The way you buy golf equipment is undergoing a revolution of its own.
The impact is far-reaching, from the player looking for new equipment to those looking for used items. The plethora of sites out there now allow for versatility and a type of shopping around never before available.
It used to be that local stores could set their prices based on what other stores in the area were selling their products for. After all, there was a limit to how far even the cheapest golfer would go to get a deal.
Now that you can buy golf equipment online, your buying power reaches much further.
If you want to investigate this brave new world, a good place to start is Golf Monitor (www.golfmonitor.com), which bills itself as the online buyer's "survival guide." Anyone who has purchased something online knows that it can be tricky, and that it raises questions of security and privacy.
Which leads to the obvious question: Why buy online?
For now, the reasons are few, but the benefits are great. Many believe the future of buying is online anyway, so companies are rushing to set up shop on the World Wide Web.
One of the benefits of this rush is lowered prices - there are some great deals online, but you have to look for them, and know where to look for them.
There are thousands of sites out there that sell golf products, so the first thing a buyer should do is decide which sites are ones to buy from. Golf Monitor offers a good crash course on navigating all the sites that sell their online wares.
Golf Monitor is a diverse site, and its strengths stem from its online reviews of both products and companies that sell equipment online. It also offers a price comparison guide that keeps you from paying too much, whether it be online or at your local golf superstore.
As is to be expected, Golf Monitor also offers special deals and allows users to sell their clubs through the site itself (presumably, that's where the money is for the company). But even if you don't want to purchase directly off their site, Golf Monitor offers plenty of ground-floor resources to get you on your way.
From there, you can get started. Using the price comparison guide on Golf Monitor, you can start out with the manufacturers themselves. Companies such as Titleist (www.titleist.com) will show you their products online, but they do very little business on their site. Off to the left, in the menu bar, you can type in your zip code and get a list of dealers within 10 miles of your home.
Some sites act as online golf stores, such as The 19th Hole (www.19thhole.com). If you click on the "Pro Shop" link, you'll get a jump station that allows you to buy everything from balls to bags to clubs.
Again, shopping around is important when buying online, just as it would be if you were going to a store in Carson City.
There are deals to be had, but sometimes you can pay too much. This is often what turns people off to buying on the Web, but when you think about it, the process of wheeling and dealing is no different than if you were visiting a physical store.
When buying, also make sure you check the return policy, in case you buy something that doesn't work for you. As is the case with any store, the best sites will allow you to return items that don't work or are defective.
If you know the brand of clubs you want, and it's just a case of sizing them, there are places online where you can get custom-fit clubs. Sites such as Creasey's Custom Clubs (http://www.ccgolfclubs.com) show you how to measure yourself for the best fit, and then you can get them built and shipped to you.
If you're in the market for used equipment, such as clubs, an online auction site might be the way to go. Sites such as eBay (www.ebay.com) and Yahoo! Auctions (auctions.yahoo.com) are like an online swap meet - you can log on as the buyer or the seller, depending on what you need.
You can set up the auction so the buyer has to pay for shipping and any insurance up front, meaning you can be sure you get your money before you UPS those clubs to Biloxi, Miss.
Thus, if you have a set of clubs in the basement you're looking to move, you can sell your clubs in an auction. This feature is nice, because you can set a minimum price and choose not to sell if the bids don't reach that minimum. Sometimes the competitive nature of auctions will help you get a lot more money for your sale than you would get otherwise.
In one fell swoop you can clean out your garage and make your wife happy, maybe even take her out to dinner with your newfound fortune.
If you're a buyer, you can get good deals on products. Some of the equipment is nearly new, meaning you can get items in great condition for little cost, especially if there are few other bidders.
With an online auction, there's always reason for concern. One of the better features on eBay is that sellers can rate buyers, and buyers can rate sellers. You can read those ratings, so that when you decide to bid on something, you can decide for yourself whether the seller is trustworthy.
Online buying is just like going to the store - you shop at places you trust, and you go back to places that treat you well. Before you buy your next set of clubs, or even golf balls, check out some of the bargains online.
You might save some money.
Places to go:
www.ebay.com
Type "golf" into the search engine and get thousands of items you can bid on.,
http://www.ccgolfclubs.com/
Custom fit clubs online, including size charts for the right fit.
www.golfstore.com
A good clearinghouse for all kinds of golf wares.
www.pinggolf.com
What would be be if we didn't put up a manufacturer store front? Sometimes this is the best place to get a deal, but rarely.
Jeremy Littau is the Nevada Appeal sports editor. Write to him at jjleditor@yahoo.com
