Editorial – Does Golf Really Need A $1,200 Shaft?

Since its inception, golf has always had an air of exclus-iveness. Fortunately, in modern America, municipal courses are in abundance and offer reasonably-priced fees and memberships that are affordable for most people who want to play golf. Equipment – good equipment – can be found at a low cost if one is willing to put in a little research and legwork.

Yet, it seems there are always those who want to push the envelope when it comes to price, attempting to convince people that if they aren’t spending a month’s wages on the latest and greatest in new clubs, they are behind the curve and hopelessly at a disadvantage to those who are willing to pony up.

PXG founder Bob Parsons (of GoDaddy.com fame) is pushing his line of equipment that costs several thousand dollars for a complete set. And now we have some outfit called Seven Dreamers who think that a $1,200 driver shaft is just fine and dandy. The company makes no bones about catering only to the well-to-do. In a golfwrx.com interview, they said, “What really sets us apart is the process. Every shaft is made on a mandrel, and our mandrels are absolutely pristine. The material is placed by hand on the mandrel. It’s then inserted into a mold. Then we autoclave cure it. The beauty of autoclave curing is it’s done under pressure…which gives us outstanding compaction. It squeezes out all the unnecessary resin, so we get an optimal ratio of carbon fiber to resin, which improves both feel and energy transfer in the shaft. But the best part of the process is, once we remove the shaft from the mold, we literally trim it to length and wipe it down. The surface condition is perfect. So, we have no unbroken fibers. We have no fiber tears. We have no fiber bullets. All that contributes to incongruities and inconsistencies in the shaft.”

Now, I’m not one to doubt that all of this is true, but is it necessary? Personally, I find my far-cheaper equipment does just fine, thank you, and I think the extra money spent on a $1,200 shaft could be better spent on other things or given to a charitable cause. But that’s the great thing about capitalism – the market will decide if this is a good idea or not.

By Mark Harman, USGTF Contributing Writer