ramizuno13 Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 It is without a doubt, that the Japanese produce the best quality golf equipment available. There is no question that their prices are justifiable. How is it then, that any golfer worth his/her game can honestly pay for U.S. companies equipment knowing that the price reflects advertising dollars spent as oppossed to Japanese R&D dollars? The quality is far inferior and the mark-up is rediculous. I am on the inside so I know the cost per unit.[/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corky3 Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 It is without a doubt, that the Japanese produce the best quality golf equipment available. There is no question that their prices are justifiable. How is it then, that any golfer worth his/her game can honestly pay for U.S. companies equipment knowing that the price reflects advertising dollars spent as oppossed to Japanese R&D dollars? The quality is far inferior and the mark-up is rediculous. I am on the inside so I know the cost per unit.[/color] I don't think the average US golfer does know that the US product prices reflect high mkting costs v Jpn product prices relect high R & D costs.... there are also a miriad of other factors:- coolness, locker-room bragging (I've got the just released Tm driver that everyone lusts after V I've got the latest TS driver(that nobody knows about)). Maybe still some post WW 2 anti Jpn product, still lingering. Lots of people just want to play with what their heroes use.... Laziness..... it's easy to wander down to GG and try the latest US products. Also they know that warranty issues will be dealt with more easily. Bottom line is ...... if they are that bothered they'll seek out and purchase what's best for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniperjoe Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 It is without a doubt, that the Japanese produce the best quality golf equipment available. There is no question that their prices are justifiable. How is it then, that any golfer worth his/her game can honestly pay for U.S. companies equipment knowing that the price reflects advertising dollars spent as oppossed to Japanese R&D dollars? The quality is far inferior and the mark-up is rediculous. I am on the inside so I know the cost per unit.[/color] Yea, people don't know anything about what you just said. I didn't know until I really started researching to find the best clubs possible. I only recently heard about the mark up and that was because I found this site. The normal golfer first of all doesn't care enough to find or pay for better equipment. The equipment they use is just fine for them. The people that are on this site actually care a lot about their game and want to do anything possible to get better. That's the difference. You can also relate it to people buying Fords. Fords are big pieces of doo doo! :tsg_smiley_yes: Yet, people continue to buy them because they've been in the family for generations. Kinda the same thing with the clubs; Grandpa used Hogan, Dad used Hogan, etc..... Also, to most people, even the ones who know about the superior club making in Japan, it's not worth the extra money or the time because they think to themselves, "How much better would my golf game be with that equipment?" It's a leap of faith I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjustice09x Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 I do think that the japanese equipment is high quality, but there are US companies that spend more money on R&D than advertising. The big OEMs may spend millions on advertising and signing the popular pro's, but there are still component companies that make quality products at decent prices. The general public does not know about these things though. They buy what is readily available to them. If their local golf superstore started carrying some high end Japanese clubs more people would hit them and buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taipanli Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 It is without a doubt, that the Japanese produce the best quality golf equipment available. There is no question that their prices are justifiable. How is it then, that any golfer worth his/her game can honestly pay for U.S. companies equipment knowing that the price reflects advertising dollars spent as oppossed to Japanese R&D dollars? The quality is far inferior and the mark-up is rediculous. I am on the inside so I know the cost per unit.[/color] You're absolutely correct. In addition there is investment in quality control which can vary to great degrees. So indeed the Japanese OEM prices are justifiable but it's more a question of whether the price differential is justifiable to the individual user. I'm not a competitive golfer but I just enjoy having the best equipment possible. Also, I gamble on the course and on a good day I can earn myself the equivalent of an entire new bag so I want to have the best tools at my disposal. Swing issues aside, a driver that helps you hit one more fairway than usual or irons that give you one more birdie putt or a putter that helps you score that additional birdie will pay for itself in one round. Going about sourcing Japanese equipment actually wouldn't be easy for the average golfer in the US I would imagine. First of all you can't demo anything so you have to be prepared not only for the higher price levels but a potential write-off. My impression would also be that the majority of golfers who could afford Japanese equipment don't go online much and do not transact much via e-commerce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip Alexander Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 It is without a doubt, that the Japanese produce the best quality golf equipment available. There is no question that their prices are justifiable. How is it then, that any golfer worth his/her game can honestly pay for U.S. companies equipment knowing that the price reflects advertising dollars spent as oppossed to Japanese R&D dollars? The quality is far inferior and the mark-up is rediculous. I am on the inside so I know the cost per unit.[/color] It probably comes back to the issue, that the only similarities between an OEM sponsored players clubs and those you buy of the rack at K-Mart is the paintfill. It also comes down to the difference between golfers and people who play golf. A purist (a golfer) will seek out the very best clubs for their game. A person less interested will be happy with just the brand name. Phil Mickelson spent weeks at the Cally factory changing the COG on his driver. You can buy custom made Mizunos from this site. Why would you shop any where else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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