Direct to Consumer Clubs

JB

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Question to THPers. Or better yet, a conversation about clubs and how we order and choose what to play. We all like to test equipment and tinker with equipment. Do you believe a DTC club company can exist and be successful? It's a R&D world out there and as companies move into performance packed irons in smaller footprints, there appears to be demand for simpler forgings or castings that look good, offer good customer service and engage.

I was thinking about Bridgestone Golf this morning and the last few years the knock has been that they are not available to be tested. Then I was thinking about Ben Hogan Golf that is direct to consumer and priced to attract. Both get answered rather differently when it comes to releases. Then I was thinking about even smaller brands like New Level, Indi Golf and/or Sub70 which get even a different response (even amongst each other) in how its conveyed upon release.

So my questions to THPers are can DTC exist for the masses and/or why is it viewed differently for different brands?
 
Bombtech :alien2:

If you can gather a cult-like following, I suppose it can work.
 
I do think there is a place for DTC in golf equipment. in fact- i think the future of most product consumption will go DTC. Brick and mortar retail is slowing dying.
 
For me it's been a fail... I picked up Hogan wedges and while I enjoyed them I found myself in between their shaft options. I can't play a heavy steel shaft but the recoils are simply too light. So while I got a deal online via a coupon I should have ordered one and tested rather than purchase three wedges. I don't want to invest in my shaft and drop another 300 into them. So I would go DTC products if I could nail every custom option I wanted, but that issue was my fault not Hogans.
 
I think so, because more and more we are becoming about convenience before anything else.
 
Question to THPers. Or better yet, a conversation about clubs and how we order and choose what to play. We all like to test equipment and tinker with equipment. Do you believe a DTC club company can exist and be successful? It's a R&D world out there and as companies move into performance packed irons in smaller footprints, there appears to be demand for simpler forgings or castings that look good, offer good customer service and engage.

I was thinking about Bridgestone Golf this morning and the last few years the knock has been that they are not available to be tested. Then I was thinking about Ben Hogan Golf that is direct to consumer and priced to attract. Both get answered rather differently when it comes to releases. Then I was thinking about even smaller brands like New Level, Indi Golf and/or Sub70 which get even a different response (even amongst each other) in how its conveyed upon release.

So my questions to THPers are can DTC exist for the masses and/or why is it viewed differently for different brands?

I think direct-to-consumer (via a brand's website) makes good sense.
Online retailers such as TGW are already taking sales away from brick and mortar store fronts. The brands might as well start selling direct to consumer. So long as all retailers (store front, online third party , brand's own website) maintain the same retail pricing it is a fair and level playing field for all those doing retail business.
 
Yes it is a possibility. Look at amazon/eBay and how brick and mortar stores are now struggling to stay green with declining sales. I don’t know the profit margins of golf but I would assume it’s very expensive to stay ahead and have all the new releases along with current shafts to test with. Plus the fact of selling through your inventory of older models. As a new golfer getting fitted, range time, and lessons add up fast. So were ever a consumer can cut costs to keep playing and especially with the new internet generation I think it is safe to say direct to consumer is the future.
 
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I think I did a poor job of wording the OP, because obviously online sales not only exist but have done well.
This is specifically about brands that are not available to test until you buy or use one of their test drive programs. There are many that exist and each one gets a different kind of response.
 
I think a company going to DTC can work. What they will need to be successful is stellar customer service like easy return policy. Being able to get someone on the phone when a customer calls is key and nothing is more frustrating when you have to leave a VM and don't get a call back. A quality product with the kind of service that goes above and beyond will be fine.

With that being said i still like going into a store and putting my hands on items to see it. I have to agree with Tyork brick and motor is slowly getting shut out.
 
I think there is a place for it, but not for me. I have bought in on fitting hook line and sinker so if I can't test out prior to buying I won't be. But I think I am definitely in the minority there.
 
After all i learned and experienced during the ultimate weekend, i will never buy clubs without being able to test them first. Dtc would be difficult to embrace. There are just too many variables for me to go that direction


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As usual good timing on THPs part to ask this question. My wife and oldest daughter recently used a service called Rent The Runway to rent beautiful dresses for a wedding. These were expensive dresses and they could have them for a month. There is even an option to buy the dressif you want. It got me thinking about how you could create a similar model for clubs. Everyone wants to try before you buy. I think the missing thing would be a way to get the clubs properly fit. Shipping is a big issue too. Somebody will figure this out.
 
I think I did a poor job of wording the OP, because obviously online sales not only exist but have done well.
This is specifically about brands that are not available to test until you buy or use one of their test drive programs. There are many that exist and each one gets a different kind of response.

That is such a tough call, because people want product available now, not weeks from now after the back and forth related with testing programs.

Is a test drive program more convenient than going to a demo day or golf store? I agree it makes more sense at a very competitive price point, but if price doesn't reflect it, I struggle more and more depending on the story being told and the tech being produced.
 
I think you get a different response because the companies are perceived differently. You have Bridgestone, former #2 in the ball category. With their name recognition and current distribution of the golf ball line, you'd likely assume their clubs would be in retail locations at large and that is not the case. Ben Hogan just doesn't have the modern recognition it once had as a brand and it's been rocky in the news the last couple years with the name and their story isn't getting out to people (at least in my area). When you get to a company like New Level, though, you see a lot of buzz from the PGA Show this year. Then you see on Twitter (if you follow) a ton of dialogue and passionate outreach about their products and I have heard they are very, very responsive. Ultimately, I think it is how you treat the customer that let's them decide if the club company is right for them, all else being equal. Does the company get back to an inquiry message in a matter of hours and get you the test club asap, or 3-5 business days and it takes weeks to get a tester? Is it easy/convenient to talk to the company where you know you are going to get quality work done with limited to no hassle? It's these sort of things that separate those that WANT to do things in the club business from those that are just there and EXPECT to do things.
 
After all i learned and experienced during the ultimate weekend, i will never buy clubs without being able to test them first. Dtc would be difficult to embrace. There are just too many variables for me to go that direction


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I think direct to consumer can easily appeal to certain types of golfers. I think most of us at THP are prime examples, the reviews here are great and can often create a lot of interest in a specific brand. For instance look at new level golf and how many THP'ers are willing to try it out based on the great reviews, it has been getting. I do also think that there will be a big group of people who will refuse to buy a golf club without being able to test it out first. I think an easy solution to that is for these DTC brands to travel to different tour events and club demo days and allow the curios golfer to seek them out or the uninformed golfer learn of a new club that they can hit well.

Another benefit is that DTC is often cheaper as there is no middle man mark up. If a club is at a reasonable enough price many consumers would be willing to risk the money to test said club and not worry too much about losing out on the money. For this reason though, I think selling iron sets DTC would be the toughest.
 
I lean toward No.

Hogan is a bit of an outlier because the name gives consumer's some sense of something...quality, craftsmanship, history...whatever.

The other companies are in a much tougher spot. I just think most people would prefer to pay a little more for something they know. People will buy at a given price point but it may have to be so inexpensive that it makes the margins too tight.
 
As a price conscious consumer, I really like the cost savings (usually) of the DTC option. I believe Ben Hogan is viewed a little as a cut above others due to it's long history in the equipment business and the cult-like following of us over 50 year old consumers that played and loved their equipment when we were much younger.

Then again, I am in a different geographical situation than many THPers in that I have very little opportunity (none local) to test various equipment in retail or fitting facilities. My equipment buying decision making process typically starts and ends with THP reviews.
 
I think it could work if they hit the right Price point.
I am guessing most people buy off the rack clubs rather than get fit and people do buy infomercial clubs.

Without some "Pro" endorsement it will hard to get much traction.

jmho
Go Patriots!!
 
I don't think DTC clubs will ever command a decent share of the market. Consumers are willing to pay for name brands and sites like eBay and CPO allow golfers to get clubs at substantial discounts. For example, I recently bought an Epic SZ driver for $225 from CPO and it was like new.
 
I like to test equipment before I purchase it, as such I don't find DTC all that appealing.
 
I think one big pathway to making it work would be allowing a customer to trial clubs. Cobra is doing that with ONE Length, which seems to be facing similar barriers that DTC clubs would (i.e. lots of geographic areas have no way of testing OL, may not work for someone).

I think people would be much more willing to try if they didn’t have such a huge risk if it doesn’t work.
 
I think it works for a company like Ben Hogan because their idea is to sell a high performance club for a low price, the low price being the big deal. With a company like New Level I think it works because it seems like more of a high end, boutique brand and people will spend money on that. If you cater to one of those categories I think you can succeed.

A company like Bridgestone however I think is stuck. They don't have the lowest priced clubs, they aren't a high end boutique brand and in the past we were able to demo their equipment in a store and no longer have that option which I think might turn people off. I'm not sure how you battle that.
 
I think it's a crap shoot at the moment.

However, I think eventually they all become DTC companies (Callaway, TM, etc.). I think they will always be at some golf clubs/courses, fitting boutiques, and to a lesser extent in some sporting good stores, but I think eventually online sales will kill off the remaining golf brick and mortar stores - GG, PGATSS, EW, and whatever I'm missing from the list.
 
Like you said it’s all about the R&D. If the clubs perform with the best there will be a market especially if that same performance comes at a lower price


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I like to test equipment before I purchase it, as such I don't find DTC all that appealing.

I've seen some of these companies do a testing program for either free or minimal charge, which gives the benefit of getting shafts that suit your game.

That doesn't appeal?
 
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