Golfsmith bashing thread

E

El_Guapo

500+ Posts
So I go into Golfsmith yesterday to get a couple of shafts so I can finally finish this set I've been working on for the past three months.

They've got banners everywhere bragging about their Fantastic Spring Savings or some such. Well, I could always use a box of balls and lately I've been interested in Titlest NXT Tours since I found one in the mud at Jimmy Clay a few weeks ago and it feels pretty good knocking around in the backyard.

Well, their Fantastic Spring Savings for balls is a whopping 10% off - IF YOU BUY THREE DOZEN OR MORE. Good grief, what the f*** kind of sale is that?

So I'm browsing around the store and notice that wedges were 10% off - IF YOU BUY TWO.

I stop at one of the woods displays - don't remember if it was Cleveland or Cobra - and you get a free fairway wood - IF YOU BUY A DRIVER AND ANOTHER FAIRWAY WOOD or some such.

Dang, you gotta spend $1000 just to save anything.

And then I spot a nice Titlest 983K in the used bin. It's marked at $250. It's USED. These things are last year's model and they're going for $299 new retail, about half that on e-bay.

And to top it all off, they're putting in a new section for tennis equipment.

Sell your stock, folks. This company has lost it's way.
 
That store has been customer unfriendly for years. It's always empty, but it'll take twenty minutes to get someone to help you. I only go there if I know exactly what I want. Or if I want to look at half a dozen putters.
 
E_G -- which store did you go to?

I worked at golfsmith selling clubs when I was in college, and it's full of a bunch of sandbagging old salesmen. if you go in DO NOT let them talk you into buying a set of lynx clubs. they make 50% spiffs off them, lynx is owned by golfsmith. the custom clubs are excellent, and they make some coin off that as well, but you are getting a custom made club, so that's nice.

they might make $5 or $15 tops off a callaway driver or set of clubs. anything that sells themselves doesn't pay **** (ping, taylormade, titleist, callaway, etc.) so the salesmen don't really steer you in that direction. also the manufactures know this, so they don't have incentives or aprove sales for them. they are still going to move product regardless of sales or not.

they ******* hated my *** because I would tell it like it is and I wouldn't pull any of that **** on my customers.
 
I'm not impressed with their prices, but their selection is okay.

I did buy a medicus there recently. It was nice to be able to try it out before I bought it.
 
They just put some Golf Galaxy's in Dallas lately -- I really liked their selection (especially for lefties) and the staff was pretty great. The prices were about the same, but I might be moving my business over to them.
 
It's not really the prices that ticked me off, although all this stuff is way overpriced. It was the fact that they were making this big to do about a sale, and it amounted to squat. 10% off if you buy THREE DOZEN BALLS? Jeez, why bother.

I've gotten other stuff in the mail from them that was just as bad. Stuff like $10 off coupons if you buy three wedges or something. I mean, it's gotten to the point where I just think "dang, charge me out the wazoo if you must but don't insult my intelligence". How many people are ever going to buy three wedges? Like $10 off is going to be an incentive.

I don't know. I like their concept and their components, and the fact that it is a local Austin homegrown company, but I've just about had it with them. There have been times I've just up and left because I couldn't get anybody's attention at the component window. I remember one time in particular I was lookiing for a discontinued head and one of the managers said that the computer was showing that they had it at a few of their other stores around the country, but he couldn't order it for me from that system, I'd have to call the 1-800 number. So I did, and whatever that lady was looking at (probably their website) said it was sold out. I explained to her that one of the assistant managers - at the Flagship store no less - said that he was able to find some in inventory at various stores across the country, but she was having none of it. Her screen said "discontinued" and that was that. So screw it.

And don't even get me started on the grumpy old fart who works at the driving range. SOB cussed me out one night because he saw me with an extra bucket - THAT ONE OF THE PENICK INSTRUCTORS HAD GIVEN ME. Yanked it away and all but accused me of stealing. I talked to the manager about it the next day, and he said they'd had a lot of problems with that guy, but a month later he's still there and I haven't been back except for demo days since.

This is the one at I-35 & Braker.
 
I don't know, I bought my clubs there a few years ago and it was a fine experience. Maybe hornimal was my sales guy but the dude walked around with me to try out everything, including putters and the simulator. He asked good questions and made it seem like he wanted me to end up with the best club for me. He wasn't old so maybe it is just old people. Maybe they are a pain in the *** if you aren't buying a complete set and just loooking to buy accessories.
 
so where should one go to try and buy a new or used set of clubs, mine are terrible... I need extra long... any recommendation on stores and/or brands?
 
About your only other choice in Austin is Instant Replay on Burnet Road, across from Dallas night club. They have a good used selection and the prices are better than the used prices at Golfsmith. Prices on new equipment is pretty much the same no matter where you go because the manufacturers somehow get away with prohibiting retailers from marking it down.

There's a place out off 620 and 71 in Bee Caves. I haven't been there in a while. It didn't seem to do a lot of business so they may be closed. There was a place called Golf Etc. in Round Rock up towards that Toyota dealership, but it never seemed to have much business either so I wouldn't be surprised if it's closed by now too.

If you know what you want, the best prices are on e-bay. Since you don't know what you want, you could hit some demo days and try out different clubs and talk to the reps. The Golfsmith on I-35 has a big demo day usually in June but they have smaller ones at various times during the year. At the one in June they have a tent sale which actually does seem to be a sale. Several courses and driving ranges host demo days at nights and on weekend - there's one coming up on April 23 at Hard Drive Golf, which is out near Dell off Louis Henna and Grimes Road.
 
I don't see what the big deal is about buying three dozen balls. That may or may not last you all season depending on how much you play and, of course, how many balls you use.
 
GolfEtc is still open. Has a pretty decent selection and clubfitting area, but I'm not sure what their prices are like since I didn't buy anything.
 
Instant Replay Golf

As previously mentioned, if you're in Austin you should try Instant Replay. The staff is pretty young and very knowledgeable about all the latest equipment. Like Golfsmith, they are locally owned.

Instant Replay also has a much better used selection than Golfsmith.

The only time I go to Golfsmith is on Sundays because Instant Replay is closed. And then, it's normally just to browse.
 
Don't EVER buy used clubs at Golfsmith. One day I walked in ther and looked at a set of USED Taylor Made ForgedCB Irons after walking by the NEW clubs to check out the prices.

They actually had the used set priced HIGHER than the new one. Since then, just for shits and grins I have checked on other clubs for the same thing and seen it several more times. Same club, shat, flex, etc..I mean WTF???
 
Yeah, I've noticed that too. I've also seen used component clubs that are marked at more than it would cost you to go back to the component window and have them make one from scratch. I don't know how they get away with it - a sucker every minute, I guess.
 
The big demo day is May 7 this year. It is badass.

I bought a set of irons there (I got $400 in gift cards for listening to a literal 15 minute land spiel at Horseshoe Bay), and the salespeople and manager were amazingly helpful. The irons I wanted were the last set they had. Turns out they were overlength and upright. They tracked me down a set and made sure I was happy.
 
Golly, things must have changed since the last time I drove down from Arlington! They used to be very customer-oriented - what happened?:
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I stopped going to golfsmith a long time ago. That place sucks, especially if your left handed. I go to Edwin Watts now and I like it a lot. Granted, they didn't have my new clubs in stock the other day when I went by there, but they had them sent over from Georgia and it was no hassle what so ever. By the way my new Titleist 690 dot MB's are amazing. I highly recommend them if you think you would like a set of blades.
 
Wow...this is surprising. I've been to Golfsmith hundreds of times and can honestly say I've never had a problem. I don't go for the sales...I shop there because of the selection...even managed to find a 975D in the used bin last summer, with a Graffaloy shaft, for $95...I'd give it an 8 out of 10 as far as appearance, and a 10 for playability.

I've heard plenty of good things about Golf Galaxy...haven't seen any ads here in the Dallas area...but the word of mouth so far is good.
 
They were a thousand times better when they were in that little yellow shack. I built my own set in high school and saved about 50%. Try that now and you won't save anything. Just go to TGW.com and order from them.
 
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