Pro shops gear up for season
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As retail shops at country clubs open their doors for the season, they are tailoring services while looking to attract the growing numbers of women and children golfers.
“Right now we”™re all just opening,” said Frank Squiccimarro, shop manager and PGA apprentice at the Birchwood Country Club in Westport.
“Last year business was strong and fairly consistent. You see people picking up on deals for large items like drivers, but these are things that the golfer keeps for years so there”™s a lot of stability in the buying.”
Squiccimarro said everyday business for a golf shop involves balls, hats and shirts.
“You have to be ready for custom orders though,” he added. “This is a clientele often that know what they want and your customers appreciate that you”™ll go out of the way for them. The same goes for matching prices ”“ if you want them to keep shopping at the club, you”™ll accommodate.”
He said 90 percent of pro shop customers are club members while the remaining 10 percent comprise guest players who leave something behind.
Outing boost business
“It feels like the golf industry is moving forward and is primed for a turnaround year, economy be damned,” said Bob Maggiore, vice president, brand and product marketing for TaylorMade-Adidas Golf, in a speech at the 2011 PGA Show in Orlando.
According to the PGA, the retail golf show was the best attended in six years, attracting 150 more companies and nearly one-third more guests than last year.
Tom Manley, a golf-outing coordinator and assistant pro shop manager at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., said a major part of a pro shop”™s business comes from outings.
“We have a strong outing schedule, you”™ll see groups of 100 to 200 people here most Mondays from May to October,” said Manley. “Our management here loves to have the course and shop open and being used, and encourages outings.”
Golf outings are generally held on Mondays, usually a day when the majority of club operations are closed, and cater to businesses or organizations that schedule the event with the club.
“Though our schedule is full we”™ve definitely taken a hit through the recession,” said Manley. “A lot of members have cut back on buying gifts and favors for their guests. Where they once would buy them a shirt with the club crest now it might only be a hat.”
Manley said the amount of outings has also decreased slightly.
“It was inevitable,” said Manley. “Corporate outings are based on corporate budgets; when they get cut back so do outings.”
Catering to junior members
Squiccimarro said another important part of the golf population is the member children.
“You”™ve got to sell juniors,” said Squiccimarro. “A lot of times they don”™t have clubs and it”™s important to help them get out there by having youth lender clubs. We”™d always like to encourage them to eventually buy a set of their own; that”™s our future customer.”
Manley said the Westchester Country Club pro shop has women”™s and junior sections. “Those continue to be the largest growth demographics,” he said.
Squiccimarro said pro shops generally buy a mix of brand products but will often identify with a single brand as their flagship.
“We”™re a heavy Taylor Made shop,” he said. “It depends on what kind of sponsorship deal they offer to the club professional.”
He said club professionals will usually only take on a single sponsorship in a season; often, which sponsorship brand is chosen drives the buying trends for the year.
Manley said the pro shop is an added perk for country club members.
“It is all about the members,” he said. “It”™s a place where members can come and have a competitive price for apparel ”¦ and get a great product. There”™s also certain exclusivity with it ”“ you can”™t find a shirt with the club”™s logo anywhere else.”
Manley said because the Westchester Country Club has played host to the PGA tour in recent years, the club has grown as a desirable brand.