Scratch Golf – 10 Years Later

It’s hard to believe, but this October marks the ten year anniversary of Scratch Golf.  From it’s inception in Eugene, Oregon, to chasing the tour in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Finally, returning full circle in a storefront operation in Berkley, Michigan, Scratch Golf has been through a lot in the past ten years.  Through the good, bad, and sometimes controversial, the man on the top of the Old English “S”, Ari Techner, has never lost the vision of the custom club company he started in 2003.

Scratch’s mission has always been to give elite amateurs and average hackers the same level of customization available to touring professionals. Scratch Golf began in a one car garage in Eugene, Oregon.  However, it might be more accurate to say that the company was founded on the internet.  In fact, Scratch is probably one of the best examples of a niche brand that was brought to life by the online golf forum communities.

Scratch entered the scene at about the same time novice equipment aficionados were receiving their online Ph.D in “tour issue.”  Back in the day before blurred lines was a Robin Thicke song, it described the relationship between retail vs. tour issue.  Tour grooves were cut more precise, finishes were raw, grinds were modified for the player, and turf.  Prototypes, T Stamps, Y Cutter, TVD, PM, .R.; each only a dream to the commoner.

Scratch Golf changed that.  If you could dream it, they could make it; offering tour quality custom, Japanese forged wedges, hand ground to your desired specifications, and finish.  This level of customization came at a price (wedges selling for north of $300 each), but they were offering a product that was previously unavailable in the golf equipment marketplace. Ari and Scratch Golf were true pioneers in the golf industry.

A Failure to Launch

In 2005, Scratch started offering irons with individualized customization, just like their wedges.  Largely unknown to the offline golf consumer, Scratch made attempts to expand their customer base. In an attempt to boost brand recognition and create offerings at a more affordable price point, they began offering large quantity production runs of both forged and stainless wedges.

Their efforts fell flat.  Without tour use, and big budget marketing dollars, consumers outside the internet golf forum communities never really heard about Scratch Golf.  When their wedges were sitting next to Titleist, Cleveland and Callaway on the store racks, it’s was predictable that consumers gravitated toward their comfort product.

Scratch Golf had significant presence on the [now] Web.com tour.  The Oregon Classic which had been held in Junction City from 1998-2008, served as the event where Scratch could meet with professionals and continue to foster a relationship with players on that tour.  Once the tour stop left town in 2008, Oregon proved a geographically challenging location for players on that tour to get personalized attention.

With not tour stop in Oregon, Scratch made the decision to relocate to Chattanooga, the site of the Chattanooga Classic. The also added legendary craftsman, Don White, to the Scratch team. After settling into their new found home in Tennessee, Scratch Golf signed up and coming tour player, Ryan Moore as a staffer and part owner in the company. Moore only last one season and terminated his contract at the end of 2010.

This story made headlines because of the unique relationship and Moore’s desire to play basically whatever he wanted.  David Duval was also on staff for about a year before resigning with Nike.  Money remains the limiting factor in Scratch’s ability to retain top talent.

Talented Craftsman

Techner explained his two grinders in Jeff McCoy, and Don White are what set Scratch Golf apart from other boutique wedge companies in the industry.  They also service as the chief club designers for the company as well.

On The Move Again

Scratch Golf has recently uprooted themselves from Tennessee, and find themselves headquartered in a state of the art, storefront club fitting studio in Berkley, Michigan, just outside Detroit.  They have partnered with the Scottsdale, Arizona, based, Cool Clubs.  This new partnership allows Scratch to utilize proprietary Cool Clubs software for fitting customers into their wedges, and irons.  Additionally, they offer fittings for Callaway and TaylorMade woods.  They plan is to offer woods from most of the major OEM’s by the end of the year.

Although McCoy will be available for custom wedge fittings inside the studio, he will have his shop set up at another location for grinds and builds.  The same is also true for White who will remain in Tennessee, but will remain a part of the Scratch team. In February of this year, Scratch partnered with the London, England based James Ingles putters.  The partnership continues and the Scratch studio will also feature Ingles’ handmade putters onsite.  Scratch will also utilize the Cool Clubs putter fitting system to dial in Ingles’ putters. James Ingles putter start around $1,000.

Pre-Made and Handmade

The new business model for Scratch Golf is twofold: Pre-made and Handmade.  Scratch will offer a line of pre-made wedges and irons that are “off the rack” varieties of their most popular grinds.  The Scratch FIT wedges sell start at $179, and their irons, offered in two models, AR-1 v2, EZ-1 v2, and SB-1 starting at $1,299 a set.  James Ingles putters start around $1,000.  Handmade wedges start at $279, and iron sets start at $1,999.  All Scratch wedges and irons are forged from 1018 Carbon steel.  They no longer offer cast product in any line On October 1, 2013, Scratch Golf launched The Armory section of their website.  This section will showcase handmade product that is available for immediate purchase.  This will allow consumers to get a handmade product without the 6-8 week delay of a custom order.

Back to Basics

Scratch Golf. has returned to what it does best, fitting one customer at a time into equipment that will help them play the game of golf better.  In the last ten years, there have been some start-up companies that have adopted the boutique wedge fitting model.  However, today, the major equipment companies are just starting to do what Scratch Golf has been doing for the past ten years.  Attempting to do what Scratch knew was best for the player for years ago.  From the garage in Eugene, to the storefront in Berkley, Scratch Golf. remains an industry leader in the custom club market.

The New Scratch HQ