Delays Hit the Golf Industry

[BigDill]

That... Sounds like the coolest job ever

Coast guard seems like it could have some fun moments. I once went shrimping off the back of a cutter near Miami Beach. It was something to behold.

 

[NeverWiff]

Basically this can be said for the supply chain of almost everything in the world right now.

Take a small segment of it that impacts a lot of other things. Seed sales (garden seeds) are up in my company 70% over last year-which was up about 200% over the prior year (Covid broke).

So that impacts a lot of things. Peat Pots. Already gone, sold out. Unable to procure more.

At this point all those without canning jars are putting in pointless gardens if their purpose is to procure a long term food supply.

There are exactly zero canning jars available for the 9th largest purchaser of them in the US. Our usual company, Ball, has put its efforts into making food cans, etc. We can get nothing from them. We are a local and locally owned company. There is another local company that we did a ton of business with last year that now won’t.

Production is down. Demand is about 270% of what it was 2 years ago. If you have a garden and you see canning jars m, buy them then and there.

It’s impacting everything to a certain degree. Food manufacturers that used to have 60 SKU’s of a product line are tightening it to their top 25.

I hear ya.... as a manufacturer of products made from plastic resins. The reactors in TX and Gulf Coast, where most are produced, were shut down in the February storms and ramping them back up for production is a long process.... force majeure in effect, resins unavailable, pricing up 30% or more depending upon the grade, and reliable deliveries not expected to resume for a while yet. it's a huge mess.

 

[jeffrey r]

Good insight, thanks. We just ordered some kitchen appliances, and they are a few month lead time. I decided to build up my graphite shafted iron repertoire, and ordered some Titleist irons with Kuro Kage 105 shafts in February. I've kind of stopped following up, but it was looking like mid-April shipping, which I'll believe when I see it. They were expecting T300 heads at the end of March. Like, how does Titleist just run out of LH T300 heads for months (rhetorical question). Crazy times out there.

Last summer at my course was crazy. New members, people staying close to home, less traveling, young kids with more free time and out on the course, high school and college kids with no summer jobs so out on the course. The tee sheet was so jammed all the time it was crazy. We'll see what this season brings.

 

[Rummpd]

Oh, that's easy: The prices for used clubs are often so high the incremental difference for new is almost inconsequential.

E.g.: When I was in a Golf Galaxy late last summer I asked a sales guy what they had in used wedges. They had two on the rack, and the prices were scarcely less than what I'd been looking at brand new. I've vaguely been trying to put together a new driver for one of my neighbors--just for grins. Something in an X2 Hot or newer head in 13.5° loft and a shorter senior flex shaft. Even trying to buy the head and shaft separately, I can't do it economically.

I find used prices highly variable and my son used to work at 2nd Swing and they are off and on on prices as are others. I shop around and have done pretty well over time.

 

[JB]

Hopefully this helps a bit of understanding as well, especially with custom orders.

 

[Jman]

Hopefully this helps a bit of understanding as well, especially with custom orders.

I hope so as well, there’s a lot going on and it’s a pretty interesting situation.

 

[MWard]

I hope so as well, there’s a lot going on and it’s a pretty interesting situation.

It’a a frustrating situation for all. That shipping container loss really did some damage to several companies. Throw in the high demand that’s surging right now, it’s gotta be a “you have to be kidding me. You’re joking right?” moment for all parties affected.

 

[Lions81]

It’a a frustrating situation for all. That shipping container loss really did some damage to several companies. Throw in the high demand that’s surging right now, it’s gotta be a “you have to be kidding me. You’re joking right?” moment for all parties affected.

Definitely frustrating. I think a key is communication, and from my experience it has been lacking.

 

[MWard]

Definitely frustrating. I think a key is communication, and from my experience it has been lacking.

That would help considerably I feel, but I wonder if saying that would cause stockholders to lose their minds.

“Callaway reports that 250,000 driver and iron heads went missing in the Eastern Yellow Sea after...”

related:10,000 small boats filled with middle aged men were seen in the Eastern Yellow Sea today, after...

 

[KEV]

It's insane how backed up products are, and not just in the golf industry. I have a buddy that cancelled his TaylorMade iron order because of how long the wait was for it.

 

[Lions81]

That would help considerably I feel, but I wonder if saying that would cause stockholders to lose their minds.

“Callaway reports that 250,000 driver and iron heads went missing in the Eastern Yellow Sea after...”

related:10,000 small boats filled with middle aged men were seen in the Eastern Yellow Sea today, after...

I think it more falls upon the store/retailer. I mean if you are placing a custom order, and you know that a certain component is going to cause it to be delayed, I feel like you should give the consumer a heads up about that. Then they can choose to either keep it and accept the longer wait time, or modify it.

 

[JB]

Definitely frustrating. I think a key is communication, and from my experience it has been lacking.

Based on the information @Jman provided it would be really hard though, right? It’s literally a moving target by the day. Even if you under promise and over deliver it’s a tough spot.

Taking it a step further into the @Club Champion of the world. Are they victim a bit of the Amazon phenomenon, where we as customers have unfair expectations for something that is built to spec?

 

[MWard]

I think it more falls upon the store/retailer. I mean if you are placing a custom order, and you know that a certain component is going to cause it to be delayed, I feel like you should give the consumer a heads up about that. Then they can choose to either keep it and accept the longer wait time, or modify it.

They sometimes do, but it does depend on if they’re given the accurate information. I’m just really, really glad I don’t need to regrip my clubs right now

 

[Lions81]

Based on the information @Jman provided it would be really hard though, right? It’s literally a moving target by the day. Even if you under promise and over deliver it’s a tough spot.

Taking it a step further into the @Club Champion of the world. Are they victim a bit of the Amazon phenomenon, where we as customers have unfair expectations for something that is built to spec?

I think like most things its about managing expectations, and when you are not going to hit the target/or have already missed it, you communicate with the customer about why it is, and update them etc. I think most reasonable people understand things are crazy right now, but its frustrating to get the run-around a bit when it feels like someone just wants to get you off the phone.

 

[TCB2010]

I had received an email when my order was placed for my HMB's in January, the email had stated it would be at least 5 weeks which came out to 7 but it stated "we've done more in open orders the first week in January this year than all of January last year" and had grown so fast and quickly. This was from a Mizuno rep. They had also said they opened the manufacturing plant during the weekend to help.

 

[YukonLiving]

Great article, @Jman. Well-rounded perspective on things.

That growth is phenomenal; much larger than I expected. I mean, I saw things from a very specific lens up here and definitely noticed a fair number of new faces so I can only imagine what that must have looked like in a larger centre.

 

[Jman]

I think like most things its about managing expectations, and when you are not going to hit the target/or have already missed it, you communicate with the customer about why it is, and update them etc. I think most reasonable people understand things are crazy right now, but its frustrating to get the run-around a bit when it feels like someone just wants to get you off the phone.

Most have done a great job at that.

And anyways, it’s not like companies aren’t bothered by it as much as we are, they want to make money as much as we want shiny stuff.

 

[Junkyard]

Great writeup @Jman!

If there is one single positive to be taken from the supply chain issues, it is that it doesn't seem to favour any one manufacturer or retailer that I am aware of. They are all in the same boat which means the playing field remains level.

 

[DataDude]

No one is as frustrated as the people trying to sell golf equipment for a living. You know how much sleep they lose when they see orders placed, paid, then cancelled and refunded. That is definitely on people's radar. When you own a business and there is demand for your product and you can't get your product into those deamanding hands it's extremely frustrating. Especially true considering most of the US just got golf club purchase size checks deposited into their bank accounts.

 

[Buckeyegolfnut]

Basically this can be said for the supply chain of almost everything in the world right now.

Take a small segment of it that impacts a lot of other things. Seed sales (garden seeds) are up in my company 70% over last year-which was up about 200% over the prior year (Covid broke).

So that impacts a lot of things. Peat Pots. Already gone, sold out. Unable to procure more.

At this point all those without canning jars are putting in pointless gardens if their purpose is to procure a long term food supply.

There are exactly zero canning jars available for the 9th largest purchaser of them in the US. Our usual company, Ball, has put its efforts into making food cans, etc. We can get nothing from them. We are a local and locally owned company. There is another local company that we did a ton of business with last year that now won’t.

Production is down. Demand is about 270% of what it was 2 years ago. If you have a garden and you see canning jars m, buy them then and there.

It’s impacting everything to a certain degree. Food manufacturers that used to have 60 SKU’s of a product line are tightening it to their top 25.

Tell me about it! The only seeds I use are what I put directly into the ground, cucumbers, beans, etc. My tomatoes and peppers I get from a local nursery I've come to like. When I went to buy mine last Spring, they had a fair amount of tomatoes left, but peppers? Forget about it! Nobody had any. It seemed like EVERYBODY planted a garden last year. I bet roto-tiller sales were brisk as well. So I just did some straw bale gardening. Planted 4 tomato plants in 2 straw bales, thinking to use the spent straw to further ameliorate my soil.

I've talked to many courses who said they had their best year EVER last year! Once our Governor wised up enough to allow golf courses to open, the rush was on! Suddenly, when you used to be able to hit any public course in mid-day and get right out, you needed a tee time! Heck, a couple of weeks ago my buddy and his Brother tried to get out without one, and had one hell of a time doing so! And this was in early to mid-March! In NE Ohio! Are you kidding me?

 

[Iceman!]

So I was a golf course today and watched a worker go through the weeds looking for range balls. So I asked the starter what was up with that. He said their new Range Balls are sitting at the bottom of the ocean. He also said that a local golf range has their new replacement range balls sitting at the bottom of the ocean as well.

 

[lil'mike]

I can only imagine the loss of sales based on that and when orders get canceled because of folks tired of waiting as their orders keep getting pushed back. There is a lot more golfers this year cause of cover and possibly to extra benefits being handed out.

 

[DaveGolfer15]

@Jman Any insight about whether any manufacturers are looking at changing their supply chain or manufacturing process as a result of what they have experienced?

To what end? To try to find a pandemic-proof supplier/manufacturing partner?

 

[DaveGolfer15]

I had received an email when my order was placed for my HMB's in January, the email had stated it would be at least 5 weeks which came out to 7 but it stated "we've done more in open orders the first week in January this year than all of January last year" and had grown so fast and quickly. This was from a Mizuno rep. They had also said they opened the manufacturing plant during the weekend to help.

Personally, I can’t stand it when a company uses how well they’re doing as an excuse for bad service...

 

[Grand Stranded]

…and here we are, mid June. Nothing has really changed, has it?
PING not delivering stock drivers until September? How are they staying viable? Are people really willing to let them hold their money AND wait 10 weeks for a golf club?
Titleist out of iron heads and grips…
Cleveland hasn’t produced or sent out and current model irons (Launcher HB) for weeks…. Srixon huge delays…
Callaway running low on balls and unable to fill iron set orders for up to 8 weeks
Im sure Taylormade, Cobra and every other company is having the same issues. Yet they’re sitting on a pile of consumers money, earning interest while things plod along.
It’s hard to feel sorry for them and their “record profits” while Rome burns.