Editor’s note: Jerry recently got new signage at his shop. Mention that you saw this article on the Palm Springs Life website and receive a 50% discount on an introductory fitting session at Jerry’s Custom Clubs in October 2025.
In recent years, golfers have increasingly recognized that the key to improving their game is getting fit for clubs tailored to their playing style. As demand grows, nationwide fitting franchises have popped up across the Coachella Valley.
Yet Marc’s Golf, a homegrown Palm Desert shop that pioneered club fitting when it opened in 1978, continues to build its reputation as the go-to destination for outstanding, personalized fitting and customization.
Elite players drop in to adjust their sticks — Lee Trevino, Sergio Garcia, Freddie Couples, and Alex Cejka, to name a few. This underscores what many in the desert golf community have long been saying: “If there’s anyone that can help you, it’s Jerry over at Marc’s.”
They’re referring to Jerry Molinar. Since 2008, he’s been the expert fitter and owner behind the shop’s success. Now, as the new golf season gets underway, he’s finally taking credit and rebranding the business as Jerry’s Custom Clubs.
Molinar’s journey as an expert club fitter and custom club fabricator began not on the golf course but in a machine shop. In 1999, Marc’s Golf hired him just a year after he graduated from high school in Indio — before he even played the game. By 2008, he had taken over the business, expanding its focus on customization alongside precision fitting.
I met Jerry in the summer of 2024. I take my golf seriously, competing in upwards of three dozen amateur tournaments each year. But I’d hit a plateau, struggling to stay competitive in my senior division. Frustration was setting in.
Hoping for a quick fix, I pulled an old putter from my closet and headed to a big-box store to have it refurbished. That’s when I heard the familiar advice: “If anyone can help you, it’s Jerry.”
That introduction changed everything. Over a few months, Molinar and I worked through my bag — refurbishing my putter, then fitting me for new wedges, irons, hybrids, and a driver. My game transformed. My confidence grew. The frustration faded. For the first time in eight years of tournament play, I even won one — right here in Palm Desert!
From personal experience, I can tell you: Jerry’s magic lies in how he weaves subtle swing instruction into the fitting process. While working on the shop’s Flightscope GCQuad — a launch monitor that’s revolutionizing golf swing analysis — Molinar shares insights that stick.
“You have to be subtle with that kind of advice,” Molinar says with a grin. “Most golfers come in to work on their clubs, not their swing. So I just plant the seed and let them grow it.”
Jerry’s technical expertise also sets him apart. He understands the maze of today’s equipment options — heads, shafts, grips, lofts, bounces, grinds — helping golfers make informed decisions.
“Tech has given us way more knowledge, but the average golfer is lost without guidance,” he says. “It’s naïve to think you can take a set a clubs off the rack and really make them work at their best for you. When you don’t have fit clubs, you end up with different swings for different clubs, and that can throw your game off.”
Beyond his skills, Molinar’s approachable, can-do attitude makes every session enjoyable.
“I fit ’em all,” he says, laughing, “but I prefer the beginning golfers. It’s tougher to work with them but the improvement is dramatic.”
Jerry’s working station.
Jerry firmly believes club fitting benefits golfers at every level. Here’s his take:
“It definitely is not a waste of time or money to be fitted as a new golfer. Because you’re going to have tendencies that will benefit from customization. On the other hand, as you get better, or just older, your swing and body are always changing. So even if you don’t want to go for a new set of clubs, I can help you with a standard stock fitting on the clubs you have, adjusting length, lie angle, and grip.”
Molinar has been expertly plying his trade for more than his half his life; it’s nice to see him accepting that his clients thought of Marc’s as Jerry’s — even before the name change.
The name may have changed, but the focus on precision fitting and customization remains. For golfers looking to fine-tune their game in 2025, Jerry’s Custom Clubs continues to be a leader in the field.
JERRY’S CUSTOM CLUBS
44760 San Pablo Ave., Palm Desert
760.346.6227
jerryscustomclubs.com
JERRY’S CUSTOM CLUBS
44760 San Pablo Ave., Palm Desert
760-346-6227
jerryscustomclubs.com
