SirShanksAlot's 5 Burning Questions

Hi everyone and thanks for stopping by. It's finally March and the season is almost upon us. There's lots going on in the golf business right now and all this excitement gets a guy thinking. Here are 5 questions I'm pondering right now… Could The Diablo Be King in 2009? All we hear about is …

Hi everyone and thanks for stopping by. It's finally March and the season is almost upon us. There's lots going on in the golf business right now and all this excitement gets a guy thinking. Here are 5 questions I'm pondering right now…

ImageCould The Diablo Be King in 2009?

All we hear about is adjustable this and adjustable that. Golfers can essentially build their own club from the ground up and then customize it anyway they like. Everyone seems so focused on these do-it-yourself drivers and I think some may be overlooking the real winner in 2009… the Callaway Big Bertha Diablo. I don't think it's a real stretch to assume that most golfers will spend less on equipment this year. Most people are worried about their jobs and investments and less worried about what driver they're going to play in 2009. Callaway has always made a quality titanium driver and the Diablo is no exception. We're getting some great reader feedback on this club and it's reasonable price point should make it a favorite this year. You can have your interchangeable shafts and variable hosel configurations… I'll take the Diablo and use the money I save on some lessons. Just a thought…

How Many Golf Companies Will Fall? 

We're bound to see some golf companies fall by the wayside in the upcoming months. But who? MacGregor seems to be in a tailspin and is probably the most likely to crash first. It would be sad to see a company like MacGregor close their doors… especially after Greg Norman's unlikely run at the Open Championship last year. I'm sure others will stumble in the coming months but those companies that can adapt to the changing landscape (and not introduce a new driver every few months) should pull through just fine.

Does A Poor Economy Create A Stronger Used Club Market?   

We've had quite a few emails asking about used clubs. Most people are in the same boat… they want to upgrade their clubs but are working with limited budgets. There have been so many quality products over the past few years and many of those have since ended up in the used bin. If we base our thinking on these emails, one could assume that there may be a bit of a premium on quality used clubs. You're more likely to slip a set of $250 used irons past the "banker" than a $1000 set of brand new sticks. Golfers are a funny bunch… no matter how bad the economy or how light the wallet, they're always on the lookout for something better.  

How Many Is Too Many? 

Extended product lifecycle… where have you gone? I miss the days of 24 months between introductions. Customers were happy because they got to have the "newest" on the market for more that 4 months and shop owners loved it because they could buy their inventory with confidence. Now we're faced with uncertainty… will my new driver be "new" next month? Will my new irons drop by $400 in a few weeks? Surf through some of the major manufacturer's websites and you'll find more clubs than you know what to do with. And just when you think there can't possibly be a need for more… the companies will release another line or two. That's a lot of product for a small shop to carry…

Too Much Tiger?

Don't get me wrong… I understand that Tiger Woods is the engine that makes this whole industry run. He's a one man marketing machine and the golf's popularity has exploded since he burst onto the scene. He's the face of golf and I shudder to think what will happen to the game when he decides to pack it in. But seriously… do you think people went a bit overboard last week as Tiger made his return to the PGA Tour? There were commercials, web videos, email updates, in-round updates, post game coverage, interviews and extended analysis. We get it… he's back. Tim Clark didn't let the hype get to him… he sent Tiger home a few days early. 

There you have it… a few random thoughts. What do you think? Leave your comments below! Talk to you soon later…