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Friday, January 17th
Established in 1979 by Gary Adams, TaylorMade has become a prominent name in the golf industry. With a tour staff featuring renowned athletes like Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, and Jason Day, the company is associated with some of the top golfers in the world.
Professional and elite golf products
Their website exudes professionalism, aligning with their elite golf products, and offers custom-made inventory, so you can make your golf experience your own. The best part? This is one of the top industry brands, so if TaylorMade is your go-to, you don't have to worry about shopping with intermediaries. You can get your favorite gear right from the source.
Specialized inventory has limitations
Being a manufacturer of their own products, TaylorMade exclusively carries their brand, which sets them apart from other golf stores offering popular brands like Titleist, Callaway, and others. However, this exclusivity comes at a price: higher-than-average costs for clubs, bags, shoes, balls, and accessories. This premium pricing might not align with the budgets of beginners or those seeking more affordable equipment.
An impressive selection of clubs
On the other hand, considering that you can find over 157 different clubs at TaylorMade that are just from that brand (where some one-stop-shop sites don't have that many across multiple brands), they do offer an impressive selection. Then again, in other areas of the site, you might feel like the inventory is lacking. For example, there are only 17 options for golf bags, including men's and women's styles.
High prices for full sets
We mentioned the price already, and while the prices are slightly higher than other retailers, it isn't a huge jump. In fact, because TaylorMade doesn't offer inventory from other manufacturers, you might think the prices are lower since some of the high-end options available at other retailers are missing from TaylorMade's website. To get an accurate price comparison, we looked at three key individual items: drivers, bags, and gloves, as well as the price range for complete golf sets to see how much it costs at TaylorMade to replace one or two items or to get started golfing from scratch. The prices shake out accordingly:
It's worth noting that the sets themselves tend to be more expensive, especially when you get into the adult-size sets. The cheapest one ($299.99) is a child's golf set. The cheapest adult set that includes a bag starts at $1,099.99, which is much more expensive than other sites and brands.
30-day limited returns
TaylorMade offers a standard 30-day refund policy; however, it's important to note that this policy excludes custom-built golf clubs, personalized golf balls, and customized accessories. Plus, you will need to send back the items in unused or like-new condition in the original packaging, so it may not be advisable to try out the items on the course before deciding if you like them.
Military discount and free shipping for members
There are two additional ways to save money with TaylorMade. If you are a member or former member of the military (or a military family member), you'll be able to earn a 15% discount on all purchases. For those who aren't in the military, you can create an account on their website for savings on shipping. Having a membership grants customers free shipping on all orders.
Club trade-in option
By using the TaylorMade club trading option, you can easily get discounted or replaced items based on the value of your current clubs. First, indicate which clubs you want to trade in using the TaylorMade trade portal. Then, ship in your unwanted clubs and TaylorMade will send you payment in the form of store credit to buy brand new clubs at the same value as your old ones.
User-friendly custom clubs
TaylorMade offers a unique customization experience for golf clubs and balls, allowing customers to tailor these essential elements of their game. The golf ball and clubs selector tool serves as a valuable resource in determining the specifications that suit each individual golfer's needs. This is one of the most modern design interfaces we've found, so if you're looking for totally custom items, it's a user-friendly way to give that a go.
Low rating with no justification
While TaylorMade positions itself as a provider of high-end products, and customer reviews, especially for particular clubs, are fairly high, the company doesn't have as great of a reputation with the Better Business Bureau. The company has just a "D-” rating from the BBB. While this is better than its previous "F” rating, it's still not ideal for a company of TaylorMade's reputation. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of reviews out there to help clarify this low rating. Many of the blog reviews of TaylorMade golf equipment give items an average of 4.5 stars out of 5. However, in terms of third-party verified reviews, our research didn't turn up anything concrete.
Doesn't quite live up to the hype
While TaylorMade's reputation is somewhat marred by the "D-” rating from the Better Business Bureau, the company's overall services and offerings help make up for that deficit. The brand offers custom and premade clubs as well as full sets for golfers who are just getting started. With benefits like free shipping and a military discount, there are definitely savings to be had at TaylorMade. However, with an average return policy and a lower-than-average BBB rating, TaylorMade just doesn't live up to its "pro” reputation.
If you hope to join the host of golf enthusiasts out there, or if you're looking to refresh your favorite gear, online golf equipment shopping offers a nearly limitless selection. Where before you could only find golf equipment in specialty stores, golf players can now access the online marketplace and get exactly what they need at the click of a button. Plus, when shopping online you can find and compare the best deals for top-level gear.
Perhaps the best part of online shopping is the deals on prices you can't find anywhere else. Traditional brick-and-mortar sporting goods outlets often have higher prices due to operational costs. And golfers know that even getting started with the basics (a driver and a couple of irons), can be extremely expensive. So while it can feel convenient to buy your golf equipment from a clubhouse pro shop chances are you're paying a lot more than you need to.
And there's no need to worry about finding your perfect set of clubs or a custom golf bag - if you can imagine it, there is something out there for your golf collection. Online, the idea of discovering specialized and hard-to-find equipment (like clubs for lefties or short clubs for people who don't quite make the national height average) is notably more promising than browsing the limited aisles of a local sporting goods store.
Golf is a centuries-old sport with Scottish origins, but the sport as we know it today has evolved significantly from its first iteration. Golf got started in the late Middle Ages in Scotland, with early players using wooden clubs and feather-stuffed leather balls on natural courses. St. Andrews Links, founded in 1552, is renowned as the "home of golf." The sport then spread to England in the 16th century, and the first known golf rules emerged in 1744.
The 19th century witnessed golf's rapid growth, culminating in the formation of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the introduction of golf in the United States where technological advances, like iron clubs and the gutta-percha ball, transformed the game. Professional tournaments, such as the Open Championship and the Masters Tournament, emerged and iconic golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tiger Woods became household names (even if you've never seen a putting green before). Today, golf remains a beloved sport, uniting millions of enthusiasts in a tradition known for skill, sportsmanship, and course challenges.
Golf, regarded as an elegant and distinguished sport with a rich history, is a unique pastime that demands a blend of patience, precision, and technique. Avid golfers, whether they're new enthusiasts or seasoned players, often find solace and enjoyment in joining a few friends for a quiet afternoon on the course.
To excel on the greens and harness your full potential in this sport, securing top-quality golf equipment is incredibly important. Whether it's your first time on the front nine or you're a clubhouse regular, you'll need to make sure your gear is up to snuff - including a range of clubs as well as accessories like shoes, gloves, and much more.
If you're ready to start swinging with online golf shopping, where do you start? There are so many options, it can be hard to know which sites are legit and which ones are just as pricey as your local clubhouse. So, we've put together a list of considerations that might help you find your next set of clubs without the stress:
To make sure you can focus on your form and your swing, and not the stress of browsing site after site, Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked the top golf equipment stores online today. This way you can gear up for your next 9 and, who knows - with the right set of clubs or a brand-new glove, you might be the next Tiger Woods!
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