Equipment
GolfWRX Archives: Economics of an independent club builder
The golf season is slowly gearing up, and the next step many are taking is getting their clubs tuned up and dialed in. Whether it be new grips, lie and loft checks, or getting into the nitty-gritty details of a launch monitor gapping session, it’s a mad rush to be ready for the first tee shot.
With so much of this work being done by smaller companies or local club builders, I wanted to revisit a piece I wrote around this time last year that showcases the economics that smaller shops face since a large part of the discussion often revolves around price.
The Economics of an Independent Club Builder
I build clubs, not a ton, but for a one-person operation, I keep very busy during the season. I work on clubs for people locally, help a couple of the local golf courses get work done quickly for members, and I do a lot of my own tinkering (which I acknowledge is akin to if Walter White was also his own biggest customer).
What I have noticed over the last few years when talking to, or reading about, golfers inquiring about having work done, is the great discussion and sometimes misinformation about the cost associated with club work. From high-end custom club fitting, to just a simple repair or grip change, there’s a lot of confusion. This is a constant topic here on GolfWRX with many of the same replies being summarized by
“No way a (insert club or repair job) should cost that much! It’s an easy thing to do with a torch, a vice and some epoxy.”
I’m not saying building clubs isn’t relatively simple, heck it’s my goal to try and teach people how to do it and better understand it, but when it comes to doing things right and making sure the specs are just as they should be, well that’s an entirely different story.
To properly equip a shop with all the tools required to take on any club building task aside from grinding wedges and milling putters, the cost is roughly $5,000 for proper top-of-the-line gear including safety equipment — not an over-the-top investment, but something that is mostly beyond the average hobbyist. I’m lucky in that I’ve never relied on building clubs (as an independent builder) as my only source of income and slowly built up my vast collection of tools, some of which I’ve had for over 15 years.
My argument for the cost of any repair is quite simple: The club builder needs to be able to make a reasonable profit (not a bad word) based on the time associated with completing the task, which is essentially the MO for any individual or business.
I compare it to getting an oil change: Do I know how to do it? Yes. Do I have the ability to get all the required tools? Yes. Does it take a relatively short amount of time to do it by a trained professional? Yes. Do I want to get under my car to do it? Absolutely not!
Same can be applied for the building of a set either from scratch or with previously used parts (which is WAY worse and actually takes longer by the way) pulling and gluing steel taper tip golf shafts isn’t really a big deal but here are the things many people fail to consider
- Getting head weights right to make sure swing weight, or in some cases MOI, match the desired spec.
- Cutting to the exact length and potentially accounting for grip cap length
- Having on hand the proper tools do the prep work including disposables like sanding belts, buffing pads etc.
- Stocking ferrules in a variety of sizes for different clubs
- Epoxy – making sure to have relatively “fresh” quality stuff on hand — a single tube of 3M can run over $25 alone
- Grip tape
- Solvent, and catch tray or actual gripping station
- Final lie loft – making sure to leave as few marks as possible
Let’s consider one of the most common repairs: a broken wedge shaft (I don’t ask questions about how things get broken)
For a small shop that might not carry a lot (if any) shaft inventory, something as common as a True Temper Dynamic Gold is $24 from a supplier like GolfWorks, add on a single grip, say, Golf Pride Tour Velvet ($5), you’re almost at $30 COST. Now, if we consider that there is potential for a 15 percent savings if the shop gets a “dealer” discount, we’re still looking at just under $25 before tax. You add shipping onto that and time, it’s understandable that this is going to be at least a $50 repair.
Yes, you can get new previous model wedges for around $100, but they have the opportunity to buy at HUGE volume as an OEM, that’s the difference. Small shops need to be able to cover costs and make a small profit to exist. Prices might seem high compared to buying a new full club as a single unit, but you are truly supporting a small business.
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- Kris Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.
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TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.
TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.
TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.
Can you see where this is going?
Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”
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TaylorMade PUDI
TaylorMade PUDI technology cutaway (via TaylorMade)
Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.
In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.
TaylorMade PDHY
TaylorMade PDHY tech cutaway (via TaylorMade).
Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.
Club Junkie’s take
Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.
For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.
PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?
TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:
- PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
- PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
- Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
- PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
- PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family
Pricing, specs, and availability
Price: $249.99
At retail: Now
Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)
Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)
PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed
PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/3/24): Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
From the seller: (@wwcl): “Has been gamed as pics show. 33.5 includes original h/c and grip. $575 includes shipping and PP fees.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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A. Commoner
May 24, 2020 at 4:55 pm
Excellent article. Spurs thought so often repeated: “If people would only realize.”
Tom Duckworth
May 23, 2020 at 1:41 pm
I will change my own grips and ad length to my irons but I stop there. It would be fun to build my own clubs one day but the cost saving is not enough. Buying a set of forged iron heads on eBay is just as expensive as a complete set of irons. I’m happy if I can have a good conversation and fitting and get the information I need to find a set that fits me. I mostly buy used because getting clubs a few years old is a major cost savings and the technology just doesn’t change that dramatically.
I would be happy to support someone working out of their home but I have never found any locally. I admire the investment it takes to do it right.
Breiman
May 22, 2020 at 6:21 pm
I had a small shop in the 80s that did mostly custom woods and forged iron sets and some repairs. The investment into heads, shafts and grips alone was 20k in 1985 $$$$. Let alone the tools. Running a small shop is a labor of love.