The Golfalot.com Price Index displayed its strength in March with a steady performance maintaining the growth witnessed in February. With the Index falling by less than -0.1% in March and with more new equipment due the new golfing season looks set to get off to a great start.

The Golf Clubs sector remained unchanged with small falls of -0.8% and -0.6% in the Drivers and Irons category offset by similarly small gains in the Fairway Woods, Utility Clubs, Putter and Wedge categories. The drops in both Drivers and Irons can be attributed to a series of small falls in models across both sectors as retailer position themselves in these highly competitive market places as the new season approaches. With models such as the new Cobra S2, Callaway FT-iZ and Mizuno MP 630 expected to enter the index next month the Drivers category in particular looks to be set for a strong season.

The Fairway Woods (+0.8%) and Utility Club (+1.7%) categories both posted positive growth as prices of models that were discounted in previous months returned to a higher level. This countered small falls in some of the newer models as retailers battled for market share for popular entrants such as the Callaway Diablo Edge, Diablo Edge Tour and Cobra S2 Fairway Woods.

In the short game categories, Wedges and Putters continued the theme of steady performance displayed across the Golf Clubs sector by rising 1.1% and 1.2% respectively. The Putters category was boosted as the discounting that had been evident across a number of models for the Christmas and New Year sale markets finished and prices returned to normal levels. With the expected introduction to the Golfalot Price Index of new models from Callaway, Cleveland and TaylorMade, we can expect the Putters category to continue this positive growth over the coming months.

The great performance from the Accessories sector that fuelled the growth in February was consolidated in March with a small fall of -0.2%. The star of the February index was the Golf Shoes category with a spectacular jump of 8.9% and this category generally held this level in March, with some discounting of older ranges resulting in a fall of only -0.6%. A similar drop was experienced by the Golf Ball sector as prices fell slightly across the whole range as retailers prepared for the arrival of the new ranges from Srixon, Bridgestone, Titleist and Callaway. The remaining categories in the Accessories sector, Golf Trolleys and Golf Bags, showed little change in the index with falls of just -0.2% and -0.1% reflecting a very steady month in the prices across all models in the index.

With The Masters now less than a month away and golfers across the country looking to kick start their season, the solid performance of the Golfalot.com Price Index in March reflects an encouraging platform for the industry to capitalise on an the exciting calendar of events and an improvement in the weather up over the coming months. 

The Golfalot.com Price Index shook off its recent lethargy to enjoy overall growth of 2.4% in February. With the weather improving the rise marked the Index’s best performance for a year and the highest total average price for a set of equipment since December 2006.  

The Accessories Sector provided the most eye-catching results with a combined rise of 3.2%. Encouragingly this gave the sector its biggest boost since it posted similar results back in February 2008.  

The Golf Shoes category was the engine of growth as a series of FootJoy and Adidas debutants at the top end of the market helped achieved a jump of 8.9% and the category’s most impressive figures since the Index began.  

Golf Bags also enjoyed solid growth of 2.5% as the new Callaway Diablo Edge Organiser and Ping Latitude models entered the Index alongside higher end products from both Yonex and Cleveland. The Golf Trolleys Category rose by 2.1% to achieve a second consecutive month of growth of over 2% with the re-entry of models such as the Pro-Trolley XL255 Remote compensating for reductions on cheaper models like the Ben Sayers Trolley.  

Although the Golf Balls category stayed relatively static, a small increase of 0.3% was enough to give the Accessories Sector growth in every category. With new balls from Srixon, Bridgestone, Titleist and Callaway all about to hit the shops, the Golf Ball Category could be about to replicate the success seen elsewhere in the sector.  

The Clubs Sector posted more modest results but overall growth of 2% provided the best overall performance since February 2009. Fairway Woods and Irons proved the twin catalysts for growth as both posted increases of 3.7%.  

The Fairway Woods category was boosted by the arrival of both the Callaway Diablo Edge and the Diablo Edge Tour. Callaway’s latest range was also on hand to drive growth in the Irons Category where the arrival of Nike SQ Machspeed provided another welcome distraction for those golfers not overly constrained by budget.  

Reductions in both the Ping and Nike ranges slightly offset the impact of new arrivals in the Drivers category, where Callaway’s Diablo Edge range again made its presence felt to give a rise of 1.9%. Wedges, helped by the arrival of MD Golf’s latest Seve Ballesteros endorsed range, saw growth of 1.8%. 

In a month of positives it was left to Putters and Utility Clubs to deliver the only bad news. Wide ranging reductions across the manufacturers saw Utility Clubs fall by -4.5% leaving the impression that discounted hybrids are being used to entice customers back to the shops after the winter layoff. Putters fell by -2.4% but with the season’s big name new arrivals not yet released we expect this blip to be rectified over the coming months.  

The solid, if unspectacular, performance of the Golfalot.com Price Index over winter months led to optimism that these months of consolidation would prove a strong launch pad when the weather improved and February’s strong performance is proof of this.  

With 2010 promising the Open’s return to the Home of Golf, the Ryder Cup’s arrival in Wales and the tantalising prospect of Tiger Wood’s return, February rise in the Golfalot.com Price Index has given the industry the perfect start as it seeks to capitalise on a wonderful year of golf.