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.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 PGA Championship betting preview: Rising star ready to join the immortals at Valhalla
The second major of the 2024 season is upon us as the world’s best players will tee it up this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky to compete for the Wanamaker Trophy.
The last time we saw Valhalla host a major championship, Rory McIlroy fended off Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and the creeping darkness that was descending upon the golf course. The Northern Irishman had the golf world in the palm of his hand, joining only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as players who’d won four major championships by the time they were 25 years old.
Valhalla is named after the great hall described in Norse mythology where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The course is a Jack Nicklaus-design that has ranked among Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” for three decades.
Valhalla Golf Club is a par-71 measuring 7,542 yards with Zoysia fairways and Bentgrass greens. The course has rolling hills and dangerous streams scattered throughout and the signature 13th hole is picturesque with limestone and unique bunkering protecting the green. The 2024 PGA Championship will mark the fourth time Valhalla has hosted the event.
The field this week will consist of 156 players, including 16 PGA Champions and 33 Major Champions.
Past Winners of the PGA Championship
- 2023: Brooks Koepka (-9) Oak Hill
- 2022: Justin Thomas (-5) Southern Hills
- 2021: Phil Mickelson (-6) Kiawah Island
- 2020: Collin Morikawa (-13) TPC Harding Park
- 2019: Brooks Koepka (-8) Bethpage Black
- 2018: Brooks Koepka (-16) Bellerive
- 2017: Justin Thomas (-8) Quail Hollow
- 2016: Jimmy Walker (-14) Baltusrol
- 2015: Jason Day (-20) Whistling Straits
- 2014: Rory McIlroy (-16) Valhalla
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Valhalla
Let’s take a look at five key metrics for Oak Hill to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
1. Strokes Gained: Approach
Valhalla will play as a true all-around test of golf for the world’s best. Of course, it will take strong approach play to win a major championship.
Strokes Gained: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Shane Lowry (+1.25)
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.09)
- Jordan Smith (+1.05)
- Tom Hoge (+.96)
- Corey Conners (+.94)
2. Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Valhalla will play long and the rough will be penal. Players who are incredibly short off the tee and/or have a hard time hitting fairways will be all but eliminated from contention this week at the PGA Championship.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Bryson DeChambeau (+1.47)
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.11)
- Keith Mitchell (+.90)
- Alejandro Tosti (+.89)
- Ludvig Aberg (+.82)
Strokes Gained: Total on Nickalus Designs
Valhalla is a classic Nicklaus Design. Players who play well at Nicklaus designs should have an advantage coming into this major championship.
Strokes Gained: Total on Nicklaus Designs over past 36 rounds:
- Jon Rahm (+2.56)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.48)
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.35)
- Collin Morikawa (+1.79)
- Shane Lowry (+1.57)
Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on Very Long Courses
Valhalla is going to play extremely long this week. Players who have had success playing very long golf courses should be better equipped to handle the conditions of this major championship.
Strokes Gained: Total on Very Long Courses Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.44)
- Rory McIlroy (+2.24)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.78)
- Viktor Hovland (+1.69)
- Xander Schauffele (+1.60)
Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships
One factor that tends to play a large role in deciding major championships is which players have played well in previous majors leading up to the event.
Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships over past 20 rounds:
- Scottie Scheffler (+3.14)
- Will Zalatoris (+2.64)
- Rory McIlroy (+2.49)
- Xander Schauffele (+2.48)
- Tommy Fleetwood (2.09)
Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens
Valhalla features pure Bentgrass putting surfaces. Players who are comfortable putting on this surface will have an advantage on the greens.
Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens over Past 24 Rounds:
- Ludvig Aberg (+1.12)
- Denny McCarthy (+1.08)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (+0.99)
- Justin Rose (+0.93)
- J.T. Poston (0.87)
Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways
Valhalla features Zoysia fairways. Players who are comfortable playing on this surface will have an advantage on the field.
Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways over past 36 rounds:
- Justin Thomas (+1.53)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.47)
- Xander Schauffele (+1.40)
- Brooks Koepka (+1.35)
- Rory McIlroy (+1.23)
2024 PGA Championship Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), SG: Off the Tee (22%), SG: T2G on Very Long Courses (12%), SG: Putting on Bentgrass (+12%), SG: Total on Nicklaus Designs (12%). SG: Total on Zoysia Fairways (8%), and SG: Total in Major Championships (8%).
- Brooks Koepka
- Xander Schauffele
- Rory McIlroy
- Scottie Scheffler
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Shane Lowry
- Alex Noren
- Will Zalatoris
- Cameron Young
- Keith Mitchell
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Billy Horschel
- Patrick Cantlay
- Viktor Hovland
- Adam Schenk
- Chris Kirk
- Sahith Theegala
- Min Woo Lee
- Joaquin Niemann
- Justin Thomas
2024 PGA Championship Picks
Ludvig Aberg +1800 (BetMGM)
At The Masters, Ludvig Aberg announced to the golf world that he’s no longer an “up and coming” player. He’s one of the best players in the game of golf, regardless of experience.
Augusta National gave Aberg some necessary scar tissue and showed him what being in contention at a major championship felt like down the stretch. Unsurprisingly, he made a costly mistake, hitting it in the water left of the 11th hole, but showed his resilience by immediately bouncing back. He went on to birdie two of his next three holes and finished in solo second by three shots. With the type of demeanor that remains cool in pressure situations, I believe Ludvig has the right mental game to win a major at this point in his career.
Aberg has not finished outside of the top-25 in his past eight starts, which includes two runner-up finishes at both a “Signature Event” and a major championship. The 24-year-old is absolutely dominant with his driver, which will give him a major advantage this week. In the field he ranks, in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and has gained strokes in the category in each of his past ten starts. Aberg is already one of the best drivers of the golf ball on the planet.
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the great hall where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The Swedes, who are of Old Norse origin, were the last of the three Scandinavian Kingdoms to abandon the Old Norse Gods. A Swede played a major role in the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, and I believe another, Ludvig Aberg, will be the one to conquer Valhalla in 2024.
Bryson DeChambeau +2800 (BetMGM)
Bryson DeChambeau is one of the few players in the world that I believe has the game to go blow-for-blow with Scottie Scheffler. Although he isn’t as consistent as Scheffler, when he’s at his best, Bryson has the talent to beat him.
At The Masters, DeChambeau put forth a valiant effort at a golf course that simply does not suit his game. Valhalla, on the other hand, is a course that should be perfect for the 30-year-old. His ability to overpower a golf course with his driver will be a serious weapon this week.
Bryson has had some success at Jack Nicklaus designs throughout his career as he won the Memorial at Muirfield Village back in 2018. He’s also had incredible results on Bentgrass greens for the entirety of his professional career. Of his 10 wins, nine of them have come on Bentgrass greens, with the only exception being the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He also has second place finishes at Medinah and TPC Summerlin, which feature Bentgrass greens.
Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to argue that Bryson isn’t one of the most exciting and important players in the game of golf. He’s also one of the best players in the world. A second major is coming soon for DeChambeau, and I believe he should be amongst the favorites to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy this week.
Patrick Cantlay +4000 (FanDuel)
There’s no way of getting around it: Patrick Cantlay has been dissapointing in major championships throughout his professional career. He’s been one of the top players on Tour for a handful of years and has yet to truly contend at a major championship, with the arguable exception of the 2019 Masters.
Despite not winning majors, Cantlay has won some big events. The 32-year-old has won two BMW Championships, two Memorial Tournaments as well as a Tour Championship. His victories at Memorial indicate how much Cantlay loves Nicklaus designs, where he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total over his past 36 rounds behind only Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.
Cantlay also loves Bentgrass greens. Six of Cantlay’s seven individual wins on the PGA Tour have come on Bentgrass greens and he also was one of the best putters at the 2023 Ryder cup at Marco Simone (also Bentgrass). At Caves Valley (2021 BMW Championship), he gained over 12 strokes putting to outduel another Bentgrass specialist, Bryson DeChambeau.
Cantlay finished 22nd in The Masters, which was a solid result considering how many elite players struggled that week. He also has two top-ten finishes in his past five PGA Championships. He’s undeniably one of the best players in the field, therefore, it comes down to believing Cantlay has the mental fortitude to win a major, which I do.
Joaquin Niemann +4000 (BetMGM)
I believe Joaquin Niemann is one of the best players in the world. He has three worldwide wins since December and has continued to improve over the course of his impressive career thus far. Still only 25, the Chilean has all the tools to be a serious contender in major championships for years to come.
Niemann has been the best player on LIV this season. Plenty will argue with the format or source of the money on LIV, but no one can argue that beating players such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith is an unremarkable achievement. Niemann is an elite driver of the golf ball who hits it farther than just about anyone in the field not named Bryson DeChambeau or (arguably) Rory McIlroy.
Niemann is another player who has been fantastic throughout his career on Bentgrass greens. Prior to leaving the PGA Tour, Bentgrass was the only green surface in which Joaco was a positive putter. It’s clearly a surface that he is very comfortable putting on and should fare around and on the greens this week.
Niemann is a perfect fit for Valhalla. His low and penetrating ball flight will get him plenty of runout this week on the fairways and he should have shorter shots into the green complexes than his competitors. To this point in his career, the former top ranked amateur in the world (2018) has been underwhelming in major championships, but I don’t believe that will last much longer. Joaquin Niemann is a major championship caliber player and has a real chance to contend this week at Valhalla.
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In my last post, I explained the basic performance dynamics of “smash factor” and “gear effect” as they apply to your wedges and your wedge play success. If you missed that post, you can read it here.
At the end of that post, I promised “part 2” of this discussion of what makes a wedge work the way it does. So, let’s dive into the other two components of any wedge – the shaft and the grip.
It’s long been said that the shaft is “the engine of the golf club.” The shaft (and grip) are your only connection to all the technologies that are packed into the head of any golf club, whether it be a driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, wedge or even putter.
And you cannot ignore those two components of your wedges if your goal is optimizing your performance.
I’ve long been an advocate of what I call a “seamless transition” from your irons into your wedges, so that the feel and performance do not disconnect when you choose a gap wedge, for example, instead of your iron-set-matching “P-club.” In today’s golf equipment marketplace, more and more golfers are making the investment of time and money to experience an iron fitting, going through trial and error and launch monitor measuring to get just the right shaft in their irons.
But then so many of those same golfers just go into a store and choose wedges off the retail display, with no similar science involved at all. And that’s why I see so many golfers with a huge disconnect between their custom-fitted irons, often with lighter and/or softer graphite or light steel shafts . . . and their off-the-rack wedges with the stock stiff steel ‘wedge flex’ shaft common to those stock offerings.
If your wedge shafts are significantly heavier and stiffer than the shafts in your irons, it is physically impossible for you to make the same swing. Period.
To quickly improve your wedge play, one of the first things you can do is have your wedges re-shafted with the same or similar shaft that is in your irons.
There’s another side of that shaft weight equation; if you don’t have the forearm and hand strength of a PGA Tour professional, you simply cannot “handle” the same weight shaft that those guys play to master the myriad of ‘touch shots’ around the greens.
Now, let’s move on to the third and other key component of your wedges – the grips. If those are not similar in shape and feel to the grips on your irons, you have another disconnect. Have your grips checked by a qualified golf club professionals to make sure you are in sync there.
The one caveat to that advice is that I am a proponent of a reduced taper in your wedge grips – putting two to four more layers of tape under the lower hand, or selecting one of the many reduced taper grips on the market. That accomplishes two goals for your scoring.
First, it helps reduce overactive hands in your full and near-full wedge swings. Quiet hands are key to good wedge shots.
And secondly, it provides a more consistent feel of the wedge in your hands as you grip down for those shorter and more delicate shots around the greens. And you should always grip down as you get into those touch shots. I call it “getting closer to your work.”
So, if you will spend as much time selecting the shafts and grips for your wedges as you do choosing the brand, model, and loft of them, your scoring range performance will get better.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1
- The Wedge Guy: The easiest-to-learn golf basic
- The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship betting preview: Tommy Fleetwood ready to finally land maiden PGA Tour title
The PGA Tour season ramps back up this week for another “signature event,” as golf fans look forward to the year’s second major championship next week.
After two weaker-field events in the Zurich Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, most of the best players in the world will head to historic Quail Hollow for one of the best non-major tournaments of the year.
Last season, Wyndham Clark won the event by four shots.
Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf known as “The Green Mile,” which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes on the course.
The field is excellent this week with 68 golfers teeing it up without a cut. All of the golfers who’ve qualified are set to tee it up, with the exception of Scottie Scheffler, who is expecting the birth of his first child.
Past Winners at Quail Hollow
- 2023: Wyndham Clark (-19)
- 2022: Max Homa (-8)
- 2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
- 2019: Max Homa (-15)
- 2018: Jason Day (-12)
- 2017: Justin Thomas (-8) (PGA Championship)
- 2016: James Hahn (-9)
- 2015: Rory McIlroy (-21)
Key Stats For Quail Hollow
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes gained: Approach will be extremely important this week as second shots at Quail Hollow can be very difficult.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Akshay Bhatia (+1.16)
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Corey Conners (+1.01)
- Shane Lowry (+0.93)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.82)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are important, as shorter tee shots will result in approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree lined, errant drives will create some real trouble for the players.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:
- Ludvig Aberg (+0.73)
- Rory McIlroy (+0.69)
- Xander Schauffele (+0.62)
- Viktor Hovland (+0.58)
- Chris Kirk (+0.52)
Proximity: 175-200
The 175-200 range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard.
Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:
- Cameron Young (28’2″)
- Akshay Bhatia (29’6″)
- Ludvig Aberg (+30’6″)
- Sam Burns (+30’6″)
- Collin Morikawa (+30’9″)
SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs
Players who thrive on Tom Fazio designs get a bump for me at Quail Hollow this week.
SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs over past 36 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.10)
- Rory McIlroy (+1.95)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.68)
- Austin Eckroat (+1.60)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.57)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)
Strokes Gained: Putting has historically graded out as the most important statistic at Quail Hollow. While it isn’t always predictable, I do want to have it in the model to bump up golfers who prefer to putt on Bermudagrass.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Taylor Moore (+0.82)
- Nick Dunlap (+.76)
- Wyndham Clark (+.69)
- Emiliano Grillo (+.64)
- Cam Davis (+.61)
Course History
This stat will incorporate players that have played well in the past at Quail Hollow.
Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):
- Rory McIlroy (+2.50)
- Justin Thomas (+1.96)
- Jason Day (+1.92)
- Rickie Fowler (+1.83)
- Viktor Hovland (+1.78)
Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Total on Fazio designs (12%), Proximity: 175-200 (12%), SG: Putting Bermuda grass (12%), and Course History (14%).
- Wyndham Clark
- Rory McIlroy
- Xander Schauffele
- Shane Lowry
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Viktor Hovland
- Cameron Young
- Austin Eckroat
- Byeong Hun An
- Justin Thomas
2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks
Tommy Fleetwood +2500 (DraftKings)
I know many out there have Tommy fatigue when it comes to betting, which is completely understandable given his lack of ability to win on the PGA Tour thus far in his career. However, history has shown us that players with Fleetwood’s talent eventually break though, and I believe for Tommy, it’s just a matter of time.
Fleetwood has been excellent on Tom Fazio designs. Over his past 36 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Fazio tracks. He’s also been incredibly reliable off the tee this season. He’s gained strokes in the category in eight of his past nine starts, including at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the three “signature events” of the season. Tommy is a golfer built for tougher courses and can grind it out in difficult conditions.
Last year, Fleetwood was the first-round leader at this event, firing a Thursday 65. He finished the event in a tie for 5th place.
For those worried about Fleetwood’s disappointing start his last time out at Harbour Town, he’s bounced back nicely after plenty of poor outings this season. His T7 at the Valero Texas Open was after a MC and T35 in his prior two starts and his win at the Dubai Invitational came after a T47 at the Sentry.
I expect Tommy to bounce back this week and contend at Quail Hollow.
Justin Thomas +3000 (DraftKings)
It’s been a rough couple of years for Justin Thomas, but I don’t believe things are quite as bad as they seem for JT. He got caught in the bad side of the draw at Augusta for last month’s Masters and has gained strokes on approach in seven of his nine starts in 2024.
Thomas may have found something in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished T5 at a course that he isn’t the best fit for on paper. He also finally got the putter working and ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.
The two-time PGA champion captured the first of his two major championships at Quail Hollow back in 2017, and some good vibes from the course may be enough to get JT out of his slump.
Thomas hasn’t won an event in just about two years. However, I still believe that will change soon as he’s been one of the most prolific winners throughout his PGA Tour career. Since 2015, he has 15 PGA Tour wins.
Course history is pretty sticky at Quail Hollow, with players who like the course playing well there on a regular basis. In addition to JT’s PGA Championship win in 2017, he went 4-1 at the 2022 Presidents Cup and finished T14 at the event last year despite being in poor form. Thomas can return as one of the top players on the PGA Tour with a win at a “signature event” this week.
Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings)
For many golf bettors, it’s been frustrating backing Cam Young this season. His talent is undeniable, and one of the best and most consistent performers on the PGA Tour. He just hasn’t broken through with a victory yet. Quail Hollow has been a great place for elite players to get their first victory. Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all notched their first PGA Tour win at Quail.
Throughout Cam Young’s career, he has thrived at tougher courses with strong fields. This season, he finished T16 at Riviera and T9 at Augusta National, demonstrating his preference of a tough test. His ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee make him an ideal fit for Quail Hollow, despite playing pretty poorly his first time out in 2023 (T59). Young should be comfortable playing in the region as he played his college golf at Wake Forest, which is about an hour’s drive from Quail Hollow.
The 26-year-old has played well at Tom Fazio designs in the past and ranks 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on those courses in his last 36 rounds. Perhaps most importantly, this season, Young is the best player on the PGA Tour in terms of proximity from 175-200 in the fairway, which is where a plurality and many crucial shots will come from this week.
Young is an elite talent and Quail Hollow has been kind to players of his ilk who’ve yet to win on Tour.
Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)
Byeong Hun An missed some opportunities last weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He finished T4 and played some outstanding golf, but a couple of missed short putts prevented him from getting to the winning score of -23. Despite not getting the win, it’s hard to view An’s performance as anything other than an overwhelming success. It was An’s fourth top-ten finish of the season.
Last week, An gained 6.5 strokes ball striking, which was 7th in the field. He also ranked 12th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The South Korean has been hitting the ball so well from tee to green all season long and he now heads to a golf course that should reward his precision.
An’s driver and long irons are absolute weapons. At Quail Hollow, players will see plenty of approach shots from the 175-200 range as well as some from 200+. In his past 24 rounds, Ben ranks 3rd in the field in proximity from 175-200 and 12th in proximity from 200+. Playing in an event that will not end up being a “birdie” fest should help An, who can separate from the field with his strong tee to green play. The putter may not always cooperate but getting to -15 is much easier than getting to -23 for elite ball strikers who tend to struggle on the greens.
Winning a “signature event” feels like a tall task for An this week with so many elite players in the field. However, he’s finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters and T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 32-year-old’s game has improved drastically this season and I believe he’s ready to get the biggest win of his career.
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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”.