£499!!

[Jacko_G]

Although I hadn't started playing golf when the original Callaway Big Berths driver was first released, more than 20 years ago, I was told its retail price was £500 back then !

Try half that at worst.

I remember our pro stocking them but I certainly don't believe that it was anywhere near that figure.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

£449.00 at Clubhouse Golf

 

[stefanovic]

How much do these drivers actually cost to make?
Grip + shaft + club head. I'm guessing £40. Then the massive mark up which more than covers development costs, shipping, advertising and profit.
I recently bought a Callaway bag (as new) and a decent set of irons (hardly used) for £20 from a charity shop.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

How much do these drivers actually cost to make?
Grip + shaft + club head. I'm guessing £40. Then the massive mark up which more than covers development costs, shipping, advertising and profit.
I recently bought a Callaway bag (as new) and a decent set of irons (hardly used) for £20 from a charity shop.

It is very rare that you can get a bargain like that, and those that are about would normally go straight onto ebay or the such. However, just because it says "Callaway" doesn't mean it is "Callaway"

 

[clubchamp98]

You wouldn’t buy your teenager who’s just passed their driving test a new Bentley.
So new players are not the target buyers of clubs like these.
People can spend their cash on what they like.
If it hits it down the middle 280 yds every time I would pay it.

There’s plenty of gear to suit everyone’s budget you don’t have to pay £500 for a good driver.

 

[GB72]

I think that the car analogy is a valid one and the problem is that the fairly dramatic increase in club prices is being seen in the mainstream rather than at the top end.
To keep the analogy going, Titleist, TM, Callaway, Ping etc are, in my eyes, the Ford, or Vauxhall of the golf world, the commonly seen mainstream (you could argue that they were more akin to BMW or Audi I suppose). Anyway, they are the norm stocked in pro shops the length and breadth of the country. What we are seeing is the equivalent of a Fiesta being sold for £25000.00. Now you could argue that these are the top end models that the company releases and so are more like an ST Fiesta with all the bells and whistles but they are not really releasing cheaper variants to fill the bottom end of the market.
Many have said that there are cheaper options but these days, are there really many options. You still have Benross holding the fort but the like of Ben Sayers, MD etc have disappeared leaving a massive gap. Maybe Wilson Staff also now fit in to that that category but at the higher end.
Many on here extoll the virtues of using a pro shop and that is admirable but you walk in there and your options are limited to pretty much 1 or 2 of the big brands selling their £500.00 drivers, not much else in most pro shops.
Bit rambling there but my thoughts are that there is no issue with companies selling their premium model at £500 but there needs to be plenty of options to fill the more modest price bracket. At the moment, there are not many new releases that fit in to that category.

 

[ademac]

Driving is almost a necessity where as golf is a hobby.
Most kids/teenagers want to have the same gear as their idols.
If people want golf to be more accesible and progress the sport then make it more affordable to youngsters and their families.

 

[Imurg]

The TM R7Quad was £399 retail when it came out in 2006 which, according to an online inflation calculator equates to .....

£560.
Callaway ERC - £499 retail - now equivalent to £815

R9 equates to £430
Titleist 905 equates to £470

Take inflation into account and these numbers aren't extraordinary

 

[user2010]

Try half that at worst.

I remember our pro stocking them but I certainly don't believe that it was anywhere near that figure.

Err you're wrong, they retailed at £499 in 1997.
The Biggest Big Bertha was indeed that price back in the day.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Seems the Titleist clubs are getting good reviews everywhere but at that price tag it's a hefty outlay. Of course it's subjective. I'm sure I'll get around to hitting one at some point but from my on perspective I'd find it hard to justify that outlay unless it absolutely beat my Ping driver hands down. Not sure it will but proof of the pudding will be in the results. I have to say though, golf bags as someone else mentioned are perhaps the most inflated pieces of kit at the moment and both carry and car bags seem extortionately expensive and getting more so

 

[Foxholer]

The TM R7Quad was £399 retail when it came out in 2006 which, according to an online inflation calculator equates to .....

£560.
Callaway ERC - £499 retail - now equivalent to £815

R9 equates to £430
Titleist 905 equates to £470

Take inflation into account and these numbers aren't extraordinary

Far too sensible analysis!

Plus...Take the 10-15% difference in UK£vsUSD exchange rate (traditionally around 1.50; now around 1.30) and that more than accounts for the 'horrendous' price!

 

[Reemul]

The thing is there is always the odd club from the past re price. At the moment this high price is consistent across the board. Nothing wrong with high price items but there does need to be stuff available on the mid range and there is not really. Hence people going second hand.

I just replaced my 10 year old car with a much newer one and the improvements are well worth it. Swapping my £67 Callaway XR16 Driver for a £500 driver is going to make very little difference and for many that is the issue.

As to junior prices it's not cheap, £700 for a half set of the new pings. My son is heading to 12 and needs to upgrade again and the prices are scary.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

What difference is worth the price? Ignoring vanity, even if money is no object, surely there has to be a real difference.
Watching the GM fitting with Joel Tadman, he uses a Callaway Rogue Sub Zero and at the Titleist fitting the TS gave him an increase of less than 10yds in carry distance and an overall total of less than 15yds and tightened his dispersion, is that sufficient to warrant going for a new Driver, which after trade in or private sale may cost him £200-£250.

 

[srixon 1]

I paid £500 for a Titleist 910 driver and 3 wood when they first came out. I still have them now, so as far as I am concerned I have had my monies worth out of them. Like the car analogy, you only lose out if you buy new and then sell on after a short time later.

 

[User 99]

Err you're wrong, they retailed at £499 in 1997.
The Biggest Big Bertha was indeed that price back in the day.

I must confess I bought a GBB back then, £450 I think I paid for hit, couldn't hit a barn door from 20 feet with it.

 

[howbow88]

When I first started playing properly 6 years ago, I managed to get a full set of Wilson Di9 irons, a Wilson Fybrid, a second hand Ping G15 driver, a second hand Odyssey putter and a bag for £530.

I bought ‘old’ stock, went second hand on the driver and putter, and found some great deals, but it’s crazy that now you’re possibly talking about 1 single club for what a few years ago you could scrabble together a decent full set of clubs and a bag.

It’s all supply and demand, and don’t forget that Titleist are American. A few years ago, £500 was not far off $900. Today it’s only just over $600.

I wouldn’t buy one single club for £500, but I guarantee that some will.

 

[Grant85]

I think that the car analogy is a valid one and the problem is that the fairly dramatic increase in club prices is being seen in the mainstream rather than at the top end.
To keep the analogy going, Titleist, TM, Callaway, Ping etc are, in my eyes, the Ford, or Vauxhall of the golf world, the commonly seen mainstream (you could argue that they were more akin to BMW or Audi I suppose). Anyway, they are the norm stocked in pro shops the length and breadth of the country. What we are seeing is the equivalent of a Fiesta being sold for £25000.00. Now you could argue that these are the top end models that the company releases and so are more like an ST Fiesta with all the bells and whistles but they are not really releasing cheaper variants to fill the bottom end of the market.
Many have said that there are cheaper options but these days, are there really many options. You still have Benross holding the fort but the like of Ben Sayers, MD etc have disappeared leaving a massive gap. Maybe Wilson Staff also now fit in to that that category but at the higher end.
Many on here extoll the virtues of using a pro shop and that is admirable but you walk in there and your options are limited to pretty much 1 or 2 of the big brands selling their £500.00 drivers, not much else in most pro shops.
Bit rambling there but my thoughts are that there is no issue with companies selling their premium model at £500 but there needs to be plenty of options to fill the more modest price bracket. At the moment, there are not many new releases that fit in to that category.

Agree with this analysis. Perhaps you could throw Cleveland into the mix as well who have some reasonably priced kit, and even have some pros playing their clubs.

 

[Grant85]

The TM R7Quad was £399 retail when it came out in 2006 which, according to an online inflation calculator equates to .....

£560.
Callaway ERC - £499 retail - now equivalent to £815

R9 equates to £430
Titleist 905 equates to £470

Take inflation into account and these numbers aren't extraordinary

When these large headed Drivers came out, they were revolutionary. Also the tech was still improving at a decent pace so not inconceivable that some of the new clubs were game changing a decade or so ago, compared to a generation or two prior. However, the law of diminishing returns very much comes into play and really what is the improvement going to be for the average player, compared with the likes of an SLDR or G30 that were 'revolutionary' 5 years ago?

At the end of the day, if people keep paying the prices the companies will keep releasing new kit while claiming some advancement or other and the prices will keep going up. Not saying the claims are false, just that to the average player they will often make little or no difference.

Clubs released 5 years ago look VERY similar to current models. Still with a slight rounded face, head shape very similar, COG toward the back, possibly adjustable loft and adjustable weight to suit draw / fade. I just refuse to believe they are worth the money. I could easily spurge £500 on golf stuff, but would get far more enjoyment out of spending it on coaching / range balls / playing new courses I've never played / nice non-iron golf clothes.

 

[pendodave]

Bit rambling there but my thoughts are that there is no issue with companies selling their premium model at £500 but there needs to be plenty of options to fill the more modest price bracket. At the moment, there are not many new releases that fit in to that category.

I think the model for driver purchases (and other clubs to a certain extent) has changed. I just looked on the bay at completed purchases for 2016m2 drivers (arguably the best mainstream driver for that year). Almost all are between £100 and £150. There's a variety of shaft options and the head is adjustable, so easy to get pretty much any golfer accurately matched up. Plus we all know that performance will be nigh on identical to this year's £500 offering. It's tough for a budget brand to compete against this. I know that I would buy a more premium brand 2nd hand in preference, and I'm sure many feel the same.

For all the nonsense about the price of new kit, I would argue that it's never been cheaper for a thoughtful purchaser to fill their bag with top quality stuff.

 

[r0wly86]

The TM R7Quad was £399 retail when it came out in 2006 which, according to an online inflation calculator equates to .....

£560.
Callaway ERC - £499 retail - now equivalent to £815

R9 equates to £430
Titleist 905 equates to £470

Take inflation into account and these numbers aren't extraordinary

Is inflation the correct metric to be using?

Cost of raw material (unaffected by inflation in the UK), cost of production (unaffected by inflation in the UK) are more important in terms of cost. If better technology means that a driver is cheaper to produce now than in 2006 it doesn't make sense the price should rise just because of inflation.

My earlier point which has been said by other is that, there have always been outliers. Club that have been a lot more expensive than the norm, and if people wanted to buy them then that was up to them. The problem that I can see is that the norm has changed dramatically, whereas not long ago you would be paying £300-350 for a new driver with the option to buy and outlier at over £400, if you want a new driver you are looking at £450 with outliers much higher.