Saw some of the new Cobra line today

[phatchrisrules]

I bet TM, Cally, and Ping wish they had Cobras clothes, shoes, and kids club market. It's not all about selling drivers and irons, which they do ok at as well. I don't see DSG closing out the apparel lines. This was solely a push by Titliest for more club floor space.

 

Titleist is the Shooter McGavin of manufacturers and Cobra is the Happy Gilmore.

 

Which is funny, because I know my store sells probably 25:1 Cobra drivers to Titleist and likely 10:1 on the iron sets. I guess they like to kiss Acushnet butt because of the gloves, shoes, and balls due to the margin on shoes and gloves. Even still, Puma has some great shoes at an amazing price point. If I was in charge, I would downsize the Titleist footprint in most stores, increase the Cobra one, and make room for a small section of Srixon, Tour Edge, Wilson, and Bridgestone.

[TheMoneyShot]

Some have downplayed Golf Galaxy and Dick's dropping Cobra, but I think it's a big, big issue. Great stuff, great product, but Cobra cannot create the buzz of a TM or Cally. Losing two nationwide retailers is bad. Really bad.

 

Did they actually loose GG and Dicks accounts?

[Z1ggy16]

I think we will see more companies doing this "one length" thing, or at least Cobra will continue to bring One Length into ALL clubs, including the woods. I believe Nike had a patent on a full set of clubs that were all one length, including driver. They also had some patents going on other things that we saw come to market from other companies, so it makes me wonder if part of Nike's liquidation of their assets was to also sell their patent rights.

[xjohnx]

Some have downplayed Golf Galaxy and Dick's dropping Cobra, but I think it's a big, big issue. Great stuff, great product, but Cobra cannot create the buzz of a TM or Cally. Losing two nationwide retailers is bad. Really bad.

 

You're right. It's worse than many probably think and even worse than you are sort of implying. These aren't just two nationwide retailers. They are technically one account but combine as THE BIGGEST account for all of these oems BY FAR. From an invoicing perspective, I bet DSG/GG is as large as 30% of all billing for these companies. A lot of you guys live near some cool golf shops but, for most of the country these are the only place to buy golf stuff for the most part. Even the loss of exposure with a rack or two in each store, the customer's perception of Cobra will take a huge blow. It's going to be interesting to see what happens here.

 

Regardless of retail sales trends, losing 450+ Sports Authority stores, 150+ Golfsmith locations and now potentially all 650+ of these stores all in ~1 year is a HUGE blow to billings and manufacturing etc. They're basically going to have to change their whole business model if this is true. Even if each store had an average of $5000 (wholesale) in stock, that's a loss of ~6.25 million in business in about a year. That's not insignificant.

[Belmont148]

Well then. I guess lock the doors on Cobra, Mizuno, and Srixon now.

[xjohnx]

Well then. I guess lock the doors on Cobra, Mizuno, and Srixon now.

 

I never said that a golf manufacturer needs to be in all of those stores to survive. Mizuno and Srixon seem to have a solid understanding of their distribution in the marketplace. I'm simply pointing out that losing that much business is obviously detrimental to the bottom line.

[phatchrisrules]

Well then. I guess lock the doors on Cobra, Mizuno, and Srixon now.

 

I never said that a golf manufacturer needs to be in all of those stores to survive. Mizuno and Srixon seem to have a solid understanding of their distribution in the marketplace. I'm simply pointing out that losing that much business is obviously detrimental to the bottom line.

 

I don't know if it is though. If they are diligent at running demo days (still after working at a big box store I get asked about local demo days despite us having 4 booths), have some sort of store presence, be it PGA SS, Edwin Watts, etc. and have direct-to-consumer avenues such as RBG, TGW, and their own website all while maintaining a decent tour presence, they will be okay. I know I sold more F7 drivers this year then I did M1s, and far more than I did Titleist and Callaway Fusion. While it might seem to hurt their bottom line a little bit, maybe they will combat this by not making as much product and follow a MOTO idea, where they have less inventory but only make what they need. We can all agree that a model similar to TM and Callaway isn't the most sustainable, where you pump out as much product as possible and then discount it 30-60% in 9-14 months. Not only that, it irritates the customers who paid full price for a club at the beginning of the year only to be effectively told that the club they bought this year isn't innovative anymore, nor is it even current.

 

For some, like myself, we are used to it, with cars, cell phones, computers, what have you. But for a lot of people they buy clubs based on it being the latest and greatest so they can be the talking point of their group. Also, it adds in some value knowing that the manufacturer stands behind their product and only releases clubs when innovation has been spurred to warrant a change.

[chisag]

... My local PGA SS has put in a huge end cap for Honma. Honma is getting much more exposure than Cobra in Chicago? I switched from AP2's to Cobra Amp Forged because they looked better at address and had a much better feel. Imo, and many others that have actually hit them, the Amp Forged-Fly Z+-Forged Tours might be the best multi material players iron iron on the market. Some actually call them a "hidden gem". If these were produced by Callaway, they just might be a market leader. I have seen plenty of entertains AP2's and while not as many Apex in bags, I have only seen one set of Amp Forged and yet to see Z+ or Forged Tours in anyones bag. Clearly Cobra does not agree with me, or they would be promoted and advertised.

[I.AM.PACO]

Some have downplayed Golf Galaxy and Dick's dropping Cobra, but I think it's a big, big issue. Great stuff, great product, but Cobra cannot create the buzz of a TM or Cally. Losing two nationwide retailers is bad. Really bad.

 

You're right. It's worse than many probably think and even worse than you are sort of implying. These aren't just two nationwide retailers. They are technically one account but combine as THE BIGGEST account for all of these oems BY FAR. From an invoicing perspective, I bet DSG/GG is as large as 30% of all billing for these companies. A lot of you guys live near some cool golf shops but, for most of the country these are the only place to buy golf stuff for the most part. Even the loss of exposure with a rack or two in each store, the customer's perception of Cobra will take a huge blow. It's going to be interesting to see what happens here.

 

Regardless of retail sales trends, losing 450+ Sports Authority stores, 150+ Golfsmith locations and now potentially all 650+ of these stores all in ~1 year is a HUGE blow to billings and manufacturing etc. They're basically going to have to change their whole business model if this is true. Even if each store had an average of $5000 (wholesale) in stock, that's a loss of ~6.25 million in business in about a year. That's not insignificant.

 

I PROMISE YOU !!!!!!!!!! ... Trust me ... Cobra/Puma IS NOT !!!!!!!!!! worried about GG/Dicks ... at all.

[GC70]

I long on to see I’m a page behind, and thinking I missed something good like the new Irons! But no! Someone had to of seen the new irons by now?

[Zach Heusser]

A former player of mine is a Cobra Rep. He recently gave me some wedges and they are sweet!

[xjohnx]

Well then. I guess lock the doors on Cobra, Mizuno, and Srixon now.

 

I never said that a golf manufacturer needs to be in all of those stores to survive. Mizuno and Srixon seem to have a solid understanding of their distribution in the marketplace. I'm simply pointing out that losing that much business is obviously detrimental to the bottom line.

 

I don't know if it is though. If they are diligent at running demo days (still after working at a big box store I get asked about local demo days despite us having 4 booths), have some sort of store presence, be it PGA SS, Edwin Watts, etc. and have direct-to-consumer avenues such as RBG, TGW, and their own website all while maintaining a decent tour presence, they will be okay. I know I sold more F7 drivers this year then I did M1s, and far more than I did Titleist and Callaway Fusion. While it might seem to hurt their bottom line a little bit, maybe they will combat this by not making as much product and follow a MOTO idea, where they have less inventory but only make what they need. We can all agree that a model similar to TM and Callaway isn't the most sustainable, where you pump out as much product as possible and then discount it 30-60% in 9-14 months. Not only that, it irritates the customers who paid full price for a club at the beginning of the year only to be effectively told that the club they bought this year isn't innovative anymore, nor is it even current.

 

For some, like myself, we are used to it, with cars, cell phones, computers, what have you. But for a lot of people they buy clubs based on it being the latest and greatest so they can be the talking point of their group. Also, it adds in some value knowing that the manufacturer stands behind their product and only releases clubs when innovation has been spurred to warrant a change.

 

I agree with you phatch. Before people go and assume I said Cobra is going to go out of business, I didn't say that at all. I was saying there will need to be changes in the business model with a severely decreased distribution. I want to see them succeed as much as anyone but, changes will have to be made. I don't claim to be one of the WRX lawyers or Business geniuses but I think a loss of 1200+ doors would have to be followed by many changes. They'll have to scale back from almost every angle.

[roberthd]

Well then. I guess lock the doors on Cobra, Mizuno, and Srixon now.

 

I never said that a golf manufacturer needs to be in all of those stores to survive. Mizuno and Srixon seem to have a solid understanding of their distribution in the marketplace. I'm simply pointing out that losing that much business is obviously detrimental to the bottom line.

 

I don't know if it is though. If they are diligent at running demo days (still after working at a big box store I get asked about local demo days despite us having 4 booths), have some sort of store presence, be it PGA SS, Edwin Watts, etc. and have direct-to-consumer avenues such as RBG, TGW, and their own website all while maintaining a decent tour presence, they will be okay. I know I sold more F7 drivers this year then I did M1s, and far more than I did Titleist and Callaway Fusion. While it might seem to hurt their bottom line a little bit, maybe they will combat this by not making as much product and follow a MOTO idea, where they have less inventory but only make what they need. We can all agree that a model similar to TM and Callaway isn't the most sustainable, where you pump out as much product as possible and then discount it 30-60% in 9-14 months. Not only that, it irritates the customers who paid full price for a club at the beginning of the year only to be effectively told that the club they bought this year isn't innovative anymore, nor is it even current.

 

For some, like myself, we are used to it, with cars, cell phones, computers, what have you. But for a lot of people they buy clubs based on it being the latest and greatest so they can be the talking point of their group. Also, it adds in some value knowing that the manufacturer stands behind their product and only releases clubs when innovation has been spurred to warrant a change.

 

I agree with you phatch. Before people go and assume I said Cobra is going to go out of business, I didn't say that at all. I was saying there will need to be changes in the business model with a severely decreased distribution. I want to see them succeed as much as anyone but, changes will have to be made. I don't claim to be one of the WRX lawyers or Business geniuses but I think a loss of 1200+ doors would have to be followed by many changes. They'll have to scale back from almost every angle.

 

You are absolutely correct. They will have to change their business model in order to continue competing.

[ronbo]

Well then. I guess lock the doors on Cobra, Mizuno, and Srixon now.

 

I never said that a golf manufacturer needs to be in all of those stores to survive. Mizuno and Srixon seem to have a solid understanding of their distribution in the marketplace. I'm simply pointing out that losing that much business is obviously detrimental to the bottom line.

 

I don't know if it is though. If they are diligent at running demo days (still after working at a big box store I get asked about local demo days despite us having 4 booths), have some sort of store presence, be it PGA SS, Edwin Watts, etc. and have direct-to-consumer avenues such as RBG, TGW, and their own website all while maintaining a decent tour presence, they will be okay. I know I sold more F7 drivers this year then I did M1s, and far more than I did Titleist and Callaway Fusion. While it might seem to hurt their bottom line a little bit, maybe they will combat this by not making as much product and follow a MOTO idea, where they have less inventory but only make what they need. We can all agree that a model similar to TM and Callaway isn't the most sustainable, where you pump out as much product as possible and then discount it 30-60% in 9-14 months. Not only that, it irritates the customers who paid full price for a club at the beginning of the year only to be effectively told that the club they bought this year isn't innovative anymore, nor is it even current.

 

For some, like myself, we are used to it, with cars, cell phones, computers, what have you. But for a lot of people they buy clubs based on it being the latest and greatest so they can be the talking point of their group. Also, it adds in some value knowing that the manufacturer stands behind their product and only releases clubs when innovation has been spurred to warrant a change.

 

I agree with you phatch. Before people go and assume I said Cobra is going to go out of business, I didn't say that at all. I was saying there will need to be changes in the business model with a severely decreased distribution. I want to see them succeed as much as anyone but, changes will have to be made. I don't claim to be one of the WRX lawyers or Business geniuses but I think a loss of 1200+ doors would have to be followed by many changes. They'll have to scale back from almost every angle.

 

You are absolutely correct. They will have to change their business model in order to continue competing.

Cobra out of Dicks is no big deal, Cobra out of Galaxy, would hurt, but I bet they will still be going into there Top Stores around the country. Keep in mind PGA SS, World wide Golf, TGW and most if not all other retailers still will be carrying Cobra Next year. Dick's want to sell Top-Flight Box sets and be a self service retailer, Galaxy does all the fittings.

[Belmont148]

I'm not convinced that Cobra is leaving GG. They still have irons on display at full price. It's not like DSG or GG was ever a full Cobra retailer. They never had One Length that you could take out and demo, they never had any wedges in the last 2-3 years that I saw, and I don't think I have seen a Utility since the month they came out and they had a demo in the hitting bay.

 

I think they will pick and choose their product based on demand. If the new F8 becomes the top selling driver or top 3, they will start carrying it.

[xjohnx]

Cobra out of Dicks is no big deal, Cobra out of Galaxy, would hurt, but I bet they will still be going into there Top Stores around the country. Keep in mind PGA SS, World wide Golf, TGW and most if not all other retailers still will be carrying Cobra Next year. Dick's want to sell Top-Flight Box sets and be a self service retailer, Galaxy does all the fittings.

 

You're essentially suggesting that only people that get fittings buy Cobra clubs. No matter how you slice it, losing even a rack of clubs in 650+ stores is anything but "no big deal". It's easy to think like a WRXr all the time but, a lot of your average joes buy their golf equipment at Dicks. Even if it's the guy you're talking about that goes in to buy top-flite balls, what's he going to think when he sees the Cobra rack gone? What is the underpaid clerk going to tell him about why Cobra is gone? There is a lot more to the puzzle than fittings and with Ricky blowing leads on Sundays and inventory vanishing, the perception is going to be that Cobra clubs just don't cut it. Now, you and I know that is not the case but think like a guy who plays in a golf league once a week and buys a new driver ever 4 years. He's not going to go get fit. He's going to go to Dick's and try out some new drivers and he's not going to be trying Cobra.

[DRRicks]

Cobra out of Dicks is no big deal, Cobra out of Galaxy, would hurt, but I bet they will still be going into there Top Stores around the country. Keep in mind PGA SS, World wide Golf, TGW and most if not all other retailers still will be carrying Cobra Next year. Dick's want to sell Top-Flight Box sets and be a self service retailer, Galaxy does all the fittings.

 

You're essentially suggesting that only people that get fittings buy Cobra clubs. No matter how you slice it, losing even a rack of clubs in 650+ stores is anything but "no big deal". It's easy to think like a WRXr all the time but, a lot of your average joes buy their golf equipment at Dicks. Even if it's the guy you're talking about that goes in to buy top-flite balls, what's he going to think when he sees the Cobra rack gone? What is the underpaid clerk going to tell him about why Cobra is gone? There is a lot more to the puzzle than fittings and with Ricky blowing leads on Sundays and inventory vanishing, the perception is going to be that Cobra clubs just don't cut it. Now, you and I know that is not the case but think like a guy who plays in a golf league once a week and buys a new driver ever 4 years. He's not going to go get fit. He's going to go to Dick's and try out some new drivers and he's not going to be trying Cobra.

 

By that rationale, Nike equipment should've dominated.

[chisag]

Cobra out of Dicks is no big deal, Cobra out of Galaxy, would hurt, but I bet they will still be going into there Top Stores around the country. Keep in mind PGA SS, World wide Golf, TGW and most if not all other retailers still will be carrying Cobra Next year. Dick's want to sell Top-Flight Box sets and be a self service retailer, Galaxy does all the fittings.

 

You're essentially suggesting that only people that get fittings buy Cobra clubs. No matter how you slice it, losing even a rack of clubs in 650+ stores is anything but "no big deal". It's easy to think like a WRXr all the time but, a lot of your average joes buy their golf equipment at Dicks. Even if it's the guy you're talking about that goes in to buy top-flite balls, what's he going to think when he sees the Cobra rack gone? What is the underpaid clerk going to tell him about why Cobra is gone? There is a lot more to the puzzle than fittings and with Ricky blowing leads on Sundays and inventory vanishing, the perception is going to be that Cobra clubs just don't cut it. Now, you and I know that is not the case but think like a guy who plays in a golf league once a week and buys a new driver ever 4 years. He's not going to go get fit. He's going to go to Dick's and try out some new drivers and he's not going to be trying Cobra.

 

... Every sale puts the Cobra name out there. Dicks isn't gonna sell Forged Tours, King Utilities or LTD's that are talked about here and on other golf forums. But some F7's or F-Max irons and drivers in the hands of an average guy keeps Cobra's name out there. I have never seen premium Cobra irons in anyones bag other than mine. But I have seen plenty of Cobra GI's and SGI's in muni golfers bags. I think not having them in Dicks is gonna hurt in more ways than just immediate sales. How much is the question.

[xjohnx]

Cobra out of Dicks is no big deal, Cobra out of Galaxy, would hurt, but I bet they will still be going into there Top Stores around the country. Keep in mind PGA SS, World wide Golf, TGW and most if not all other retailers still will be carrying Cobra Next year. Dick's want to sell Top-Flight Box sets and be a self service retailer, Galaxy does all the fittings.

 

You're essentially suggesting that only people that get fittings buy Cobra clubs. No matter how you slice it, losing even a rack of clubs in 650+ stores is anything but "no big deal". It's easy to think like a WRXr all the time but, a lot of your average joes buy their golf equipment at Dicks. Even if it's the guy you're talking about that goes in to buy top-flite balls, what's he going to think when he sees the Cobra rack gone? What is the underpaid clerk going to tell him about why Cobra is gone? There is a lot more to the puzzle than fittings and with Ricky blowing leads on Sundays and inventory vanishing, the perception is going to be that Cobra clubs just don't cut it. Now, you and I know that is not the case but think like a guy who plays in a golf league once a week and buys a new driver ever 4 years. He's not going to go get fit. He's going to go to Dick's and try out some new drivers and he's not going to be trying Cobra.

 

By that rationale, Nike equipment should've dominated.

 

Maybe I'm having a hard time articulating my thoughts today but, I was never suggesting that staying in their current position would increase sales. My first part to that post was that the majority of golfers buy clubs off the rack. That's not my opinion, it's still a fact. So to suggest that leaving Dicks is no big deal and staying in GG is good because "they're the ones that do all the fittings" makes no logical sense. Secondly, I think you're trying to say that I implied that increased visibility in golf shops should maintain or "dominate" sales, which is the complete adverse to what I said. I'm saying that an absence from that many stores will potentially give the consumer a more negative perception of the brand and their equipment. So if you want to make a comparison to Nike, you can have one. What was the general public consensus when Nike exited the business? That their clubs were junk. Whether you're of that opinion here or not, we all know there was a lot more that went into that decision than how good their equipment was.

[ronbo]

Cobra out of Dicks is no big deal, Cobra out of Galaxy, would hurt, but I bet they will still be going into there Top Stores around the country. Keep in mind PGA SS, World wide Golf, TGW and most if not all other retailers still will be carrying Cobra Next year. Dick's want to sell Top-Flight Box sets and be a self service retailer, Galaxy does all the fittings.

 

You're essentially suggesting that only people that get fittings buy Cobra clubs. No matter how you slice it, losing even a rack of clubs in 650+ stores is anything but "no big deal". It's easy to think like a WRXr all the time but, a lot of your average joes buy their golf equipment at Dicks. Even if it's the guy you're talking about that goes in to buy top-flite balls, what's he going to think when he sees the Cobra rack gone? What is the underpaid clerk going to tell him about why Cobra is gone? There is a lot more to the puzzle than fittings and with Ricky blowing leads on Sundays and inventory vanishing, the perception is going to be that Cobra clubs just don't cut it. Now, you and I know that is not the case but think like a guy who plays in a golf league once a week and buys a new driver ever 4 years. He's not going to go get fit. He's going to go to Dick's and try out some new drivers and he's not going to be trying Cobra.

 

By that rationale, Nike equipment should've dominated.

 

Maybe I'm having a hard time articulating my thoughts today but, I was never suggesting that staying in their current position would increase sales. My first part to that post was that the majority of golfers buy clubs off the rack. That's not my opinion, it's still a fact. So to suggest that leaving Dicks is no big deal and staying in GG is good because "they're the ones that do all the fittings" makes no logical sense. Secondly, I think you're trying to say that I implied that increased visibility in golf shops should maintain or "dominate" sales, which is the complete adverse to what I said. I'm saying that an absence from that many stores will potentially give the consumer a more negative perception of the brand and their equipment. So if you want to make a comparison to Nike, you can have one. What was the general public consensus when Nike exited the business? That their clubs were junk. Whether you're of that opinion here or not, we all know there was a lot more that went into that decision than how good their equipment was.

Here's the real deal, Dick's Customer is buying for price, not service, Dick's customer is buying off the Rack or Box sets, I can't tell you how many times I was in a Dick's store in Golf Dept. and went across the street to a Golf Galaxy only to see the same customers look at Golf. My point is Dick's main buyers thought they could sell Cobra Pro line in all stores only to find it wasn't moving. They also brought in Titleist Metals and Racks are full, not selling, but selling a GG. Cobra will be fine not in Dick's.. Time will tell..

[xjohnx]

Cobra out of Dicks is no big deal, Cobra out of Galaxy, would hurt, but I bet they will still be going into there Top Stores around the country. Keep in mind PGA SS, World wide Golf, TGW and most if not all other retailers still will be carrying Cobra Next year. Dick's want to sell Top-Flight Box sets and be a self service retailer, Galaxy does all the fittings.

 

You're essentially suggesting that only people that get fittings buy Cobra clubs. No matter how you slice it, losing even a rack of clubs in 650+ stores is anything but "no big deal". It's easy to think like a WRXr all the time but, a lot of your average joes buy their golf equipment at Dicks. Even if it's the guy you're talking about that goes in to buy top-flite balls, what's he going to think when he sees the Cobra rack gone? What is the underpaid clerk going to tell him about why Cobra is gone? There is a lot more to the puzzle than fittings and with Ricky blowing leads on Sundays and inventory vanishing, the perception is going to be that Cobra clubs just don't cut it. Now, you and I know that is not the case but think like a guy who plays in a golf league once a week and buys a new driver ever 4 years. He's not going to go get fit. He's going to go to Dick's and try out some new drivers and he's not going to be trying Cobra.

 

By that rationale, Nike equipment should've dominated.

 

Maybe I'm having a hard time articulating my thoughts today but, I was never suggesting that staying in their current position would increase sales. My first part to that post was that the majority of golfers buy clubs off the rack. That's not my opinion, it's still a fact. So to suggest that leaving Dicks is no big deal and staying in GG is good because "they're the ones that do all the fittings" makes no logical sense. Secondly, I think you're trying to say that I implied that increased visibility in golf shops should maintain or "dominate" sales, which is the complete adverse to what I said. I'm saying that an absence from that many stores will potentially give the consumer a more negative perception of the brand and their equipment. So if you want to make a comparison to Nike, you can have one. What was the general public consensus when Nike exited the business? That their clubs were junk. Whether you're of that opinion here or not, we all know there was a lot more that went into that decision than how good their equipment was.

Here's the real deal, Dick's Customer is buying for price, not service, Dick's customer is buying off the Rack or Box sets, I can't tell you how many times I was in a Dick's store in Golf Dept. and went across the street to a Golf Galaxy only to see the same customers look at Golf. My point is Dick's main buyers thought they could sell Cobra Pro line in all stores only to find it wasn't moving. They also brought in Titleist Metals and Racks are full, not selling, but selling a GG. Cobra will be fine not in Dick's.. Time will tell..

 

I don't disagree with you. I feel like people keep thinking I'm saying Cobra is going to go out of business if they're not in Dicks stores. I'm not suggesting that at all. I'm simply saying they will be making changes if they move out of that space. Changes in production, changes in marketing, changes in staffing, changes in distribution etc. And my only other point is that some people who don't live in the WRX bubble and live and breath golf like we do may have a different view of the company when they stop seeing it in more places. Let's face it, nobody is on cruise control in the golf business these days. It's not like it was fifteen years ago. All companies have to address and react accordingly. This is just one more example of that.

[xjohnx]

I also want to point out one more thing about DSG that is relevant to the conversation. Though their still the biggest player in the game, their golf sales are hurting just like everyone else's. They're cutting back on golf square footage in new and existing stores. They also announced a few months back that they are drastically reducing the number of brands they sell and in addition to that, favoring even more private label brands. It was likely the decision of DSG to no longer carry Cobra golf due to this new direction. There was plenty of mention of the insane prices on Cobra gear recently at Dicks and that probably wasn't Cobra's idea. It could have even been a direct violation of MAP on in stock pricing knowing the relationship was over. If I remember, they were the only ones at those low prices, right?

 

To use their own words, Dicks wanted to be "America's Pro Shop" but I believe that failed. They certainly have a place in the market but I think they need to focus more on the SMU, previous season/off-price clubs and private label and leave golfer's golf gear to the specialty stores.

[ZBigStick]

Some have downplayed Golf Galaxy and Dick's dropping Cobra, but I think it's a big, big issue. Great stuff, great product, but Cobra cannot create the buzz of a TM or Cally. Losing two nationwide retailers is bad. Really bad.

 

You're right. It's worse than many probably think and even worse than you are sort of implying. These aren't just two nationwide retailers. They are technically one account but combine as THE BIGGEST account for all of these oems BY FAR. From an invoicing perspective, I bet DSG/GG is as large as 30% of all billing for these companies. A lot of you guys live near some cool golf shops but, for most of the country these are the only place to buy golf stuff for the most part. Even the loss of exposure with a rack or two in each store, the customer's perception of Cobra will take a huge blow. It's going to be interesting to see what happens here.

 

Regardless of retail sales trends, losing 450+ Sports Authority stores, 150+ Golfsmith locations and now potentially all 650+ of these stores all in ~1 year is a HUGE blow to billings and manufacturing etc. They're basically going to have to change their whole business model if this is true. Even if each store had an average of $5000 (wholesale) in stock, that's a loss of ~6.25 million in business in about a year. That's not insignificant.

 

I PROMISE YOU !!!!!!!!!! ... Trust me ... Cobra/Puma IS NOT !!!!!!!!!! worried about GG/Dicks ... at all.

Why not? They were hoping to sell less products through retail partners next year? Are they opening accounts with Costco? Walmart?

[GC70]

A former player of mine is a Cobra Rep. He recently gave me some wedges and they are sweet!

 

The Pur wedges or something new for 2018?

[Payton333]

I'm hoping to see a pic of the hybrids and fairways soon. What I'm really hoping for is something along the lines of the F6 Baffler available for us lefties!

[vwgolfer]

Lot of talk here of Dicks. I would bet $$$$ that 9.5 out of 10 golf customers at Dicks could not give a crap about Cobra. If you think cobra not being at Dicks is going have major impact on cobras bottom line your Spend too much time at Dicks.

[xjohnx]

Lot of talk here of Dicks. I would bet $$$$ that 9.5 out of 10 golf customers at Dicks could not give a crap about Cobra. If you think cobra not being at Dicks is going have major impact on cobras bottom line your Spend too much time at Dicks.

 

I would even say that 9 out of 10 golfers in general don’t care much about cobra. But that doesn’t matter here. Again to clarify my point, losing that business will absolutely, unequivocally impact their bottom line. It’s all about scale. If they lose 650 stores with product in it and cut back at ratio of 1:1 in every area like production, staffing, distribution and logistics, marketing, all your friends that are reps etc. and still maintained the same percentages of ROI, it’s all still LESS than it was before. It’s still a healthy business with the same future but the numbers are smaller. So to suggest the bottom line will not be impacted is saying that the they made no money or lost money on all dealings with Dicks Sporting Goods. Without knowing if they paid for real estate in the stores, it’s hard to believe that’s possible.

[phatchrisrules]

It might have something to do with sales. I know it has to do with apparently Titleist putting pressure on them for more floor space (Why...at DSG???) and moving to Special-Made Unit items like Maxfli and such. I can't help but wonder if downward sales trends have pushed this too. This is completely anecdotal but I would assume a snapshot of other locations too. I've sold maybe 5 or 6 F7 drivers this year. That's it. I've sold two iron sets. Compared to about 25 Ping G/G400, about 30-35 Epics, and a good 15-20 M2 drivers. That is what I can remember. F6 product has been selling better than F7 this year too. I think they just missed the boat on the product this year. They made a driver that is too similar (TM and Titleist have seen drops as well) with little change in it. Cool you added a GPS and an extra heel weight that still won't stop an outside-in move from slicing the ball. Thumbs up. Their wedges are a non-issue in comparison to Titleist, Callaway, and Cleveland...nobody can argue with that.

 

I like Cobra product, I really do. I just think they misjudged the market demand this year. We were blowing the F7 driver out for $250 for a week (which is good for Canada) last week and didn't move one. That's telling.

[Belmont148]

Lot of talk here of Dicks. I would bet $$$$ that 9.5 out of 10 golf customers at Dicks could not give a crap about Cobra. If you think cobra not being at Dicks is going have major impact on cobras bottom line your Spend too much time at Dicks.

 

I would even say that 9 out of 10 golfers in general don't care much about cobra. But that doesn't matter here. Again to clarify my point, losing that business will absolutely, unequivocally impact their bottom line. It's all about scale. If they lose 650 stores with product in it and cut back at ratio of 1:1 in every area like production, staffing, distribution and logistics, marketing, all your friends that are reps etc. and still maintained the same percentages of ROI, it's all still LESS than it was before. It's still a healthy business with the same future but the numbers are smaller. So to suggest the bottom line will not be impacted is saying that the they made no money or lost money on all dealings with Dicks Sporting Goods. Without knowing if they paid for real estate in the stores, it's hard to believe that's possible.

 

60% of the time my driver hits the fairway every time.

[Sef]

Lot of talk here of Dicks. I would bet $$$$ that 9.5 out of 10 golf customers at Dicks could not give a crap about Cobra. If you think cobra not being at Dicks is going have major impact on cobras bottom line your Spend too much time at Dicks.

 

I would even say that 9 out of 10 golfers in general don’t care much about cobra. But that doesn’t matter here. Again to clarify my point, losing that business will absolutely, unequivocally impact their bottom line. It’s all about scale. If they lose 650 stores with product in it and cut back at ratio of 1:1 in every area like production, staffing, distribution and logistics, marketing, all your friends that are reps etc. and still maintained the same percentages of ROI, it’s all still LESS than it was before. It’s still a healthy business with the same future but the numbers are smaller. So to suggest the bottom line will not be impacted is saying that the they made no money or lost money on all dealings with Dicks Sporting Goods. Without knowing if they paid for real estate in the stores, it’s hard to believe that’s possible.

 

I would disagree with the idea that it would have the same future. Most companies allocate a % of profits to R&D. If revenue and costs are scaled back by the same %, which is almost impossible in manufacturing as production becomes less expensive with scale, you would still have a smaller R&D budget due to lower total profits. This almost guarantees Cobra will fall behind (farther behind some would argue) when compared to companies with larger R&D budgets such as Callaway and TM.