• We'd like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas from all at Golf Monthly. Thank you for sharing your 2025 with us!

Club Pro v Internet

Sid Rixon IV said:
Hi Imurg,
If you could have tried it out at the driving range (and liked it) would you have bought it from your pro in spite of the hybrid offer?
Click to expand...

Honestly, No.
If I didn't want the hybrid I'd sell it on and effectively only spend 100 quid or so on the driver. Brand new hybrid I could sell for 80 or 90 notes very quickly
Service is important but faced with a deal like that it would be stupid to not take it..
 
I bought my TM irons, Anser driver, several hats, gloves, polo shirts,club jumpers,shoes and a few more bits and bobs. It's not like I snub him is it?
 
drawboy said:
I bought my TM irons, Anser driver, several hats, gloves, polo shirts,club jumpers,shoes and a few more bits and bobs. It's not like I snub him is it?
Click to expand...

No indeed - I'd have expected a bit of movement by him towards the price you could get elsewhere - unless of course youy'd knocked him down on all the stuff you have already bought and reduced his margin. I've never tried to get the cost reduced of anything I've bought from my pro - I've always just gone with what he charges for the kit. Let's see how much he charges me for the putter if I decide it suits me. I will pay him a bit over the on-line price - and will be happy to do so - but doubt I'll go over the upper on-line limit on golf bidder.
 
Last edited:
I always give our pro my business if his prices are competitive, which they usually are. Our pro gets a lot of stick from the membership for being expensive but he's always done me good deals so can't complain
 
Our club doesn't have a pro, or pro shop.

We have an agreement with a local American Golf. If we take out bag tag in-store, we get, I belive a 10% reduction.

My pro however works at a local range. They do have a pro shop. Prices are competative and you get a good service so I have no issue using them when needed.
 
My gaff has a privately run shop. its run by a guy that has 3 shops in total around the area, very well run, great stocks of clubs and clothing, will price match online shops also. will also let you take a club out to try etc if you want, order special items in to try etc. Overall, very very impressed!

Especially the sale items on tommy hillfinger ( ;) thats an alan partridge joke ) stuff
 
Purchased a new putter at weekend - nice new Odyssey White Hot Pro #2 c/s. Loving it. Bought it through my pro for £119. On-line through Golfbidder I could have got it for £105 plus £6.99 delivery so £112. I'm happy to pay the £7 extra to give our pro that bit of business.
 
I got my irons from my pro recently at the best Internet price I could find - he'd asked me to ensure I bought from him.
First he checked my Internet claim and then called his supplier.
Then we did the deal and were both happy.
I wouldn't screw him out of a profit as Ive bought most of my gear from him.
Im quite sure his margins are protected.
 
Sid Rixon IV said:
I got my irons from my pro recently at the best Internet price I could find - he'd asked me to ensure I bought from him.
First he checked my Internet claim and then called his supplier.
Then we did the deal and were both happy.
I wouldn't screw him out of a profit as Ive bought most of my gear from him.
Im quite sure his margins are protected.
Click to expand...

Just realised I started out making that internet matching point at the start of the thread.
What I mean is that he doesn't lose money (on "serious" purchases) as he claws it back from his supplier if they agree to match.
 
I didn't ask my pro to match the internet price. But he basically got it for me at that price. Asking for a £7 reduction would be taking the piss.
 
GreiginFife said:
It's ok if your club pro has a decent stock to choose from.
I will happily buy my club polo's/jumpers and other clothing from my pro, along with wedges as he now carries Cleveland RTX ones.
BUT, as he only stocks PING and TM gear, neither which I can stand, then I will not buy from him just for the sake of buying from him. Balls, he only stocks Titleist and Srixon, I prefer Mizuno and Bridgestone. He wasn't even aware that Mizuno made a ball but as he has long term supply contracts with the aforementioned manufacturers then he won't be stocking them anytime soon.
Similarly shoes, he only stocks FJ and ECCO shoes, neither of which I like (well except ECCO World Class GTX in brick red but at £250 that's not gonna happen).

So it's great for people to talk about supporting your pro, but what it the pro has nothing for you to support. I do what I can to give him trade but with limited choices having to be balanced against what is good for my game then the support I can offer will remain limited.
Click to expand...


You must have a rather poor professional. Every club pro I know will order in anything I want. If they don't stock it they phone one of there mates who has an account with X brand and order it through them. It's easy enough for a pro to order what they like through a buying group or through other professionals in the area who carry a different line.

Most professionals will price match. Mine will either give a free lesson or a box of balls if he can't beat the price or can only match it.
 
Alex1975 said:
Do not feel sorry for them.... Its like any business, you need to be good at what you do and get out there.
Click to expand...

^ this

I buy all of my gear from a local pro - was chatting to him this morning, he stocks gear from 11 different suppliers with no minimum commitment to any of them. He also only stocks the parts of the ranges that he feels are good or that his members will want (Some brands he stocks irons only, some woods only, some putters only, and some in different combos - together with a mindboggling array of "aftermarket" shafts). He did say that he met some resistance initially from the suppliers, but they eventually relented and were prepared to work with him on this basis. I guess that he has the advantage of having an excellent reputation as a club-fitter, but he also had the cajones to negotiate with the suppliers hard - oh, he'll also source anything else that he doesn't stock at a decent price. (He can't always price match, but he gets close)
 
lucan said:
only used my club pro once never again.
he fit me for a set of ping g25 irons right from the word go i could not use these clubs after a month went back to him to be rifitted as i am sure the lie angle was wrongly fit.
he showed no intrest just claimed the ping fitting system was not very good this coming from a ping aproved stockist.
i am now stuck with a set of irons i can not use as i am not in the position to pay for another fitting
Click to expand...

Both myself and wife have been fitted for Ping by our club pro, he price matched both times. Two weeks ago my son was fitted for Pings, he beat the price AG were offering for G20's. He fitted the boy twice to ensure they were right (4 degrees up and an extra 1/2 inch - he's over 6ft and just turned 13.....), we ordered and the clubs were in two days later. The boy has been struggling to get used to them for a week or so, went and chatted to the pro. he tested the fit again, confirmed they were good, and then gave the boy a free lesson to see where the problem was, all resolved, two weeks on and hitting like a dream. Can't praise our service highly enough - Maurice Campbell at Leighton Buzzard Golf Club.

With regards to Lucan, if your pro is not interested, ping guarantee the fit for life and will make any changes free of charge - you'll need to pay shipping costs. I'm sure if you contact them directly and explain, they will have a look at you at Gainsborough and resolve it for you.
 
lucan said:
only used my club pro once never again.
he fit me for a set of ping g25 irons right from the word go i could not use these clubs after a month went back to him to be rifitted as i am sure the lie angle was wrongly fit.
he showed no intrest just claimed the ping fitting system was not very good this coming from a ping aproved stockist.
i am now stuck with a set of irons i can not use as i am not in the position to pay for another fitting
Click to expand...

Think I'd be having a word with Ping about the club Pro's attitude aswell.
 
lucan said:
only used my club pro once never again.
he fit me for a set of ping g25 irons right from the word go i could not use these clubs after a month went back to him to be rifitted as i am sure the lie angle was wrongly fit.
he showed no intrest just claimed the ping fitting system was not very good this coming from a ping aproved stockist.
i am now stuck with a set of irons i can not use as i am not in the position to pay for another fitting
Click to expand...

I would contact Ping direct with dates etc and especially the attitude displayed by your Pro who your contract of sale is with! I think you will find Ping extremely helpful and will empathise with your situation as they will want to protect their brand and they'll possibly suggest you go to another nearby authorised fitter and then have the clubs adjusted FOC or you may even get an invite to Ping themselves.

If they (Ping) do not get the feedback they can't address it and they think that everything is hunky-dory.
 
need_my_wedge said:
Both myself and wife have been fitted for Ping by our club pro, he price matched both times. Two weeks ago my son was fitted for Pings, he beat the price AG were offering for G20's. He fitted the boy twice to ensure they were right (4 degrees up and an extra 1/2 inch - he's over 6ft and just turned 13.....), we ordered and the clubs were in two days later. The boy has been struggling to get used to them for a week or so, went and chatted to the pro. he tested the fit again, confirmed they were good, and then gave the boy a free lesson to see where the problem was, all resolved, two weeks on and hitting like a dream. Can't praise our service highly enough - Maurice Campbell at Leighton Buzzard Golf Club.

With regards to Lucan, if your pro is not interested, ping guarantee the fit for life and will make any changes free of charge - you'll need to pay shipping costs. I'm sure if you contact them directly and explain, they will have a look at you at Gainsborough and resolve it for you.
Click to expand...


I believe that bit is now wrong and Ping have started to charge customers. It is only a minimal amount. I may be wrong though.

Blame ebay etc.
 
My_HarrisTweed_Cap said:
You must have a rather poor professional. Every club pro I know will order in anything I want. If they don't stock it they phone one of there mates who has an account with X brand and order it through them. It's easy enough for a pro to order what they like through a buying group or through other professionals in the area who carry a different line.

Most professionals will price match. Mine will either give a free lesson or a box of balls if he can't beat the price or can only match it.
Click to expand...

He gets by. A constantly full lessons book tells me that he is probably a good pro, he's not really there in a primary capacity to sell gear, that's more of a sideline. He sees his responsibility to the members is to have the pro shop functioing on site as a means for him to be available to the members. If his lessons ever dried up then I think you may be right in that his networking would come in to play. The I would probably see him stock more or take on accounts with more manufacturers. Until then, he's doing the right thing in our member's base view as not a single member has voiced any concern over him.
I buy from him what I need that he has, beyond that I go where I can get what I need. But most importantly, he will always be my first port of call where it matters, lessons.
 
GreiginFife said:
He gets by. A constantly full lessons book tells me that he is probably a good pro, he's not really there in a primary capacity to sell gear, that's more of a sideline. He sees his responsibility to the members is to have the pro shop functioing on site as a means for him to be available to the members. If his lessons ever dried up then I think you may be right in that his networking would come in to play. The I would probably see him stock more or take on accounts with more manufacturers. Until then, he's doing the right thing in our member's base view as not a single member has voiced any concern over him.
I buy from him what I need that he has, beyond that I go where I can get what I need. But most importantly, he will always be my first port of call where it matters, lessons.
Click to expand...


Yes, I agree and now realise my assumption was very arrogant. Sorry to your pro!


:thup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top