UK prices in the month to 15 July fell by just under 2% compared to a fall of just over 1% in the USA, according to the latest figures from the Golfalot Price Index (GPI).
The very wet weather in the last month has taken its toll on most things in the UK and the golf industry is no exception. Drivers fell by nearly 6% with big falls also for shoes (-4.5%), irons (-3.9%) and wedges (-2.9%).
Most other categories fell with the balance being redressed by trolleys (+2%) and fairway woods (+1.5%), where the average price broke back through the £100 barrier for the first time in five months.
Across the pond the USA Golfalot Price Index fell 1.08%, although this was slightly distorted by a couple of premium priced trolleys that were withdrawn by retailers in the index.
Factoring these in and the USA GPI was only marginally down, but the trend is still the same. Shoes and balls were both down 1.4% and were balanced out by bags and wedges rising 1.4% and 1.5% respectively. Most other categories maintained the gains from last month.
Clearly in the smaller market of the UK the local weather has been a major factor, whereas in the USA it seems that it is business as usual. However after a fantastic finish to the Open Championship broadcast on network television, hopefully everyone will be inspired to get back out on the links in August.
The Golfalot Price Index allows the golf industry to compare price trends both within the UK and USA and between both countries. The Indices operate in the same way by tracking the prices of the latest models from each manufacturer are chosen as they reach the market. Therefore the models tracked always reflect pricing on what the serious golfer wants – the latest technology.
For more detailed information view the Golfalot Price Index graphs for the UK & USA online at www.golfalot.com/priceindex