In a golf society that is increasing name brand conscious, many of us are tempted to simply buy what everyone else seems to be buying. This should not be the case, as everyone is different in their ability, interest level and budget. There are several levels or types of golf clubs, from pro-line, custom and pre-assembled. Some are custom fit and some are just off the rack / as is.
Note: I will set an Vclubshop example of pricing for a typical / average price for a driver throughout this article in order to give you a feel for how the pricing fluctuates by the different types of golf clubs available on the golf market today.
Let’s start with pro-line golf clubs or better know as brand name golf equipment like you see on TV or in popular golf magazines. These are the clubs that you see a lot of advertising for and are endorsed by top playing professionals, who get paid to play these clubs. Pro-line clubs are more expensive due to these two main factors just mentioned. The average price for a pro-line titanium driver is around $300. Now, this does not mean that it is superior, it just means a higher price must be met Vclubshop to cover all the advertising costs etc.
Next is the market called custom clubs or component clubs and sometimes referred to as clone or knock-off clubs. There are many suppliers of these types of clubs and I am going to break them down into two (2) categories and explain each in more detail. By the way, this is the market I have been in since 1994 and specialize in. Believe me, I have seen a lot and have learned even more along the way.
FIRST GROUP – Custom clubs: In general these are clubs that are made up from individual components (as is any golf club) but, the component quality, specifications and finish is of top-notch grade and quality as are most pro-line clubs as previously discussed. These are also assembled by a professional that knows what he is doing, and has assembling clubs for many years. (More on this touchy subject later in this article.) Some type of custom fitting is also offered in order to provide the end user with a club that will actually work! Novel idea huh? This goes along with the notion that the custom club builder has experience and helps golfers Vclubshop play better golf. The average price for a custom titanium driver is around $150. The club heads used are, usually a proprietary design by a reputable component manufacturer and shafts and grips by a brand name main-stream supplier.
SECOND GROUP – Clone or Knock-off Clubs: This is where the golf club market gets a little dicey. There are many club head suppliers in this category who are supplying even more clubmakers. Because of this “Golf Frenzy” if you will, the golf market is saturated with a whole lot of junk! Anyone can get started in the golf business with a handful of cheap components and a pipe cutter in their garage, and that is just what they are doing. Better know as “Cut-and-Glue Artists” in the golf industry. The quality of the components, are from marginal to really bad. The attention to detail in the assembly process is even worse than the components themselves. Lack of knowledge in the fitting also demeans the golf industry as well. The average price for a clone / knock-off titanium driver is around $75. Be sure the club head is actually titanium, not alloy which cost a lot less.
Finally the last type of golf clubs, the pre-assembled or box sets, you know the sets that come all ready to go in that big colorful rectangle box. Most commonly you find these at Big-Box Stores like – well you know, you see them all the time. You also see a bunch of random drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, wedges and putters banging around on a metal rack getting pulverized by every other passer-by. I wonder why they don’t throw a few sets of irons in the mix – No, I really don’t want to know! This stuff is cheap, not only because the components are the lowest of the low, but it is ALL assembled overseas at a discount rate. The average price for a pre-assembled alloy driver is around $30. Note: Not a titanium driver club head, but alloy and the shafts are fiberglass not graphite and the grips, let’s not go there.