Darrell Survey – (The Truth Explained!)
The Darrell Survey Company is contracted by the PGA Tour to perform weekly equipment counts and tabulate by category each product by player. These counts are performed on all tours in the USA as well as world wide. The count verifies the product that is in use by each player. The weekly reports can be accessed by every company on the tour that has product in “play”. This too comes with a price depending on what and how many reports you require each week for each tour.
When I say that this survey covers everything, I mean everything a player has on or around or is in the bag, from head to toe and all parts in between. Cleats to hats, bracelets, tees, clubs, grips, shafts etc. You get the jest. These counts or surveys are taken prior to the first round technically speaking on Thursday as they tee off. Logistics will not allow this since there are so many products in the lineup and the time it requires to complete. The single most critical use for these surveys are to verify that a player that which is on contract with a particular manufacturer to play, wear or display a particular product is in fact complying to the terms of the contract.
These big companies pay out tremendous amounts of money for contracts depending on the player’s status on the money list or based upon performance. In any event this survey verifies that the product which is being contracted to play is in fact in the count. This is how in most cases the player gets paid. So the next time you hear that a driver or putter is number one on the PGA Tour it was verified by the Darrell Survey.
Got Money? Buy Your Way to Number #1!
Please keep in mind one thing if the company is big enough and have deep pockets it is very easy to “buy” the count from week to week or for that matter indefinitely. This is just one of the games that the big boys play. I could go on and on about how these games work and how they are played. It is not always how good the club or product is and in fact it is 90% of the time who has the most money. The money is staggering!
You as the end buyer of equipment want to have the #1 product on the PGA Tour, but keep in mind there is a reason your paying so much for these clubs or products; somebody has to pay to play! Guess what? That’s you!
That is all I am going to say about this. I have really good working relationships with a lot of the big companies and players alike. I do not want to step out of bounds here. But let me just say one thing we would have to sell a hell of a lot of wedges to pay to play at this level, if we had enough money to distribute we could be the number one wedge on the PGA Tour! Unfortunately we cannot afford to play this kind of game; we have a quality club that’s performance speaks for itself at this level of play. Enough said! Can’t do it! I will expand a little more in this area as we go through this series. I will address the “clubs in play” aspect.
Mark Thomas
Solus Golf – Tour Rep
Solus Golf Tour Blog
Phana24JG
12 years agoVince, you hit it right out of the park. I would even go so far to say that in general, the #1 item on Tour for whatever category we are talking about is probably the LAST thing the average golfer needs.
VinceRKG
12 years ago“You as the end buyer of equipment want to have the #1 product on the PGA Tour,”
I am wondering why avg. golfers feel the need that they have to play clubs that are on number on the Tours? Anybody? I do not play clubs that are number on tour, why should I? I do not have that near perfect impact everytime, nor play that much to or hit the center every time. I know about 90% of golfers play the same way I do. So what is it that makes them feel they HAVE to play those?
FSU#21
12 years agoMark,
just curious, does SOLUS pay tee up money. for those that dont know, i am asking if SOLUS pays out stipends/bonuses to players that bag there club for that weeks tournement. i know this used to be common for the big boys to shell out $4k-$5k to get there driver in a players bags for the week as well as putters/wedges but i didnt know if it still goes on as much. it just seems like it would be a cheaper way to try and catch lightning in a bottle.
Steve
12 years agoTaylorMade.
Bob Marcus
12 years agoIts not the club-it’s the player. A good player can play with anything.
Brian
12 years agoI wouldn’t go as far to say, if you had the money you would be number one. I know a lot of guys with loads of money that can’t get their product in the hands of tour players. Some are contracted for years and even with money, a wedge is usually included in some contracts so that I don’t think is right. Putters? Maybe but still hard.
Also, the DS is flawed. It’s only done the first day at a certain time when some people change at the last minute or even change the next day. For the most part it’s correct but not all the time, at least for the four days.