The luxury-car maker is extending its brand to golf equipment, with a “basic” set costing $5,000 and a customized bag that could include alligator-skin grips, $800 ball markers and shafts made of space-age materials running well north of $100,000.
It’s hard to believe golf has lost any of its business appeal based on trends in the golf equipment business. First Bob Parsons, founder of GoDaddy.com and owner of Scottsdale (Ariz.) National Golf Club, announced last year that he was forming Parsons Xtreme Golf to make a $5,000 set of clubs (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2015/06/15/bob-parsons-creates-5000-golf-club-set/). Then at the beginning of 2016, Callaway Golf unveiled the results of its partnership with Boeing when introducing its new aerodynamic XR-16 line of drivers (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2016/01/21/callaway-golf-enlists-boeing-engineers-improve-club-aerodynamics/)
Now comes the news that Bentley Motors, known for its elegant and expensive cars, is bringing its business model to golf.
Research found that a large contingent of Bentley owners, up to 80 percent, have a love of the sport, Golf Digest reported. And because it boasts one of the strongest brand affinities on the market, Bentley is banking on customers carrying this affinity to the course, by sticking its toe into clubmaking.
Like Bentley vehicles, which start at $180,000, the golf clubs carrying the same brand aren’t cheap, Golf Digest noted. Bentley has teamed with Professional Golf Europe to create a set of eight irons with a base price of $3,500. Coupled with a $750 driver and $500 putter, a Bentley bag of 10 clubs runs just south of $5,000.
But that’s not counting add-ons and premiums, Golf Digest reported—including options like grips made from alligator skin and $800 ball markers. The automaker is also in partnership with Seven Dreamers, a company based in Japan that specializes in high-end materials for golf shafts. The most expensive offering, made with materials commonly found in space technology and satellites, can cost $120,000 alone, Golf Digest reported.
“Unlike a typical club-fitting, where the golfer’s swing is matched to an existing shaft on the market, Seven Dreamers make custom shafts for you based on the data captured,” Peter Lord of Professional Golf Europe told Forbes magazine. “You can easily exceed 100 grand for a set of irons.”
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