Not a week goes by that we do not get the question about what clubs are made in the US. The answer is not many. With that said, a lot happens here from a number of putters being done, some shafts being done, assembly taking place and nearly all of the design work.
With the latest delays hitting golf for a myriad of reasons from components being available to cargo disasters combined with higher costs to bring things back to America, the question is being asked quite a bit more. Could a major golf equipment company bring their manufacturing back to the US?
Is it merely a cost strategy or are there a few regulations that would need to change as well? Finally, viewing other items made elsewhere vs what is made domestically, is there a quality conversation?
Sound Off Below.
will pay more for MUSA. Have done so for decades with Bill’s Khakis, Johnson & Murphy, Allen Edmunds, Wolverine, Filson, Timbuktu, New Balance, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Joseph A Bank, Haspel, Rawlings, Champion, Gimbels, Wanamakers, Barneys to name a few.
Arent most of those brands listed made overseas?
Say what about NB? ?
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For the larger brands? No.
But then I thought I was being naive on two potential factors. First, it is possible that there is some breakthrough in the manufacturing process to bring costs down, like large scale 3D printing. Second, what if one or two companies did it, and found some success. Would that be enough to pressure others to do it? It think it may.
Of course you can’t. It’s totally a political topic, which makes it a puzzler why it would be started by JB on a forum that doesn’t wish to entertain political discussions.
This certainly doesn’t have to be a political topic and has remained free of that by and large for its entirety.
I’m with JB here. I don’t have any idea why discussing where something is made has to be political. Of course it CAN be also, but certainly doesn’t have to be.
Are maltby’s heads made in the USA? Definitely not a upper tier brand, more of a niche brand, but I thought I remember these being American made? I googled it though and see no references of it, so maybe their heads are ordered from elsewhere and clubs are just assembled here.
No, Maltby heads are not made here.
At one time they did (as did others). They do not make their equipment here and haven’t for years. They do assemble here, as does Titleist, Srixon and others
As someone who has worked in manufacturing for the past 23 years let me tell you, its never gonna happen. I say that because you cannot compete from a cost standpoint and you cannot manufacture golf club heads in the U.S. in any kind of profitable or sustainable way.
I actually think the argument itself is quite silly and harkens back to a kind of 1950s nationalism and isolationism.
Nope. Heads are not cast in the USA anymore. Last year I had a Ping wedge where the head was made in China and the shaft was made in Japan. Hey, the grip was made in the USA though.
Agreed. The aerospace company I work for is shutting it’s doors next Spring. The corporate people have decided it’s better to send our work to Mexico and pay the people down there $2.00 per hour with no benefits rather than pay Americans the $20 – $25.00 per hour and benefits. I’ve got 30 years in this company and will be on the streets looking for work next Summer. I won’t get into the quality and schedule problems they are having down there but when you get on those Boeing and Airbus planes, remember where those products are being built.
Gotta pay the shareholders their max, right?
Titleist, Callaway and Bridgestone make most of their golf balls in the US.
Taylormade makes their tour balls in the US.
Some of those smaller DTC companies might have near net forgings made in the same locations as other brands, but personally I do not believe that makes them one and the same. Whether one views this as positive, negative or anything else, the R&D side of things is vastly different. A brand like Sub70 or New Level does not have multiple CAD designers, super computers or anything of the sort. Does that make their equipment lesser? That depends on the person buying it, but to some it might.
Do you think 3D printing could change that? Or more looking at it like putters are already made here, so not a huge leap?
PXG is not made in the USA.
I don’t know the answer to that but probably. I am just trying to think globally rather than just nationally and from the perspective of it is the goal of a company to make a profit. it seems too big in my mind to serve that from the US.
i am not sure of the answer to that. I can’t say I understand what impact 3D printing would have on production and cost.
I am just trying to think globally rather than just nationally and also from the perspective of it is the goal of a company to make profit. The US seems like a bad move to serve those needs. I would not mind being proven wrong.
I honestly don’t know the answer to that either, but looking forward to finding out.
cobra showed It can be done on a large scale and done well. Even if it is just a small piece. So you have to think other OEMs will start diving in.
And that brings in an entire series of questions haha. Cobra partnered with HP to make it possible. I honestly have no idea the investment necessary to bring that in house if one was to go that way. I remember when Callaway introduced the Super Computer and AI to the world and it was a very different animal that still isn’t all that well understood. Currently they are still the only company that has gone to this length with that investment, but we do see and hear about "AI" in just about every new club release that comes out. Its a buzz word now (which is a shame) and I wonder if we will see more of that with 3D printing where an emblem or something else is done that way so therefore the club utilizes 3D printing.
I don’t know the answer to any of this, but as tech moves forward it is a pretty fascinating conversation. We cannot be that far off with club heads being able to be 3D produced for the masses if they wanted to have them done. Cost would be the biggest factor I would imagine. All guesses of course.
yeah, super interesting conversation. One of things that I love about golf..
Design is already taken care of by US OEM’s so it’s just the infrastructure to manufacture needed.
I think having something as close to 100% made in the US would be amazing for the game.
I’m doubtful that moving equipment manufacturing here would ease delays. The only way that would happen is if the raw materials were available domestically. If not, we’re just shifting the bottlenecks earlier in the process. Plenty of auto manufacturing here, but it’s throttled by the availability of chips.