3 Quick Tips to Get Out of the Bunker Every Single Time!

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When it comes to trying to get out of the bunker, there are a few key points you need to keep in mind.

1.) Your Stance

When you’re in the bunker you want to get your feet nice and wide apart. You want to get into an athletic stance, almost like if you’re playing defense in basketball.

Bend your knees and put your hips back a bit to be able to have a stable foundation for your swing.

2. Put Weight on Your Front Leg

Net, you need to lean your weight on your front leg. This will be your right leg if you’re left-handed and you left leg if you are right-handed.

You do this to get extra leverage on the ball and to change your attack angle so that you can get even more of a nice ark on your shot and really get out of the bunker.

One of the biggest reasons that people don’t get out of the bunker is because they don’t get far enough under the ball and don’t hit it high enough to get over the lip.

Putting your weight forward like this allow you to make sure you get under the ball and pop it out the bunker.

3.) Big Swing

Lastly, you want to take a big swing to make sure that you really get under that ball.

You to focus on a nice high finish and hit that sand right behind the golf ball with a big finish toward our hole.

You want to hit the sand right behind the ball so that you don’t top it and make great contact with it.

Recap

So, in short, the three things you need to keep in mind to get the shots out of the bunker are:

  1. Athletic Stance
  2. Weight on that left side
  3. Big Swing and Hit the Sand Right Behind the Ball

Apply those 3 things and you will definitely see and improvement in your ability to get the ball out of the sand pit next time you hit it in.

Why are Golf Clubs so expensive?

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Some of us have experienced sticker shock when buying clubs before. It feels like clubs have been getting more and more expensive lately. Why are golf clubs so expensive? Are golf club companies charging so much simply because they can get away with it? To answer these questions we will analyze the financial statements of Callaway and Acushnet (Parent company of Titleist, FootJoy, and Pinnacle) between the years 2015 and 2017. The best way to understand something is to follow the money.

Firstly, we can start with the retailer markup on golf clubs. These markups average between 30-35% of the total cost of the club. This percentage sounds high at first, but that number represents the entire gross income of a retailer. That is where every expense is paid for the retailer. This includes the cost of salespeople, sales facilities, merchandising, rent, cashiers, etc. The golf club manufacturer typically decides the retail markup percentage. Interestingly, the golf industry is well below the common keystone pricing markup of 50%. After all expenses, the best golf retailers rarely profit more than 2-3% of the total cost of a club. However, as a whole, we can say that around 33.33% of the cost of a golf club is the markup from the retailer.

The financial statements used to calculate the next percentages are publicly available because both Callaway and Acushnet are publicly traded companies. The reports analyzed include all items sold by either company and are not limited to the sale of golf clubs alone. However, the breakdown of company expenses will give a good indicator as to why golf clubs are priced the way they are.

We will start with total sales to gain a sense of scale between these two companies. Between 2015 and 2017, Acushnet recorded an average annual sales figure of $1,545,164,000. Meanwhile, Callaway averaged an annual sales figure of $922,000,000 between the same years. Now those are massive numbers, but it’s important to remember that again those figures are sales numbers and not profit. For example, Acushnet’s net profit in 2015 was less than $4,200,000.

If Acushnet’s net profit in 2015 was less than 0.28% of their total sales, then where did all that money go? Pro V1’s, Scotty Camerons, and Titleist clubs aren’t cheap. How did Acushnet barely break even in 2015? Well, Acushnet’s “cost of goods sold”, a term used to describe the material and direct labor costs of producing a product, was $727,120,000 in 2015. This number represents 48.38% of its total sales. Callaway’s numbers tell a similar story. The same year in 2015, Callaway’s cost of goods sold was $487,950,000. This represented 57.82% of their total sales that year. Overall, we can deduce that roughly 33.33% of the price of a club is material and manufacturing cost.

If it only costs golf manufacturers half the price of a club to make it, then where are they spending the other money? Well, obviously golf clubs have to be researched and designed. Acushnet claims to employ, “Over 80 chemists, physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists, engineers and technicians” in their golf ball department alone. Between 2015 and 2017 Acushnet spent an average annually of $47,643,000 on research and development. This equates to approximately 3.1% compared to their total sales. Callaway averaged $34,370,000 annually on research and development during the same time span. For Callaway, this as equal to 3.7% of their gross sales. Many will be surprised by this relatively low percent spent on research and development. It means that approximately 2.33% of the cost of golf clubs is spent on research and development.

How can 53.5% of the cost of a golf club be used for the material, manufacturing, research, and development, yet golf companies are still making such a slim profit? What else are companies spending money on? This is where “selling, general, and administrative” (SG&E) costs come into play. This term refers to all corporate, sales, and marketing costs. Acushnet averaged an SG&E (not including research and develop) cost annually of $594,886,000 between 2015 and 2017. This was approximately 38.5% of their total sales. Meanwhile, Callaway in the same three years averaged annually an SG&E cost of $319,597,000 (not including research and development), which calculated out to 34.7% of their gross sales. We can estimate around 24.33% of the cost of a golf club is spent on corporate, sales, and marketing expenses.

This leaves 10% of the money from gross manufacturer sales still unaccounted for. Well, an approximated 3.3% (or 2.22% when compared against the total cost of the club) of that is accounted for by the manufacturer’s income tax and then that leaves just an estimated 6.6% for net profit. Acushnet averaged an annual net income of $50,097,000 after taxes between 2015 and 2017, or 3.2% of gross sales. Over the same three-year time span, Callaway averaged $81,760,000 in net profit after taxes or 8.9% of gross sales. These percentages are consistent with our estimated averages. This means golf manufacturers are approximately only profiting 4.46% off of the cost of a golf club.

Review of the NEW Titleist TS4 Driver!

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The new Titleist TS4 Driver is out and if you are an advanced golfer who wants more distance and more control, then this is the driver for you!

This driver is very different than the others in this series. While they are geared toward the beginner to the intermediate golfer, this club is geared toward the advanced golfer who has more control over their swing and who wants more distance and control of their shot.

As of right now, this golf club is set to be the lowest spinning driver that Titleist has ever made.

What makes this club so different is that the engineers at Titleist have brought the moment of inertia closer to the front of the club rather than the back by placing a tungsten weight close to the face. As the weight goes towards the face the spin and trajectory decrease which increase the distance you can hit the ball.

These specs are heavily sought after by low handicappers and players that are on tour who are creating an exceptional amount of spin off their driver with a clubhead speed that’s upwards of 115-120 mph. These players are putting tons of spin on the ball and they need everything they can to reduce the spin to maximize their distance and that’s exactly what the TS4 is designed for!

Check Out the TS4 Driver Here

However, there are exceptions to all the rules.

If you are a golfer who has a very choppy swing or your arc is coming right down on the ball and generating an enormous amount of spin causing you to hit the ball super high, then this might be a great option for you, even if you might have a bit of a higher handicap.

However, unless you fit that exception, this club is not the best fit for the average golfer.

This club is available in 8-5, 9-5. and 10-5 lofts, as well as seven stock shaft of varying weights and flex that you can choose from to get the club that is the best fit for you.

If you are an advanced golfer looking for a way to gain an edge on the course and some yardage on your drive then you definitely need to give the Titleist TS4 Driver a look!

However, between the different shafts, heads, lofts and more there are literally hundreds of different options for you to choose from when picking out the perfect club for you so if you have any questions feel free to give us a call to get customized advice from one of our golf clubs experts at (916) 808-0977.

Titleist TS1 Review

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Very recently, Titleist has released their NEW TS1 Driver and we are very excited about it!

Titleist has always been known as the avid golfers go-to brand meaning that if you were playing twenty-five rounds of golf or had a handicap of around 10-15 or below Titleist was a brand for you.

However, the TS1 has broken the mold by becoming the club for EVERYONE. For the very first time in Titleist’s history, they actually have made a golf club that can be played by more inexperienced golfers with higher handicaps in the 25 to 35 range.

What they have done is created a driver that has a specific shape and weight distribution that creates a very high MOI (Moment of Inertia) and that’s a good thing! More MOI means more forgiveness, so if the weight is in the back of the golf club, like it is in this one, it’s going to make the club more forgiving and make golf more enjoyable for you.

If you look at this club, you can see a little dial where the tungsten weight is at the back of the driver. The idea here is that the further you can move the weight back in a golf club the more moment of inertia it has, meaning that if you hit the ball off the heel or toe, the head will twist less, keeping your shots straighter and making them more consistent.

All of the vendors that are building golf clubs for the medium to high handicap players are all trying to move that center of gravity as far back in the golf club as they can to create a higher trajectory, more forgiveness, and lower spin.

Check out the Titleist TS1 here!

Low spin out on tour is what they’re going for, but for the average golfer, spin can help you get the ball airborne which is good for the medium to high handicap players.

The other big thing that they’ve done on this driver is the overall weight of it. The TS1 is much much lighter than many other drivers, including the other Titleist TS drivers, which helps those with low clubhead speeds that are trying to hit farther finally get some additional yardage on their drives.

With the TS1 there are three loft choices. There’s a 9-5, a 10-5 and a 12-5. Again as we’re talking about golfers who need a bit of help, a 12-5 loft can get that ball airborne even more easily. So for seniors, ladies or newer golfers more loft is very helpful.

And, if all of those features weren’t enough, this driver also has an adjustable hosel that allows you to go up and down in loft just by adjusting the hosel so that you can adjust the loft to your exact needs.

Overall, the Titleist TS1 Driver is an exceptional driver for higher handicap golfers wanting to lower their scores and have more fun out on the course!

If you would like to check it out you can here, and if you have any question about this club, customizations or anything else, feel free to call us at (916) 808-0977!

World’s Most Expensive Golf Set

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We’ve all experienced sticker-shock browsing golf clubs before. Golf equipment seems to be getting more and more expensive each year. However, there are clubs that exist, which stand well above the others in cost. Therefore, we’ve accumulated a list of the most expensive golf clubs in the world. If you’re looking to impress your friends and don’t need to put a down payment on a house, then these clubs are for you.

We will start with our budget box set option. Box sets are often great value and allow entry players to get every club they need in a clean, matching the set. This set is no different. Honma celebrated their 60th anniversary with the release of their 5-Stars 60th Anniversary set. They generously include a driver, two fairways, a hybrid, seven irons, two wedges, a putter, and a leather golf bag. This set will only set you back $59,999.99 if you are even able to find someone to sell you one. This high price is due to the precision titanium construction and the gold and platinum plating. Likewise, these ones of a kind golf shafts are constructed out of a 10-axis carbon sheeting. There is no doubt, these are some of the fanciest looking clubs in golf. It is also a bargain compared to the set we pieced together. Because we chose the Honma 5-star as our box set, we have omitted other Honma clubs from our pieced together list.

Driver: For the driver, we have selected the Maruman Majesty Prestigio X Driver. This gold plated Japanese driver is a steal at just under $2,199.99. While not utilizing the bleeding edge of technology, this driver still is a show stopper by its beauty alone. It looks more like a piece of expensive jewelry than a tool.

Fairway Woods: Following behind the driver, we chose the Maruman Majesty Prestigio X Fairway Woods as well for this set. Not only will these perfectly match your gold plated driver, but it also features a titanium-tungsten face for added distance to your shots. Two of these will cost you over $2,999.99, so maybe hide this receipt from your wife.

Hybrid: The hybrid in this ultimate set will be the GIII Signature Utility. This Japanese club is gold plated like many of the others but is unique with its crown channel technology. Nevertheless, this club doesn’t even need much performance as it could win on style points alone. Although at an expensive price of $1,199.99 per club, it hopefully will take a stroke or two off your game as well.

Shafts: Obviously we will not be using the stock shafts that come with the clubs already mentioned. Instead, we have picked out the Seven Dreamers Custom Design Carbon shafts. Each shaft costs $2,399.99 so it will cost 11,999.99 to fit the five clubs we have already picked out. The cost of a set of iron shafts is $9,000. That price does not include the fitting cost, so keep that in mind.

Irons: The Titleist CNCPT CP-01 and CP-02 irons the newest state of the art clubs from Titleist. A set of seven clubs will set you back a cool $3,999.99. These futuristic hollow irons utilize an ultrathin face and a mysterious secret alloy never before used in the golf industry.

Wedges: Moving away from the gold plated luxury clubs, we picked out two PXG Darkness 0311T milled wedges. These wedges are part of a special collection PXG is doing inspired by the company’s founder, Bob Parsons. These two custom wedges are available for $1599.99 combined currently.

Putter: The crown jewel of this bag is the putter we have chosen. It is by far the most expensive item so far. At a price of $149,999.99 you better not accidentally leave it by the green. It is called the Barth and Sons’ GoldenPutter: First Lady Edition. Reviews on the club are scarce as I’m sure few of them are actually used. However, worst-case scenario you could recoup your money by selling all of the diamonds, gold, and platinum that are used on the putter.

Golf Bag: Now that we have picked out all of the golf clubs, the last thing we need to complete our set is a golf bag. For this, we chose the Barchi Empire Black Golf Bag. These handcrafted Italian bags are currently listed for $56,999.99. It is made from 100% crocodile skin and carbon fiber. It is a definite showstopper even if it is not your particular style. They even throw in five matching head covers for that price. Unfortunately, the shipping cost is not included.

All in all, our most expensive set comes in at $255,000.00, not including taxes or shipping. You also might want to insure this set when it arrives as well. This also means it is the same price as a Ferrari 488 supercar, which then creates an interesting dilemma. Do you want to spend your weekends on the golf course or the race track? If it was my money, I think I would just get both.

Perfect Your Putting With This Simple Drill

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One of the biggest problems that plague golfers is inconsistency with their putting and they often don’t realize the thing that is most likely causing them issues, the alignment of their putts.

Many golfers are missing putts because the face of their putter actually isn’t square which causing them to miss-hit and that is exactly what this drill is made to correct.

This drill, using two golf balls and your putter, is designed to help you know when your putts aren’t lined up and be able to work on understanding the look and feel of a putter that is lined up correctly.

What you do is put the two golf balls side by side and our goal here is to see if we can make the golf balls roll simultaneously together

We want them to roll the same pace and distance and what that’s going to show us is if our putter face is square at impact. It’s really important that it’s not turned one way to the right or to the left and that it’s perfectly square when we strike these golf balls

When we put this we’re going to work on our impact and our centeredness of contact so we’ll set up to the golf ball just like normal and we’ll make our putting stroke to see if we can make the golf balls roll together

Go ahead give that a try and if you commit to practicing this every time you are out practicing your putting, I know that you will start seeing more consistent and reliable putts.

3 Upcoming Technologies In Golf

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It is has been played in the same way for hundreds of years. However, it has not and will not be spared by the technological storm of the 21st century. Today we will take a look at all of the emerging technologies that will impact the game of golf.

3D Printing:

3D printing has skyrocketed in popularity recently. It is just a matter of time before every household will include its own 3D printer. Currently, household printers can only print in plastic, which limits their use for golfers. However, this means that today you can print tees, ball markers, divot tools, and other custom plastic golf accessories from your own home. As this technology advances new materials will become available. Printers are already starting to print in carbon filaments. One day you may be able to print your own golf shafts from home. Likewise, laboratories are starting to utilize 3D printers to manufacture metal parts. One day in the future these machines may replace the plastic printing household printers and allow golfers to design and print their own woods and irons. \

Virtual Reality:

Another technology currently trending is virtual reality (VR). With the release of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, high-end VR was thrust into the everyday household. This technology has the ability to allow golfers to practice from home. Utilizing force feedback and immersive graphical experience, golfers could stay at home and practice on any course they could think of. The headset could provide a sensation of being in a location in the world. With a golf club shaped controller, golfers could practice “putting” on Augusta, “drive” off the tee at Pebble Beach, or “play” any course alongside the PGA pros. The possibilities are endless.

Augmented Reality:

Augmented reality (AR) is similar to virtual reality, however, it adds virtual graphics into your normal vision as opposed to completely block your vision with a screen. Think of a graphic displayed on the windshield of your car as opposed to looking at a television. Augmented reality may be harder to visualize but it has immense potential. You could wear your AR glasses during your round of golf and have your ball speed, ball distance, shot angle, etc automatically displayed after each shot. For a more interesting experience, you could wear your AR glasses at the range and play games like hit the zombie before they reach you or try to hit floating targets that are not actually there. AR has the potential to revolutionize the game, while still getting outside and actually playing.

PING Introduces Next Generation of Custom-Fit Women’s Equipment

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Advancements in technology, lighter overall club weight, expanded fitting options, and premium materials combine to make the new G Le2 family PING’s highest performing women’s clubs to date. The complete line of clubs is available for pre-order.

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“The G Le2 represents our continued commitment to providing women golfers of every skill level with premium, high-performance equipment optimized to their swing speeds,” said Stacey Pauwels, PING Executive Vice President and the granddaughter of PING founders Karsten and Louise Solheim, whose role includes overseeing the brand’s women’s initiatives.”

“To achieve one of our performance goals of improving the feel of the club throughout the entire swing, we focused on making the clubs lighter overall,” Pauwels added. “We integrated our extensive knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes with our proven design technologies to deliver measurable improvements throughout the set. At the same time, we wanted to present the new clubs in a visually appealing and confidence-inspiring way. We’re extremely excited about the results and look forward to bringing the G Le2 family to women golfers around the world.”

Custom fit and custom built

Along with ensuring measurable performance improvements throughout the G Le2 family, PING’s engineering team placed added importance on expanding the fitting options to help women find the ideal set to match their games.

“Having equipment that is custom fitted to their games allows women to see improvement from every club in their bag,” said Pauwels. “The G Le2 family really emphasizes that need through loft, lie and length adjustability along with the shaft weight, flex and grip offerings. Once we know those specifications, finding the best combination of fairway woods, hybrids, irons and wedges during a fitting is the next step in the process.”

“Because we custom build every club, we want women to know we’ll make them a set that best fits their game,” she said. “The key is determining the ideal set makeup that provides proper distance gaps between each club. That may be a full set or maybe a smaller set of a few metal woods, hybrids, irons, a wedge and a putter. Once we have all their fitting information, we can custom build the clubs to their precise specifications for maximum performance.”

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Lighter, faster, more forgiving driver

The next generation of golf’s highest-performing women’s driver maximizes forgiveness and distance through a higher MOI, faster face and lighter overall weight. Its titanium head features a rounder, more aerodynamic shape to promote faster clubhead speeds. A thin, forged T9S+ face is optimized for the intended swing speed to increase flexing for more ball velocity and improved launch conditions. Internal heel-biased weighting helps ensure straighter ball flights and softer turbulators help frame the ball at address. Trajectory Tuning 2.0 in the G Le2 driver utilizes a new lightweight, aerodynamic hosel sleeve that provides eight positions for influencing ball flight through loft (±1.5°) adjustments.

Faster faces, higher-launching, adjustable fairway woods

A thinner, faster maraging steel C300 face, a significantly higher MOI and an 8-lobe adjustable hosel distinguish the G Le2 fairway wood from its predecessor. The added ball speed from the face technology increases distance and combines with the shallower face to launch the ball higher with greater forgiveness. An overall lighter club weight makes swinging the club easier with more clubhead speed for longer and straighter results. Internal weighting promotes right-to-left shot correction to keep shots on target. Available in 3, 5, 7 and 9 woods.

Lighter, longer and straighter irons

Precise and forgiving with a lighter overall club weight, G Le2 irons utilize COR-Eye Technology with a deep top-rail undercut to increase face flexing for more ball speed and higher max height. A tungsten toe weight helps increase MOI by 10% for greater forgiveness and a co-molded cavity badge ensures a pleasing feel and sound. Available in 6-9 iron, PW, UW, SW.

Faster face, higher-launching hybrids with more fitting choices

A thinner, hotter Carpenter 455 face and lighter club weight generate faster ball speeds while a lower, deeper CG helps increase the MOI to launch the ball high with greater forgiveness. The addition of a 34⁰ 7 hybrid expands the fitting options for women who prefer the technology of a hybrid in place of an iron. Softer crown turbulators help capture the ball at address and aid in alignment. Available in 4, 5, 6 and 7 hybrids.

Adjustable putters with feel and forgiveness

Enhanced feel and forgiveness and a new adjustable-length shaft improve performance and fitting opportunities in the three new G Le2 putters (Anser, Shea and Echo). A dual-durometer face insert — engineered with TR face technology — provides a soft front layer for precision and improved impact feel and a firmer second layer for control to improve consistency on putts of every distance. The easy-to-use adjustable shaft allows self-fitting for length between 31″ and 35″. A new, softer PP59 midsize grip improves feel and comfort.

Lighter shafts, softer grips

PING’s proprietary ULT240 Lite and Ultra Lite premium graphite shafts are standard throughout the G Le2 family and help bring down overall club weight while helping generate more clubhead speed and higher launch. The super-soft Golf Pride Tour Velvet Garnet 360 grip is available in three sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″).

Specifications:
G Le2 Driver

Multi-material construction: Cast Ti 8-1-1 body, forged T9S+ face, lightweight aluminum/thermoplastic adjustable hosel
Loft option: 11.5⁰ (adjustable +- 1.5⁰)
Head weight: 190g
Head volume: 460 cc
Std. length: 44 ¾”
Std. lie angle: 58.5⁰
Std. Swingweight: C2
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Garnet 360 in three sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″)
Shaft options: PING ULT240D (Lite and Ultra Lite flexes)
U.S. MSRP: $435

G Le2 Fairway Woods

Multi-material construction: 17-4 stainless steel body, C300 maraging steel face, lightweight aluminum/thermoplastic adjustable hosel
Lofts (adjustable up to +-1.5⁰): 3W (19⁰), 5W (22⁰), 7W (26⁰), 9W (30⁰)
Std. lengths: 3W (4 ½”), 5W (42″), 7W (41 ½”), 9W (41″)
Std. Swingweight: C1
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Garnet 360 in three sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″)
Shaft options: PING ULT240F (Lite and Ultra Lite flexes)
U.S. MSRP: $270 per club

G Le2 Irons

Multi-material construction: 17-4 stainless steel head, tungsten toe weight, aluminum/thermoplastic composite badge, HydroPearl 2.0 finish
Available 6-9, PW, UW, SW, in 10 color codes (lie angle). Black color code is standard.
Std. length/loft: 6i (37.13″/27⁰), 7i (36.5″/30.5⁰), 8i (36″/35⁰), 9i (35.5″/40⁰), PW (35″/45⁰), UW (35″/52⁰), SW (34.5″/58⁰),
Std. Swingweight: 6i (C1), 7i (C2), 8i (C2), 9i (C2.5), PW (C4), UW (C5), SW (C6),
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Garnet 360 in three sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″)
Shaft options: PING ULT240i (Lite and Ultra Lite flexes)
U.S. MSRP: $137.50 per iron

G Le2 Hybrids

Multi-material construction: 17-4 stainless steel head, CarTech Custom 455 steel face
Lofts: 4H (22⁰), 5H (26⁰), 6H (30⁰), 7H (34⁰)
Std. lengths: 4H (3″), 5H (38 1/2″), 6H (38″), 7H (37 ½”)
Std. Swingweight: C0
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Garnet 360 in three sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″)
Shaft options: PING ULT240H (Lite and Ultra Lite flexes)
U.S. MSRP: $200 per hybrid

G Le2 Putters
Anser

Putter Type: Blade
Materials: 17-4 stainless steel body, dual-durometer PEBAX insert
Finish: Champagne nickel plating
Adjustable-Length Shaft: 31″ to 35″ range (std: 33″)
Head Weight: 345g
Stroke Type: Slight Arc
U.S. MSRP: $215

Shea

Putter Type: Mid Mallet
Materials: 17-4 stainless steel body, dual-durometer PEBAX insert
Finish: Champagne nickel plating
Adjustable-Length Shaft: 31″ to 35″ range (std: 33″)
Head Weight: 350g
Stroke Type: Strong Arc
U.S. MSRP: $215

Echo

Putter Type: Mallet
Materials: Machined 6061 aluminum body, stainless steel soleplate, dual-durometer PEBAX insert
Finish: Magenta-color anodized body, champagne nickel soleplate
Adjustable-Length Shaft: 31″ to 35″ range (std: 33″)
Head Weight: 360g
Stroke Type: Slight arc or Straight
U.S. MSRP: $270

PING, G Le2, Anser, Shea and Echo, are registered and unregistered trademarks of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

4th of July Sale

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In celebration of 4th of July, Morton Golf Sales is having a spectacular sale. Use code: “FIREWORKS” to save 15% on almost everything through Sunday, July 7, 2019. Likewise, if you spend more than $50 we will cover shipping for you. Some restrictions apply, see below for details.

*EXCLUSIONS: Use code FIREWORKS at checkout to receive discount. Excludes Morton Golf and Morton Golf Sales gift cards, gift certificates, range cards, lesson payments, Gift of Golf, Sac Golf Club membership, Bushnell, Callaway, Club Glove, FootJoy, Garmin, Mizuno, Odyssey, PING, TaylorMade, Titleist, and YETI. Additional product exclusions may apply. Click HERE for details. This promotional offer may be modified or terminated at any time without notice. This offer is not valid on previously purchased merchandise. Not valid at Haggin Oaks GC, Bing Maloney GC, Bartley Cavanaugh or William Land GC. Returns or exchanges will result in an adjusted refund amount based on discount. Cannot be combined with any other offers or coupons. Offer expires on July 7, 2019, at 11:59 ET.

**FREE SHIPPING OVER $50 EXCLUSIONS: Simply look for the free shipping logo to enjoy free shipping on selected items throughout the store. If the items in your order which qualify for ‘Free Shipping’ total $50 or more, your order ships FREE when shipped to a valid address in the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Not available for shipments to APO/AE/FPO addresses or P.O. boxes. Due to manufacturer restrictions, this offer does not apply to all manufacturers, including PING and Scotty Cameron.

3 Golf Companies That No Longer Manufacture Clubs

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The golf club industry is extremely competitive. Immense research and development coupled with ever-growing production costs quickly swallow profits. We estimate that for the most successful golf companies, total profit is less than 4.5% of the cost of a golf club. That is a very slim profit margin. It is no wonder many companies have come and gone throughout the years. Today we will look at four manufacturers that have left the golf club market.

Nike

We will start with probably the most famous. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nike was on top of the world. Nike’s main endorsed athlete, Tiger Woods, was setting the world on fire. With his help, Nike captured immense market share in the golf clothing industry. Initially just focusing on their clothing and footwear expertise, in 2002 Nike joined the golf club market. By 2004, Nike was producing game-improvement, mid-level, and professional equipment lines. In 2006, Nike led the golf club industry in tour wins. As the 2010s approached, Nike was leading the industry in driver adjustability. However, their number one player, Tiger Woods, was beginning to spiral. From outside appearances, they appeared to weather the storm of the housing crisis and the following recession. In 2013 they appeared to be looking towards the future. Rory Mcilroy was signed to an equipment endorsement deal. However, their lead in equipment adjustability had slipped. Nonetheless, it came as a shock to most golfers when they announced in 2016, they would be withdrawing from the golf club, ball, and bag industries. Nike’s success and failure compared to the rise and fall of their number one golf athlete. Perhaps with Tiger’s return to form we may see the sports behemoth take another swing at the golf club industry. In reality, Nike will most likely stick to what they are best at; clothing and footwear. Here, they still control a vast market share.

Yes!

Debuting in 1995, Yes! putters featured a unique C-Groove technology. The brainchild of Harold Swash, this technology promised straighter, more accurate putts. While the scientific validity of these claims has been hotly debated, their success is unquestionable. Yes! recorded numerous Tour wins and gained significant popularity. The brand expanded its product lines significantly. By early 2010, they had eight different models. Around this time, rumors spread that the brand had overextended their resources. Some claim Yes! was strategizing to be bought out by a large manufacturer before their debt-crippled them. Because of this, it came as little surprise to those in the industry when Yes! announced bankruptcy at the end of 2010. Nonetheless, the brand was still poised to continue. Most assumed the Yes! brand would be auctioned off to a large manufacturer and live on. Adams golf purchased the brand for $1.65 million and announced they would use the acquisition to gain traction in the putter market. The 8 models from 2010 were announced to be returning to the market. However, a year after Adam’s acquisition of Yes!, TaylorMade acquired Adams. TaylorMade already had their own putter line and was uninterested in reviving the Yes! branding. Thus, the Yes! putter brand met its demise. While unlikely, Yes! may return to the market in some form if TaylorMade ever decides to utilize its aging asset.

Hopkins

Hopkins Golf was founded in 2013. It was begun by the former CEO of Cleveland/Srixon, Greg Hopkins. His goal was to create an affordable custom wedge for consumers. His previous experience made him believe that there was a better way to make wedges. He created a brand that allowed consumers to order custom and personalized wedges and have them shipped to them in as little as a week. Hopkins Golf also gained traction on the Tour. In 2014, Hopkins released a set of irons and in 2015 they released a metalwood line. Reviews were promising and this newborn company was expanding quickly. Suddenly, at the end of 2015 Hopkins announced they had sold all of their product. There was no bankruptcy filed. Consumers were confused and retailers were unsure what was going on. Most retailers discounted the clubs and cleared what little inventory remained. Today Hopkins Golf’s website no longer exists and redirects to another company. It has never been sold and no social media page has been updated since late 2015. Obviously, this venture was not as successful as Greg Hopkins had hoped for. It seems likely the last personalized Hopkins wedge ever shipped has already happened.