Golf - Custom Club Makers (IA)

[HawkMachine]

Where’s the best place to go in Iowa to get some clubs built?

Need to get a complete set for my hs boy.

Don’t trust most places as the majority are just salesman that don’t have the knowledge and time I’m looking for.

Thanks

 

[hawkeyez]

I've had good luck getting fitted at Golf USA in Coralville. I've bought my last 2 sets of irons through them. The owner, Bruce Brooke, knows his stuff. Make sure you book with him and not one of the other employees. I can't speak to fitters in the Des Moines area.

Golf USA Offical Site | Specializing In Custom Fit Golf Clubs

Golf USA specializes in online Custom Fit Golf Clubs at the best pricing. Brands include Titleist, Mizuno, Ping, Callaway, TaylorMade, Honma, Srixon & more.

golfusa.com

 

[thewop]

Find a club champion golf. Go there, even if you have to drive to a city.

They'll take you through everything and set you up with whatever brand/shaft the trackman shows you hit best. You pay for the fitting so they don't care if you buy from them or not.

That said, a high school kid? Is he a single digit handicap? If not, don't do the above, just get him a solid set of clubs.

 

[HawkMachine]

Is he a single digit handicap?

Yes.

 

[thewop]

Yes.

Then go to Club Champion. The non-biased data driven feedback and recommendation is key. I see there's one in Des Moines now.

I made no changes to my swing and had been a 6.5 handicap for years. Got fitted at club champion in 2018 and have been a level 4 handicap since.

I did a full bag fitting, and they were able to improve my irons and wedges. The stats said they couldn't improve my woods/hybrids so they didn't recommend I buy those.

 

[WisestIowan]

Then go to Club Champion. The non-biased data driven feedback and recommendation is key. I see there's one in Des Moines now.

I made no changes to my swing and had been a 6.5 handicap for years. Got fitted at club champion in 2018 and have been a level 4 handicap since.

I did a full bag fitting, and they were able to improve my irons and wedges. The stats said they couldn't improve my woods/hybrids so they didn't recommend I buy those.

Club Champion is awesome. Very expensive.

 

[SoDakHawk]

If you are custom ordering clubs good luck, you might get them by August, if you are lucky. Most custom orders are 8 weeks out, that's for iron sets, custom wedges, pretty much everything. You'll be lucky to hit that 8 week mark too. Supply chain issues are rampant in the golf industry. Heads might be available but then the shafts are out, or maybe the grips. Be prepared to settle for something more "stock" if you want it quickly, which kind of negates the point of a custom build.

 

[mnole03]

Find a club champion golf. Go there, even if you have to drive to a city.

They'll take you through everything and set you up with whatever brand/shaft the trackman shows you hit best. You pay for the fitting so they don't care if you buy from them or not.

That said, a high school kid? Is he a single digit handicap? If not, don't do the above, just get him a solid set of clubs.

Dude missed it by a week. They opened their 100th store and were running a full bag fitting (4.5 hours on the Trackman) for $100.

I’d ask if they’d still honor it.

 

[SoDakHawk]

Austad's has a Cedar Rapids (Marion) location. Authorized Mizuno dealer and fitter. $150 for a full fitting and that is refunded if you order through them.

Take a road trip up to MSP and hit the 2nd Swing location in Minnetonka (they also have a Minneapolis location but Minnetonka is much nicer, IMO, while I do feel the MSP location has more used stock to choose from).

 

[thewop]

Dude missed it by a week. They opened their 100th store and were running a full bag fitting (4.5 hours on the Trackman) for $100.

I’d ask if they’d still honor it.

Sometimes they'll credit back 50% of the fitting cost if you actually buy the clubs too.

 

[SoDakHawk]

Dude missed it by a week. They opened their 100th store and were running a full bag fitting (4.5 hours on the Trackman) for $100.

I’d ask if they’d still honor it.

Yep. That's right. They just had a $100 special.

I've heard good and bad about Club Champion but I am not putting that on the company. I think no matter where you go it comes down to how experienced your fitter is.

I just remembered I've heard of a pretty decent place in Kansas City too. Golf MD has a pretty good reputation. No, MD does not stand for doctor, it's the owner's initials.

 

[themelrosemauler]

Does he work with a coach/pro? Go through them as they are Usually pretty in tune with their students needs (especially if he’s a single handicap).

 

[SoDakHawk]

Does he work with a coach/pro? Go through them as they are Usually pretty in tune with their students needs (especially if he’s a single handicap).

They'd be much more familiar with the kid's swing and what they need for a fitting. Would at least be good knowledge to have so when you go through the fitting you have some idea of where it should go and you don't end up with clubs that are way out of spec for their swing because of one off day swinging the clubs.

For a full bag fitting, it should be done over several sessions. I know that is how Austad's does it. Irons one session, driver/woods, and then wedges. Reason being fatigue sets in and your swing will get off kilter.

 

[Greenway4Prez]

Bryan Haas, who used to be at Riverside, is now based out of Saddleback Ridge in Solon. He’s one of a handful Titleist Master Fitters in the country.

 

[HawkMachine]

Does he work with a coach/pro? Go through them as they are Usually pretty in tune with their students needs (especially if he’s a single handicap).

So I’m pretty much his coach but I did take him to a guy last week that he’s seen a half dozen times over the years and he did mention getting him in front of a club rep.

He would be there with him. Only problem is that he’s a Taylormade rep so he would obviously only be able to hit Taylormade clubs.

 

[Bank of Hawk]

So my ping G15 irons are 10 years old, figured it was time to look at new irons. While I am not a low handicap; mid to high 80s; I felt like I wanted to at least test some players irons out, so I bought a Srixon ZX7 6 iron, extended 1” because I am 6’3”. Just played with it yesterday and went to the range with it: man does it feel got dam sweet when I hit it flush. The feel is tremendous, something I’ve never experienced before. I also bought a Rouge ST Max, 8 iron, extended 1” that will arrive today. I’ll play with them and my pings for a month or so and make a decision.

 

[HawkMachine]

So my ping G15 irons are 10 years old, figured it was time to look at new irons. While I am not a low handicap; mid to high 80s; I felt like I wanted to at least test some players irons out, so I bought a Srixon ZX7 6 iron, extended 1” because I am 6’3”. Just played with it yesterday and went to the range with it: man does it feel got dam sweet when I hit it flush. The feel is tremendous, something I’ve never experienced before. I also bought a Rouge ST Max, 8 iron, extended 1” that will arrive today. I’ll play with them and my pings for a month or so and make a decision.

What club did you get?

10 years is nothing. My boy is playing my old MP-30's. Also, his favorite club is my old Cleveland Launcher 3 wood. He smokes the F out of it. LOL

Obviously I still need to get him fitted. He has been gaming a couple of different Stealth drivers with different shafts the last month or so however.

He's still growing and it's already July. Not sure what to do at this point.

 

[Bank of Hawk]

What club did you get?

10 years is nothing. My boy is playing my old MP-30's. Also, his favorite club is my old Cleveland Launcher 3 wood. He smokes the F out of it. LOL

Obviously I still need to get him fitted. He has been gaming a couple of different Stealth drivers with different shafts the last month or so however.

He's still growing and it's already July. Not sure what to do at this point.

My G15’s I have had for 10 years: I was never fitted, basically just stock irons.. being a tall guy, I decided 3 years ago to add after market extenders to the shaft; after three years, the extender on the 8 iron cracked, so I had to saw it off and can’t extend it now, so it’s back to regular length while all the other irons are 1.5” longer and I also lost my 6 iron last fall… so I have basically been without a 6 or 8 iron for this season, which sucks. And I can tell I cracked the extender on another iron shaft….. so it’s my fault the G15s need replaced.

So my plan right now: just order a few individual 6 or 8 irons from various makes and models. I choose a blade (Srixon ZX7 model) for a six iron and a player improvement iron (Callaway Rouge ST Max) for a eight iron. We will see how it goes. I may go to Austads to get fitted and make the final purchase in the fall for a new set of irons.

 

[cubforlife18]

Ken Schall is arguably the best option in Iowa. Extremely knowledgeable and very well known amongst PGA world. Your kid will get a free lesson with the fitting because Ken is very passionate about the game. I do lessons in winter to keep my swing in shape and he'll waive the fitting fee if you purchase through him. His cost are same as any retail place. I went for a driver fitting this spring and he recommended I just save the money and keep hitting what I have since I was hitting that just as good and better than all the other options.

Ken Schall Golf – It's a Game Changer!

It's a Game Changer!

kenschallgolf.com

 

[BanjoSaysWoof]

If you go the custom shaft route, you can take the fitting recommendations and shop them online. The two big golf forums have great recs. A buddy of mine paid $1700 for a set club champion wanted $2.6k for. He is elated.