Come Out Swinging
Photo Source: pxg.com
The Evolution of a Very Exclusive Club.
Being an avid golfer, I try to stay abreast of the important trends and developments in the sport. Here’s a story that grabbed my attention not long ago. It’s the evolution of a golf club manufacturer called PXG.
PXG is not one of the older or better-known brands. Leave that to Titleist, Callaway, Cleveland, Mizuno, Nike, Nicklaus or Ping, among many, many others. PXG (Parsons Xtreme Golf) was founded relatively recently, 2014, by billionaire and GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons, who wanted to prove he could get more out of his golf equipment. Armed with revolutionary patented technology, the world's finest materials, and absolutely no cost or time restraints, Parsons’ only goal was to design and develop the world’s finest golf clubs.
Young though it may be, the company currently serves golfers in more than 50 countries, and in 2019 PXG was recognized as one of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the U.S. by Inc Magazine.
Bob and his wife Renee started The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation in 2012 to reach marginalized populations and causes often underfunded by mainstream philanthropy. The Foundation provides transformational grants to nonprofit organizations successfully working in the areas of homelessness, medical care, LGBTQ youth, education and the needs of wounded veterans and military families.
I include this last information not because it has anything to do with golf, but only because the success of PXG, as well as that of GoDaddy and several more of Bob’s ventures, allows him to do exactly what successful entrepreneurs are supposed to do – help other people!
Photo Source: pxg.com
Okay, back to PXG. These are sleek, high-performance clubs now favored by many pro golfers. They had just one drawback – their prices. Originally, people saw them and gasped, as a driver currently goes for around $549 and a set of irons could set you back nearly $2800! Cost-prohibitive for many players.
In Parsons’ own words, “We’re not in the business of selling golf clubs. We’re in the business of creating exceptional experiences.” That was 2014. Fast-forward to 2021, where the concept has expanded. Now Parsons has added, “We challenged our engineers to find a new way to deliver obscenely good performance at an unexpected price.”
Those engineered delivered. Recently, the company introduced its new 0211 line of woods and irons and more affordable prices. The introductory direct-to-consumer price for the driver is $249, and a set of eight irons, with steel or graphite shaft, is priced at $872. Priced considerably lower, these clubs still feature many of PXG’s exclusive technological advances:
· All the woods feature embedded vibration-dampening discs to improve sound and feel.
· Hybrid-crown construction saves mass and stiffens the crown.
· Swing weight and trajectory can also be dialed in.
· PXG’s proprietary Dual-polymer (DualCOR®) core system helps maximize ball speed, increase forgiveness on off-center impact, and create a pleasing sound and feel while supporting the ultra-thin club face.
This doesn’t mean that PXG is deserting its base. The prized GEN4 line is still atop the market, and its Proto Golf Clubs and GEN3 irons will be offered at an attractive mid-level price point. Quality product lines to please vastly different budgets! More golfers, more exceptional experiences. And PXG clubs are made in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.A.