Dick’s pulling back from the golf market presents an excellent opportunity for your pro shop to step into the void and be the “go shop” location for players.
A lot of people are down on golf these days and we can add Dick’s Sporting Goods to the list of companies (and columnists) who are not pleased with what they see in the game at the consumer level. In its most recent quarter, Dick’s took a $20 million charge related to its golf business, including severance costs for layoffs of almost 500 in-store golf pros. The company also plans to fold some of its stand-alone Golf Galaxy stores into its larger Dick’s locations.
In related news, Adidas (TaylorMade) said it would restructure its golf business after sales dropped by more than 20% in its second quarter.
I think golf equipment manufacturers are among the savviest of marketers. Golfers at all levels of ability have traditionally flocked to stores each year to check out and buy the latest “gotta have” lineup of new golf technology (drivers, hybrids, irons, wedges, putters, balls, etc.).
So what’s up with the bad news on equipment sales this year? The soft market for new clubs, balls, and related golf accessories is no doubt a function of fewer golfers playing the game. But I would also suggest that after years of buying the latest and greatest that manufacturers have to offer, a lot of golfers, like me, are conceding that you can’t just simply buy a better game. Or, said another way, we have acknowledged that it’s the Indian, not the arrow.
Let’s not forget, however, that there are more than 23 million golfers out there still buying a lot of equipment. Dick’s pulling back from the golf market presents an excellent opportunity for your pro shop and staff to step into the void and be the “go shop” location for players looking to match the right equipment to their skill set. Dick’s loss should be your pro shop’s gain.
Selling more equipment and apparel will be good for business, but it won’t necessarily enhance or grow golf participation. Making golf easier and more enjoyable to play is the key to growing the game, and here is where your pro shop should play a pivotal role.
Golf instruction needs to be a core competency/strategy for your club. Having the pro staff available to provide lessons upon request is not enough. You need a proactive approach where you can measure success (and if it’s not worth measuring, it’s not worth doing) by how many members/guests take one or more golf lessons each year, and who improves their game as a result. Individual lessons should be paid for. Others should be part of a frequent, proactive, no-charge golf instruction program.
Here’s an idea. Have one or more of your golf staff walk the range every morning, and especially on weekends, interacting with members and guests warming up for their rounds. Ask them how they are playing or what part of their game they are working on. Critique their swing. Offer a tip or two. Engage them.
If your club has a unique, proactive golf instruction program of any sort, I’d like to hear about it.
Golfers who learn how to take five or more strokes off their normal score are going to want to play more often. They will encourage others to play with them. And they will be more inclined to buy (in your shop) more of those new clubs and balls designed to help shave yet another stroke or two off their score.
And, please, commit to a proactive junior golf program. It is in the best interest of the game, and it will help secure your future. Even at the Catawba Island Club here in Ohio, which is primarily a yacht club, junior golf clinics were a big hit this summer, not only with kids, but also their dues-paying parents/grandparents.
Quote of the month:
“There is no similarity between golf and putting; they are different games, one played in the air, and the other on the ground.”
—Ben Hogan
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