# new club prices



## acelynn (Mar 19, 2011)

I'm new here so I hope I'm not affending anybody. I would like to know why iron packages run from 600 to over a 1000 dollars when they are all made in China where the workers are payed on average 60cents a hour. I know they are assembled here but I don't think that gets the price where it is. Is it just plain greed or is there another explanation. I talked to a retailer and he told me all the clubs are made in China now including Ping.


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

acelynn said:


> I'm new here so I hope I'm not affending anybody. I would like to know why iron packages run from 600 to over a 1000 dollars when they are all made in China where the workers are payed on average 60cents a hour. I know they are assembled here but I don't think that gets the price where it is. Is it just plain greed or is there another explanation. I talked to a retailer and he told me all the clubs are made in China now including Ping.


Most of Pings irons are still made here. 

As for the retail price of clubs, they charge what people will pay. That's how free enterprise works. They still have to take into account shipping costs and import taxes, assembly and packaging. I don't know what the duty is on that sort of item. I paid $125 each for my Titleist AP-2 irons - 5I thru GW. That was the shop's cost plus 10% plus shipping. It's a better deal than retail, but I don't know how much better.


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## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

Just my opinion, but so called "research and development" and "player endorsements/gifts" have a lot to do with the higher prices. Then there is "advertising" costs. It cost the manufacturers money to tell us they make the best equipment. After all these costs, I think some manufacturers just come up with some stupid selling price, because they are "THE XYZ COMPANY" and so in so pro golfer uses their product.

In the end, if golfers were not paying $600-$1000 for a set of (iron) clubs, the manufacturers could not sell there stuff for that. Supply and demand if you will. 

Now does the higher prices of irons make them easier to play than less expensive clubs? More forgiving? Once you get rid of the poorer quality, bottom feeding junk that is available, I don't think so. I routinely play better with my $290 irons, than the player with a much more expensive irons. They last just as long (quality) as the more expensive brands. Another reason I think this is true is I was given a higher priced version of the brand I use to try out. They were built to my specs. After 3 months and 30+/- rounds with them, I found I could not play as well with them. Accuracy was off, and there was no added distance using the higher priced clubs made by the same manufacturer as my less expensive set.

I will be purchasing a new set of irons in a month or so. They will be built to my specs, and I won't be paying more than $329 for 11 iron clubs. My point? A golfer can buy good quality, forgiving sets of irons for under $400. You can even find quality sets that come with an iron clad, no B.S., "life time unconditional warranty". Just depends on the golfer's ego.


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

Actually the player endorsements are just part of the advertising budget. If they weren't paying the endorsements, then that money would be spent on other promotional projects.


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