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.