DC300
Our local store since 1945 http://www.puetzgolf.com/, lived through different partnership, ownership and financial crisis. It's still around and have a loyal following. It's there before the super mega retail stores, and after the internet stores. In fact they are tapping into the internet sales to supplement their income.
Another one is ProGolf Discount . A late comer and had retracted from Inter State operation in the 90's back to our region only.
With these two brick and mortar retail chain stores , most others could not share a piece of the pie from the local market. Golf Smith came and gone, Nevada Bob's came and gone,,,,,,,,,,,,Yes, smaller outfit could survive if they could find a niche for more personal service but unlikely.
The golf industry is slowing down as a whole for years, some in the business still would not face the music and dance but it's already here and hard to ignore the facts. Not only the golf industry but many other non-essential to the basic will also suffer retraction of market.
A bit different this time is, even the fast food industry is influence by the economy. Usually during the economic retraction these would be one of the few industry still growing but the new trend is for consumers to discover the home cooking. For saving from eating out and other reason for better health maintenance.
The families making good income still spends like no tomorrow. I see all those exotic automobiles on the roadway with new temporary license and the mushroom up of the new industry of prepared meals delivered to your home for a "home cooked" meal. Trending is catering to those top 10% of the income level.
The mass middle class of yester years still shrinking , this is where the golf industry lose the majority of the golfers whom joined up in the 80's and the 90's. I don't see the golf industry back to the glory days without the support from the middle class which is not moving up but sliding down in the financial ladder.
So back to the topic of the thread, no, personally I don't see the component golf coming back because of the change in the OEM make up. There is simply, can't squeeze anything out of a rock.