Club professionals

[Simbo]

How many people on here don't have a club professional at their course??

For those that do, do you, the members feel it is beneficial to have one and why?? Does he attract more visitors, does he give members a discount on lessons/shop merchandise??? Or do you get treated no different from joe blogs from the street??
How do their contracts work?? Are they paid a retainer and everything they make in the shop is theirs or do the club get a percentage of sales/lessons.
Or are they employees who get x amount a year and the clubs gets all the money that comes into the shop??

 

[fundy]

Ours isnt the normal pro shop arrangement.

The club own and run the shop (not much equipment mainly essentials and a few bits of clothing) and we have 2 affiliated teaching professionals who have a room at the back of the shop and offer lessons and one of them also does any clubs repairs, regrips etc

Works fine as long as you're not expecting any equipment advise from your club pro (which is fine by me)

 

[patricks148]

ours was on a retainer and ran the shop which he kept the profits etc.

I believe this has now changed and we pay the pro a salary and we administer the shop etc.

 

[Simbo]

Ours isnt the normal pro shop arrangement.

The club own and run the shop (not much equipment mainly essentials and a few bits of clothing) and we have 2 affiliated teaching professionals who have a room at the back of the shop and offer lessons and one of them also does any clubs repairs, regrips etc

Works fine as long as you're not expecting any equipment advise from your club pro (which is fine by me)

So what does being an affiliated pro actually mean then, what's the difference between this and an actual pro.

The reason I'm asking is we sacked out pro last year but he is now "affiliated", while he was he pro he was never there, and the shop was more or less run by his assistant. I felt that we as members got very little that ordinary joe couldn't have got yet we are paying his 20k a year retainer.
One thing we did get was 10% of range balls, (he owns a range aswell) this has now stopped probably because we paid him off.

 

[fundy]

So what does being an affiliated pro actually mean then, what's the difference between this and an actual pro.

The reason I'm asking is we sacked out pro last year but he is now "affiliated", while he was he pro he was never there, and the shop was more or less run by his assistant. I felt that we as members got very little that ordinary joe couldn't have got yet we are paying his 20k a year retainer.
One thing we did get was 10% of range balls, (he owns a range aswell) this has now stopped probably because we paid him off.

At ours, there only responsibility is to be available to give lessons and for one of them to also cover club repairs and regrips. As its a proprietary club I dont know the deal between the club and the pros for sure but its a 2 way street I think the club pay a small retainer but then take a small % of the lesson fees in return.

One of the pros been there 10 years plus so clearly works for both parties currently

The actual shop is run by the clubs own staff (shop, booking system, buggies etc) and none of the comps are run through the shop (the members self run them)

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Funnily enough I was talking to someone at the weekend about our pro, how does it work etc in terms of money earned, does the club pay him etc. I can't answer those questions but at my club we have a main pro and an assistant. They run a shop, reasonably well stocked, and are a friendly face before you go out. There is no discount for being a member, nor for lessons given. That does not bother me to be honest. It looks a tough job to be a pro at a club, earning wise, so however he can make money, best of luck to him. The more he makes the more likely you are to get a good one and keep him.

We could survive without a pro but I think that it adds to the club having one there. I do use our pro for lessons, I had one on Friday that went very well indeed so I am well disposed towards him at the moment

 

[Ads749r]

Funnily enough I was talking to someone at the weekend about our pro, how does it work etc in terms of money earned, does the club pay him etc. I can't answer those questions but at my club we have a main pro and an assistant. They run a shop, reasonably well stocked, and are a friendly face before you go out. There is no discount for being a member, nor for lessons given. That does not bother me to be honest. It looks a tough job to be a pro at a club, earning wise, so however he can make money, best of luck to him. The more he makes the more likely you are to get a good one and keep him.

We could survive without a pro but I think that it adds to the club having one there. I do use our pro for lessons, I had one on Friday that went very well indeed so I am well disposed towards him at the moment

thanks for typing that out, now I don't have too. Exactly as you described apart from we get a small discount on lessons. I think without them the club wouldn't feel the same. They both helped me in feeling welcome and explain the club to me and how it's run. They even introduced me to other members to play with. Plus I spend many hours in there just chatting rubbish to them (I think they enjoy it). From what I see in the pro shop is that all members pop in to say hello and there's some type of camaraderie with everyone. Without the pro shop I think the club would slowly go into chaos.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I also agree with the extra that you added. Between us we knocked out a good post

 

[Ads749r]

I also agree with the extra that you added. Between us we knocked out a good post

Great minds think alike.

 

[GB72]

I am one of the few who would be quite happy without a pro at our club (or without or current pro maybe more accurate). He is not in the shop that often and most of the work is covered by his assistant (who is a big asset to the club). The shop has OK stock but is too expensive for me and I prefer to have my lessons elsewhere (as do a few other members). We have a club manager who carries out many duties that a pro might deal with. In our case, however, the pro leases the shop.

I hear on the forum about pros who always have a friendly word, offer the odd free tip/lesson, show an interest in your game, help with gear purchases and show an interest in making sure that the gear is right for you and I would jump at having someone like that at the club. We do not have such a person, nor have I had someone like it at the previous clubs that I have been a member of.

 

[MizunoGreyhound]

Our pro gets paid a retainer and employs the assistants in his shop, 2 of them. He keeps all lessons money, as do the assistants, but the assistants lessons take place on their days off. All competition monies are paid to the pro and when the divisional/overall positions and prize money are worked out, it goes on to your account to be spent in the pro shop........ No additional discounts for members, but he will price match sometimes.

Overall, I think our pro has it quite easy with guaranteed revenue.

 

[bobmac]

I am one of the few who would be quite happy without a pro at our club (or without or current pro maybe more accurate). He is not in the shop that often and most of the work is covered by his assistant (who is a big asset to the club). The shop has OK stock but is too expensive for me and I prefer to have my lessons elsewhere (as do a few other members). We have a club manager who carries out many duties that a pro might deal with. In our case, however, the pro leases the shop.

I hear on the forum about pros who always have a friendly word, offer the odd free tip/lesson, show an interest in your game, help with gear purchases and show an interest in making sure that the gear is right for you and I would jump at having someone like that at the club. We do not have such a person, nor have I had someone like it at the previous clubs that I have been a member of.

I used to work there.
I left

 

[Simbo]

Funnily enough I was talking to someone at the weekend about our pro, how does it work etc in terms of money earned, does the club pay him etc. I can't answer those questions but at my club we have a main pro and an assistant. They run a shop, reasonably well stocked, and are a friendly face before you go out. There is no discount for being a member, nor for lessons given. That does not bother me to be honest. It looks a tough job to be a pro at a club, earning wise, so however he can make money, best of luck to him. The more he makes the more likely you are to get a good one and keep him.

We could survive without a pro but I think that it adds to the club having one there. I do use our pro for lessons, I had one on Friday that went very well indeed so I am well disposed towards him at the moment

So you don't know if he's an employee who's paid 20 grand a year and the club keeps all the money he makes or if he's on a retainer and he keeps the profits???
Most pros would have a happy face for you if they were getting 20k a year plus whatever they make in lessons/sales. So basically as a club member you get no different treatment from him for anybody who wanders in off the street??

 

[Simbo]

Our pro gets paid a retainer and employs the assistants in his shop, 2 of them. He keeps all lessons money, as do the assistants, but the assistants lessons take place on their days off. All competition monies are paid to the pro and when the divisional/overall positions and prize money are worked out, it goes on to your account to be spent in the pro shop........ No additional discounts for members, but he will price match sometimes.

Overall, I think our pro has it quite easy with guaranteed revenue.

I agree. I'm really struggling to see the good business sense involved in having a pro in a pro shop when members are getting very little in return, when we actually pay their wages.

 

[moogie]

How many people on here don't have a club professional at their course??

For those that do, do you, the members feel it is beneficial to have one and why??

No real benefit tbh

Does he attract more visitors,

Not that I'm aware of

does he give members a discount on lessons/shop merchandise???

No


Or do you get treated no different from joe blogs from the street??

I'd say so, except for bit craic when the mood suits......


How do their contracts work?? Are they paid a retainer

Yes.....plus % of green fees


and everything they make in the shop is theirs

Yes, and prices are NOT that competitive either


or do the club get a percentage of sales/lessons.

Pro keeps all money from lessons and sales


Or are they employees who get x amount a year and the clubs gets all the money that comes into the shop??


Pro also receives the entry ( £1 each player ) for the 2s sweep, this is credited to account in shop, to purchase shop goods only, and with atleast 3 comps per week, I'd estimate that at £300 per week from April til 1st week in October

That's when they're not playing golf themself.........

 

[Lord Tyrion]

So you don't know if he's an employee who's paid 20 grand a year and the club keeps all the money he makes or if he's on a retainer and he keeps the profits???
Most pros would have a happy face for you if they were getting 20k a year plus whatever they make in lessons/sales. So basically as a club member you get no different treatment from him for anybody who wanders in off the street??

That is right. I don't get stressed about his deal. Good luck to him. Having a pro makes our club more rounded. Don't forget, the pro is an advert for your club as well. If he gives a good lesson and makes a good impression the person wandering off the street may join the club.

 

[Foxholer]

There are many different possible setups for the Pro/Club relationship, including different ones at the same club!

It really depends on the 'type' of Club and/or Pro imo.

Whether that is the 'best' arrangement for both/either also varies!

 

[Simbo]

That is right. I don't get stressed about his deal. Good luck to him. Having a pro makes our club more rounded. Don't forget, the pro is an advert for your club as well. If he gives a good lesson and makes a good impression the person wandering off the street may join the club.

If it doesn't bother you then that's fine, personally I don't agree with what you've said, people very seldom join golf clubs for the professional. And it is a job not a charity.

 

[Simbo]

Moogie, I agree completely with your post mate, where is the good business sense in an arrangement like that?? I can't see where the club is getting any kind of benefit from the money they are paying a pro. Especially now when golf courses are losing members and tightening the purse strings.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

If it doesn't bother you then that's fine, personally I don't agree with what you've said, people very seldom join golf clubs for the professional. And it is a job not a charity.

People joing clubs for a range of reasons but creating a friendly ambiance helps and the pro is often the first person you meet. A friendly face and a good lesson may help but I agree that is not reason number one. I don't know how our club works but the fees are £595 per year which does not seem excessive to me. Maybe if I was paying £1k + per year I would feel a little more hostile to our pro but those fees are comparable with other 18 hole parkland courses in our area so I suspect whether we had a pro or not the fees would be the same.