dollars...I work at a course as well, and the Ping Rep that comes in has a book with him. In this book there are 3 different colors, there is one color that says you can advertise the club at any price, one that says you have to advertise it at a certain price, and one that says it can't be lower than a price listed. If they find out you have broken the rules then they will actually cut off your ties to Ping and they will not allow you to sell their equipment anymore. Are all companies doing this or is it just ping at this point?

Pretty much all companies have a lowest allowed advertised price for at least some of their items for some period of time. This is why on some websites you must ADD TO CART to see the price of some items... apparently this is a sort of loophole.

[RunOfTheDill]

I didn't read the replys but the rapture isn't comparable to the g5. Now, the g10 is better and is only 300$ but thats not the point. Ping will release something to replace the rapture as a high end driver and im sure it will be the same price.

[MGP]

Golf club pricing is based almost solely on perceived value and what the market (golfers) are willing to pay.

The manufacturing cost difference between a top of the line driver and a bargain basement model from a given manufacturer is only a few dollars (I'm talking OEM shafts here, not premium "aftermarket" shafts). The price differences are strictly how they are advertised and sold and what people think they are worth.

[allin]

I think real world prices for most clubs are stable. Drivers might have decreased slightly, for awhile previously they had gone up rapidly. I do think the prices for mid priced and premium balls have increased, with the economy end unchanged.

[NM Golf]

I had to put gone up since I bought an $800 driver this year. Mind you I get them a lot cheaper than the general public but it still cost me nearly as much as a normal driver retails for.

Other than that I don't see prices going up all that much around the shop.

[Shindig]

I had to put gone up since I bought an $800 driver this year. Mind you I get them a lot cheaper than the general public but it still cost me nearly as much as a normal driver retails for.

$800 driver?? What on earth could it possibly have promised you for that kind of money? I haven't spent $800 on clubs total. Seriously, though... nice driver?

[clubmaker15]

Prices have been going up and not everyone is able to afford the clubs. Thankfully GolfWorks and Golfsmith have been selling quality products and very fair prices for everyone.

[clubmaker15]

Prices have been going up and not everyone is able to afford the clubs. Thankfully GolfWorks and Golfsmith have been selling quality products and very fair prices for everyone.

[TourSpoon]

I remember that in the 90s when Callaway was heavy into its Big Bertha line, Taylor Made had just gone from the Burner to Burner Bubbles, titanium was getting ready to come out, etc. that clubs were about the same that they were today. When Titanium debuted, the going prices were a little more but not too much different. What has changed? How about gas, housing, food, etc. In my mind golf equipment (woods and iron sets) is actually less if you consider inflation. $400 for a driver then was a lot more money than $400 for a driver today. Titleist Professional balls were $49 a dozen, today Pro-V1s are $45.

What has increased? Putters...You could buy a great putter under a $100, and you can today, but most tier one companys are over $100, some over $200. Wow.

[Big_M]

I remember that in the 90s when Callaway was heavy into its Big Bertha line, Taylor Made had just gone from the Burner to Burner Bubbles, titanium was getting ready to come out, etc. that clubs were about the same that they were today. When Titanium debuted, the going prices were a little more but not too much different. What has changed? How about gas, housing, food, etc. In my mind golf equipment (woods and iron sets) is actually less if you consider inflation. $400 for a driver then was a lot more money than $400 for a driver today. Titleist Professional balls were $49 a dozen, today Pro-V1s are $45.

you're right.... putters have gone up in price, while most other things have stayed the same or dropped... especially considering inflation. I don't buy new putters every few years like some people, but 14 years ago I bought a top of the line and it was about $80.00... you can't find them for that these days.

[golf_junkie27]

$800 driver?? What on earth could it possibly have promised you for that kind of money? I haven't spent $800 on clubs total.

Shindig,

It's a beautiful driver with a large MOI. That said, depending on the shafts and what type of player you are, $800 is cheap. I played two rounds of golf with two gentlemen that spent more than $800 on their shafts . One guy spent $1200 and the other spent $1000. Was the money worth it? For them, absolutely. I spent $230 on my shaft with the puring process. That was with a discount.