Opinion & Analysis
Costco “K Sig” golf ball buyers, don’t forget who you’re hurting
In today’s world of e-commerce, purchasing golf items online has become the most convenient way to shop. The thing that people don’t realize, however, is how much that purchasing tactic effects your local golf facility and the people who operate it.
Case in point, the Kirkland Signature golf balls from Costco. Sure, they are a 4-piece urethane golf ball at a price that no local golf shop will be able to match with a comparable golf ball, but by purchasing these golf balls you are directly effecting your local golf facility. Of course, every golfer wants the best product at the cheapest price, but public golfers and country club members also want a fully stocked pro shop with the latest and greatest equipment, and for the same retail prices they see at Dicks Sporting Goods, PGA Tour Superstore, and Martins.
Anytime you purchase something online to save a few dollars you are taking money away from your golf facility. Every golf facility in the world — public or especially private — needs financial support from their golfers. If you want your bunkers to look pristine, your greens to be cut and rolled, your food and beverage operation to succeed, then you must support the golf operations. Sure, Pro V1’s might be $5 more at your golf facility than online, but you are supporting your facility. Costco has carved a niche in the golf industry by selling a premium golf ball at an extremely discounted price. But imagine if everyone at your facility bought all of their products online, never ate in the restaurant and walked every time they played their golf course? At a private facility your caddie program would be gone faster than Gordon Hayward’s 2017 NBA season, and at a public facility they would have to raise their rates even more and offer less discounted options.
Admittedly, the “K Sig” is a good golf ball at an unbelievably discounted price. However, if you want your golf operation to succeed you must support it financially. The best golf clubs in the world have members who come into their golf shops and blindly purchase merchandise. Now, it is not fair to compare members of Seminole, Augusta, and Oakmont to the daily fee players at your local municipal golf course, but I can guarantee you these golf operations rely on their golfers purchasing things on site.
What does this all mean?
Next time you go to buy something golf-related online, at least consider how much this effects your local golf club and local golf professionals. If the golf course, food or staff is not up to your standards, what are you doing to help the operation? If everything you buy is online and you eat off premises, can you really justify complaining about the operation? More and more golf courses are either opening their doors to the public or closing their doors permanently because of financial reasons. Everyone wants a top-notch facility to play at with great service. This can only happen with financial support from their golfers. If you love Kirkland golf balls that much, buy a few online but do not forget to support your golf club in other ways.
Buy your glove and tees at the Pro Shop, indulge in a hot dog at the turn, tip the cart girl, and sleep easy knowing you did your part in supporting your local golf operation.
Club Junkie
Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie
On this episode of Club Junkie, I put the new Tour Edge Exotics Mini Driver to the test and break down the performance, forgiveness, distance, and where it fits compared to a traditional driver or strong fairway wood. If you have been curious about adding a mini driver to the bag, this one is worth a look.
I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.
Opinion & Analysis
AVL: We’re talking about practice! My best tips for taking your game to the course
With the beginning of June on the horizon and courses rounding into peak condition for the season, it’s time to hone the finer skills that often get rusty over the winter. More sunlight also means more time to get out on the course and work on your game.
Whether it’s the practice green or the driving range, there’s always something to improve—whether you’re enjoying the fresh air or preparing for a weekend game or tournament. You can work on drills or freestyle around the green, and friendly competition is a great way to sharpen your skills.
While there are endless ways to get better at golf, I’m going to focus on practicing around the green. Let’s take a look at a few things to keep in mind as we head into the summer months.
Drills
From the driving range to the practice green, it’s important to incorporate drills into your routine. Years ago, I spent a weekend working on my short game with James Sieckmann. He recommended doing drill work for 5–10 minutes, then returning to your main practice.
This way, you create a balance between structured drills and real-world scenarios, so you’re not confined to “perfect” situations. For example, hitting the same three-foot putt over and over is good for repetition, but after a while, it becomes less interactive for your brain.
My approach is to use a putting trainer with a narrow gate for the ball to pass through, or simply place tees just outside the width of the ball. I’ll hit a series of four putts through the gate for three sets. Then, from a similar distance, I’ll hit four putts without the training aid and repeat that sequence three times.
Next, I’ll hit a number of 15–25 foot putts in a random fashion, then circle back to repeat the short putt drills with and without the training aid.
This breaks up the rhythm of hitting short putts with the training aid. When you hit the same short putts over and over, it’s easy to get into a groove—which is great for the drill, but not reflective of actual course play. While finding a rhythm is fundamental for drills, I like to introduce variation with longer putts to keep things realistic.
Game Mode
Once you’ve established a foundation with drills, it’s time to simulate on-course scenarios. This is where a few practice games come in handy.
One that I’ve been enjoying lately involves putting 10- to 15-footers with two balls. If I make the putt, great! If I miss, I pull the missed ball back a putter length. Suddenly, that little tap-in becomes a nerve-wracking three-footer—at least at first. As you get better at this game, those three- and five-footers become much more comfortable and routine.
It may sound cliché, but each shot is just what it is—it’s how we react that makes the difference. I like this game because it blends the pressure of on-course putting with the consequence of leaving yourself a much longer putt than usual.
Another game I like is one I recently learned from Brad Faxon. Place three tees in a line at four different locations around the hole: one at 3 feet, one at 6 feet, and one at 8 feet. The 3- and 6-foot putts count as par, and the 8-footer is for birdie.
This game keeps you focused on scoring and helps you get into a competitive mindset. You can even think about this putting game while you’re on the course. I just started playing it, and last week I couldn’t get better than two under par.
Competition
Competition during practice is when drills and games come to life, and you start to see results. For me, nothing beats a putting contest with a friend or two. In the right setting, these contests can become talking points for the whole season.
Match play, a game of 21, or simply seeing who can make the most one-putts (with a small prize on the line) are all great ways to simulate real on-course pressure. Recently, I played in a putting contest where one competitor made back-to-back 30- and 50-foot putts. As they say, expect your opponent to make every putt—and he nearly did. That’s impressive, and it’s something you see on the course, too: you have to stay committed to your game plan, no matter what.
When it comes to practice, it’s important to blend feedback from recent rounds with the fundamentals you want to reinforce. Drills, games, and competition—from the driving range to the putting green—form the backbone of skills you’ll rely on during actual rounds.
Finding the right balance is something we’re all working on, one practice session at a time. With the beginning of June on the horizon and courses rounding into peak condition for the season, it’s time to hone the finer skills that often get rusty over the winter. More sunlight also means more time to get out on the course and work on your game. Whether it’s the practice green or the driving range, there’s always something to improve—whether you’re enjoying the fresh air or preparing for a weekend game or tournament. You can work on drills or freestyle around the green, and friendly competition is a great way to sharpen your skills. While there are endless ways to get better at golf, I’m going to focus on practicing around the green. Let’s take a look at a few things to keep in mind as we head into the summer months.
Drills
From the driving range to the practice green, it’s important to incorporate drills into your routine. Years ago, I spent a weekend working on my short game with James Sieckmann. He recommended doing drill work for 5–10 minutes, then returning to your main practice. This way, you create a balance between structured drills and real-world scenarios, so you’re not confined to “perfect” situations. For example, hitting the same three-foot putt over and over is good for repetition, but after a while, it becomes less interactive for your brain.
My approach is to use a putting trainer with a narrow gate for the ball to pass through, or simply place tees just outside the width of the ball. I’ll hit a series of four putts through the gate for three sets. Then, from a similar distance, I’ll hit four putts without the training aid and repeat that sequence three times. Next, I’ll hit a number of 15–25 foot putts in a random fashion, then circle back to repeat the short putt drills with and without the training aid.
This breaks up the rhythm of hitting short putts with the training aid. When you hit the same short putts over and over, it’s easy to get into a groove—which is great for the drill, but not reflective of actual course play. While finding a rhythm is fundamental for drills, I like to introduce variation with longer putts to keep things realistic.
Game Mode
Once you’ve established a foundation with drills, it’s time to simulate on-course scenarios. This is where a few practice games come in handy. One that I’ve been enjoying lately involves putting 10- to 15-footers with two balls. If I make the putt, great! If I miss, I pull the missed ball back a putter length.
Suddenly, that little tap-in becomes a nerve-wracking three-footer—at least at first. As you get better at this game, those three- and five-footers become much more comfortable and routine. It may sound cliché, but each shot is just what it is—it’s how we react that makes the difference. I like this game because it blends the pressure of on-course putting with the consequence of leaving yourself a much longer putt than usual.
Another game I like is one I recently learned from Brad Faxon. Place three tees in a line at four different locations around the hole: one at 3 feet, one at 6 feet, and one at 8 feet. The 3- and 6-foot putts count as par, and the 8-footer is for birdie.
This game keeps you focused on scoring and helps you get into a competitive mindset. You can even think about this putting game while you’re on the course. I just started playing it, and last week I couldn’t get better than two under par.
Competition
Competition during practice is when drills and games come to life, and you start to see results. For me, nothing beats a putting contest with a friend or two. In the right setting, these contests can become talking points for the whole season. Match play, a game of 21, or simply seeing who can make the most one-putts (with a small prize on the line) are all great ways to simulate real on-course pressure. Recently, I played in a putting contest where one competitor made back-to-back 30- and 50-foot putts. As they say, expect your opponent to make every putt—and he nearly did. That’s impressive, and it’s something you see on the course, too: you have to stay committed to your game plan, no matter what.
When it comes to practice, it’s important to blend feedback from recent rounds with the fundamentals you want to reinforce. Drills, games, and competition—from the driving range to the putting green—form the backbone of skills you’ll rely on during actual rounds. Finding the right balance is something we’re all working on, one practice session at a time.
For Korean golfers, we always look forward to the last of the kkot-saem-chu-I for the true start of a new golf season. The term refers to a cold snap, but literally translates as “winter being jealous of the flowers beginning to bloom, thus lashing out one final time before surrendering to spring”.
A rather poetic mouthful packed into a short expression.
Koreans can be like that. Understated, yet oddly expressive at the same time. And nowhere is this more true on the golf course and in our golf bags. In fact, I suspect many Korean golfers look forward to new apparel and accessory drops more than they do actual equipment launches each year.
At this point, Korean golf fashion may exist on its own timeline. (courtesy of @seonbi_golfer)
There is ample evidence to support that suspicion. Korea is the world’s third-largest golf market behind the United States and Japan, yet its appetite for golf apparel exceeds that of both countries combined. Recent estimates suggest that Korea accounts for nearly 40 percent of the global golf apparel market, placing it among the world’s most influential golf fashion markets and punching well above its size.
Simply, we care deeply about how new golf clubs look and feel, but enjoy looking good while swinging them even more.
Golfers in the West may laugh and say that golf is played on a course, not a fashion runway. Perhaps. But what’s the harm in trying to look and feel good, if the added self-confidence can help actual performance? It certainly seems to have worked for Jason Day, who may have unlocked a new stats category: dormant strokes gained. Coincidence?
During the COVID-era, estimates placed the market near $9 billion, an astonishing figure for a single country.
As a proud member of Gen X, I’ve witnessed the highs and lows of golf fashion firsthand. The pleated trousers and wing-tipped shoes of Jack Nicklaus, the stylish plus-fours and knickers of Payne Stewart, the baggy black trousers and fitted mock-necks of Tiger Woods, and the thigh-hugging athletic tailoring of Rory McIlroy. Golf fashion, like the golf swing itself, has rarely stood still.
But nowhere have those trends shifted, evolved, and been scrutinized quite as relentlessly as in Korea. Here, golf fashion moves faster than fairway gossip, and consumers dissect brands with a level of discernment that can be both impressive and mildly terrifying. New brands are studied, judged, embraced, or dismissed with startling efficiency.
The result is a consumer base with one of the sharpest eyes for quality and authenticity anywhere in the world. It is difficult to quantify, but easy to recognize. Clean lines without trying too hard. Luxury mixed with utility. Trend awareness balanced by restraint and purpose.
It’s golf fashion shaped by one of the world’s most style-literate cities, something I like to call Seoul Sensibilities, referring to the taste level forged by a uniquely competitive environment.
And increasingly, global brands have noticed.
Many golf brands in Korea have their own flagship shops dedicated to apparel only
Titleist understood this years ago, when its apparel business in Korea took on a life of its own under new ownership and local direction. What had once been a straightforward extension of an iconic equipment giant became something sharper and more premium. By going all in on the serious Tour-player look (I couldn’t even fit into their XL sizes), Titleist struck the right chord with Korean consumers and helped its fledgling apparel business break into the mainstream. Titleist became a household name even for non-golfers who wore its caps, shirts, and windbreakers in daily life. In many ways, it proved that even heritage golf brands could carry real fashion credibility when viewed through a Korean lens.
Several years later, PXG took a page out of Titleist’s playbook and followed suit. Korean consumers helped transform the brand from one known largely for irons and loud commercials into something broader and more stylish. PXG apparel’s growth in Korea was explosive, where it found an early audience and turned the category into something more than mere logo merchandise. It is still hard to walk anywhere in Seoul without seeing its palindrome logo.
Malbon’s meteoric rise in the United States was genuine, but its ascent into a global golf lifestyle brand owes much to Korea, where it was elevated by a market already fluent in modern golf style. Korea did not simply embrace Malbon. It pressure-tested the concept, refined its appeal, and helped push it into the global spotlight.
As such, new brands may arrive from abroad, but more often than not, their sharpest evolution happens here. If a brand can earn credibility in Seoul, it’s deemed to have passed one of the toughest style audits in the game.
That is why the next meaningful chapter may not come from outside, but from a Korean brand moving in the opposite direction, carrying those Seoul Sensibilities outward as K-pop once did.
Play young Stay dope.
From Seoul, With Intent
Khalhon is a label that feels less like a trend-chasing newcomer and more like the product of a market that has already seen everything. Golfers here have long been surrounded by luxury logos, technical fabrics, and tour uniforms disguised as lifestyle wear and vice-versa. In other words, novelty alone rarely lasts here, and the Koreans seems to understand that instinctively.
Its style language leans into clean silhouettes, relaxed but tailored proportions, muted palettes, and premium materials that speak quietly but confidently. There is a modern city aesthetic running through it all, with strong layering pieces, thoughtful textures, and subtle branding that suggests sophistication rather than demanding attention.
“Built for the course. Designed beyond it.”
Most importantly, the garments seem designed to blur the line between golfwear and everyday style. Shirts, trousers, knitwear, and outer layers move comfortably between a game of screen golf, a lunch reservation, an airport gate, or an afternoon coffee in Gangnam with friends.
It raises the question of whether this is golfwear that happens to look good off the course, or everyday clothing that performs beautifully on the fairways.
Personally, I have long appreciated Nike Golf for its clean, athletic modernization of golf attire. It also has the useful side effect of making me look like a more serious golfer than I probably am. But off the course, there are times when being instantly identified as the golf guy in a crowd of non-golfers can feel a touch self-conscious.
“Built for the course. Designed beyond it.”
That is part of what drew me to Khalhon, which seemed to blend golf and everyday wear naturally. While some of the outfits may be slightly beyond my personal confidence level, the brand also offers tasteful options for older guys like me who still want to express a little personality without regretting the decision later.
These are not simply flashy outfits worn on the course and then banished to the closet until the next tee time. They work surprisingly well off the course too, and I suspect many of the pieces will still look right a couple of years from now, which would certainly be kinder to my wallet than most golf fashion trends tend to be.
And perhaps that broader lifestyle positioning also helps explain why someone like Sean Wotherspoon would find Khalhon creatively interesting in the first place.
“Built for the course. Designed beyond it.”
“Korea is not only one of the most fashion-forward golf markets in the world, but one of the most fashion-forward markets globally. Korea is ahead, and I love to watch and try to catch up.” – Sean Wotherspoon, Creative Director at Khalhon
Seoul and Beyond
If Khalhon’s rise says something about where Korean golf fashion is today, its relationship with Sean Wotherspoon says even more about where it is heading.
For readers less familiar with Sean Wotherspoon, his arrival at Khalhon is not some routine celebrity endorsement or influencer collaboration. In design and streetwear circles, Wotherspoon is regarded as one of the more influential creative voices of his generation, particularly when it comes to blending nostalgia, storytelling, and contemporary culture into products that people can connect with.
He first gained widespread attention through his now-famous Nike sneaker collaborations, where his vintage-inspired designs and instinct for color helped turn him into one of the defining artists of the late-2010s sneaker era. His work gradually expanded beyond footwear into apparel, automotive collaborations, collectibles, and broader lifestyle design.
Modern golf style now extends well beyond the fairways, where performance and functionality are largely expected by default. And while plenty of brands already make technically competent golfwear, Khalhon seems more focused on designing clothes people would genuinely want to wear even after the round ends.
And when guys at Wotherspoon’s level show genuine interest in working with a Korean golf brand as its new Creative Director, fashion circles tend to sit up and pay attention. There’s already a huge buzz among the fashion-conscious here about upcoming collabs with iconic sports stars and brands.
“My creative direction for Khalhon is disruptive, colorful, nostalgic, and modern. My goal is to blend these avenues seamlessly within each collection.” – Sean Wotherspoon
In chatting with Sean, what stood out most to me was how genuinely energized he sounded about the project itself. Despite having already worked across and countless other creative spaces, he described golf as a completely fresh category for him, saying that Khalhon “will be an amazing vehicle for my design work.”
At the same time, his enthusiasm seemed tied just as much to Korea itself. He spoke openly about admiring Korea’s fashion culture while repeatedly insisting he is still a terrible golfer.
There was something oddly refreshing about that humility. Rather than sounding like a celebrity parachuting into golf simply because the category suddenly became fashionable, Sean sounded genuinely curious about what Korea might do with the category next.
And perhaps that is what makes Khalhon feel interesting right now. The brand feels less like a trend-chaser and more like the natural result of a market now confident enough to export its own point of view.
For years, global brands came to Korea to sharpen their image against one of the most discerning audiences anywhere. Now, a Korean label appears ready to send those Seoul Sensibilities outward instead.
Which brings us back to kkot-saem-chu-i.
That final cold snap before spring always arrives with a reminder that seasons are changing, whether we notice it immediately or not. Golf fashion feels a little like that right now as well, as the old boundaries between sport, streetwear, luxury, and everyday style continue to soften.
And somewhere in Seoul, a Korean golf label already seems prepared for whatever season comes next. I just hope they have everything in my size.
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Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
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David Wang
Aug 16, 2019 at 2:53 am
I know some private country clubs, the pro shop is member owned and therefore everything is at cost. every members get to purchase a new set of golf clubs at cost plus 10%.
cs
Dec 4, 2017 at 9:07 am
ok im not gonna get into this im a pro shop supporter all the way and when i order custom clubs from another builder i pay the pro what he would have made on them. But augusta needs their members to buy balls that is funny
Responsinle Capitalist
Nov 29, 2017 at 1:20 pm
Steve, you gotta listen to Bob!
“Come gather around people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
And if your breath to you is worth saving
Then you better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changing”
And now you need to remember something that you chose to forget… by refusing to let Golf turn democratic, it was the game that you were hurting. Womder how many tigers died without ever being allowed to walk a golf course because people like you had this false sense of entitlement. you were stuck in the past thinking it’s only thr princes and barons who have the right of passage.
And now, you will either get in line, become a real entrepemeur or you’ll become more irrelavant than the fat cow of status that feels hurt about urethrane balls on the course with a pedestriajmbrsnd name.
Thini about it wheyou are done beinf cranky
JAL64
Nov 29, 2017 at 11:32 am
Can’t have it both ways. I for one can only afford a certain number of rounds per month. If I have to pay $45+ for the balls I use then I have to cut back somewhere. I’m not about to tell the wife I can’t take her to dinner or a show because my golf balls are so expensive. So I back off on rounds played. Which is more harmful to the pro shop? Fewer balls purchased or fewer rounds played?
Jerry
Nov 24, 2017 at 6:55 am
If golf balls at a green grass facility were only a few dollars more, I’d contribute. But they gouge. At brick and mortar stores? I’d rather pay $9 less for a dozen of a similar ball by going online. Brick/Mortar can sell for less if they want – they could even pair it with a purchase $100 of “stuff”, get $10 off a dozen.
Paul
Nov 20, 2017 at 11:19 am
I tried to read with an open-mind, but ultimately concluded that this piece is REALLY dumb and extremely short-sighted. This is how business works. The marketplace is dynamic, and it’s the business operator’s responsibility to adapt to those changing dynamics, not the consumers’.
Golf is already too expensive for most people, and exorbitant golf ball prices don’t help. I am all for cheaper alternatives.
Mat
Nov 25, 2017 at 12:12 am
The temerity with which this article is written is hard to imagine. For as long as there has been pro shops, they’ve charged more for equipment for the same reason stadiums charge more for nachos; captivity.
If your business relies on captivity for margins, and you have to provide guilt on top of it, then you’ve been had by too many girl scout cookie sales.
“Buy a hot dog at your local amusement park, because they don’t make enough on tickets alone.” Gag me.
meh!
Nov 18, 2017 at 5:24 pm
Trolling 101. if you don’t have anything nice to say then make up something and write about it and see the internet burns.
Woody
Nov 15, 2017 at 7:45 am
Here’s a thought..I buy cheap online equipment so I can afford to play the game more…maybe..just maybe if these companies charge a little less I’d buy in the store.
Mr_Birdie
Nov 14, 2017 at 12:40 am
Steven Westphal maybe your attention should remain focused on professional teaching/instructing because as an amateur journalist you lack credibility, insight, trustworthiness, soundness and most of all an insult to logical thinking. Next time you buy from Amazon think about the brick & mortar stores you are displacing e.g. Circuit City, Montgomery Wards local hardware stores!
Dave
Nov 12, 2017 at 7:07 am
Golfers who buy ANYTHING except 3 for $1 fishbowl balls from their “pro shop” are just plain throwing money away.
Britt
Nov 11, 2017 at 3:08 pm
I came to talk trash about this dumb article written by disconnected member of some private club that can afford a new set of AP1s each season and never loses a ProV1…
But looks like the majority of the previous commentators took car of trashing this jerk that gets upset when hes behind a group of hackers, or even worse the day employees are allowed on the private course!!! Gasp
Steven you’re the reason golf is dying.
Dave R
Nov 11, 2017 at 1:17 pm
Seriously. Greed hurts buddy.
Jimmy
Nov 8, 2017 at 2:12 pm
If we buy more balls from the pro shop, does that mean your wage will go up and you’ll stop writing? If that’s the case then you have a deal!
J.R.
Nov 7, 2017 at 4:18 pm
This has to be a troll….
Scott Schwarting
Nov 6, 2017 at 2:56 pm
Agreed. And stop reading articles that you get for free on golf websites on the internet. Don’t you know how much that hurts your struggling printed golf publications? Why would you read a golf article for free when you can pay to read articles in a magazine. Sheesh.
G
Nov 6, 2017 at 2:46 pm
I’m sorry, but I like to spend my money wisely. Seeing that I work at a high end resort that over charges for everything from water to golf equipment, I say to bad. I know that sounds harsh but the golf business is very cut throat and most employees don’t make much over minimum wage. I love golf, but the business itself, I don’t have a lot of respect for and I’m in the PGA. Figure out a different way to make money. As the landscape of retail is changing the way we buy, the golf course’s will need to learn to adjust the way they sell equipment. Via internet, fitting etc…
The Infidel
Nov 6, 2017 at 7:28 am
This is #1 for stupidest article GWRX have ever posted. You’ve really dropped the editorial bar pretty low here.
Re: The K-Sig – welcome to an open market economy, did you miss that day at school?
alexdub
Nov 9, 2017 at 4:49 pm
Amen. This article has to be click bait to get their counts up.
Joe
Oct 30, 2017 at 7:36 pm
Support the local Pro shops that over charge on everything or look after my wallet?
Not sure if this article was published in jest or not.
Larry
Oct 30, 2017 at 4:15 pm
I can’t speak for anyone else, but as an occasional player who loses plenty of balls I want the best deal I can get. People join Costco for a reason, and if they offer an equal quality product for less that is what they will but.
In Like Flynn
Oct 30, 2017 at 3:21 pm
I’ll tell you who I’m not hurting…my wallet
What did he just a say
Oct 30, 2017 at 1:09 pm
I wonder if you or your wife have a Costco membership? Are they good enough for other products but just not golf balls?
Jacked_Loft
Oct 29, 2017 at 6:41 am
Sorry but after paying that expensive greenfee I’m going to tee up my online purchased TP5X balls on tees which the proshop dosen’t stock, and swing my E-Bay bought clubs which I reshafted with those GolfWorks delivered shafts. After the round I’ll go in the bar and have 1 cold beer before I get in my American built Mustang and drive home to my condo which I bought when the real estate market collapsed. Why? I don’t give away my hard earned money because I can add, subtract, multiply and divide. My business model is named survival and I’m not a member of the top 10% who don’t have to think before they buy.
Jacked_Loft
Oct 29, 2017 at 6:56 am
Forgot this part: I pay an expensive greenfee because THAT represents the value of the course conditions. If the course starts to fall apart than I guess somebody didn’t calculate correctly, and the whole thing was doomed from the start. If you haven’t realized that proshop returns have been receding since about 2004 then I guess you got caught with your pants down.
ahw74
Nov 8, 2017 at 9:44 am
good stuff!
TinCup
Oct 29, 2017 at 5:29 am
Affects*
Ham and Eggs
Oct 28, 2017 at 10:08 pm
What about the employees at CostCo??? Where is their article???
GLS
Oct 27, 2017 at 8:23 am
So help me understand….. its the customers responsibility to make the business profitable , and not the business’s ? Actually own a business and tell me how that works for you. Having owned 4, its about being competitive in your market and doing a lot of the work yourself. How many PGA club pro’s or owners have you ever seen mowing the greens? Golf itself is a pastime not a necessity much like the NFL is now finding out. Be competitive and you will make money
Mad-Mex
Oct 26, 2017 at 10:10 pm
OK Steven after reading this, I did the following during my last round. I played what is considered an OK Casino Golf Course,,,
Green Fees: $65 x 2 (wife plays) $130
Footjoy Weathersoft Golf Glove: $15 (did not buy one, saw price)
Tees: $1.50 for 25 (same as glove, price on bag.
2 Cold Hot Dog: $15 (No mustard, No relish, she did have Mayo packets!!)
Warm Diet Coke and Sprite, 3 ice cubes: $7.00
Cart girl tip : $3.00 (smirked and said with an attitude “Need change”when I gave her a $20 and a $5) she did make me laugh when she started the gasoline beverage cart on this guys backswing and he flipped her off!!
What did I get in return? A golf cart with some sticky residue on the floor which started running out of juice after 6 holes (but thanks to slow play and lack of marshal, we were able to make the turn and got a cart in same condition as first), had to wait on three occasions for the grounds worker to get off green and two to get off fairway, divot riddled tee boxes, soaking wet and dry fairways (couple of times on same fairway). Round “only” took 5.5 hours tho,,,, but I slept easy knowing I was supporting my local golf operation
Shanks Happen
Oct 26, 2017 at 2:45 pm
Right, Steve?
The nerve of some peasants. Always “saving money” on this and that. And now they want more of the lower caste to play our sport? HA!
Everytime I think of their dirty, proletariat hands touching the same grass as I… Ugh, I shudder so hard I nearly drop my monocle.
Brandon B
Oct 25, 2017 at 2:35 pm
You’ve convinced me to buy the K-Sig ball. Costco thanks you for my business.
Sam Price
Oct 24, 2017 at 1:45 pm
If people want K-Sig balls and the pricing to go with it, the the local golf course should be buying those balls and offering them at the pro shop. K-Sig has shown golfers that golf balls do not have to be expensive, and the pro-shops need to be more adaptable to modern trends.
Skip
Oct 24, 2017 at 11:59 am
“effected” VS. “affected” know the difference.
Atlantagolf
Oct 24, 2017 at 11:18 am
I do support my proshop — within reason. I would definitely buy at the proshop if it is within 5% of locally offered products.
surewin73
Oct 24, 2017 at 10:32 am
I love how the authors of these articles and opinion piece lecture us, but never show up in the comment section to defend their argument.
Paul
Oct 24, 2017 at 1:33 am
Come on. If you can’t compete, then quit. Don’t beg for our money. Almost 1200 shanks. Wow. Must be a dumb article.
HI
Oct 23, 2017 at 8:02 pm
I’ve never understood why golf courses need to charge the added costs on equipment, balls, golf gear. If the idea of a pro shop is to outfit golfers for their round to be played or future rounds, why wouldn’t pro shops sell equipment/gear at cheaper prices than market prices? I assume the equipment/balls are being purchased at cost/bulk. If this is so, I would think more people would flock to their local golf course to purchase equipment/balls if that was the case and sales would increase. For example, if say Pro V1’s are commonly priced at $47/dz…….instead of selling a box at $52 in the Pro Shop, I’m sure Pro Shops could sell it for $42 without being hurt too much and increase sales.
As it is now, I feel every Pro Shop is a last resort option if you need (emergency)/forgot something/run out of balls, not a first option. A pro shop is nothing more than a display room to a vast majority of golfers. MAKE IT A REASON FOR GOLFERS TO SHOP AT A PRO SHOP!
david
Oct 24, 2017 at 6:05 pm
Agreed. If I were running a store with no rent and no labor (assuming assts are paid by the club), I’d be undercutting everyone else and making it up on volume. The members/customers would like me and want to support me. Everyone wins.
Jack
Oct 25, 2017 at 5:54 am
Exactly. This is perfect. Pro shops are like galleries LOL. They can’t even sell stuff at a regular price. They gotta go and mark it up even more. People have options, and it’s not usually to pay more unless there’s no other choice. I think an ice cold beer and hot food falls into that category, but balls (unless you forget to bring enough or any) and clothes etc don’t. If you can’t support the course raise the prices but don’t try to make it seem like a badly run pro shop is the solution.
Also, rent really basically is free. There’s nothing else that would open there. I mean maybe if you open it up to retail shops? That would not be kosher with most members though. Pro shops do so little sales that they can’t make money. Seriously they have one of the best avenues to sell golf equipment and have been squandering it for so long it’s not even funny.
JB
Oct 23, 2017 at 3:14 pm
LMAO, I’ll let you know the next time I go to the golf course with a pro-shop….Have you been to a public course, or non-private course? Most do NOT have a pro-shop. They sell balls and gloves sure, and essentials you may need while on the course for that day, but they are not fully stocked pro-shops with the latest equipment. My local muni sells Pinnacle Golds because it is cheap, lol. Those are far from latest and greatest.
HAHAHA
Oct 23, 2017 at 1:21 pm
Then go write articles for a local newspaper instead of an ONLINE community.
iShankEveryArticle
Oct 23, 2017 at 11:10 am
This has to be the worst thing I’ve ever read on this website.
Dunce
Oct 23, 2017 at 9:47 am
Western countries are having a gigantic public health crisis regarding obesity and you’re making a negative comment about people walking when they play golf .Bad taste my dude, bad taste.
Scott
Oct 23, 2017 at 3:33 pm
+1. This guy is the reason why I buy my balls online.
ibogeyalot
Oct 23, 2017 at 9:42 am
so how much did titliest pay you to write this article?
Uhit
Oct 23, 2017 at 6:38 am
Why not mention lake balls, or discounted, previous generation balls?
Why not prohibit collecting lost balls, to save your local pro shop?
The Ksig was probably the best, that happened to golf, since Tiger Woods…
…because it helped to open the mind of a lot of golfers to pay more attention to what ball they really need, and that it has not to be that expensive.
What makes golf a more affordable (and therefore more attractive) sport – for everyone!
To choose the Ksig, as an example of what hurts the local Pro Shop is at least “unlucky”…
Mad-Mex
Oct 22, 2017 at 10:34 pm
Hey Steven Westphal, there is a request for you to answer some questions in the K-Sig thread,,,, 948 shanks !!!!!!!!!!
henry
Oct 22, 2017 at 10:08 pm
never allow this guy to post an article on wrx again. where are the editors???
Zipper
Oct 22, 2017 at 9:15 pm
“The best golf clubs in the world have members who come into their golf shops and blindly purchase merchandise”
This is maybe the most stupid comment I have ever read on this site. Perhaps what the author meant was:
The MOST PROFITABLE golf clubs in the world have members who come into their golf shops and IGNORANTLY purchase merchandise.
henry
Oct 22, 2017 at 10:07 pm
i laughed out loud when after I read the “blindly purchase merchandise”. what a joke.
Scott
Oct 23, 2017 at 3:35 pm
The best clubs in the world have people with more money than brains when it comes to golf.
Jon
Oct 23, 2017 at 5:16 pm
That’s no joke. A club my buddy used to work at had a couple of members who would buy a dozen Pro-V1’s to hit on the driving range and the actual range balls were Pro-V1’s. Who does that? I guess the “PRACTICE” stamped on the side of the balls made them inferior.
henry
Oct 24, 2017 at 3:32 pm
its just funny that an asst. pro would openly say that they basically can’t survive without people coming in and making dumb purchases. quite an interesting way to sell yourself.
Scott
Oct 25, 2017 at 10:05 am
Jon, wow. just wow. Where is this club? I would like to be the range picker.
Jon
Oct 26, 2017 at 5:14 pm
Scott it was at Silverleaf in Scottsdale. He told me it was pretty easy to pick through the balls, since the ones bought in the pro shop had the club logo on them.
MM
Oct 22, 2017 at 8:35 pm
Adapt and change or get left behind. Simple as that.
Sherwin
Oct 22, 2017 at 6:32 pm
I will purchase whatever I want, where ever I want. If you sold your overpriced merchandise at reasonable rates, I would. But you don’t, so no. I will buy online or at a discounter.
Not going to support your lifestyle by paying full suggested retail price, if I don’t have too.
Geez! Does GolfWRX have an editor or reviewer?
Ridiculous!
Mad-Mex
Oct 22, 2017 at 6:05 pm
Is this “article” in the running for THE MOST SHANKS?
Ardbeggar
Oct 22, 2017 at 5:49 pm
No sympathy from me. The pro shops should go to the various vendors and moan about their ball sales if they’re getting hurt by these high performance value balls (Snell, Vice, K Sig…)
I’m going to buy what I want to play before I get to the course.
Laggerdagg
Oct 22, 2017 at 5:14 pm
This is without doubt the worst article ever published on this website. Awful, awful stuff. Dear me.
Andrew
Oct 22, 2017 at 3:40 pm
So they don’t teach basic economics in professional golf management? Get your money back, Steve. Here’s a free lesson. Anybody can write anything as a “suggested retail price” on a box. But if the market won’t pay it, who cares? As a vendor, you charge what the market will pay and make adjustments up or down based on the number of widgets you sell or can sell. THAT is how a market works. This sob-story lecture approach means I will certainly not be buying from Westlake. You might try lobbying your representatives to mandate that I buy golf clubs from you on pain of taxation. Oh wait. That sounds like health insurance now. Does that sound fair to you, Steve? Sounds like theft to the rest of us.
Tommy
Oct 22, 2017 at 12:47 pm
It’s all moot again anyway. They’re all sold out again…already.
George
Oct 22, 2017 at 10:21 am
It is called CAPITALISM. Cry me a river.
Morgan
Oct 22, 2017 at 9:03 am
Does a golf course need a pro-shop? Sure, it’s fun for souvenirs or maybe you arrive and notice your bag is a little light on balls. I buy based on quality and price, and I have a personal method for evaluating the balance between the two. We all have a method for evaluating price vs quality.
But if this line of thinking by the author signals the end of many pro-shops, fine. No problem for me. I can pay for my golf online, check-in with a computer and head to the first tee at my convenience.
Also, when it comes to balls in shops. The author completely ignores that some shops are brand specific. Titleist owns many golfshops, offering better prices if the club does not carry other brands. I get that your local pro-shop isn’t going to be a golftown or Dick’s, but like others have commented, if you don’t offer something unique, all a pro-shop is doing is supplying convenience. Adapt or die.
TR1PTIK
Oct 23, 2017 at 1:19 am
Not all pro shops are the same. I work part-time at a muni course and the city gets its cut from green fees, cart fees, and range fees. ALL of the merchandise in the pro shop (from peanuts to golf clubs) is managed by the club pro and goes to supplement his income (which is typically low when factoring in the hours that course pros & supers put in so that we can play a game). So, when you buy a few snacks at the turn or a box of golf balls at our course, you’re helping him provide for his family. Nothing wrong with that in my mind considering how much effort he’s putting into the course and satisfaction of his customers. Granted, not all courses (muni or otherwise) are going to be like this, but it’s something to think about. I don’t believe you have to buy everything from the pro shop, but show a little support once a month or something – buy a glove, some golf balls or a new hat every once in a while.
Thomas A
Oct 23, 2017 at 10:39 am
And the pro should show a little support for his muni customers who won’t overpay for golf balls. If Dick’s can make a profit selling Pro V1’s for $47.99 a box, then there’s no need for a muni pro to sell them for $53. Or better yet, offer the Callaway Chrome Soft for $40 or Wilson Duo U. for $38. Then we’ll talk.
Mark
Oct 23, 2017 at 6:40 pm
Actually, the Pro can’t buy at the volume Dicks does.. So he pays more than 37 dollars a dozen for the Pro V1’s that Dicks and others pay. I get it, I do. I work at a retail establishment. I don’t think the author comes off very credible with his arguments. There is a balance I am sure that we can all come to. It would suck to have to buy equipment over the internet because all the golf shops go under. And even Dicks can go under, or just decide not to have pga pro’s or knowledgeable fitters work for them. Some times you reap what you sow.
8thehardway
Oct 22, 2017 at 5:18 am
Attention members
We are amending our local rules; henceforth only balls bearing our Club’s logo can be lifted cleaned and placed and the search time for lost, non-logo’ed balls is reduced to 1 minute. Also note that caddy fees are doubled when required to transport any equipment not purchased from our pro shop.
As always, thank you for your support.
J. Worthington-Smythe, President
Steve Cantwell
Oct 22, 2017 at 1:06 am
Maybe I could get this guy to speak to my boss about getting me a raise. That would definitely improve the quality of my life. Maybe I could even use some of the extra money at the golf course.
This guy is a complete clown for thinking this way
david
Oct 22, 2017 at 12:18 am
I actually love this article because maybe the overwhelming response (shank) will hit home with a few pro shop operators. The only reason to buy anything from the shop (balls, bags, clubs) at their prices is pity or guilt or it has the club logo on it. If you have to keep telling people how they’re going to miss you when you’re gone, maybe you’re overestimating your importance. I mean, we seem to manage to get our own milk. Lower your prices, sell more stuff, make more money.
Tommy
Oct 22, 2017 at 12:03 am
I hate to say it, I really do, but there is a serious glut of “golf pros” trying to make a living at a sport whose audience is rapidly shrinking. Since the equipment thing is gone for them, they’re now selling instruction and club fitting. Both are good things, no doubt, but more than anything, imho, just a way to wave a little money in their direction. It wouldn’t hurt to thin out the herd a little. I’m very sorry to say that but it’s the law of the jungle out there. It’s happened to me twice in forty years and I had to find a completely new way to make a living, not just inventing new products in the same industry. Golf is hard way to make a living at every level.
Joe
Oct 21, 2017 at 10:52 pm
Why single out Kirkland/Costco and not balls from Snell, Cut, Vice, Oncore, etc that aren’t sold in most pro shops? I’m not sure if you’re a Titleist shill or just really out of touch with your consumers.
DN
Oct 21, 2017 at 5:26 pm
I’m all for free speech but can this article please be taken down? It’s extremely out-of-touch and an uneducated perspective on economics (of golf and the world).
gunmetal
Oct 22, 2017 at 12:14 am
It really is. It seems like nothing more than a socialist opining about the druthers of competition.
Imagine the fire Costco has lit under Titleist. Maybe now they’ll be forced to innovate rather than simply forking out the pay for play dollars to remain “The #1 ball in golf, blah blah blah.”
And FWIW, just like air travel shrunk the world, the internet has done so even more. I do feel like I’m supporting my “Local” economy when I buy something from Carls, Budget, TGW, Morton, or even Golf Galaxy and have it shipped to my home.
Konnor
Oct 21, 2017 at 5:18 pm
I work at a private facility so grain of salt here but we charge market retail for all products and will price match a large number of big box retailers (GG, TGW, GolfSmith, Dicks). This is 100% true on discounted clubs by the way, when 2016 XR dropped to $299.99 we charge that same price, all you have to do is ask sometimes. If we did not do these things the shop would not be a profitable operation. Regardless of how wealthy the member or guest may be, he or she is not going to spend 35% more just to support the club.
We are not looking for support in terms of players paying additional $$$ compared to another location, we simply want members and guests to spend the fixed costs of playing the game (tees, balls, hats, gloves, LESSONS, anything with the Club logo is a premium and on the shop if it turns into a sunk cost) here in the golf shop. Tipping the food and beverage/cart/bag staff is just the right thing to do regardless of the golf shop or course condition.
The days of charging $70 for a box of ProV1s are gone and should never have been a thing to begin with if we’re being honest. That being said, if you’re going to buy them for $55 at Dicks buy them here for $55.
Lastly, if you play at a facility where they still charge significantly more than most retailers that is on them. The places facilities look for profit should not be to stick an extra 35% to those wishing to make small purchases.
JP
Oct 21, 2017 at 5:01 pm
Just keep it in the back of your heads what happens when you can’t get fit for clubs because all the small, knowledgeable, golf shops are out of business. There’s a value to knowledge.
Ryan
Oct 21, 2017 at 4:40 pm
Steve, my loyalty is with my family. I have a wife and kids, and any money I can save on MY hobby, I can give them to spend on their hobbies. Welcome to the real world, pal.
AB
Oct 22, 2017 at 1:53 pm
Lol, what a moronic article. I bet Steve never brought anything online.
bjb
Oct 21, 2017 at 1:21 pm
If I’m not buying K-sigs, I’m buying from used golf ball websites. Anyone buying boxes of balls from a pro shop is insane…the prices are ridiculous.
SV
Oct 21, 2017 at 10:37 am
I would like to support my local shop, however there is a limit to how much I would overpay. Recently I looked at replacing my stand bag. At the shop I could choose from a Titleist bag for $170 or a Callaway for $180. I bought a comparable Ogio for $120 on sale at Dick’s Sporting Goods. The difference is two rounds at the senior rate. I buy used/refinished balls online for $10-$12 per dozen versus new for $40+. Again, I would like to support the local shop, but there is a limit.
D Louis
Oct 21, 2017 at 10:08 am
It says Stephen studied Pro Golf Mgmt at the Univ of Maryland….he must have been out playing golf and missed the business courses of that program.
Bob Chipeska
Oct 21, 2017 at 12:41 pm
No wonder he has to mark balls up in his shop. Gotta pay back that $100,000 student loan.
Paul
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:36 am
As a person who was formerly working, and let go, in a pro shop I have seen some of the effects of golfers saving $5-10 on their golf balls has, combine that with the cut price hardware internet sales that forcing club shop to match or beat and the result is awful.
The first thing that happens is cost cutting of wages to be able cut prices to match the sale. That $5-10 lost by 10 players in a day is wages for an employee which can no longer be afforded. In one shop I worked in, over a 18 month period, we went from a 7 person staff level to 3 with our overall sales actually increasing by $5k a month at but gross profit dropping from 23% to 14%. Our wage bill was typically 40% of our profit, add in benefits that figure rises to 55% which leaves 45% to pay suppliers and up grade facilities in the shop. Here is how that breaks down.
Sales $30,000 p/m – GP $6,900 = $3,795 in wages/benefits
Sales $35,000 p/m – GP $4,900 = $2,695 in wages/benefits
As you can see $1,100 a month less to spend on staff means people lose their jobs. These are very basic sums but it is typical of how a pro shop will run. The old saying of “you get what you pay for” is true in this case, pay for your products elsewhere watch the service decline and your favourite employees disappear. But this is your right as a consumer just don’t complain when you miss you favourite tee time because your call wasn’t answered as your the one who helped fire the person who would have been there to answer your call.
Brian
Oct 21, 2017 at 9:22 am
The $5-10 that same player saves on balls today is $5-10 of goods and services he can put into the economy in other areas. This is how “free” markets work. Business models either adapt with the market’s changes or they die and are replaced by a business that is able to adapt. Pro Shop jobs are lost, but Costco jobs are gained. Which is a better job, a $10 per hour at a pro shop with no benefits or a $10 per hour Costco job with medical, dental, and 401k?
Bryan
Oct 23, 2017 at 10:35 pm
As long as you don’t mind your favorite golf course shutting down permanently, I guess it will end up being the costco job???
surewin73
Oct 24, 2017 at 10:28 am
The golf course should strategically plan it’s operational budget so that a downturn in pro shop sales would not shut the course down. The first stream of revenue should be greens fee, then concessions followed by range balls and then the pro shop. Add banquet services for wedding and other outings. The course should be good. If not, that’s just bad management in my opinion.
ETERNAL1906
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:06 am
This article shows how completely out of touch the average club pro is with the membership. The markup at the average private club for balls, tees, shoes, etc. is well above 35%. Why would you expect members who already pay initiation cost, annual dues, food and beverage minimums & miscellaneous fees for locker rental, club storage and range balls to also pay a 35% up-charge for items in the pro shop when they can purchase them online for much less?
Cory
Oct 22, 2017 at 1:40 am
The margins on golf balls for retailers are nowhere near 35%, the illusion that golf shops are raking in money is hilarious to anyone that has actually worked at one. You don’t have to shop there but don’t also expect demos, fully sticked shops and helpful people either.
PD
Nov 8, 2017 at 10:09 pm
I hate to break it to you, proshop profit margins on balls is more around 15%, NOT 35%. Please do your homework before throwing out unfounded numbers.
Coffee in the morning
Oct 20, 2017 at 11:57 pm
The real question is why the manufacturers who produce the ball and clubs in Thailand, China and Vietnam charge so much. Titleist and others have moved out side the USA but still raise prices. They do not promote American jobs but want you to believe they are American companies. Prov1 are manufactured in Thailand at plant 4 chonburi . Tp5 is Korean Costco is Korean why the major price difference. It is not the golf shop it is the manufacturers who put pressure on the shops. Like Titleist says stock this and stock that. Then they go to the consumer to buy custom fit. How do you stock custom fit? Right dead inventory. This article is off base it should be asking questions of the manufacture.
Mad-Mex
Oct 20, 2017 at 11:46 pm
OK Steven Westphal, why didn’t you say something about the big guns in the golf industry? I am talking about Titleist, Cobra,PING,Taylormade,etc,etc,etc,,,, and their prices?
Do you still have the so called “pro lsheet” equipment price list? Back in the late 80’s I worked at a golf resort in Arizona, when Wilson came out with the JP forged lob wedge, I saw the packing list, the resort paid $19.90 and they put them on the floor for $39.00, the head pro gave one of the members a deal , charged him $30 for the wedge,,,, when we asked the pro what our price would be, he said, order them and pay 10% over cost and we will call it even, see, the resort and the head pro split the profits of any golf equipment sold over the “pro sheet” listing, so, why should I pay $40 for a dozen golf balls?
Bryan
Oct 23, 2017 at 10:36 pm
That’s not how it works genius boy… Markup on golf balls isn’t even CLOSE to the markup on clothing and clubs…
Mad-Mex
Oct 25, 2017 at 10:56 pm
READ AGAIN, your saying the SAME thing I said “genius boy”,,,, so tell me how it works “Bryan”,,, let me guess your in the “business”? Or do you know someone who is married to someone who knows a guy ?
alanp
Oct 20, 2017 at 9:36 pm
wow. dont these articles have to be vetted before they are published on the site? waste of server space.
Ryan B
Oct 20, 2017 at 9:13 pm
I appreciate the time it takes to write an article but as other have said this point of view is EXTREMELY out of touch. (High End ) Private club members buy from their pro usually because these are the people that are in a socio-economic background that I am not familiar with and find value in I need / want that now vs the time taken to go find the value in the market. Everyone else on the other hand prefers to find value in saving a bit of money, even if that means buying online.
Golf is a LUXURY SPORT!!! lets not forget that. Sure its very accessible for many people but like I said its a luxury. Golf balls are a disposable product, and if someone finds a way to disrupt the market to offer customers value them good for the market. Look at TESLA. Nobody wanted to make electric vehicles then someone came along and said “screw it” we NEED to change and so he vowed to make electric cars and not have dealerships. Now look at the market years later dealerships are either going very big and working together of going bye bye and every car company is converting slowly to electric.
Marketing has ruled the golf market for so long that something like the K-sig was bound to happen. I realize that this is not just about the ball but all the fringe aspects of spending money at the course but from a public golf perspective most public tracks offer very little as far as food and Bev and stocked proshops. When I play I usually pack a few beers and some snacks because $7 for a short can of domestic beer is CRAZY, i dont care if its delivered on a golf cart.
Once again this mind set is the EXACT reason so many big box stores are going out of business, its because they arent changing with the times. I know golf shops that do HUGE sales numbers because they adapt, custom fit and carry what people want. Not TELL their customers how they should shop. If this is how you plan on running a business you wont be in business long
gioreeko
Oct 20, 2017 at 9:12 pm
Maybe the dumbest article ever written for Golfwrx? Who buys there balls at a pro shop anyway? And there’s no law that says that they can’t buy some Ksigs and sell them at the same markup they do other balls. Businesses buy stuff in bulk at Costco and re-sell them all the time, it’s called capitalism.
The dude
Oct 20, 2017 at 8:32 pm
K Sig….for the guy that has that “club scrubber bottle” dangling from his Pleather Wilson bag
Scrubby
Oct 20, 2017 at 10:05 pm
That’s me! I love my club scrubber. And I’d totally play a KSig.
Simms
Oct 21, 2017 at 1:32 pm
Yea that “club scrubber bottle” guy, that was our D player (26 handicap) with the ripped up bag, irons that were made in 1980, a wood head 5 wood, no driver and a putter that did not say Walmart but you know they sell them..75 years old made everything on the greens no matter how far and won our team $2,000 each in a two day scramble…must of been that new Top Flite ball the tournament gave us in the goody bag…
M. Vegas
Oct 20, 2017 at 8:13 pm
Kirkland Signature….
For the guy that gets arrested for possession on the way to the course
AB
Oct 22, 2017 at 9:43 pm
You’re the person that arrested him and sell that possession to buy a dozen of proV
dan
Oct 20, 2017 at 8:07 pm
This is the single most out of touch article I’ve ever read. And you had to bring up Gordon Heyward….
Denny Jones
Oct 20, 2017 at 8:05 pm
“Next time you go to buy something golf-related online, at least consider how much this effects your local golf club and local golf professionals. If the golf course, food or staff is not up to your standards, what are you doing to help the operation? If everything you buy is online and you eat off premises, can you really justify complaining about the operation? More and more golf courses are either opening their doors to the public or closing their doors permanently because of financial reasons. Everyone wants a top-notch facility to play at with great service. This can only happen with financial support from their golfers. If you love Kirkland golf balls that much, buy a few online but do not forget to support your golf club in other ways.”
What model car do you drive? American? What type of refrigerator do you own, was it made in USA? What about your TV, computer, etc? With the world growing smaller because of the internet, commerce is now world wide. It’s tough for everyone to compete with the big companies, not just the pro shops.
People are going to buy the best product for the best price. They work hard for their $$ and if product “A” is the same quality or similar than product “B”, they will vote with their dollar.
Tyler Brooke
Oct 20, 2017 at 7:43 pm
no one buys balls at the course the way they mark them up. get real.
Tommy
Oct 20, 2017 at 7:33 pm
The clubs that I have belonged to have always voted for the pro to mark up the regularly priced items the same or below what the big box shops do and, guess what, everybody buys all their gear at the pro shop, even their clubs. Nobody at my club buys anything at Dick’s, or online. Everybody’s happy! Most good clubs have adopted that policy and any public courses that want to do any business with golf gear, they’ll do the same. With the internet, there aren’t any “dummies” left who will pay full retail for ANYTHING. If you make it your business to wait around for those few dummies who will, you’re it! Get with the program. Reminds me of the industry types who sit around praying for Tiger’s return so it can be like it was twenty years ago. When you hitch your wagon to one donkey….
mauiatheart
Oct 20, 2017 at 7:30 pm
This is the dumbest article I have seen on this website. Buy your equipment from the place with the best combination of price and customer service. If it’s online it’s OK.
Lospeed
Oct 20, 2017 at 7:21 pm
I cant believe you wrote this article with a straight face….I kept waiting for the joke at the end. Wow, apparently anybody can write for golfWRX?!?
The dude
Oct 20, 2017 at 7:14 pm
K Sig….for the guy that spits on your towel to clean his club….
Brian
Oct 21, 2017 at 3:02 pm
No, I spit on my club face and THEN clean it with your towel.
AB
Oct 22, 2017 at 4:51 pm
Lol,
TheCityGame
Oct 20, 2017 at 7:05 pm
No, we don’t all want a fully stocked pro shop. I don’t care about that at all. A golf course needs a cash register and tees. Maybe some branded merchandise.
The old days ain’t coming back.
Brian
Oct 20, 2017 at 7:00 pm
The only thing I’ve ever bought in the pro shop are gloves, tees, and hats (when they’re on sale).
Big Mike
Oct 20, 2017 at 6:30 pm
I understand everyone needs to make a living. However, my first allegiance is to my wallet and my support of my club is confined to green’s fees, coffee, an occasional hotdog and beer. Never found equipment prices including balls to be competitive and won’t spend 25% or more just to help my golf pro. Now if you want to lower your green fees and lesson costs perhaps we can talk.
Jalan
Oct 20, 2017 at 6:02 pm
I’ve never bought golf balls at a course other than a couple “jar balls” when I was playing a resort as a guest.
I do spend money on Golf, range balls, food and beverages, and occasionally clothing. No golf course is losing money by me because I bought golf balls before I got to the course.
Besides, the find and sell the ones I lose on the course.
Charles
Oct 20, 2017 at 5:50 pm
This is the dumbest article I have read on GolfWrx.
Mike
Oct 20, 2017 at 5:42 pm
What a horrible article. I think we are all dumber for having read this.
ron
Oct 20, 2017 at 5:31 pm
I think its time we add a “SHANK” (all caps) button. “SUPER SHANK” button?? Steve, if you go around looking to pay the most you possibly can for items you use then go right ahead. The rest of us will do things a little different, but thanks.
And who approved this to appear on the site anyways?!
Broton
Oct 20, 2017 at 4:54 pm
Major shank. Who is paying you?
Grandpa Gord
Oct 20, 2017 at 4:45 pm
Simple Solution: Golf courses should simply BAN the K-Sig and other cheap balls from being played. Legally they can do this on private golf courses, but not munis where most of these cut-rate balls are played.
Also they can make a rule that all balls played on their course must be purchased from their pro shop, together with the green fees.
Bert
Oct 20, 2017 at 6:22 pm
Yep, and say goodbye to their customer base. Here’s an example; you must ride or hire a caddie, and if you ride you must hire a fore-caddie. Sorry, I’m gone, will not play there even if it’s a top rated course. It doesn’t matter to me, I can play many fine courses and either ride or walk and usually at a decent price. As mentioned in one reply, arrive prepared and you won’t be subjected to rip-off pricing. I’ve always wondered why the golf shops don’t mark certain golf products way down, perhaps with only a 25% mark-up. I doubt it would hurt them, would make their customers happy, and more than likely, the customer might be inclined to make other purchases, and yes, return to that course again.
Bryan
Oct 23, 2017 at 10:40 pm
What about shipping costs on those products? Employee wages? Electricity/utilities? Insurance? Taxes? You honestly think selling anything at 25% above wholesale will cover that type of stuff?
I’m all on-board with your first sentence… I think you should not play at the clubs that offer nice services and amenities, good chance those employees don’t like dealing with people like you anyways. Stick to your $12 round of golf in a place that only sells plastic ball markers.
Bert
Nov 6, 2017 at 4:49 pm
Sorry I offended you – and I think you missed my point. “Certain” items, perhaps golf balls, could be sold at a lower profit margin. I play many high dollar rounds, but I’m not stupid either and I could care less about supporting the golf industry. What all forget is I am the customer, not the employee and if I don’t like the price or the service, yes, I’ll go elsewhere.
mr b
Oct 20, 2017 at 4:13 pm
not a member anywhere so i will buy where it’s most cost effective. plain and simple!
Fred Dickson
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:58 pm
I suspect this is a result of PGA Business school???? in a free market economy, innovation, value and proformance win, the strong survive. Consumers will spend their money where they get the best value. Course conditions will play a part in the consumers decision where to play. If you quasi threaten that conditions will suffer as a result of off course purchases, you will loose customers to facilities that maintain their conditions. On course shops lost the battle to off course shops for equipment long ago. The Ksig is having a much greater impact on off course stores than green grass. Pro, you have what every retailer would kill for; foot traffic! If green grass shops had not been so stubborn and fought off the off course retailer in the beginning, tGreen grass shoes would not be the non profit center they are today. Embrace the shift, add value. Ideas: embrace Jr golfers, display in dozens, create frequent purchase programs, negotiate with vendors for better terms, pay invoices ontime a stake the discount, rather than get personal use clubs and balls demand additional discounts (see David Brannon). Green grass shops have seen the enemy, alas it is themselves…
Bert
Oct 20, 2017 at 6:37 pm
One important note however is the industry fixing pricing and not allowing competition, unless they approve price reductions. It’s collusion among the manufactures, simple. If a golf shop purchased a driver for $250, they should be able to sell if for $150 if the so pleased. The old excuse used by the manufactures that they were protecting the mom and pop and green grass golf shops has long passed. Now the big box stores receive special pricing and then they must sell at the mfr required price. Small shops and green grass may not receive the same special pricing the big box stores receive, they have much less foot traffic, and simply cannot compete, especially with equipment. As for golf balls, I believe their price point is already high and mark-up on golf balls isn’t as much as we might believe. Just check what one big box store offers; don’t like the club/s you purchased, bring them back within 90-days for 100% store credit. Now I assure you, green grass can never offer anything close to that, and most other big box stores can’t either.
nick
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:55 pm
How is the game of golf not making enough money on green fees alone? my local tracks are filled beyond capacity on a daily basis. 5 hour+ rounds, packed driving range, hoards of patrons in the bar/restaurant…?! and we’re talking about the OVERPRICED balls the course sells in the freakin pro shop? GTFO. K-Sigs all day! Vice all day! – dont get me wrong, i play a lot of makes, but I always look for the deal. I’ve never bought a box of balls from a pro shop in 10 years. get real.
Bill James
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:30 pm
I already buy a over priced hot dog for $3 and a Diet Coke for $3 at the turn form a guy who doesn’t even say hello or ask me how my round is going. Yeah, I don’t feel bad at all for purchasing Ksigs
Curtis Demorest
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Maybe Gordon Hayward should by some balls from Costco, while he is recovering he can work on his short game.
Eric
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:19 pm
How about the thought that people are saving almost $40 per dozen by purchasing golf balls from Costco. Guess where that $40 is going?? Right back to these golf courses we are hurting so much!! I doubt anyone is buying the KS ball and then just hitting them in their backyard. They are taking them to the course and playing. Often times playing more often because they just saved a green fee by purchasing the Ksig ball. This argument is stupid.
nick
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:57 pm
CHA CHING! how bout dat!
Jason Day
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:18 pm
Let me get this correct, we are supposed to feel for the local shops that have been pillaging us with over priced golf balls and equipment? Welcome to capitalism. I believe if you didn’t try and make so much money on the golf balls and equipment and priced them fairly you would sell much more product. I don’t know when this 200% plus markup became standard practice but thankfully it is in its demise!
Bryan
Oct 20, 2017 at 5:46 pm
Hold up hold up hold up…
I want you to explain where you’ve seen a 200% markup on any product…
And how much do you think clubs cost? If a driver is $400, you really think that the manufacturer is selling those clubs to the Pro Shop for $100 wholesale? Get a fricken clue.
There’s a good chance the club is making a $80-$100 margin on that driver, IF THAT.
Why don’t you bash the manufacturers and not the pro shop until you can get your facts straight and stop talking out of your #%@
Konnor
Oct 21, 2017 at 5:21 pm
THANK YOU!!!
There is so little profit in clubs is scary. If you want me to factor in the hour it took to fit you for the thing we’re getting close to a break even point if I’m not mistaken.
Would almost rather sell you a hat lol
Bryan
Oct 23, 2017 at 10:45 pm
People just don’t get it. When a pro shop sells a sleeve of ProV1’s, the shop is making MAYBE a profit of $2.50? MAYBE. After you take out the shipping costs and everything else it may be a little less. There’s about 40 geniuses on this thread that think pro shops sell a sleeve of ProV1’s for $13 and makes a $8 margin on that. This is golf WRX though and people love to complain about EVERYTHING if it doesn’t align with their views or if something is different from what they believe to be the truth.
George
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:08 pm
I agree with what you are saying. Except for the fact that I personally do not buy anything unless it is on sale from anywhere. Most of the sale items at local pro shops are all XL or XXL. As far as golf balls go, I like to play yellow Bridgestones. Most places only carry white and i do not like taking a chance to see if they will have my ball of choice at the club.
Bryan
Oct 20, 2017 at 5:48 pm
People like you, sir, are the reason why greens fees are the rate they are. Bravo.
every golfer ever
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:07 pm
yeah because we REALLY want to support the wannabe hacks with attitudes behind a register
i never buy anything from pro shops
Rod
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:05 pm
Many local retailers do such a poor job of customer service they can expect to continue to be replaced by online outlets.
TigerMom
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:04 pm
That’s not how free market capitalism works. If you want a subsidized business, you’re living in the wrong country.
George
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:13 pm
So screw small businesses. Even though thats what every politician says is the backbone of our country. Lets give everything to big corporations. The argument was that give your money to the small pro shops so they can have more capital for you to enjoy the course more.
Golfcourseoperator
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:02 pm
I run a golf course. Proshops need to get with the times. I carry snell balls in my shop. The price is higher than consumers pay to directly buy them from snell but guess what, i still sold out in my shop this season. People want things and they want the convenience. Not everyone wants to buy online. What’s to stop you from contacting the manufacturer of k-sigs and getting your own course “signature” ball and selling them? Nassau golf made the first k-sig. I’m sure any company in taiwan can offer you the same price as costco gets on a tour level 4 piece ball if you order 1000 dozen to sell in your shop. As businesses, we get access to things consumers cant buy online. You just have to source it yourself. Get creative. If a big box store can carry an off brand ball that costs $12 a dozen you can contact the manufacturer and bring them into your shop at wholesale and make the same margin.
Brad
Oct 20, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Bravo, this is the right attitude.
Now add some VICE to your shelves as well!
Fredo
Oct 20, 2017 at 1:59 pm
Bravo Tom, we must support our courses and also our local golf shops, shout out to Shawn at Alameda GolfWorks. Without them our pastime would suffer irreparable harm!
Shop Local, we all benefit!
michael
Oct 20, 2017 at 1:56 pm
I’m either supporting costco or golftown here in Canada. I never buy balls at the course. Thanks for the lecture though.
Friend Down South
Oct 20, 2017 at 6:39 pm
Michael, I <3 your truly Canadian reply; THANKING someone for a lecture.
You = awesome.
gwillis7
Oct 20, 2017 at 8:39 pm
Lol, this is hilarious ????????
gwillis7
Oct 20, 2017 at 8:46 pm
I actually do think that comment is hilarious, for some reason an emoji on a cell phone turns into 8 question marks…nice
I am actually glad I bought up all the k-sigs I could on costco website, if the pro shops suffer they need to adapt, like any other business would have to do to survive.
Daniel
Nov 14, 2017 at 2:05 pm
This is all there is to it. It’s a business reality everyone faces eventually. Adapt of die.
Golf needs to get its head out of its arse.
Scott
Oct 23, 2017 at 3:47 pm
Michael should have also said “I am sorry for Shaking your article”.