My fitting experience with Club Champion - who are now merging with TXG

[lazybones]

https://thegolfwire.com/club-champion-acquires-canadian-custom-fitter-txg/?j=183434&sfmc_sub=1572715&l=181_HTML&u=1395684&mid=526000731&jb=22009

 

I wonder what business model CC will use going forward with TXG?

I love TXG's youtube channel wit Ian and Matt. But I gotta say CC has made me sour on their business.

My story:

I was fitted for my woods with CC and the result was a stock shaft in a driver - that means a head/shaft and grip at full retail - then in addition (where did the original shaft and grip go?) they charged me for a full fee new shaft (which was identical to the stock shaft - per specs on both club and shaft manufacturer's web site - and confirmed through email - not "made for" but the "real deal" - contrary to what my fitter gave as a reason) plus grip plus tax. So the stock club retail was $449 + tax but they wanted $799 + tax to build the same thing - same head, same shaft, same grip, same length. The only thing they may have done differently than buying off the rack was adding 4points of swing weight. A little dishonest if you ask me. I did not purchase their club. 

I could say more about the three wood and hybrid fitting - They "fit me" into one of the most expensive, exotic shafts out there for an additional $390 and $225 respectively. 

I actually asked - "if you just buy the heads, why do you charge for the whole club in your club build order?" "Oh we have to buy the whole club, we can't just buy the heads." (Then what do you do with the shafts and grips???)

 

Am I the only one out there who noticed something fishy about CC's business model? Or maybe they know their clientele are just rich people who throw money around like waste paper and don't care.

I have to admit I am having a hard time resisting a growing negative feeling for those who endorse such a business model.

 

I hope my positive opinion of TXG doesn't change. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by lazybones

[TiScape]

Yes you buy the shaft for them, they keep it and reuse it or sell it. They say thanks 😊haha. I had one experience there with my son. No, you are not the only one that noticed! It was my first and last experience with them. 

[ambro]

Had a nearly identical experience a couple months ago. Full bag fitting, but was fit (elsewhere) with a SIM2 driver a few weeks prior with a stock HZRDUS RDX Black shaft, which as far as I know is "real deal" and not "made for". When it came time to the driver part of the fitting, he kept telling me that I was playing a $5 mass produced shaft in a slightly patronizing tone and had me hit about 6 different $400+ shafts. Well, that supposed $5 shaft outperformed any option he gave me in both distance and dispersion. I did end up buying something from them but it was the irons I was fit into, and the shaft fit was a OEM no upcharge option so I bought them as built by OEM and not CC built. In the original build spec sheet he had them as $90 each (7 shafts) on top of full club MSRP. Glad I checked and pointed out the shafts were a OEM no charge option.

 

Literally all CC would have done was swingweight match and check lofts and lies. For $600.

Edited January 14, 2022 by ambro

[lazybones]

1 hour ago, ambro said:

Had a nearly identical experience a couple months ago. Full bag fitting, but was fit (elsewhere) with a SIM2 driver a few weeks prior with a stock HZRDUS RDX Black shaft, which as far as I know is "real deal" and not "made for". When it came time to the driver part of the fitting, he kept telling me that I was playing a $5 mass produced shaft in a slightly patronizing tone and had me hit about 6 different $400+ shafts. Well, that supposed $5 shaft outperformed any option he gave me in both distance and dispersion. I did end up buying something from them but it was the irons I was fit into, and the shaft fit was a OEM no upcharge option so I bought them as built by OEM and not CC built. In the original build spec sheet he had them as $90 each (7 shafts) on top of full club MSRP. Glad I checked and pointed out the shafts were a OEM no charge option.

 

Literally all CC would have done was swingweight match and check lofts and lies. For $600.

Really sad Ambro - we all know that fitting is a great thing - but with these kinds of shenanigans by CC it ruins the reputation of the profession of club fitting and club fitters. (Think the reputation of lawyers and used car salesmen etc)

[ambro]

It's sad because most people going in to get fit by them don't know any better and just go with their suggestions because it's backed by the data. Guess that's what keeps them in business.

 

Honestly I think it's part of the "training" their fitters go through. The guy I worked with seemed pretty good at the actual fitting aspect but when it came to talking about club and shaft technologies and manufacturing processes it just sounded more like regurgitating talking points that he's been trained on. The deception comes right from the top of the organization.

[lazybones]

20 hours ago, ambro said:

It's sad because most people going in to get fit by them don't know any better and just go with their suggestions because it's backed by the data. Guess that's what keeps them in business.

 

Honestly I think it's part of the "training" their fitters go through. The guy I worked with seemed pretty good at the actual fitting aspect but when it came to talking about club and shaft technologies and manufacturing processes it just sounded more like regurgitating talking points that he's been trained on. The deception comes right from the top of the organization.

Exactly - talking points - my fitter got edgy when I began to talk about the specs of the shafts and technical data - quick replies louder voice - kind of like - I know better so don't question me. I was trying to talk golf equipment with someone who was supposed to know...part of the training for sure - don't doubt there is a sales incentive to fit into certain heads and shafts as well. It only makes business sense to push what is most profitable - at the expense of the customer -