A new Buffalo Groupe study of avid golfers found that 8 in 10 mix and match equipment brands based on what performs best, not on allegiance. Golfers trust their own testing over advertising, tour endorsement, or reviews. Brands still selling on reputation alone are competing in a market that no longer buys that way.
The data is blunt
The 2026 Buffalo Groupe Golf Gear Marketplace Report, based on 391 complete responses from its Players Panel of avid golfers, found that performance beats brand loyalty outright: 8 in 10 golfers mix and match brands depending on what actually improves their game, and the primary trigger for replacing a major club is chasing better results, not wear and tear. "Brand loyalty alone no longer wins," said Buffalo Groupe president Emily Clark. "Golfers want proof that a product will improve their game."
That proof has to be personal. One in two golfers rank testing a product themselves as their single most trusted source of information, ahead of a friend, a local pro, or an online review. Two-thirds say custom fitting is very important when buying clubs, and 91% have already used a fitting service. Golf simulators are in demand too: over 70% of golfers have used one in the past year, but only 6% own one, and lack of space, not cost, is the main barrier.
Millennials are the ones rewriting the rules
Roughly 5 million new on-course players joined golf between 2019 and 2025, many of them millennials now in their 30s and 40s. "All these young golfers who have come into the game the last five years are completely changing the dynamics," says Sara Killeen, Buffalo Groupe's managing director of research. She points out this generation typically upgrades fast: a golfer who buys a box set of clubs in 2021 is often back for a properly fitted second set within 12 to 18 months. They grew up with technology in their pocket, and they expect the same evidence-based decision-making from a driver that they'd apply to any other purchase.
A golfer who trusts their own launch monitor data over your ad campaign is not a marketing failure. They're the new default customer.
Reputation alone is losing to positioning
The clearest evidence is in apparel and footwear, where smaller brands are already outperforming legacy names in favorability. Holderness & Bourne and PAYNTR are posting scores that rival or beat much larger labels, not through distribution scale but through a specific point of view. Peter Millar and FootJoy tied for the top apparel preference in the survey at 75%, but Killeen notes they got there through opposite strategies: FootJoy through classic styling built for the broad base of golfers, Peter Millar through premium fabrics and a country club lifestyle appeal. Neither is winning on legacy alone. Both are winning on a clear, provable position.
What equipment brands need to build now
Stop leading with tour pro endorsement as the primary proof point. Killeen's research found golfers increasingly evaluate gear on their own terms rather than relying on Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy to validate it for them. Invest in demo days, fitting infrastructure, and simulator access instead, since that's what actually converts a performance-driven buyer, and note that clubs and bags still sell mostly in-store (61%) precisely because golfers need to test before they trust. Build a clear, ownable position the way the niche brands have, since undifferentiated legacy reputation is now competing against specific, provable claims and losing.
Questions worth asking before your next product launch
Are golfers still loyal to a single equipment brand?
No. The 2026 Buffalo Groupe Golf Gear Marketplace Report found 8 in 10 avid golfers mix and match brands based on what performs best for them, with better results, not brand allegiance, as the primary trigger for replacing a club.
What do golfers trust most when deciding what equipment to buy?
Their own experience. One in two golfers rank testing a product themselves as their most trusted information source, ahead of recommendations from friends, pros, or online reviews, and 91% have used a club fitting service.
How should golf equipment brands respond to declining brand loyalty?
Invest in demo days, in-store fitting, and simulator access rather than relying on tour pro endorsement or legacy reputation. Niche brands are already winning favorability against larger names by proving performance directly to the golfer rather than asserting it through advertising.