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.