The Golfalot.com Price Index in December injected some festive cheer into Christmas as it finished the year with growth of +0.5% to end 2012 with total growth of +2.4% despite the difficult market conditions.

The Golf Clubs Sector drove this month’s gains with positive returns in five of the six categories resulting in overall growth of +0.8% as new products making their debut in a number of key categories ensured the index held firm against the competitive price cutting evident in the Christmas Market. Strong performances in both Drivers and Putters, which rose +1.5% and + 2.9% respectively, grabbed the Golf Clubs headlines this month but were backed up by positive performances in all but Fairway Woods which fell by -0.3%. Golf Drivers saw the long awaited entry to the Index of the high profile 913 D2 and D3 models from Titleist which offset price falls across a number of brands as we await the exciting new Nike VR_S Covert, Callaway RAZR Fit Xtreme and Cobra AMP Cell models early in the New Year.

The Putters Category saw the introduction of the Scotty Cameron Select GoLo and Select Newport ranges as well as another high profile release in the shape of the Ghost Spider S from TaylorMade. Following the announcement of the ban on anchoring and the innovative response from Callaway with the Odyssey Metal-X Arm lock this is surely a category to keep a keen eye on in 2013. Golf Irons were up by +0.5% as the Rocketballz family from TaylorMade entered the Index and Utility Clubs (+0.3%) and Wedges (+0.7%) also registered positive growth. Despite tough trading conditions throughout 2012, that saw the Index fluctuate across the year, the Golf Clubs Sector closes +3.5% higher than at the end of 2011 and with strong club releases anticipated this looks set to continue.

The Golf Accessories Sector fell slightly in December with a drop of just -0.02% as competition in this Sector in the run-up to Christmas saw all categories experiencing keen price competition. Gains in Golf Balls (+0.4%) and Golf Shoes (+0.5) were offset by falls in Golf Bags (-0.3%) and Golf Trolleys (-0.1%). It has been a tough year for the Golf Accessories Sector with the Index remaining largely at the same level as the end of 2011 (+0.04%) as the economic climate and poor weather both took their toll on demand and impacted on prices.

As 2012 ends on a positive note for the Golfalot.com Price Index we look forward to more good news in 2013 despite the difficult conditions. With a rise of 2.4% across the index in 2012, up nearly +5% in the last 2 years, and with a number of high profile equipment launches due to hit the shops early in the New Year the market should enter the New Year in a positive mood.

The Golfalot.com Price Index remained calm in November with small falls across the majority of categories as the industry prepares for the important festive period. A fall of -0.1% nevertheless sees the index with year to date growth of +1.3%.

The Golf Clubs sector fell by -0.1% as only Golf Irons posted positive returns this month with falls in the average price of Drivers, Fairway Woods, Utility Clubs, Wedges and Putters typical of price competition across the board heading into Christmas. The Golf Irons sector was boosted by the entry to the Index of the new Mizuno JPX825 and JPX825 Pro range of irons resulting in a +0.5% rise. Despite this rise Golf Irons have been one of the poorer performers of 2012 and this welcome boost sees the category back on par for the year to date.

Drivers was the biggest faller in the Golf Clubs sector this month, down -1.2%, as there was significant discounting across a number of manufacturers and brands in anticipation of both new releases early in 2013 and competition in this flagship category. Fairway Woods (-0.3%), Utility Clubs (-0.2%), Wedges (-0.3%) and Putters (-0.1%) all saw small falls however these did little to dampen a positive year for Golf Clubs with year to date growth of +2.1%.

The Golf Accessories Sector saw the average price fall across all of it categories in November as retailers clearly positioned themselves for the key Christmas spend. Golf Balls (-1.35%), Golf Bags (-0.2%), Golf Shoes (-0.5%) and Trolleys (-0.1%) followed the trend set in 2012 which has proved to be a hard year for the Accessories market. Year to date figures tell a similar story with Golf Balls (-3.6%) Golf Bags (-1.7%), Golf Shoes (-0.8%) all down over the last 12 month period with only Trolleys bucking this trend with growth of +0.5%. Despite this we have seen much innovation in the Accessories sphere especially amongst Golf Shoes with FootJoy being the latest to introduce a new casual style shoe, the Contour Casual range, which entered the Index for the first time this month.

Despite the Index falling this month, it is clear from the optimism displayed at the industry show in Harrogate and the number of new product launches in the coming months, that we enter a key period of the retail year in good shape.

The Golfalot.com Price Index for October continued the stable trend witnessed in recent months with small falls across the majority of sectors as retailers discount older models with the 2013 releases soon to enter the Index. Despite the falls this month the index is still up over +1% over the last year exhibiting underlying strength despite difficult trading conditions.

The Golf Clubs Sector fell by less than -0.1% as Drivers, Wedges and Utility Clubs recorded small rises that were offset by similarly small falls in the average prices of Fairway Woods, Irons and Putters. So often a headline category Drivers had a quiet month with prices remaining very steady and a growth of +0.1% attributed to price realignment following some discounting in September. The Wedge category recorded the most movement this month with growth of +1.2% as two new wedges from Mizuno, the MPR-12 and the MP-T4 models, entered the Index for the first time. Generally a stable category month to month this latest growth shows the strength in this market with growth of over +5% in the last year. Utility Clubs also welcomed a new entrant in the shape of the Mizuno MP-H4 hybrid club leading to a rise of +0.2%. Fairway Woods (-0.2%), Irons (-0.2%)and Putters (0.2%) all experienced small falls although all still exhibit the stability of the Index as a whole with combined growth of +1.5% since October 2011.

The Golf Accessories Sector experienced a quiet month as small price drops across the majority of brands in all Sectors resulting in a small fall of -0.1%. The largest fall was experienced in the Golf Ball category that was down -0.7% with retailers competing strongly as the competitive golf season draws to a close across the country. Golf Shoes (-0.3%) also fell despite new entrants in the shape of the Biom Gore Tex and Cool III models from Ecco Golf. Golf Bags and Golf Trolleys both fell by less than -0.1% in a quiet month that sees the Golf Accessories Sector as a whole down just 0.2% over the last 12 month period.

Following European success in The Ryder Cup we hope that the optimism of golfers hitting the fairways for some Autumnal golf matches our outlook for the Golfalot.com Price Index in the coming months. With a number of new product releases expected to bolster the rises of the Index in 2012, the golf industry can prepare for 2013 in a spirited mood.AddContent

The Golfalot.com Price Index rose +0.2% in September as new entrants into the Golf Clubs Sector contributed to drive growth that has totalled +0.8% over the last 12 months.

The Golf Clubs Sector grew by +0.5% this month with positive results in the Drivers, Utility Clubs and Iron categories offsetting small falls in the Fairway Woods, Wedge and Putter markets. Drivers turned around the losses of the previous two months ending up +0.7% with the high profile entrant of the new Ping Anser driver, the first adjustable driver from the company, managing to offset some eye catching discounts across a number of other brands as retailers prepared for further new releases throughout the remainder of the year. Utility Clubs were the outstanding Golf Club performer as the new Anser hybrid was joined by Ping’s offering for Women in this category, the Serene, resulting in growth of +2.3% pushing the average price in the category to the highest level since June 2011.

The 2012 Anser Iron replaces the original forged Anser in the Index and resultant growth of +0.9% represents a six month high for the Golf Irons category. Fairway Woods fell by -1.1% despite the debut of the Ping Anser Fairway as the category experienced aggressive price competition on several high profile brands. Putters (-0.5%) and Wedges (-0.1%) both recorded small falls as a result of both competition and discounting ahead of the new 2013 releases.

The Golf Accessories Sector also fell marginally this month, registering a drop of -0.6%, however this has made little inroads into the overall growth experienced since the beginning of the year. Golf Balls (0.4%) Golf Bags (-1.0%), Golf Shoes (-1.9%) and Golf Trolleys (-0.1%), all fell as the Accessories Sector witnessed price competition across the board that offset some notable new entrants to the Golf Shoes market such as the innovative new Crossflex and Puremotion models from Adidas.

Looking forward we can expect the Golfalot Price Index to continue moving forward in the coming months as the 2013 equipment begins to hit the shop floors. Titleist, Mizuno, Odyssey and Footjoy are just some of the major brands that have recently launched new products, many of which will debut at the Harrogate Golf Show, which should provide a boost to the industry towards the end of a challenging year.

The Golfalot.com Price Index was relatively quiet in August as small falls across the majority of categories resulted in a fall of -0.14% as the strong performance of the year to date have been largely maintained.

The Golf Club Sector fell by -0.4% to its lowest level since April 2012 as prices fell in all of the club categories bringing the average cost of a set to £916.13, still a healthy increase of +2.0 from August 2011 as the underlying strength of the Sector continues to shine through. Drivers fell by -0.5% as a result of small price falls across a number of manufacturers and brands as retailers began to gear up for the anticipated new releases in the coming month following the news of the new Anser driver from Ping and the Titleist 913 range being keenly anticipated.

Fairway Woods were the biggest fallers in August (-1.2%) with some significant discounting across a number of models with clubs from Cobra and Nike a particular focus with retailers competing for business of these very popular products. Utility Clubs (-0.5%), Putters (-0.2%) and Irons (-0.1%) showed small losses whilst significant discounting on many Wedges led to a loss of -0.8% despite the entrance to the Index for the first time of the Anser DG Spinner from Ping.

Golf Accessories bucked the downward trend of August with a total gain of +0.3% as three of the Sectors four categories reported positive growth. The Golf Bags category was the month’s biggest mover up +0.9% as the index welcomed the new 2012 Staff Bag from Cobra Puma Golf designed to fit in with their distinctive bright orange look. Golf Shoes and Golf Trolleys both recorded small falls of -0.2% with Golf Balls losing most ground in August as retailers competed keenly in this key category.

With the country on a sporting high following the Olympics we are hoping for the end of summer to bring excellent golfing weather which coupled with the upcoming Ryder Cup should see the golf industry move forward confidently as manufacturers prepare to unveil the equipment that will drive the market over the next 6 months.

The Golfalot.com Price Index continued on a steady course despite the bad weather that continues to plague the country and make life very difficult for both courses and retailers. Despite these challenging conditions the Index remained unchanged so maintaining the impressive growth of +2% since the start of the year.

The Golf Clubs Sector mirrored the Index performance as a whole with a fall of just -0.03% with small falls in Drivers, Fairway Woods and Utility Clubs were offset by growth in Irons, Wedges and Putters. The Drivers category fell by -1.1% as prices fell across a number of models in anticipation of new releases into the market in the second half of 2012, notably the new range of 913 Drivers from Titleist that a number of Pros have already put into play on Tour.

Fairway Woods and Utility Clubs both fell by -0.1% with retailer competition driving prices slightly across a number of models in these popular categories for golfers all looking to find consistency and performance in their long games.

Golf Irons saw growth of +0.3% as the Index saw the debut of the Nike VRS range whilst the entrance of the Bridgestone J40 range of Wedges fuelled a category rise of +0.2% and the final Golf Clubs category, Putters, also showed positive progress up +0.7% as the best performing category in the Sector.

The Golf Accessories Sector held steady this month, falling by just -0.01%, as losses in Golf Balls and Golf Trolleys were outweighed by an impressive performance in the Golf Shoes Category. Golf Balls fell by -1.25% with a number of products falling as retailers competed across the board with the most notable fall coming with price cuts to the category leading Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x models and Golf Trolleys were down -0.6%, with some notable price falls across the very popular Powakaddy range.

Golf Shoes bucked this trend as the star performer across the Index this month with impressive growth of +2.0% on the back of innovative new entries as manufacturers look to redefine the golf shoe market. The Nike Lunar Swing Tip, Oakley Cipher and Puma Evospeed Golf Shoes all look to take the best design from other disciplines to push the boundaries of golf shoe design.

The British summer has so far thrown a lot at the golf industry in the UK impacting upon both play and sales in this key period but as ever the resilience is apparent in the stability of the Price Index as we move forward with the anticipation of further product innovation in the months ahead.12] 

The Golfalot.com Price Index entered the summer season with a month of consolidation as the record levels of May were maintained in June with the Index unchanged across the month and up a healthy +1.5% for the year to date.

The month saw small movements across the majority of categories the Golf Clubs Sector increased by +0.1% with the average cost of a set of clubs now standing at £919.64, a 2% increase in the first six months of 2012. The average price of Golf Drivers rose by +0.7% as the entrance to the Index of the Mizuno MP-650 offset price competition on popular brands across all manufacturers. With a +9% increase since January the Drivers category has set the tone for the positive performance so far this year.

The Fairway Woods category was the biggest mover up +1.2% as last months new entrants held steady and the CG Black fairway from Cleveland Golf made its debut with the average price up an impressive +5% since January. Wedges were the final positive mover in the Golf Clubs category with a rise of +0.9%.

Golf Irons (-0.2%), Putters (-1.2%) and Utility Clubs (-0.6%) all experienced negative growth in June with small price falls across the board however of these categories it is only Golf Irons (-1.4%) that end the first half of 2012 in arrears with Putters (+1.4%) and Utility Clubs (+2.0%) showing a steady positive progression.

The Golf Accessories sector also consolidated its position falling by just under -0.2% as it finished the first 6 months of 2012 with positive growth of +0.3%. All four categories fell slightly with small price drops across all brands indicating keen competition in the marketplace as golfers restocked their armouries heading into summer. Golf Balls (-0.4%) and Golf Trolleys (-0.1%) reached the halfway point of the year in the black up +0.6% and +1.0% in the six months to June whilst the falls in Golf Bags (-0.5%) and Golf Shoes (-0.1%) contributed to slightly disappointing performance in 2012 down -1.4% and -0.1% respectively.

As we enter a summer sure to be dominated by coverage Euro 2012 football Championships and later the Olympic games in London the Golfalot.com Price Index gives reason to believe that golf can continue to hold it’s own and make headlines of its own come The Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

The Golfalot.com Price Index for May experienced spectacular growth of +1.3% to close at a record level as new equipment entering the Clubs Sector fuelled four of the six categories to twelve month highs.

The Golf Clubs Sector witnessed some impressive performances in May with Drivers, Fairway Woods, Utility Clubs, Wedges and, the star of the show, Putters, up an amazing remarkable +4.2%, boosting the Sector by 1.2% to a record high of £918.99.

All of these categories welcomed new products to the Index as many of the new releases manufacturers have been showcasing in the early part of the year reached the shops. Putters saw the greatest influx with high profile entrants in the form of the Callaway Odyssey Metal X Range (No’s 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 as well as the Rosie, Dart and 2-Ball models) and the new 2012 range of putters from Yes! Golf that includes the Bella White, Jenny Black and Sophia Satin models.

For those looking for something new from the tee or fairway the Drivers category (+3.9%) welcomed the very popular Rocketballz and R11S models from TaylorMade whilst new Fairway Woods (+1.9%) included the Cobra Long Tom 2, the 2012 Mashie from Cleveland and the Callaway Razr X Black.

The Utility Clubs category has been the worst performer in the Golf Clubs sector in the last six months so the growth of +2.3% this month represents a welcome boost, thanks to the Callaway Razr X HL and Cleveland Mashie Plus models entering the Index.

Wedges continued some steady recent progress, up +1.0%, with the new Cleveland CG Black wedge making its debut. The only loser in the Golf Clubs Sector this month was the Irons category that experienced a quiet month falling by -0.7% as prices fell slightly across a number of ranges.

The Golf Accessories Sector also contributed to the positive month with an increase of +0.6% however thanks to a strong performance by Golf Trolleys. The Trolleys category grew by +1.5% with the introduction to the index of the new S1 Pro and S3 Pro models from the very popular Motocaddy.

This growth offset falls in Golf Balls (-2.0%) as retailers competed across a number of the recent newer high profile releases, Golf Bags (-0.4%) and Golf Shoes (-0.6%).

Innovation and new releases are the driving forces of the golf equipment industry with golfers keenly anticipating new products to the market. 2012 has shown the manufacturers to be on the top of their games with a number of new products being released and this optimism is reflected in the strong performance of the Index this month as the golf season hits top gear.

The Golfalot.com Price Index continued the recent trend of steady growth in April with a small rise of + 0.4% as the Drivers category surged an impressive +2.9% to a record high of £155.59 with big name new entrants entering the Index for the first time.

The Golf Clubs Sector finished the month at its highest level since June 2011 with growth of +0.2% increasing the average cost of Golf Clubs to £907.08. The Golf Drivers category was the star turn of the index this month with growth of +2.9% despite some discounting of older models which was offset by the debut in the index of the RAZR X Black and RAZR Fit models from Callaway and the i20 from Ping. As Drivers provided the momentum however closer analysis of the Sector reveals that four of the six categories recorded negative growth this month. Fairway Woods (-0.3%), Irons (-0.2%),

Wedges (-0.9%) and Putters (-0.3%) all witnessed retailers competing across key manufacturers and brands as golfers are gearing up for the season to kick off in earnest. All four of these categories have exciting new products hitting the shops in the next month so we expect the Golf Clubs Sector as a whole to perform well throughout the summer months.

The Golf Accessories sector also consolidated its position in April, falling by just -0.1% with strong performances from Golf Balls and Golf Shoes offsetting small losses in the Golf Bags and Golf Trolley categories where retailers competed over the prices of some of the newer releases. The Golf Balls category was up +0.8% as the much heralded new performance ball from Callaway, the Hex Black Tour, entered the index as did the highly anticipated new concept ball from Titleist, the Velocity.

Golf Shoes (+0.2%) also contributed to the solid performance of the sector that was not impacted greatly by small drops in Golf Bags (-0.2%) and Golf Trolleys (-0.2%) which witnessed competition across a series of manufacturers and brands with notable price positioning evident.

With The Masters now behind us and the golfing season in full swing thanks to the warm spring, the solid performance of the Golfalot.com Price Index in April reflects an encouraging platform for the industry to capitalise on the exciting calendar of tournaments and industry events planned over the coming months.

The Golfalot.com Price Index remained unchanged in March as a small gain in the Golf Clubs sector (+1.1%) was offset by a similar drop in Golf Accessories (-0.9%). Closer analysis at category level however reveals a more interesting month than the headline figures suggest with plenty of movement across the majority of categories.

In the Golf Clubs sector, Fairway Woods (+3.7%) Drivers (+2.9%), Wedges (+1.2%) and Utility Clubs (+0.8%) all put in impressive performances as eagerly awaited new products entered the index. Golf Drivers welcomed the new Nike VR_S and the Cobra AMP ranges providing a boost to the category that offset some discounting across a number of older models as retailers prepared for more new products in the next two months. Golf Drivers continues to be a headline category for the Index and this month’s gain returns the average cost of a driver to its highest level since February 2008.

Wedges are amongst the most consistent performers in the Golfalot.com Price Index and this month’s growth of +1.2% represents a bounce back from February as the hotly anticipated Vokey SM4 Wedges entered the index for the first time. Utility Clubs continued last month’s positive growth with another rise of +0.8% as the Cobra AMP hybrids and Golf Irons also grew (0.1%) despite this still waiting for the flagship January launches to hit the shops. Putters (-0.4%) was the only category to fall in the Clubs sector as both saw prices fall slightly across the board with retailers discounting older models.

The Golf Accessories Sector experienced a mixed month with two categories, Bags (+0.3%) and Shoes (+0.5%), experiencing positive growth whilst Golf Balls (-0.2%) and Golf Trolleys (-1.8%) fell. Golf Bags welcomed new models from Sun Mountain and Callaway whilst the Nike Dunk range gave a boost to Golf Shoes. The fall in the average price of Golf Trolleys can largely be attributed to the fall in price of a number of the ever popular Powakaddy golf trolleys.

With the focus of golfers building in the run up to The Masters and with the majority of club golfers starting to head back to the course as the weather improves, the continued stability of the Golfalot.com Price Index gives considerable reason for confidence for the months ahead.

The Golfalot.com Price Index enjoyed a month of consolidation in February with a gain of +0.1% as retailers prepare for arrival in store of the raft of new equipment showcased at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.

In a month that saw small movements across the majority of categories the Golf Clubs Sector fell by -0.1% with the average cost of a set of clubs now standing at £894.81, the lowest level in the last 12 months. The average price of Golf Drivers increased by +0.1% in a month where no new releases entered the Index.

Retailers are keenly anticipating new ranges from Callaway, Cobra, Mizuno, Ping and TaylorMade in this key Golf Club category and we expect these releases to be a key factor in the Index over the coming months. Fairway Woods and Irons also both experienced quiet months, falling by -0.2%, as both categories saw competition across several brands with new releases on the horizon from several brands, notably the Cleveland Mashie and Nike VR_S irons.

Utility Clubs were the strongest performers in the Golf Club Sector this month growing by +1.2% as the new Cobra Baffler T-Rail hybrid made it’s index debut. Wedges were the biggest fallers down -1.0% as last months new entry the Cobra Trusty Rusty range saw competition from retailers and the Putters category also fell by -0.2%. The Golf Accessories Sector consolidated its position after a run of falling months from the middle of 2011 with growth of +0.5% raising the average price of Accessories to £425.79 the highest level since November. The growth in Golf Accessories was largely driven by the Golf Balls category which reported gains of +2.8% to sit at the highest level since May 2011.

This can largely be attributed to the entry to the Index for the first time of the new high performance balls from Nike Golf, the 20XI X and 20XI S. With the launch of the Callaway HEX Black Tour and the eye catching announcement in Orlando of the new Velocity range from Titleist we expect similar activity in the Golf Balls category in 2012. Golf Trolleys were also up by 0.8% in February as prices returned to pre sale levels whilst Golf Bags (-0.3%) and Golf Shoes (-0.3%) both registered small falls.

Golfalot.com attended the PGA Show in Orlando and we felt that there was a really positive buzz which we are sure bodes well for the season ahead.

The Golfalot.com Price Index in January signalled good news for golfers hunting bargains as prices fell in both the Golf Clubs and Golf Accessories sectors as retailers cut prices in the traditional January sales however with a fall of just - 0.05% the Index remained steady overall.

The Golf Clubs sector fell by -0.05% with the average cost of a set of clubs falling by -0.55% as all but one category experienced downward pressure with prices falling across a number of manufacturers and brands as seasonal sales combined with the anticipation of new products in the first quarter of 2012.

The Golf Drivers category fell by -1.6% with the average price dropping to its lowest level since April 2011 as sale offers in this very popular category tempted golfers with bargains available in a number of top brands. This picture was mirrored in both the Fairway Woods (-1.3%) and Utility Clubs (-1.8%) categories as older models experienced significant discounting to tempt golfers looking for a long game boost with new hardware at the start of the year.

Golf Irons (-0.2%) and Putters (-0.57%) also fell and the overall drop would have been larger had it not been for the Golf Wedges category bucking the trend with an impressive gain of +2.7% as the average price rose to a record high, breaking the £60 barrier for the first time.

The Wedge category was boosted with the entry to the Index of the Cobra Trusty Rusty line of short game clubs and this trend is something that we expect to be reflected across all Golf Club categories in the first months of 2012 with new high profile hardware releases already announced from manufacturers such as TaylorMade, Cleveland, Ping and Callaway.

The Golf Accessories sector saw falls across all four categories with the average price falling by -0.4% as small price discounts were applied widely across manufacturers and brands in the post Christmas sales. A fall in the average prices of Golf Balls (-0.3%), Golf Bags (-0.3%), Golf Shoes (-0.1%) and Golf Trolleys (-0.5%) resulted in the average cost of Golf Accessories hitting its lowest point since June 2010, evidence that these categories are key battlegrounds for retailers as golfers look to get ready for the new golf season.

However as with the Golf Clubs sector we do not anticipate this trend to continue as manufacturers have already announced a number of exciting new products, notably in the Golf Balls and Golf Shoes categories, which should ensure a boost to the Index throughout the coming year.

The January Sales have given golfers great opportunities to bag bargains ahead of the 2012 season however this is not a trend we anticipate continuing and we are heading to the PGA Merchandise show in Orlando with great optimism as the anticipation of the new product launches in early 2012 augurs well for future growth.

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