Pro Shop Experiences

[gdc]

I agree with the food & drink comment in regards too margin as this must be good for them but to see so many shops over stocked with clubs and clothing which is little profit when they have to price match so heavily

I'm confused. What exactly should a pros shop stock if it doesn't stock clubs, clothing and other related golfing accessories?

 

[devonlad]

Devonlad I see your point but a pro's role is not only to teach, do you not think he has an obligation to try and generate new members and generate income for the club? Dead stock is only due to bad purchasing and bad promotion and merchandising to sell through products. A vending machine dooes not generate members or create a buzz around the club which is what a pro should also play a big part in. Why would they stay in the shop all day when they could be on the course looking at peoople playing and actively helping the members, if the shop need support there are apprentice route which are very cost effective for a pro to employ to help for the cover in the shop.

I agree 100%, the problem is in my experience they arent generating new members and they are the ones doing the bad purchasing. You never see them at local fetes trying to drive up memberships and we don't even have open days down here. For some clubs they are a great asset and for some they are just another financial burden to shoulder.

 

[bobmac]

So what is the function of the pro shop?

I'm guessing you've never worked in one?
So you arrive at the club at 7.30 on Saturday morning and you need a card and a yardage chart, maybe some balls and a mars bar.
You notice you've lost one of your spikes, or you want to hire a trolley or a buggy (who do you think cleans those). You find the tee has been closed for your society and the longest drive/nearest the pin signs are already out. Who do you go and see after 18 holes when you have a rules question (bear in mind the bar doesnt open till 11). Who do you go and tell your hard luck stories to when you finish your days golf and who collects all the cards and prepares the prize table and works out who has won what after checking the cards are all filled in correctly.
Who has to repair your broken shafts worn grips/spikes, check your loft and lies and give you free tips on your swing because most folk are too tight to pay for a lesson.
Who keeps the shop clean, the floor hoovered and the stock dusted.
Who is still there when you leave at daft o'clock?

I did all that and more for 6 days a week and tried to fit in a family life, and practicing and studying for the next CPD exam for

THE BASIC MINIMUM WAGE.

So the next time you see a pro and you think he

is the person behind the counter is trying to be a pro golfer, who lets face it arent the warmest of people

maybe you could cut him some slack

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Spot on Bob

Our Pro is also the director of golf now

His assistants and himself are assests to the club

They are there for everything golf related

They get the clubs , shoes , clothes and tees etc you want and always price match

They sell the drinks and sweets

They offer advice , they run pro am and pro challenge comps

Help with comps and societies etc

Our pro and his assistants are vital components within the club

 

[CliveW]

Why would how good his golf is matter when it comes to a shop? What is wrong with him wanting to see more pro shops be successful, and try to compete with AG/online? Or is he only allowed a view if he isn't a hacker?

The criticism wasn't aimed at the OP's playing ability, but was merely a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that he is a retail professional who plays golf, commenting on a golf professional who plays shops.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My club pro has been associated with the club for over twenty years so he and the club must be happy with the relationship and he never strikes me of being on his uppers so he must turn a few quid a year. The shop space per square feet is small and he doesn't have or need to stock huge ranges. As a member of the Foremost group he can access demo clubs as a member requests. He has a good assistant working for him who will be a very good teaching pro when he qualifies and the pro himself has a good number of members using him. Both he and the assistant are civil and tick all the boxes Bob mentioned.

 

[devonlad]

I'm guessing you've never worked in one?
So you arrive at the club at 7.30 on Saturday morning and you need a card and a yardage chart, maybe some balls and a mars bar.
You notice you've lost one of your spikes, or you want to hire a trolley or a buggy (who do you think cleans those). You find the tee has been closed for your society and the longest drive/nearest the pin signs are already out. Who do you go and see after 18 holes when you have a rules question (bear in mind the bar doesnt open till 11). Who do you go and tell your hard luck stories to when you finish your days golf and who collects all the cards and prepares the prize table and works out who has won what after checking the cards are all filled in correctly.
Who has to repair your broken shafts worn grips/spikes, check your loft and lies and give you free tips on your swing because most folk are too tight to pay for a lesson.
Who keeps the shop clean, the floor hoovered and the stock dusted.
Who is still there when you leave at daft o'clock?

I did all that and more for 6 days a week and tried to fit in a family life, and practicing and studying for the next CPD exam for

THE BASIC MINIMUM WAGE.

So the next time you see a pro and you think he maybe you could cut him some slack

No your right I have never worked in one but have I worked in retail and sales for the last 20 years. I agree with you in regards to what a pro should be doing but what I am saying if you read my previous posts is alot of them are not doing what they are supposed to do which goes back to the OPs original comment. He has obviously had the same experiences I have had which has been quite frankly crap. But like I also said there are a few diamonds out there like Oake Manor in Taunton. My point (again) is that not all clubs need a Pro and they are just anouther burden on the club, min wage or not. There are good and bad in all industry so one post does not fit all.

 

[bobmac]

No your right I have never worked in one but have I worked in retail and sales for the last 20 years. I agree with you in regards to what a pro should be doing but what I am saying if you read my previous posts is alot of them are not doing what they are supposed to do which goes back to the OPs original comment. He has obviously had the same experiences I have had which has been quite frankly crap. But like I also said there are a few diamonds out there like Oake Manor in Taunton. My point (again) is that not all clubs need a Pro and they are just anouther burden on the club, min wage or not. There are good and bad in all industry so one post does not fit all.

So there are a few diamonds but not all clubs need a Pro and they are just another burden on the club?

We'll have to agree to disagree as in the last 45 years I have found the opposite to be the case.

 

[ManinBlack]

I'm guessing you've never worked in one?
So you arrive at the club at 7.30 on Saturday morning and you need a card and a yardage chart, maybe some balls and a mars bar.
You notice you've lost one of your spikes, or you want to hire a trolley or a buggy (who do you think cleans those). You find the tee has been closed for your society and the longest drive/nearest the pin signs are already out. Who do you go and see after 18 holes when you have a rules question (bear in mind the bar doesnt open till 11). Who do you go and tell your hard luck stories to when you finish your days golf and who collects all the cards and prepares the prize table and works out who has won what after checking the cards are all filled in correctly.
Who has to repair your broken shafts worn grips/spikes, check your loft and lies and give you free tips on your swing because most folk are too tight to pay for a lesson.
Who keeps the shop clean, the floor hoovered and the stock dusted.
Who is still there when you leave at daft o'clock?

I did all that and more for 6 days a week and tried to fit in a family life, and practicing and studying for the next CPD exam for

THE BASIC MINIMUM WAGE.

So the next time you see a pro and you think he maybe you could cut him some slack

I agree that it's a tough job for a poor return. Where could you ever run a retail unit / service centre profitably with only 700 to 800 customers? This means that the club must pay a retainer in order to make the job viable for the pro. In return, it is reasonable to ask the pro to do more than sit all day in his shop, only venturing out to give the odd lesson. Where the arrangement works well is when the pro is involved in many of the other aspectscof running the club. Some in my part of the world combine the job with the club manager's job & employ an assistant to man the shop. Unfortunately, there are some who are incapable of taking on this kind of role & become an expensive overhead which clubs under financial pressure may feel they can do without.

Like many things in golf, times are changing and pros, as well as clubs, need to move with the times. Employing a pro as a glorified shopkeeper, who charges over the odds, is not a viable option nowadays.

 

[devonlad]

I know the guy is a bit like Marmite but Mark Crossfield is a good example of a Pro adding value to a club acyually just a driving range. Stating pros are on min wage is like saying Sales people are on min wage. There basic is min wage and then its up to them to make the rest up through lessons and other incentives.

 

[bobmac]

I know the guy is a bit like Marmite but Mark Crossfield is a good example of a Pro adding value to a club acyually just a driving range. Stating pros are on min wage is like saying Sales people are on min wage. There basic is min wage and then its up to them to make the rest up through lessons and other incentives.

That pro behind the counter has spent years getting down to 4 h/cap to even start the process of PGA training. He/she then spent 3 years and £5,000 getting their degree, all to get £6.50 an hour doing all the above. You can get that stacking shelves in Tescos.

I'd like to see the vending machine machine that can give you lessons and the service you get in the average golf club.

 

[Slab]

That pro behind the counter has spent years getting down to 4 h/cap to even start the process of PGA training. He/she then spent 3 years and £5,000 getting their degree, all to get £6.50 an hour doing all the above. You can get that stacking shelves in Tescos.

I'd like to see the vending machine machine that can give you lessons and the service you get in the average golf club.

And even then Pro's would still be needed... after all who's going to refill the vending machine

 

[devonlad]

I'd like to see the vending machine machine that can give you lessons and the service you get in the average golf club.[/QUOTE]

Terrbile isnt all these Pros being forced in to these jobs with no option in life. Actually your right they are such a noble breed we should just pay them to sit in an empty shop.

 

[ManinBlack]

That pro behind the counter has spent years getting down to 4 h/cap to even start the process of PGA training. He/she then spent 3 years and £5,000 getting their degree, all to get £6.50 an hour doing all the above. You can get that stacking shelves in Tescos.

I'd like to see the vending machine machine that can give you lessons and the service you get in the average golf club.

So what you're saying is that it's a mugs game and people would be well advised to do something else. Which is presumably why our pro left and now sells BMWs & earns £70,000 a year.

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

So what you're saying is that it's a mugs game and people would be well advised to do something else. Which is presumably why our pro left and now sells BMWs & earns £70,000 a year.

If only people would try and come up with ideas that may help make being a pro more successful and profitable. But noone would want to try and help them now, would they!

 

[Duckster]

Personally I really dislike that approach in retail. I want staff on hand that I can approach when *I* need something when *I'm* ready. I do not want staff jumping on me the second I walk through the door trying to "help me with sizes" or asking me if "everything is OK?" or explaining how to use my eyes to look at stuff on a shelf as if I'm some sort of newborn adult idiot in a shop for the first time in my life.

It's that sort of behaviour that's made me want to shop online more.

That's a personal bug bear of mine as well.

Unless I have vouchers to spend which can only in that particular store, then I'll simply walk away if I'm bothered at all. I've even mentioned this to a few friends who have, in the past, worked for a large golf retailer (AG) and they said they were told that they had to approach people within 2 mins of walking into the store to ask if they were ok!

IMHO they should send all the people who come up with such twaddle to John Lewis, which I think has the perfect attitude of "don't bother someone unless they look like they need help".

All the pro-shops I've been into at courses have been great.

 

[patricks148]

Ive been a member at a club that didn't have a pro and still doesn't. its a much poorer experience being a member there than at a club with one.

 

[MikeHolmes]

Well said bobmac, I think they have lot to do and a mountain of ideas to have to think of to try and generate more profit. This is my point that if there could be a way to support this at low cost to try make this challenge less stressful it would be great

 

[drewster]

I think we all know that pro shops are generally more expensive due to buying power and such like hence the forming of Foremost golf. Our pro is also a member but you wouldn't know it. Generally I feel that they need to sell their services more than get in people's faces when they walk in. I've heard that at other clubs with proactive pros that the top 4 member spenders each year get taken on a prestige golf break by the pro to Troon, Trump or wherever. This would encourage me to maybe make my big purchases onsite rather that sourcing a £20 cheaper deal online.

 

[Nosevi]

I was out this weekend with some golf friends this weekend and we got onto our experiences in golf pro shops over the last few years. We are all from a retail background so there was so many things we don't understand There was some great positives and negatives and with many a whiskey we set the world to right, we came up with:

• Why when you go into a pro shop does no one have an ability to approach you and go through a selling process?
• Why do so many pro shops continue to stock there shops with products that don't make them much profit?
• Why are there still so little pro shops use social media better to build chatter between members and potential members?

Do you think these are the top 3 or do you have any other things that grind on you? I'd love to see all these put right and them to start cutting into the profits online companies and American Golf make.
Lets make our golf clubs more profitable and better for all of us to visit I say.

Hi Mike. The Pro and assistant pro at my club (Blankney in Lincolnshire) are both very friendly but would not fit your model in any way shape or form - something I'm eternally grateful for. 9 times out of 10 I pop my head into the pro shop to say hi to them rather than buy something. Our pro shop isn't primarily a retail establishment (although it does that pretty well), it's the central 'hub' of the club. They don't stock what will make them most profit, they stock what they believe the members may need and go out of their way to find out what that is. All members get regular emails from our pros with everything from course updates, golf tips, social calendar stuff.... guessing all members get an email packed with info once a week or so, so I guess they cover off that part of your requirements

Buying power, the smart pro shops have more than you think. They may not buy a lot on their own but many are in large groups and join together with other pro shops so they can buy in bulk.

Regarding people saying that pro shops shouldn't sell golf clubs, I totally disagree. When I bought mine I wanted to talk to my pro who has coached county and national players as well as a few who have gone on tour - he knows what he's talking about. I didn't want to talk to some kid behind the counter at a golf shop who had been told to push model x because there was a larger mark up on it and wouldn't have bought online without having tried the clubs out first.

Just my take on it. I'm sure there are good and bad pro shops, mine's a good one but not for the reasons you've stated it would need to address to be one.