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Golf on a
Budget
I know what
you’re thinking – golf on a budget! Can
there be such a thing? Well, it is
possible, if you take a balanced, objective
look at the strategies used in marketing
golf products.
Case in point –
I just interviewed a local golf shop owner
today. We were talking about the new golf
balls, and he was telling me that
representatives from different companies
send him golf balls to use, hoping that
he’ll recommend them to his customers.
Well, he said
he’s tried just about everything, and in his
opinion, they all play about the same now.
Picking up a box of 12 Titleist balls, he
said, “This one is probably the best.” They
cost $24.99 for the dozen. Then he laughed
and picked up another box. “But this one is
our best seller.”
The box was
priced $44.99 for the dozen. I looked
surprised. He shook his head and said,
“It’s all hype. People think that if the
balls cost double, they’re bound to play
better.”
Now we have the
new hybrid ironwoods. Are they really going
to change your game that much? Or is it all
a part of the marketing pitch?
I heard one
marketer say that since the golf market was
so saturated, he priced his clubs at three
times the price of anyone else’s. And he
sold hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth. The clubs weren’t any more expensive
to make than other clubs. It was just a
“market test”. And folks bought like crazy.
Since no two
people play golf the same - and everyone has
an individual physique and swing – a product
that adds distance for one player may not
help another player at all.
Think about
something you do very well that requires a
piece of equipment. You’re the expert in
this area. Should everyone who attempts
your job then buy the exact same equipment
as you have? Will that mean they’ll be able
to do the job better or as well as you?
Food for
thought, isn’t it? I enjoy gardening, and
have a lovely flower garden. But I only
have one or two garden tools that are
considered the best. The other things I use
because that’s what I’ve always used.
So just because
one golf pro buys one kind of ball or club
doesn’t mean that it’s the best for you.
The sales
pitches that swear you’re going to add 30
yards and never hit another slice entice us
to shell out the big bucks. But if you’re
careful and have a healthy dose of
skepticism, you’ll save both time and money
in the long run.
Remember, in the
golf world, just because a product is more
expensive, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily any
better. |
