New PGA Store
 

Nice store, but will it survive??

That much square footage can't survive on selling balls and gloves.

Enough consumers in the area to drive & to pay their prices??

:popcorn::popcorn:

Have shopped and ordered online from PGA store for years. We were at PinchaPenny so in the area, we both Needed couple of gloves.

Store is about the same as others but very big difference is the women’s anything. Only one brand of women’s glove in 8 patterns. Small assortment of women’s golf balls.

Whoever is their buyer didn’t spend anytime near TV.
95% of clothing size was Large to XX-Small and most brands had 3-4 XX-small, 2 large with the majority sizes S-M. Only 2 XL in the whole store and that was on the sale rack $160 marked down to $95.

The 2 female employees were young and both played golf, both tall and muscular. A large for them would just fit, and both agreed women’s section needed a makeover.

It’s a new store so used demo clubs were very scarce, but all hitting mats were full. Didn’t have time to look or compare grip cost or charge. I take care of my own grips, but normally don’t buy from PGA store.

Since what we needed wasn’t available, we left and ordered online. Didn’t see many with bags leaving the store. Very disappointed compared to other PGA stores

Even online specialty stores cannot compete with Amazon. Almost every time I see a television ad for a specialty website, I can buy the same products on Amazon with a better selection, faster delivery, and usually a lower price. Amazon has very little competition for almost all retail products.

I bought a new $600 driver last week. Went to the PGA Superstore. Loaded with Villagers, window shopping. I didn't see anyone at the cash register. Way too many people milling around, gawking at clubs and equipment, hardly any staff.

Went to Edwin Watts. Got great personal service and they had exactly what I wanted.

Spent 1.5 hours in the fitting booth, no charge.

Yes, added about 5 yards driving distance and improved dispersion.

Sounds like it should’ve been a pop up instead of a retail space. Poor marketing

Last year had Taylormade fit at the TV golf show ( wish it was still at polo grounds) . Young lady that fitted me was hitting balls when I waked up. That 200 sign was very close for her. She was well versed in what I needed, changed to senior flex, that have been putting off for years.

$400 sale price from $550. Gained me 15-20 yards, guess I needed to slip into that senior mode sooner. Charge for fit came off the club.

Here's the greatest insight I ever heard in a Golf shop and evidence that this business knows and understands the customer base in The Villages.

I was in Johnny's Birdie shop one day. (He's a great guy, played the PGA Tour for a couple of years).

I'm shootin' the breeze with Johnny and lady walks in with her husband. One of Johnny's sales staff approaches the woman and says:

Staff: "Can I help you?"

Customer: "Yes please, I'm interested in some new hybrids."

Staff: "What color did you have in mind?"

Nailed it!

It's awesome! I was just there the other day, to find a new putter. All the putters are arranged around a big putting green. So I picked up one of those weird Lab Golf putters and made a 20' putt, first stroke. $500. Rats! So I started checking the other prices. The cheapest used putter I could find in the store was $250. So I stopped at Johnnies Birdie Golf on the way home and found a close enough reasonable facsimile mallet putter, brand new for $100, and still felt ashamed explaining this ridiculous extravagance to my wife.

They've also got some great tee box simulators. Unfortunately, it looked to me like you had to ask someone to fit you with a new driver to use one.

Usually, we worry about big box stores putting the little guys out of business. Maybe not this time.

And it looks like the Justice Department will try and change that.

FYI
“PGA TOUR Superstore is operated by Golf & Tennis Pro Shop, Inc., a subsidiary of AMB Group, LLC, which is headquartered in Metro Atlanta, Georgia. PGA TOUR Superstore remains the most comprehensive, one-stop shopping experience for golfers of all levels and budgets.”

I wouldn't doubt it. Is there any company that even comes close to competing with Amazon? I have 2 deliveries today, and at least one delivery almost every day. Why leave the house to go shopping? What amazes me is that these large retailers spend millions building brick and mortar stores, and then sell the same products on Amazon.

New Golf Equipment is essentially what used to be called "Fair Traded". There are essentially no discounts on new golf equipment, produced by the major suppliers and the all have MAP pricing. PING is about the worst to deal with from that perspective, but they're all fairly difficult.

You want a current Taylormade, Callaway or Titleist Driver, you pay MSRP, no matter where you buy it. As long as it's "current", discounts are nearly impossible to find.

In 6 months those clubs will be obsolete with 2025 models coming out.

Considering there are players on the PGA Tour, gaming 4-5 year old equipment, it's unlikely that anything is going to become "obsolete".

& the model cycle for most golf equipment manufacturers, is longer than 6 months.

I'm old enough to remember when top of the line balls and clubs were sold only in golf course pro shops. Titleist balls, Staff irons etc were never found in retailers or department stores. The manufacturers made lower grade balls and clubs for these outlets. And they used to call it "Fair Trade", but we always referred to it as "Price Fixing".

I still use a Francis Ouimet driver with a mahogany shaft!

Yeah....I think fair trade is a term Starbucks uses these days for their coffee

I'm really surprised that anyone is trying to buy used clubs at a local store nowadays when there's a handful of very good 2nd hand golf websites where they basically have in inventory every single mass market club made in the past 5 years at a fraction of the price of new.

I've been to Johnnies. A couple years ago I didn't know any better and bought an 8 year old 3 wood for around 40% the price that it cost new.

Nowadays from these online golf resellers sites, you can get almost any 3 year old club for 30% of the new price including shipping, and often free returns.

Fantastic store, no need to go or buy elsewhere,

Arthur M. Blank.

PGA TOUR Superstore owner Arthur Blank, also the co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC, .

It is really the perfect time to come in. Edwin Watts closed a mile a way due to the construction woes. We all know what kind of service you received there. The superstore has more than just golf. They have pickle ball and tennis as well. As far as services that they offer, I would highly recommend getting fitted by them. Most golfers buy what’s cool but not correct. Not always the arrow folks, it’s the Indian. Golf is a game of mistakes. They can help you eliminate those.

True. Amazon is fantastic. I have never not been able to get what I need and most times at a cheaper cost.

Those saying Amazon is cheaper, don't know where you are comparing your process with. Amazon is not cheaper, BUT they are quicker delivery, with customer ability to return virtually any item. I use Amazon for much of my shopping but if not in a hurry, TEMU is the cheapest by far, again, BUT you have to carefully read you aren't buying a knockoff. Golf example is you can get Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips under $3.00/grip. Takes 10 days to get to you, but many items much cheaper if not needing them tomorrow.

TEMU is owned by China............if you have no issue with that.

Not necessarily. If you go to one of the fitting days, such as Taylor Made Tuesdays, you will get 10% off any club purchase, and the fitting fee is subtracted from the price. Plus, if you are former military or law enforcement, they will give you another 10% discount.

It’s a company that I will not buy from directly, but to each his own

Well not all women in the Villages are plus sized. I always laugh at the men looking over the non plus sized women while they dine with the opposite. And their companions are oblivious.

Fair trade? I recently bought some Starbucks K-cups for $0.69 each from Amazon. The Publix price was $1.20 each.

You mean ‘Jina!

I don't believe that's correct. The Fitting Fee comes off the price, but I've never seen discounts on clubs at Villages' Fitting/Demo days.

I don't believe in monopolies so I usually compare whats available on ebay and Amazon. If the ebay price is lower or very close I buy the product from ebay.

Next you're going to say, you don't believe in Santa Clause.

:shocked:

Personally, I don't consider Ebay and Amazon comparable. I have never even seriously thought about buying anything from Ebay. Maybe I'm too old school, but I just don't trust Ebay.

A friend paid $80 to an Ebay seller for a camera, but he never got the camera. The seller's reply was that he sent it, and if he didn't get it, that's too bad.

The store layout is terrible. When you walk in, you're surrounded by clothing - mostly women's - and you have to navigate the store to get to golf items. Other PGA Super Stores have golf balls and accessories in the front of the store to draw golfers in.

IF you spent that much time in the hitting bay! They wasted your time. Or didn't know what to do with you! Reall!

An Amazon/Golf story. With some items, you just have to go to Amazon.

A couple of years ago, I was on my way to the golf course and remembered that the battery was dead in my Range Finder. I stopped at CVS on the way. I had to buy 4 batteries (they had no single packs) and it was $29. I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Stopped at a Walgreen's near the course. I could buy a pack of 2 there ... $19.95. I decided to play without my range finder! Pulled up Amazon on my phone and bought a "2 pack" for $6 and it was delivered the next day. It's hard to beat that sort of service & pricing.

It's also hard to overcome the "thriftiness" (or the aversion to getting screwed on pricing) most of us grew up with in the 50's & 60's.

Yes but...how many people died in the production of those batteries so you could exercise your thriftiness........Sorry, wrong thread! ;)

Went in about a week after opening in the afternoon, not busy, but had problems on new grips installed.

When's the last time you shot under Par from the Blue Tees or broke 75 (5-10) times in a row.

Let me know and then you can tell me how much time you should spend in a hitting bay, on a launch monitor.