Pro shops closing

[moogie]

What about your juice for the round or the bar of choc you need or possibly the need to stock up on balls

Well.......Thats just the Pros loss

I played 1 course locally not long ago, shop closed, reason.........Pro in the Bar watching Newcastle United match
Did manage to contact and then get sorted , but some local Pros arent too 'Professional'

 

[mchacker]

I've long wondered if a club could survive with a vending machine for juice, sweets and sleeves of balls, give one of the juniors a couple sleeves of balls to take the sweep and twos in the starters office, and have the house staff take visitor fees and sell the branded merchandise for all you really sell of that.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I've long wondered if a club could survive with a vending machine for juice, sweets and sleeves of balls, give one of the juniors a couple sleeves of balls to take the sweep and twos in the starters office, and have the house staff take visitor fees and sell the branded merchandise for all you really sell of that.

Yes it can. It's called Muirfield

 

[Imurg]

Why? Do you need to be a professional golfer to offer a warm welcome, book in visitors and take a green fee? Its done by the club owners or staff at our place and am not sure how a pro would improve on what they do

Same here - must be an Aylesbury thing.
Honestly, I don't know what our Pro does. He doesn't work the shop or take money, doesn't do many if any club repairs, gives the odd lesson but if you want to find him he'll be either out on the course, playing a multitude of approach shots to a green (leaving many divots and pitch marks) or propping up the bar.
I could be doing him a great disservice but, personally, it wouldn't make a difference if he wasn't there...

 

[Robobum]

Same here - must be an Aylesbury thing.
Honestly, I don't know what our Pro does. He doesn't work the shop or take money, doesn't do many if any club repairs, gives the odd lesson but if you want to find him he'll be either out on the course, playing a multitude of approach shots to a green (leaving many divots and pitch marks) or propping up the bar.
I could be doing him a great disservice but, personally, it wouldn't make a difference if he wasn't there...

Is it a members club? Get him removed if it is.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Same here - must be an Aylesbury thing.
Honestly, I don't know what our Pro does. He doesn't work the shop or take money, doesn't do many if any club repairs, gives the odd lesson but if you want to find him he'll be either out on the course, playing a multitude of approach shots to a green (leaving many divots and pitch marks) or propping up the bar.
I could be doing him a great disservice but, personally, it wouldn't make a difference if he wasn't there...

Then you have a poor pro who it appears doesn't care about the club

 

[Imurg]

Is it a members club? Get him removed if it is.

I guess it's a Proprietary club, not a "Members" club....he's recently taken on an Assistant, a young girl who's just turned Pro. I see Evie giving more lessons than him...
I could be wrong, he could be of great value to the club and I just don't see it.......but I had my eyes checked recently

 

[Robobum]

I guess it's a Proprietary club, not a "Members" club....he's recently taken on an Assistant, a young girl who's just turned Pro. I see Evie giving more lessons than him...
I could be wrong, he could be of great value to the club and I just don't see it.......but I had my eyes checked recently

I suppose that's the thing with something like this, most of us play the majority of our golf at one place so our opinion is heavily influenced by the pro we have. I've just been thinking of the extra value I get from mine.....

A cup of tea
Quick lessons and pointers
A lend of clubs
A lend of bag
A lend of shoes
A lend of waterproofs
Use of trolley
Use of a buggy
Range Balls
Extras at demo days
Complimentary promo stuff
Price matching
Invites to other courses
Priority for pro am trips

All gratis.

Looking at that list, I probably couldn't afford to play golf if he wasn't the pro!!!

 

[patricks148]

I'm all for supporting your club pro.

Our brings so much to the club and would not
Be the same without him.

If only more supported their pro rather than just looking for the cheapest all the time , service and confidence is what you get , I can't say I have recieved the same from any Internet company or chain store.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I suppose that's the thing with something like this, most of us play the majority of our golf at one place so our opinion is heavily influenced by the pro we have. I've just been thinking of the extra value I get from mine.....

A cup of tea
Quick lessons and pointers
A lend of clubs
A lend of bag
A lend of shoes
A lend of waterproofs
Use of trolley
Use of a buggy
Range Balls
Extras at demo days
Complimentary promo stuff
Price matching
Invites to other courses
Priority for pro am trips

All gratis.

Looking at that list, I probably couldn't afford to play golf if he wasn't the pro!!!

I get a few little bits and bobs which are priceless really and something you don't get from AG etc

 

[Deleted member 18588]

To the High St chains like ag or DG I am just a punter.

To my Club Pro' I am a member,

There is and always will be a world of difference.

 

[beggsy]

At our club the pro gets around 20k, 10% green fees, lessons, free shop, all money from 2s goes to shop credit all his mars bars are his and he was driving around in a brand new merc c class can't be that bad with a club of only 250 ish members

 

[AlbertsTache]

Pretty much like the rest of the country.
At least he's doing something he enjoys.

Selling Mars Bars and listening to idiots whinging about the state of the course and slow play, having hackers tell him about their round in shot by shot detail after a medal?????????

You are a million miles off in your assumptions

 

[Papas1982]

Selling Mars Bars and listening to idiots whinging about the state of the course and slow play, having hackers tell him about their round in shot by shot detail after a medal?????????

You are a million miles off in your assumptions

Its their job!!! If they don't like it, I'm sure they'd be welcome helping out as a road sweep etc? Unless everyone on here preaching about saves our pros buys everything from source. I'm talking no foreign imports (phones etc), milkman, butcher, green grocer etc. then they're no better than anyone using AG. In these times, money talks. Pros don't have a bad deal, yeah some of them are failing and having to close. Just like thousands of small businesses around the country. I'm sure there are decent one, mines pretty good as it goes, but nobody should be duty bound to pay their prices just to keep them in a living. As for all this saying about their house if there are two people in the store and it's open for 8 hours daily they'd only have to work 56 hours between them to keep it open. Not bad in my opinion.......

 

[Pin-seeker]

Selling Mars Bars and listening to idiots whinging about the state of the course and slow play, having hackers tell him about their round in shot by shot detail after a medal?????????

You are a million miles off in your assumptions

A lot worse ways to pay the bills.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Its their job!!! If they don't like it, I'm sure they'd be welcome helping out as a road sweep etc? Unless everyone on here preaching about saves our pros buys everything from source. I'm talking no foreign imports (phones etc), milkman, butcher, green grocer etc. then they're no better than anyone using AG. In these times, money talks. Pros don't have a bad deal, yeah some of them are failing and having to close. Just like thousands of small businesses around the country. I'm sure there are decent one, mines pretty good as it goes, but nobody should be duty bound to pay their prices just to keep them in a living. As for all this saying about their house if there are two people in the store and it's open for 8 hours daily they'd only have to work 56 hours between them to keep it open. Not bad in my opinion.......

56 hours ?

Pro Shop is open from 7 until 7 7 days a week and then until 8 during the summer

That makes 84 hours plus an extra 7 hours during the summer !

 

[need_my_wedge]

I'm all for supporting the club professionals. We have two very good ones at our gaff, they work very long hours and provide a great service. If they are both out teaching, there will be someone else manning the shop.

The reality of it is that they are a business which is run or not, on profit and loss, regardless of retainers, %age of green fees, sweeps, product sales etc. I'm not too bothered how they do it, but I'm sure it's not as easy, nor as well paid as some think. With regards to buying gear from him, I always ask him for a price, he knows I'm internet savvy and will do his best to price match. Sometimes there's a +/- difference but if I can I 'll buy from him, if I can't I'll either wait or get it where I can buy cheaper. A couple of times I've wanted to order things, including a set of clubs but needed to wait a couple of weeks until pay day, he's always let me take the items when they were ready and pay later.

I like the personal touch they give the members and I think it would be detrimental to both myself and the other club members if they weren't there.

 

[Robobum]

I like the personal touch they give the members and I think it would be detrimental to both myself and the other club members if they weren't there.

That is their worth at a good members club in a nutshell there.

I'd hate to get to a stage where you click through a turnstile on the First tee.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

56 hours ?

Pro Shop is open from 7 until 7 7 days a week and then until 8 during the summer

That makes 84 hours plus an extra 7 hours during the summer !

Agree and good response from earlier 'simplistic' reply.
Not forgetting holiday/sickness cover and who watches the shop if the Pro is giving lessons/captain pro matches/junior coaching etc.
Plus pro's committee duties and god forbid if he wants to play in a competition.

 

[elevenredmen]

I guess it comes down to the old phrase "use it or lose it". If you value your pro shop, try and give the pro business.

The two greatest threats to the club pro are the internet and the club secretary.

Whilst one is obvious the other less so, expanding on the latter clubs simply can not afford to pay the pro a 20k retainer and a secretary 30k and market conditions determine that one has to go. For the club pro to survive they need to replace the club secretary and become club manager rather than head professional.