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The golf explosion that started 25 years ago has faded and this is nothing more than a market correction that has been brewing for a while. While we can certainly give Tiger woods a lot of credit for turning eyes towards the game and helping it grow the growth started before he hit the scene and golf courses started popping up everywhere. Equipment manufacturers developed new technologies that allowed weekend duffers to hit the ball as far as the pros of the 60's did and they were able to charge outlandish prices for them. Greens fees at many CC's got out of hand as well.
To compound the problem most people who took up the game quickly realized that it is not as easy as it looks on the telly. So most folks bought equipment, played sporadically for a year or two and bailed out.
Planned obsolescence works in some industries when the good times are rolling, but eventually backfires when times get tight.
No surprise these companies are moving back to Apparel. Clothes and shoes wear out faster and you can sell more product continuously. A good set of clubs should last you a while and there's absolutely no need to keep buying a brand new set every year or two.
These companies over-produced and the market is flooded.
Still it is basically 3 "brands" that are being sold and they are only sold for $425, seems low to me
Planned obsolescence works in some industries when the good times are rolling, but eventually backfires when times get tight.
No surprise these companies are moving back to Apparel. Clothes and shoes wear out faster and you can sell more product continuously. A good set of clubs should last you a while and there's absolutely no need to keep buying a brand new set every year or two.
These companies over-produced and the market is flooded.
The next year model had the same exact design, different color scheme. $799...no way they could keep turning over their product line that quickly.
It does seem low, but probably market rate for a private equity firm that typically makes their money by stripping away the fat of the operation and reselling for a profit.
Idk about Ashworth and Adams, but TM certainly over produced...their model was new product every season (even if the stores were still stocked to the gills)...my TM irons were purchase at the end of the model year.
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This was 3 or 4 yrs ago. but these irons were $749 in the spring...***new model***., I bought them in DEC of the same yr for $350, ordered them fitted at that so they were not off the shelf stock.
The next year model had the same exact design, different color scheme. $799...no way they could keep turning over their product line that quickly.
Pretty ridiculous.
I get it if you have some fantastic new technological advancement, but you can't possibly have one every. single. year. Maybe once every 5-6 years, okay, I can believe these are slightly better than those.
I'm still playing with a set of Hogan blades
I bought my Irons in 1981 from the Golf Pro at Overbrook GC in Bryn Mawr Pa. I sucked then, I suck now. Goes to show you the equipment does not matter, it is the golfer.
I don't play nearly enough where any type of club would or wouldn't affect my game. So I really can't blame equipment for anything. Although I do and all but it really shouldn't mean squat to me.
I bought my Irons in 1981 from the Golf Pro at Overbrook GC in Bryn Mawr Pa. I sucked then, I suck now. Goes to show you the equipment does not matter, it is the golfer.