Not sure if this is the correct forum but while looking for some golfing quipment like clubs and bags I've noticed that major golf brands like Callaway, Nike, Ping etc will not allow golf shops to advertise the price of their current products. I know you can with discontinued products.

Why is that? It's a bit frustrating having to physically go into all the shops and find the price when it would be easy for me to "shop" around on their web sites before physically having to enter in the shops. I would like to be able to shop around and find out the best deals from the comfort of my chair. You can't even ring them to find out what their price is!

Simple. They want to get you in the store to see and try their product.

Some shops won't even quote a club over the phone these days...

They are protecting their resellers. No one will retail their product if users can sit at home and price-match their wares without leaving the house. Half the problem retail golf stores face is getting butts through their doors.

Who cares about them, what about the consumer.

Without letting consumers know the prices b4 hand it ruisn the whole thing.

Price matching keeps it real and keeps competition between retailers which is soo important, especially in the golf industry.

Its such a pain in a a** have to go all the way to a shop only to find out the price is a way to high.

QUOTE: mattlach @ May 9 2007, 08:10 PM

Who cares about them, what about the consumer.

Without letting consumers know the prices b4 hand it ruisn the whole thing.

Price matching keeps it real and keeps competition between retailers which is soo important, especially in the golf industry.

Its such a pain in a a** have to go all the way to a shop only to find out the price is a way to high.

then do yourself a favour...find a retailer that you like, maybe green grass or an off course one, and stick to it. if you are buying a bit of gear, and through the same people, they will start giving you the best prices regardless. most retailers are looking for repeat business and they will reward you for it

QUOTE: mattlach @ May 9 2007, 08:10 PM

Who cares about them, what about the consumer.

Without letting consumers know the prices b4 hand it ruisn the whole thing.

Price matching keeps it real and keeps competition between retailers which is soo important, especially in the golf industry.

Its such a pain in a a** have to go all the way to a shop only to find out the price is a way to high.

Nothing personal, but the consumer has brought this problem squarely onto his own shoulders.

Guys who like golf tend to like hanging out in golf shops. Handle the gear, shoot the sh1t with the golf guy. This experience will soon become unavailable. Unless consumer attitudes change you will have a choice of the major chains (blech. No fun dealing with a rude spotty youth who knows Jack about the game) or the internet.

The process of Green Grass outlets changing from golf shops to milk bars is well under way.

Right know the major manufacturers have one of the Golf Pro's knackers in a vice like grip, and the consumer on the internet is squeezing the other.

I'm a realist. Golf retail needed a shake up. It's had one. You now have a choice. Support your Pro, or lose the service. Nobody wants a free ride - but the realistic consumer has to recognise that those demo clubs, and the (really crappy) income of your pro and his staff are expenses of business. The half hour you spend talking golf costs money.

Be prepared to pay 5-10% over the internet price, or get used to a world without pro shops. Your choice.

QUOTE: packard @ May 10 2007, 10:13 AM

Nothing personal, but the consumer has brought this problem squarely onto his own shoulders.

Guys who like golf tend to like hanging out in golf shops. Handle the gear, shoot the sh1t with the golf guy. This experience will soon become unavailable. Unless consumer attitudes change you will have a choice of the major chains (blech. No fun dealing with a rude spotty youth who knows Jack about the game) or the internet.

The process of Green Grass outlets changing from golf shops to milk bars is well under way.

Right know the major manufacturers have one of the Golf Pro's knackers in a vice like grip, and the consumer on the internet is squeezing the other.

I'm a realist. Golf retail needed a shake up. It's had one. You now have a choice. Support your Pro, or lose the service. Nobody wants a free ride - but the realistic consumer has to recognise that those demo clubs, and the (really crappy) income of your pro and his staff are expenses of business. The half hour you spend talking golf costs money.

Be prepared to pay 5-10% over the internet price, or get used to a world without pro shops. Your choice.

well said.

saving $50 on the internet buying gear is great, but come the day you want to send it back to the manufacturer for any reason, and any shop will say send it back to where you bought it from...your stuffed.

not shop will deal with it if you havn't bought it from there.

They are just prolonging the inevitable.
You dont need to leave your house anymore.
Why go to a store when you can buy online?
The reviews from experts online are almost as good as trying it out for yourself.

Why go to the golf course when you can play against (or as) tiger woods at home?
You can save $2k a year so spend on a big tv and get a Wii and look like a tool swinging a little white plastic dildo in your lounge room.
Just open the windows for a bit of fresh air and voila. No flies, no sunburn, no skin cancer, no chaffing, no waiting for the slow idiot ahead.

Sounds perfect to me

The answer is simple yesterday i had a customer who was buying a r7 425 from a chain store for 600 ish when i showed him the exact same club and the price i could do it for he went nuts saving 150 just should not be that easy.

Value for money and service is what customers deserve but its not what they are getting here in Oz.

As for the Poor little PGA guy the pga keeps training glorified choppers to call themselves PGA pro's who will never win toilet paper one day there will be an oversupply and they will collapse in their own dung heap.

QUOTE: packard @ May 10 2007, 10:13 AM

Nothing personal, but the consumer has brought this problem squarely onto his own shoulders.

Be prepared to pay 5-10% over the internet price, or get used to a world without pro shops. Your choice.

I would like to offer a different point of view to this one, that it isn't the consumer that has brought it on, it's the Australian divisions of golf companies such as Nike & TaylorMade that force people to buy off the net and overseas.

Given the choice of buying off someone like Golfsmith (as opposed to ebay.com) and paying $530AUD for a Superquad driver delivered as opposed to over $100 more in shops ? Nike SUMO drivers for what, $499 or $599 ? Under $400 from the same store delivered ?

My brother ran a ProShop for several years but was constantly astounded that people could purchase genuine TaylorMade product and land it for cheaper than he could buy it himself.

Blame who you like, Callaway and Titleist are priced equally throughout the world, or so similarly that it isn't worthwhile to purchase o/s, why not ask TM and Nike Australia why ?

Greedy distributors ? wonder if they are going hungry ?

QUOTE: VJ Stinks @ May 9 2007, 05:59 PM

They are just prolonging the inevitable.
You dont need to leave your house anymore.
Why go to a store when you can buy online?
The reviews from experts online are almost as good as trying it out for yourself.

Why go to the golf course when you can play against (or as) tiger woods at home?
You can save $2k a year so spend on a big tv and get a Wii and look like a tool swinging a little white plastic dildo in your lounge room.
Just open the windows for a bit of fresh air and voila. No flies, no sunburn, no skin cancer, no chaffing, no waiting for the slow idiot ahead.

Sounds perfect to me

So what do we look like if we swing a little white dildo in our living room without the Wii or bigscreen?

QUOTE: VJ Stinks @ May 10 2007, 10:59 AM

Why go to the golf course when you can play against (or as) tiger woods at home?
You can save $2k a year so spend on a big tv and get a Wii and look like a tool swinging a little white plastic dildo in your lounge room.
Just open the windows for a bit of fresh air and voila. No flies, no sunburn, no skin cancer, no chaffing, no waiting for the slow idiot ahead.

Sounds perfect to me

funny as

Hi all

new to the forum,

I dont buy stuff from them if they dont want toput thier price up, anyway who is still buying gear from shops?

QUOTE: Fizzer @ May 10 2007, 09:59 PM

I dont buy stuff from them if they dont want toput thier price up, anyway who is still buying gear from shops?

People who want "customer service". That hour they spend with you is worth the extra $1000.

yeah it is, get fitted then buy SH of ebay

I have a young family so I cant afford pro shop prices on anything. I boughtall of mine of ebay. Yeah I might shave one or two shots off with properly fitted gear but hey I'm prepared to sacrifice that for a $1000 saving

QUOTE: Fizzer @ May 10 2007, 10:40 PM

yeah it is, get fitted then buy SH of ebay

I have a young family so I cant afford pro shop prices on anything. I boughtall of mine of ebay. Yeah I might shave one or two shots off with properly fitted gear but hey I'm prepared to sacrifice that for a $1000 saving

so hows things sven?

don't wanna use your old account?

QUOTE: grumpy_dog666 @ May 10 2007, 10:49 PM

so hows things sven?

don't wanna use your old account?

sorry mate I have no idea what your saying.

QUOTE: Fizzer @ May 10 2007, 10:40 PM

yeah it is, get fitted then buy SH of ebay

I have a young family so I cant afford pro shop prices on anything. I boughtall of mine of ebay. Yeah I might shave one or two shots off with properly fitted gear but hey I'm prepared to sacrifice that for a $1000 saving

same driver
same FW wood
same wedges
similar handicap
and similar views on buying gear...

coincidence?

I use golf shops for buying gloves, the odd shirt, shoes and that's about it.
I want the best price, simple as that.

I guess it's the same as everything in life. Pros and cons for both. It all depends on your situation and what you consider to be of the upmost importance. You can't knock anyone for doing what he/she thinks is best for him or herself.

I've basically put together a cheapo set because I'm a student and just getting back into golf after stopping at age 17 with a handicap of 17.

QUOTE: grumpy_dog666 @ May 10 2007, 11:35 PM

same driver
same FW wood
same wedges
similar handicap
and similar views on buying gear...

coincidence?

I think your making a funny mistake

QUOTE: grumpy_dog666 @ May 10 2007, 10:49 PM

so hows things sven?

sorry guys Im not the sven or whoever.

just joined. What did sven do??

sorry then - if you say your not sven, i'm willing to accept it. welcome to the forums and enjoy your stay!

i don't think we should drag another thread down - there have been a few that have gotten OT lately, so i will not go on about the sven incident.