Why don't some people listen?

[Slaighty]

A colleague who has only been playing a few months decided he wanted a stand bag, and wanted to pay £30. I had just received a flyer in the post from Direct Golf and they were selling a Wilson bag for £30 delivered instead of £50, so I advised him to buy it. But no, he turned up on Sunday with a Dunlop bag. He'd paid £30 for it from Sports World because it was "marked down" from £80.
How do they get away with this?
Anyway I felt smug cos I couldn't resist buying the Wilson bag myself, and together the difference in quality was obvious.

 

[Ken_A]

There was a law passed yesterday (i think) which should hopefully cut some of these chancers with their all year round closing down sale and 70% off.

AAAARgh. Bloody Sports world - carpet right - and all that lot.

A sports world has opened 5 miles from here - and you can see the cheap clothes everywhere. If the wife even thinks about getting me some dunlop or lonsdale kit I think it should be grounds for divorce.

 

[Ham]

The retailers get away with it because as long as they have sold the same gear in a certain amount of stores for a short period of time at the higher price they can then say its reduced from £xxx to £xxx.
Loads of the Jan sale stuff for example is sold in selected stores between october and xmas at the full price and nobody buys it and then it says Half price in Jan !

 

[collins]

I didn't use a glove for ages, but I bought a dunlop one from sports world for 3.99. It is fine, I can grip the club better with it. I would not pay anywhere a tenner or more for a glove, I would rather play without one!

But the clubs and clothing are a bit shocking!

 

[Nico]

Got to admit that I am wearing Ocean Pacific shorts and T shirt as we speak,bought from........Sports World!

 

[haplesshacker]

Ham. Hit the nail on the head with that one.

I'm sorry but I'm afraid that JJB / Sports World have their place in the golf market. In so much that they provide a route for the less informed to purchase golf gear cheaply, and therefore get into the sport. For that they cannot be critiscised. However (being a snob) it may introduce the wrong type of person (if there is such a person) to the sport, ie the play twice a year crowd, nylon footie shirt etc.

As for dodgy sales practices perhaps Slaighty's mate might just get into the sport more over the next 6 months and end up buying decent kit from more reputable sources. Provided that he's not made to feel to inferior with his Dunlop kit.

Incidently I have a college that bought a £120 set of complete Dunlops, and he went round last weekend finishing of at 2 over par after 18 holes. I'd hate to see him play with a decent set of clubs.

 

[Parmo]

Tbh sports world play a big role, I buy my trousers from them and yes they are dunlop for about a tenner but last twice as long as nike or other flimsy so called golf trousers, also I have bought some gear for my holidays before which was decent (Op and still loads of wear left in them) and I often buy little bits from them like last weekend I got a spike wrench for $1.50!! where else on the high street can you guy golf gear? nowhere.

Anyway I felt smug cos I couldn't resist buying the Wilson bag myself, and together the difference in quality was obvious.

No offence fella but looking down your nose at someone elses gear is quite sad, if he is happy with the Dunlop so be it, do you really think Wilson bags are made by Wilson and not in a sweat shop in China, prob the same shop the Dunlop one entered the world in.

Golf is an expensive sport and spending hundreds on something you might give up (like we see season in and out of all the gear...) is something some people can not do, so if they spend $60 on a set of clubs and use them a few times a year maybe one day they will want to progress their game.

 

[Ken_A]

Golf is an expensive sport and spending hundreds on something you might give up (like we see season in and out of all the gear...) is something some people can not do, so if they spend $60 on a set of clubs and use them a few times a year maybe one day they will want to progress their game.

I agree - but I feel sports world rip people off selling them a set of clubs at £100, that are worth £100 and not the £399 that they where before the 'sale' - I am disgusted with them, in the end if they where sold without the 'original' price sticker how many sets would they sell? Probably far less and good companies like MD / Ben Sayers etc who have great starter sets loose out.

 

[Parmo]

If someone is that daft they do not realise that Sports world do this then they do not deserve to have money. If selling cheap cack clubs gets more people into the game (which it is begging for) then all the better, I am not saying all these chavs hit the pitch and putt but we might get the next Jr Tiger or Casey who picks up a cheap set and then moves up a level with practice.

 

[TonyN]

Pal of mine said to me the other day, Full set of clubs including driver, bag and putter in sports world for £150 should be £399, what a bargain. I asked him what make they were and he replied dunlop. I told him they were never worth that much and never will be, it was just a way of selling the clubs to people who know no different!

He went on to say the reason he bought his current set is because they were ''70% off'' from sports world! I dint have the heart to tell him, they were not worth the 30% he paid for them!

 

[haplesshacker]

As you know from another thread I'm involved in sales and retail, and some punters buy on percentage discount (even if they can't work out percentages) because they think they're getting value for money, and without being 'classist', they tend to be the nylon shirt / trackie bottom brigade type, regardless of how much they earn or age, the attitude is the same in our business.
This is how sofas, beds and settees are sold.

 

[Nico]

Mate,they were worth the 30% he paid but no more.

These guys put one of my best mates out of Golf but in the end they are servicing a need. I want the world to play this game and the wider the net is spread the better.

Bit like throwing dirt against the wall.......only the mud will stick.

 

[Spoff]

I know better than believe the xxx% off items but was sucked in when I started the game. I was focused on waiting and buying a set when I had the money but was in JJB buying shoes and the wife called my attention to an earlier version of these.

£450 down to £200 - My limited knowledge of the game I thought Maxfli was right up there and was suckered in.

They're OK, but I want to replace already!!!

 

[haplesshacker]

Most of us have done it, so don't worry about it. We didn't all start with Mizunos, Callaways etc.

In fact it's a good (cheap) way of seeing if you enjoy the game before spending your hard earned on a decent set of clubs. Not only that it will give you a good idea of which 14 clubs you'd like in your 'dream' bag.

I've got a cupboard with several cheap experimental clubs in that I've either upgraded to better quality, or just not used or replaced, the chipper for example.

Hope you like the game.

 

[Slaighty]

My original point here was wondering why some people aren't good at accepting hard earned advice. I wasn't completely knocking the cheapo outlets, I bought the odd club from them (and Argos)myself when starting out, and would never look down on anyones kit. I have personally got two guys at work hooked on golf and nurtered them through their early days of trainers and beginners gear.

 

[haplesshacker]

And the case for the defence!!

Nice reply Slaighty. But I kinda understand where your coming from as the wife never listens to any advice I give her

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think at the end of the day to a certain degree it is about horses for courses and getting out what you put in. If JJB and Sportsworld were the new American Golf etc we would all have to learn to chip with Maxfli Noodles and Pinnacles. They offer a budget entry level to those who are starting out or not sufficiently bitten by the bug to want to play regularly and improve.

Even when I started as a junior, the only clubs I could afford after cashing in my savings certificates were a set of Petron Impala which along with the Wilson Sam Snead were the entry level clubs of the day. However where I differ is that I wanted to improve from day one and soon realised the clubs were holding me back in terms of ball striking and shot making and made damn sure I upgraded as soon as possible.

I think however on balance the quality of the goods sold in JJB etc actually undermines the benefit it does to the sport by allowing people to play. If they could start with a quality 1/2 set of say MD or Benross they would feel the quality of the ball striking and the clubs would also retain some sort of part exchange value

 

[madandra]

For absolute beginners who have no avenues of advice such as club membership or even this forum, it is understandable why they jump in lock, stock and two smoking brush tee's. It is only a matter of time before their inquisitive nature brings them from the dark side and into the light just like Spoff did.

 

[haplesshacker]

It's no different in most sports.

As you get more thirst for knowledge and advice, so your opinion of all things related to that sport change. As do your expectations.

 

[Nico]

Theses last 2 posts loop me back to my mate and how things have moved on.

He was head Pro at a 9 hole pay-n-play with a range. Every year he would service the new golfers and the"Ice Cream players" who only turned up after Easter. He was known as "Mr Remainder line" but sold kit with low value brand names (Progen etc.) but with decent componentry, i.e. Golf Pride grips,Dynamic Gold shafts etc.

He would sell them as a 7 iron for your group intro course (club included) and then as a set or individually as required.

This being a guy who was assistant head pro at West Hill and qualified in the top ten of his year from the PGA.

What better intro to Golf could you have,but his market was ruined first by AG and then particularly by JJB who acually have no long term commitment to any sport and only exist for shifting kit.

Our start in this game should incorporate both the kit and an understanding of the game and how it should be played.