American golf under new ownership.

Radbourne2010 said:
These stores really need to bolted onto a Toptracer or Trackman enabled range (realise all current Top Golf venues have AG attached). Haven't brought anything from AG since Lockdown. Really sad writing that as used to pop in on numerous occaiosn during year before 2020.

Really hope Peter Jones turns this iconic brand around. If anyone can do it, he's the man. Will definitely pop into my 'local' store when the weather cheers up.
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Funny you should say that, the one at Watford Top Golf closed and they replaced it with an arcade. That was formerly my nearest AG, not sure where the nearest one is now. Either Borehamwood or Northolt. There is one near my office by Monument though. Last year I popped in to have a look at the zero torque putters - it was a waste of time as they didn't have any stock, they one 'cruiser' version of the Odyssey ones and that was it.
 
Orikoru said:
Funny you should say that, the one at Watford Top Golf closed and they replaced it with an arcade. That was formerly my nearest AG, not sure where the nearest one is now. Either Borehamwood or Northolt. There is one near my office by Monument though. Last year I popped in to have a look at the zero torque putters - it was a waste of time as they didn't have any stock, they one 'cruiser' version of the Odyssey ones and that was it.
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Good point, haven't visited TopGolf since Lockdown either 🤷‍♂️
 
timd77 said:
I did buy a set from there years and years ago, before I was properly bitten by the golf bug. Jack Nicklaus something or other and a putter. Awful. Remember hitting 2 putts, both went in and the chap said ‘looks like it’s that one’!
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We have a second hand golf shop up here. Has a load of stuff. Last summer, on a biblically wet Saturday, I went down to look at some putters. I tried about 5 different ones, 4-5 putts with each one. I probably missed one putt out of the lot. It was comical, people were watching me putt in the end, seeing if I would miss one. Anyone who has ever played with me will know the nonsense of this. I am sure the run to the hole is cambered slightly, it must be. Sneaky sales people......
 
Radbourne2010 said:
These stores really need to bolted onto a Toptracer or Trackman enabled range (realise all current Top Golf venues have AG attached). Haven't brought anything from AG since Lockdown. Really sad writing that as used to pop in on numerous occaiosn during year before 2020.

Really hope Peter Jones turns this iconic brand around. If anyone can do it, he's the man. Will definitely pop into my 'local' store when the weather cheers up.
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My local one is part of a range that has an inRange system. Also has its own dedicated outside fitting bay....which is a good job too, as the range is so busy most of the time you have to wait for a bay (24 of them over 2 levels) and has been like that since the inRange system was installed 4 or so years ago.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
We have a second hand golf shop up here. Has a load of stuff. Last summer, on a biblically wet Saturday, I went down to look at some putters. I tried about 5 different ones, 4-5 putts with each one. I probably missed one putt out of the lot. It was comical, people were watching me putt in the end, seeing if I would miss one. Anyone who has ever played with me will know the nonsense of this. I am sure the run to the hole is cambered slightly, it must be. Sneaky sales people......
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You still had to get the pace right… Never up never in 😂
 
Orikoru said:
About 7 or 8 years ago when I'd just got back into playing AG had a second-hand outlet near me that had a huge selection of clubs that people had traded in - it was next to a range so you could try two or three clubs before choosing the best one to buy. I loved that place, bought quite a few things from there. Then they closed it down and I've never seen them do it anywhere since.
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Northwick Park. Originally it was a very smart store with loads of good quality gear, before they turned it into a car boot sale. The whole Northwick Park venue started off quite upmarket back in 2005, the course was maintained to tour standard, even the short game practice area, the gym was top of the range, they had a proper club fitter. They were stocking brands like Lindeberg before it became a mainstream golf brand and was still highish end fashion.

The trade in deal killed AG, it was bought by Endless private equity house in 2018 for peanuts to rescue it from administration. I think they replaced the whole management team.
 
Two AG stores near me:

- Trent Park: cheap and cheerful public course with a run down range. AG took over the well stocked Nevada Bob’s and slowly ran it into the ground. Last few times I popped in when driving by it was full of Benross and Stromberg, and completely empty. It closed down last year.

- Borehamwood: busy and well maintained range with top tracer. Went in the other day for the first time in ages and was pleasantly surprised at the shop selection, full range of the latest irons from the top brands including premium titleist and Mizuno. Only a single small display of Benross. Place appeared to be flourishing.

I suppose the conclusion is location and association are key.
 
sunshine said:
Northwick Park. Originally it was a very smart store with loads of good quality gear, before they turned it into a car boot sale. The whole Northwick Park venue started off quite upmarket back in 2005, the course was maintained to tour standard, even the short game practice area, the gym was top of the range, they had a proper club fitter. They were stocking brands like Lindeberg before it became a mainstream golf brand and was still highish end fashion.

The trade in deal killed AG, it was bought by Endless private equity house in 2018 for peanuts to rescue it from administration. I think they replaced the whole management team.
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Yeah it was a decent place. I don't even know what's going on there now. It became a 'BigShots' range a while back, then around a year ago it apparently closed down and I heard rumours about bailiffs coming in.. but then towards the end of last year it was back open again! And all the recent reviews on Google are awful so I haven't been back. 😂
 
I wonder what type of business model they are looking at.
I think the size they are they would do well to stock a lot of different balls, gloves, tees etc.
They should be able to move these on fairly quickly and probably cheaper than most others which gets people through the doors.
Once you have them in the shop if you can then offer decent clothing people will come back
 
It's a stupid name for a shop, it's got nothing to do with America at all. I guess the founder was trying to tap into the image of everything being bigger and better and shinier in America.
 
sunshine said:
It's a stupid name for a shop, it's got nothing to do with America at all. I guess the founder was trying to tap into the image of everything being bigger and better and shinier in America.
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Haha, I was just thinking the same actually. I wonder if Peter will thinking about rebranding it with a new name. If it was really American they'd be flogging beer-coolers to stick on your 'cart' and stocking exclusively PXG stuff. PERIOD.
 
It started in the northwest in I think the eighties, possibly in Widnes. A chap came back from the states amazed at the price difference UK to US and so started importing and selling “American golf” imports. I believe that’s how it got its name. HQ is still in the north west in Warrington
 
sunshine said:
It's a stupid name for a shop, it's got nothing to do with America at all. I guess the founder was trying to tap into the image of everything being bigger and better and shinier in America.
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I remember it being call American Golf Discount, and back then it definetly had a greater range of products.
I think Peter Jones buying it is a good move
 
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