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Have any of you successfully used your club making hobby to make any cash? I know some have, like Custom Golf Sales obviously. My question is more about, can you make money at it as a hobby? Not even profit, I am fascinated with making clubs, and just want to do it as a hobby, but be able to at least sell the end product for enough to cover the cost. Basically just to get alot of practice and learn techniques without going broke. Any responses are appreciated.

apporter,

Just to let you know we do have a Clubmakers plan in our shop that allows clubmakers to make a really good profit off of what they sell. I can explain more if you want to give me a shout after 3pm today. Busy with alot of fittings.

BWeitzel could give you a good recommendation as he started it out as a hobby and now has alot of business coming in everyday.

Forgot to add that you might want to PM him about this. Good guy that will give you a good honest answer.

apporter - Just be aware of the potential liability. For instance, you sell a set of irons to a buddy and on the second round the head flies of off the 6 iron hitting another member of your foursome. Friend or not, dead or alive, chances are your gonna get sued.

As a hobby you can make money, if your out golfing for instance and your paired up with other players, they will soon ask where did you get your clubs or some type of discussion refering to your equipment or theirs, that's where you slip in that you build clubs and that seems to gather interest or questions. That's where alot of hobbyists I know get extra cash. Just start basic, stick and glue, regrip, then swingweight, spinefind and on and on.. Their is a maze of info on the web regarding clubmaking and don't forget clubmaking courses (Golfsmith,Golfworks, Dynacraft..etc).

Thanks alot guys, like I said, I am not trying to make a business out of it, I just want to do it as a hobby and pretty much would be happy to sell things for cost just to get customers and more opportunities to practice making stuff. i am heading down to golfsmith this weekend to see what kind of classes and so forth they have. I appreciate the encouragement that you guys offered so far. I am gonna make a couple hybrids and make myself a wedge set first, and see if friends want some clubs made, then see where it goes.


Thanks guys.

Good point, I really should think about a way to protect against that if I give anyone clubs. Maybe I'll see if my insurance agent has a suggestion, otherwise, if they are a real friend, they'll sign a waiver when they take posession of my weapons, err.. clubs

That's my biz, insurance. As long as you are not selling the clubs your homeowners liability will cover it. Once you sell, even just covering your expenses, it'll be considered a business. So just make your friends buy the parts and then you donate your labor. Once you're actually selling the clubs, you'll need a business policy to cover you, so you'll have to figure it's cost into your overhead. You're looking at probably $120-$170 a month minimum, just off the top of my head.

In our 10 years of existance we have never seen this happen. You also have to account for the fact that if you hit a ball on the hosel it can break down the shaft overtime causing it to weaken which in turn will cause the head to break on a swing. The club maker can not be held liable for this accident.

It's somewhat of a scary idea to me. When I first decided to try golf, I made the mistake of saying "I'll just grab a cheap set of clubs from MC Sporting Goods and learn how to play". Well after one month of play with the RAM G Force set of clubs I bought, I hit a 4 iron on the course and sure enought the head flew off and actually out distanced my ball. Luckily the head had a nice draw to it which carried it into the lake and not into anybody.

While I am sure it's rare, but when Bluehen brought it up, it really made me think about that possible consequence.

I guess my next question should be: What's the best possible epoxy I can buy, hehe

Thanks again guys, good stuff here.

I tried setting up a Internet type place about 6-7 years ago, too many people who wanted everything for alost nothing, if yo know what i mean, now i just do it for friends and myself.

I think if you just want to make a few clubs and sets here and there, i wouldn't worry about insurance, especially someone who would sell you something for $150 a month. I guess that means that if you buy a gift for someone and they get hurt you're liable too. besides, you're homeowners probably would pay a claim if it's your hobby. The tax laws are pretty specific about what's a hobby and a business. Your best bet actually is to make the clubs and sell them on Ebay. i've done this and you can make a few dollars, that at least will help tool up your workbench. If you make $10 on a hybrid, you only need to make 6 or 7 to buy a nice chop saw from Golfsmith, etc. You can at the very least sell the items for your cost if that's all you want to do, but you can do better. Just make sure you know what you're doing. glueing a stick to a head and putting on a grip is not clubmaking. Learn the trade and have fun. It's not rocket science, although there are some web forums that would make you think so. If you go to Golfsmith forums and look up under Swingweight Information- is swingweight critical, there is this whole debate between two wannabe physicists I think using vectors and formulas and all sorts of nonsense that doesn't really need to be. A swingweight scale will do all the figuring out for you as long as you know how to use it and it's importance. You don't need to understand the relationship between triangulation of the apertures signal during a full moon with excessive force on the dynaflo. For a good laugh you need to read it. It's really amazing how someone can suck the fun out of what's supposed to be a fun rewarding and satisfying hobby. Did I say HAVE FUN?