Questions and Answers
Have you got a question, the answer might be here ...
1 How do I make an appointment?
It starts with a phone call. Call us on +353 (0)45 430660. We'll talk you through some
options, book you in, and send you a confirmation email with a map and directions.
We have availability Monday to Friday and a selection of Saturdays.
2 How much does the fitting cost?
The Full Bag fitting goes through all the clubs in your bag, checking every part of your game. This costs €100, lasts about an hour and includes all the balls you need. We'll even throw in a tea or coffee (a proper fancy frothy coffee).
3 What happens after my fitting?
After your fitting (while you might be a little tired) you will have a very clear understanding of what we do and how we can help your game. Every aspect of the session will be explained and we will give you a full club order sheet showing the new clubs and shafts we believe will work best for you and how much they will cost. It works like a menu. We keep a copy on your file and you order what you like, straight away or at a later date by phone or email.
4 How much of a deposit?
It's entirely up to you, but we normally ask for a 50% deposit for any of our custom orders.
5 Why would I come to you and not my local pro-shop or golf superstore?
We can give you a whole list of different reasons: All our clubs are hand built by us and not by the big companies, we have all of the major brands without being affiliated to any particular one; we test using real ball flight at a driving range; top craftsmanship; guaranteed results. The list goes on, but we only really need to say one thing. We can help you play better golf...faster. When it comes to golf equipment and shafts, we are the experts. Believe us, we were voted the World's best Clubmakers in 2010 for a very good
reason.
6 Why won't you give me my specifications and let me buy my clubs elsewhere?
This is a tough one to answer and to be honest and in the past we (and a few customers) have had some terrible trouble with mismatching specifications. We have extremely high expectations and will only sell you clubs built to exact measurements. We have a great fitting system but our real craft and expertise is the in the way our clubs are hand-built. Because we focus on less volume and more quality we can build clubs better than the big golf companies. If your new clubs are not built EXACTLY the way that we spec them to be … you won't get the result you need. It sounds pretty obvious but the only way we can make sure the clubs are perfect for you is to build them ourselves.
7 How much do the clubs cost?
Don (in the workshop) always says "how long is a piece of string" and with the eleven different brands and all our shaft options he's dead right. The price really depends on the brand and the shaft. As a guide, we are normally in and around the RRP but we recommend you come for a fitting session, then we can talk. We can tell you exactly what you need and how much it'll cost, but we can also work together, to suit your budget and prioritise what is important. We can be a little more expensive than online suppliers or superstores, but that's because we hand-build every club for guaranteed results. It's like they say, " At the end of the day, you get what you pay for".
8 Do I get my fitting money back if I buy clubs from you?
Some places fit for free or give the fitting charge back if you buy from them. We just don't have the volume of sales to absorb these costs and we didn't want to compromise the quality of what we do just so we could fit for free. We sat down and thought about it and decided it was better to have the biggest range of test equipment with the best shafts, so we bought our own. We also wanted to make sure our customers could choose to check their clubs without having to buy anything. And we wanted to make sure our fitters were the best in the business. We've worked really hard at making our sessions an interesting and educational experience.
9 How long does it take to get new clubs?
Depending on which brand suits you, between 10 days and 2 1/2 weeks. If we are rebuilding your own clubs it can take 4-5 days.
10 Can I rebuild/refit my own clubs?
Yes, as long as the head design is suitable, and they are made from a material that can take the adjustment or rebuild. We are always happy to use your own heads (where possible).
11 Who does the fittings?
The fitting sessions are looked after by our adopted Sunderland man, David Williams and owner Derek Murray. To quote David, they are "MINT at this fitting stuff".
12 Do you use a launch monitor?
Yes we do but we also like to fit by feel and ball flight. If the ball flight is good and the club feels great then job done. We use the technology of a launch monitor to reaffirm what we already know or to clearly demonstrate the benefits of a club change. Its great to see how far that new driver is really going.
13 Why do you hand-build clubs?
Large golf companies have always had tolerances; a margin for error. It comes from making
large volumes of clubs in huge factories. We decided a long time ago to make sure our clubs
were perfect. If the 5 iron needed to be 31* then it would be just that. We found that if our clubs were hand-built, they played better and our customers were happy golfers. We like to think that if Michelin handed out stars for making clubs then we would have a few stars in our golf restaurant. There is nothing wrong with a conveyor-belt style fast food outlet but we like the precision, perfection and quality just like a Michelin star.
14 Are you more expensive than other retailers/on-line and if so why?
If Michelin handed out stars in golf then we think we would have a few. This high standard and quality of club building comes at a cost. It can be affected by the shaft we use or simply the time and labour involved with hand-building for one person at a time. Our tolerances are much tighter than any of the big golf companies. They build lots and lots of sets, while our clubs are hand built to exact measurements, one set at a time. We're a small family company and we can't compete with the big golf superstores or large-volume online stores. We prefer to build clubs and stick to the system that has won us many friends in golf, and a few awards along the way.
15 Do you have a shop/showroom?
Although we sell golf clubs, we are not a normal shop and we don't have any clubs on display - at ForeGolf we
have a ClubRoom where we put together components to figure out what suits you and a WorkShop where we build that club for you.
16 Do you take Trade-ins of my old clubs?
We will always try and use your own clubs and re-build them to suit you, sometimes this doesn't work ( See Question 11) and as we don't have a shop to sell them - we can't take trade-ins. We have found a great company with whom you can deal with directly. They will collect your old clubs from you and send you a cheque.
17 I am a high handicapper, can I be custom fitted?
Absolutely! High handicappers have the most to gain from custom fitting and have the shots to lose off their handicap by playing our clubs. Our session is all about the type of person you are and not about how many shots it takes you to go round your golf course. We need to measure you to find out what gives you the most trouble and then fix it through the clubs you use. It's a bit like saying that if you're a size 8 foot then you need us to measure you properly and get you a size 8 shoe. Our measuring service not only finds you the right size but allows us to build you the right clubs - making you play better.
18 I am a low handicapper, can I be custom fitted?
We have plenty of experience working with low handicappers but each time it's always a welcome challenge. We know exactly how clubs help in the serious golfer's pursuit of their very best game. After all, we've worked on The European Tour with the highest level of talent in the World: helping top players grab that vital extra shot per round. We have all the tricks of the trade and our fitters are experts at applying it. The players on Tour don't bring us in for our (considerable) wit and (breathtaking) good looks. There's a lot of money on the line, so we bring structure, delivering more consistent and accurate clubs to help low handicappers win more. It's that simple.
19 What brands do you use?
We insist on a very level playing field so we have almost every brand on the truck. We work with Cleveland, Callaway, Cobra, Titleist, MacGregor, TaylorMade, Ping, Mizuno, Nike, Snake-Eyes, Wilson, Golfsmith and our very own ForeGolf Signature Series heads. We also have shafts from Aldila, Oban, Fujikura, UST, Miyazaki, Grafalloy, Mitsushiba,True Temper, Nippon, FST/KBS and grips from Golf Pride, Winn and Lamkin. We are always looking for great products and will add to our list when we find a product our customers would like.
20 How long does it take to get used to my new clubs?
It shouldn't take too long but we always ask to play at least 6 full rounds of golf just to let you and the clubs settle in together. If after that, something doesn't feel right or you are not sure, then we are here for you.
21 Do you repair broken golf clubs?
The ForeGolf workshop can repair all types of broken golf clubs. We can carry out reshafts for all the golf brands. Loft and Lie adjustments on most models and offer a full range of grips for regripping.
