Losing Professional’s Shop!

3offTheTee

3offTheTee

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Early days but Club I understand are considering restructuring with the loss of The Pro Shop. He will be given the role of Golf Manager covering handicaps/ competitions and Course Manager. The Secretary covering Catering/ Office and House matters.

Anybody else have something similar and how successful or otherwise is it please?

Is it a retrograde step to lose The Pro Shop?
 
We have a very active pro shop. They do loads of fittings, organise competitions, set up fitting days - and of course, sell mars bars for snacks during the round 😃
Can’t imagine not having a pro shop, and don’t think I have been to a club without one.
 
We have a pro shop, but its now run by the club and not the pro.
You only have to look at where people buy their stuff on here, the internet has killed lots of bricks and mortar and many pros just can't compete successfully.
Our club shop just sells club logo'd clothing some accessories, cold drinks, sweets and balls.
The most profit making item and has been for years, is bottled water.
 
Ours has, effectively, been outsourced to the largest franchise of Pro shops in the area...they have several shops in the area and a driving range too.
They took over from the retiring Pro last month.
They've Co pletely redesigned the shop, it's lighter, more spacious and stocks most things you need.
They're organising fitting days and the Pro is booked out on lessons for the next month or so.....
A Pro Shop is only viable if people use it........I think ours could get quite a lot of use....
 
We got a new pro about 18 months I think and he has made a massive difference

He knows he needs to ensure that he ca. provide for the members whilst competing with the internet providers

He seems to have done very well and has a wide variety of stock
 
We went to the pros becoming staff members some years ago. The club accounts do not show how successful this has been.

The main thing I have noticed is that they now only stock high end clubs, shoes etc.
 
Bunkermagnet said:
We have a pro shop, but its now run by the club and not the pro.
You only have to look at where people buy their stuff on here, the internet has killed lots of bricks and mortar and many pros just can't compete successfully.
Our club shop just sells club logo'd clothing some accessories, cold drinks, sweets and balls.
The most profit making item and has been for years, is bottled water.
Click to expand...

This is true, we don't have a pro shop we have a driving range that as a little shop and the club just sells balls etc

Where I go for lessons they have a proper shop but they also built a golf SIM that both pros use for custom fits and lessons so have built a little fitting centre which brings in the money
 
Our pro shop doesn't really stock much so wouldn't be a great less from a material sense. They have a few polos and jackets that are probably cheaper online. Also seems to be largely makes I wouldn't usually wear like Island Green and Glenmuir. They don't really have any clubs apart from a couple of second hand bits and a rack of chippers and putters by some brand I've never heard of.

But even a small pro shop is handy for buying tees or the odd new gloves, getting your clubs re-gripped maybe, buying a drink before the round if you've forgotten to bring your water. I've been to some clubs where they sell sort of items at more of a reception desk type set-up.

As Bunkermagnet said above, online sales will have killed a lot of these mid-size and smaller pro shops in terms of clothing and club sales. Only the little bits and pieces remain.
 
Neilds said:
We have a very active pro shop. They do loads of fittings, organise competitions, set up fitting days - and of course, sell mars bars for snacks during the round 😃
Can’t imagine not having a pro shop, and don’t think I have been to a club without one.
Click to expand...
My old club didn't have a pro shop.
My current club does have a pro shop but I've never bought anything in there. I don't think I've ever seen anybody buy anything while I've been booking in.
 
Neilds said:
We have a very active pro shop. They do loads of fittings, organise competitions, set up fitting days - and of course, sell mars bars for snacks during the round 😃
Can’t imagine not having a pro shop, and don’t think I have been to a club without one.
Click to expand...
Ours is like this. The head pro is a young lad who is making a real effort. I think it's an asset to the club.
 
Thanks for the replies. For those that have the pro who has moved into an administrative role how have they adapted? Almost a total change of direction/employment.
 
A good friend and terrific Member's Golf Pro went from running the Pro Shop to also being the GM, worked ridiculous hours, so I was not surprised when he quit both.

Now builds Patio's etc and is much happier, works Mon - Fri, a great lose to the Club as they have been through three Pro's so far and now the Club run the Pro shop without a Pro.

Member's who want a lesson now go to another club.
 
We've had our current pro for about 4 years and he's made a massive difference. He just needs a bigger area. The shop is very cramped and he does the best to utilise space but there is more he wants to do. I don't think it would benefit the club to do away with it
 
Ours is great and has a link with a well known Internet retailer who supplies all his equipment, clothing etc and they split the margin. Loads of demo equipment to use and will always beat any competitor prices.

I was chatting to him last week and we were discussing why any Member would buy equipment elsewhere, baffles us.
 
I've largely played at clubs without a pro shop. My last club had one and I can 100% see the benefits. The key one for me was providing a focal point for members before a round. Members would be in there, chat, mingle, all very friendly. Without that, players rock up in their groups and stay quite insular.

I did use that pro for lessons, bought stuff in the shop but I do appreciate that that side of things is very difficult now.

No easy answer. To support a pro and shop you need a good sized membership and a savvy pro who understands that the old days of members buying everything through are gone and they need to fight harder for their business.

Definitely an asset though and I suspect most members will miss the shop being there once gone.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
I've largely played at clubs without a pro shop. My last club had one and I can 100% see the benefits. The key one for me was providing a focal point for members before a round. Members would be in there, chat, mingle, all very friendly. Without that, players rock up in their groups and stay quite insular.

I did use that pro for lessons, bought stuff in the shop but I do appreciate that that side of things is very difficult now.

No easy answer. To support a pro and shop you need a good sized membership and a savvy pro who understands that the old days of members buying everything through are gone and they need to fight harder for their business.

Definitely an asset though and I suspect most members will miss the shop being there once gone.
Click to expand...

Our actual "pro shop" is at the range , proper TT range with 2/3 teaching pros, a range manager. Little shop. Par 3 course

However .. the course is at the red bit.. and the range is at the blue bit

Screenshot_20250326-091241~2_copy_432x591.png

Be interested to see what happens if the new owners do take over... Heard they want to scrap the 3rd 9 (that's not complete) build a hotel and swimming pool and target golf breaks
 
AussieKB said:
Mate down in Sussex is a GM and a former Pro, think they know how golf clubs operate and can make the transition.
Click to expand...
Ah, we had the opposite experience. Former pro turned GM, absolute disaster. Drove members away, oversaw a decline in the club. I was one of the members who left, in part due to him. Whenever questions were raised the stock reply was 'I've had 30yrs in this business, I know what is needed'. Oh no he didn't.

It is so much dependent on the person.
 
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