What is the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for Golf Clubs (MSRP)?

When you're shopping around for discount golf clubs you are inevitably going to run into the term "manufacturer's suggested retail price". So what exactly is it and should it concern you? The MSRP, as its typically known, is simply the price that the manufacturer of the club recommends that the retail outlet sell the golf club for. The thing you need to realize when searching for discounted clubs is that retailers are NOT ALWAYS required to use that price. They can go lower (or sometimes higher!) than that if they so choose. Now, in order to maintain some semblance of control over their products, some manufacturer's will require the retailers to set the price at the MSRP for a given period of time before markdowns are allowed. This is why I always say to be patient when trying to save money on the latest golf club technology. In many cases, the manufacturer has no requirements like this and the golf retailer can set the price at whatever they want to. The MSRP can be a useful tool in comparing prices across multiple sites. Use it as your basis for determing what a fair price is and then see which retailer will come down the most off of that price. Many times you can find clubs discounted 15-30% or more off of the MSRP. Note of Caution: Manufacturer's CHANGE the MSRPs for equipment all the time. The MSRP at one shop might be different than the one that another shop currently has on file. So if you see a tag or sale that says "$50 OFF MSRP" then make sure the MSRP is what you were expecting before you buy!