re: Dick's Sporting Goods Fires 500+ Golf Pros

I'm thinking of writing Ted to see what we could do. It's no longer an ethics violation because they aren't recognized by the pga anymore.

I'll buy golf clothing, balls, and shoes from Dick's, but I'm not getting my clubs from there.

quote:

---

an ethics violation

---

wait what?

You can't talk bad about a pga recognized company or another pga pro because it's a code if ethics violation.

Right...I suppose I didn't see how that was relative to the Dick's situation?

At the end of the day it was a business decision, you can't be accused of an ethics violation for that can you?

No no. Me talking about them. Not them.

Also I emailed u my power point I went over. Was about a 2 hour call going in depth in those. The lessons were not on that because that was a conference call we had with the region.

My dad and his friends were golfers who golfed at least once a week in a league during the season and would often golf on weekends and go on golf outings in SC during the winter.

I came from a very middle-class background and I knew people who worked in factories who didn't go to college but had good jobs who played golf in leagues on weeknights at public courses. Golf was the summer sport for many and bowling was the winter sport for a lot of middle-class and working-class folks at public courses.

I think the problem with golf is that the equipment gets better but it gets more expensive. Most leagues at public courses charge very reasonable prices but the number of league golfers and recreational golfers from modest means are dwindling. Golf courses are closing and many city and county owned golf courses are closing and being sold.

Sure golf will survive as a sport of the upper-class and the demographics means it will always be on television but the early 2000s boom period is over. Don't forget that Tiger Woods got his start on public courses.

The reason clubs are so high is research. These companies are spending millions on millions to have the best. To have the best you have to hire the best. Callaway hired a guy to research their new balls who was employed by nasa.

quote:

---

The reason clubs are so high is research. These companies are spending millions on millions to have the best. To have the best you have to hire the best. Callaway hired a guy to research their new balls who was employed by nasa.

---

True but most golfers you see at public courses never had lessons from a PGA pro and couldn't afford the country club prices and just learned the game from friends or their father and from books or lessons at the YMCA or some guy they knew or a high school coach or took lessons at a public recreation program or just went out and hit the ball at a driving range.

You know for less than a hundred bucks you could get the basics on grips and swings and that was it and you went to the driving range until you weren't a total embarrassment.

The game has changed greatly the last few years most of it has to do with the Great Recession but Gen X, Gen Y, and the Millennials don't play golf as much as previous generations.

quote:

---

.you can't keep putting out a new product every single year claiming to change the game...the consumer just isn't buying it anymore LITERALLY

---

completely agree, two years ago I played in a low ball tournament with a 70 year old guy that hit 1982 Spalding blades. When we shook hands on one 1 I laughed. (I'm a 6 handicap) and he beat me like I stole something from him.. every fairway and every green. And he could putt. I've never been more humbled.