The Good Life: Q&A Michael Morrison and George Izett

Golf-club makers and fitters, Izett Golf

As golf consumes your weekends — and lowering your handicap consumes your thoughts — you may be wondering why no amount of practice is helping your game. Good news: Sometimes, your clubs just need a tune-up. That’s where George Izett Golf comes in. From the same gritty, garage-like workshop in Ardmore that his late father bought in 1946, George Izett and his three-man team

As golf consumes your weekends — and lowering your handicap consumes your thoughts — you may be wondering why no amount of practice is helping your game. Good news: Sometimes, your clubs just need a tune-up. That’s where George Izett Golf comes in. From the same gritty, garage-like workshop in Ardmore that his late father bought in 1946, George Izett and his three-man team can custom-make clubs from scratch — or perfectly refit the set you already own, using computers and calibration tools that most of golf’s Big Guys don’t even have. So we talked shop with George’s all-knowing managing partner, Michael Morrison (10 handicap), to get the skinny on custom clubs, marketing myths, and how women get the shaft — literally — when it comes to golf.

Presidents Kennedy and Eisenhower and pros Bobby Jones and Sam Snead all used Izett clubs. Who comes to you these days?
Most of our clients are men in their 40s and 50s — guys who play often, or who are taller or shorter than average and can’t find ready-made clubs. We also work with kids and women; a lot of women’s club-makers put more effort into making clubs look good than in constructing them to suit a woman’s game.

What are some misconceptions people have about buying golf clubs?
There’s tons of hype about the role of the head of a club — having cavity-backed irons, or oversized ones — but the right shafts make all the difference.

So, how can I tell if my clubs need your magic?
It comes down to an instinctive “feel,” but two specific signs may be that there’s no give, and you have to really throw a ton of energy into your swing — or that they’re too “soft,” and you lose your accuracy.

Finally, how can people take better care of whatever clubs they have?
First, change your grips after each season. Grips can harden or wear down or deteriorate, forcing you to squeeze your club tighter than you need to. Also, use your club covers. To me, hearing the finish on two drivers rub up against each other is like nails on a chalkboard.

Shaft analyses, $95; fittings start at $40 a club. 2538 Haverford Road, Ardmore, 610-642-1887; izettgolf.com.