What makes a good golf store?

I think in this day and time, even a good golf shop is going to struggle to survive. With online golf shopping it makes it really tough on a local retailer. I do shop, when I can, at a local golf shop. He also has a practice range where you can try out clubs and has demo days by Ping, Callaway and all the major manufacturers. I bought a set of Ping irons on demo day at a good price. He cannot compete on shoes and normally individual clubs. There are times though that I just bite the bullet and spend more with him than I could online. I would think a practice facility and a good regripping and repair service is a must.

He has told me himself, if it wasn't for his practice range and the practice balls he sells, he could not survive. A local golf shop is going to be a tough proposition but I guess it can be done.

Oh, I forgot, I like the guy too. I think a good personality and honesty goes a long way.

An off-course store needs to offer something special to its clientele.

If you could offer something in the fitting line that would draw golfers away from online, this would help. The only time I buy online is when I add a wedge or a FW of a model I already have.

One problem you will have with a single-location shop is economics of scale. Your operation won't be able to buy enough clubs and other merchandise to get good volume discounts.

Are current owners sharing a good deal, or looking for a bailout of a struggling operation? Not to be pessimistic, but figure out how much money you could afford to lose in this venture, and don't invest more than that.

Golf courses and golf shops are like restaurants: You're not going to a golf expo or a party every day - you're going to work.

What you might do is get a part-time gig at Golf Galaxy or Golfsmith. See what's involved before you ante up $30K.

A good "walk in" golf store, also needs to have an internet sales outlet too. A "golf" knowledgeable sales group, who are also honest. That same sales group needs a weekly pay check and not be on commission. Service, after the sale, is an absolute must. Next on my personal list would be competitive pricing. If there is Wal-Mart down road that sells something for $20, then the golf store needs to sell that same something for $20 too.

Myself, I purchase almost all my golf stuff  from a "walk in" store (via www)  located in another state, some 1200 miles a way.  Pricing, honesty, and service after the sale is what they do that keeps coming back.

I don't think lack of PGA membership is a dealbreaker if the guy comes personally recommended from people who can articulate why he's good and does well, but if I were going in blind, like I have through a bunch of Groupon / LivingSocial offers for lessons, I would say PGA certification is a necessary condition for getting me to try a lesson with that guy. The certification itself isn't overly rigorous from what I've read, and I'm sure there's lousy PGA pros just by sheer volume of its membership, but it gives me some confidence, at least, that this pro has some decent background that I'm not just setting money ablaze.

I agree the instructor does not have to be a PGA Pro to be a good instructor. Some years ago, there was a guy on the internet, with no PGA affiliation, who talked a good line on swing instruction. He  had some goofy ideas on the swing, that were definitely not main stream. Coat hangers, pvc pipe, bungie cords, bicycle inner tubes just to name a few of his training devices. So goofy in fact, he was run off some golf web sites. The forum's resident pro, and his followers would write him off as being an idiot. He lived in Oklahoma near the Texas border. I stopped in and met him on one my trips to Fort Worth. Turned out the guy was related to Harvey Penick, and really did know his stuff.

On my return trip from Texas I spent two weeks with him. That was in the mid 1980s.

Not to burst your bubble, but the little guy has little future in almost anything.

People that have the cash like chains and they like to shop from home.

I see more stand alone independent golf shops closed throughout my travels - chains like Edwin Watts could not survive.

Maybe get heavy into used product?

Honestly, if you were in my area, there is little you could do to get my business - we get stuff at our pro-shop much cheaper than even the chains retail price.

I didn't know there was much internet golf instruction going on in the 1980s, haha

I was in golf retail for 8 years...I managed 2 locally owned shops that were "Buy, Sell, Trade" type stores.  I have also hosted events in golf stores of all kinds for a number of years in 4 states, and through this experience I have gained some insight that might help. The biggest thing might seem basic and  a no-brainer, but I saw a ridiculous number of shops go out of business because new owners thought that owning a golf shop meant they could play golf all the time and they were at the course more than the store.  Most people don't realize how little most people in the golf business play.  Some of the other guys have made a great point...to have any kind of chance at success it's important to offer something that customers can't get either at other shops or especially off the internet.  This could be some type of service like club repair for example.  It's not something that can be done online efficiently, so a local shop can carve out a niche if you set yourself apart. If you try to make it by simply selling golf clubs you will struggle.  The staff is also important which I think was also mentioned earlier.  Even owners who are there "all of the time" can't be there all of the time, so find a person with a deep knowledge of equipment, club fitting, repair...get the best person you can find that you can trust and is reliable who wants a career, not just a job.  Then pay them well.  Let other places deal with high turnover and kids who are satisfied to make minimum wage.  A person who you can trust with the keys to your store that is dependable and knowledgeable doesn't grow on trees, but are a huge asset.  Whether there is 2 people working or 4 or whatever, customers like seeing the same faces when they come in.  They get more comfortable and it allows relationships to develop which creates regular customers.  We literally had a refrigerator stocked with sodas and chairs and a table in the repair area for our regulars to hang out...it was like Cheers.  Guys would stop in 3-4 times a week to visit with the other regulars and staff and it creates a loyal customer base and great word-of-mouth.

I hope some of these thoughts are helpful!

Followers? I am not a follower, but I agree that 90% of the stuff here is good instruction if not more. It is demeaning to use the word followers like that. I worked with Harvey Penick too. He was a nice guy, and he sold some books, but I could say that Harvey was the king of the band-aid and make a darn good case for it. Take Dead Aim never permanently fixed a bad golf swing. The Harmons are all related too-It is not as if getting a lesson from one is the same as getting a lesson from Butch. If Hank Haney has a brother I would not just go see him for a lesson either-Then again I would not go see Hank for a lesson to begin with ha ha. Perhaps instead of the put-downs you should engage with the instructors (me included) here on things they say. From what I have seen they do not mind a challenge-Might even enjoy it.

Wow - thanks again for the excellent responses and discussions!

Someone mentioned books - how often, if ever, do you buy golf books at a golf store (impulse purchases)?

1BadBadger - I like the idea of a gathering place - perhaps a Kuerig coffee machine along with other drinks. Did you charge for the sodas?

Has anyone attended a seminar or meet-and-greet with Tour players at local shops? There are a few pros that live in the area - would it be worth spending limited marketing funds for appearance fees and extra advertising to have a pro visit?

If a golf shop includes supplies for the tennis crowd, is that more or less of a draw? What other sports could be included in the space, that would compliment golf?

Club repairs are in the plan, as well as lessons. What other non-merchandise offerings are possible - low investment, higher margin items or services  - could be offered? Is there any value in co-marketing golf carts?

Phil, I appreciate your comment, you are correct that I should be more of a contributor. I will do so in the future, but I am too busy to even play these days as I pursue a potential career change... So do you have any advice for me?

In fairness I think you misunderstood him a little.  I think when he said " The forum's resident pro, and his followers would write him off as being an idiot" he wasn't taking about THIS forum, he was talking about these websites: "So goofy in fact, he was run off some golf web sites."  His phrasing was a little strange but I think that' what he meant. I don't think he was putting down this site.

I some experience in retail and sales and dealing with competition from big box chains (both successful and unsuccessful).

I will make a few random comments which are probably worth what you are paying for them:)

One concept that is true more often than not, is that a partnership is the lowest form of business. In a true partnership, one partner obligates all partners, and makes them all personally liable for his actions. If you enter an enterprise with others, get adequate and competent legal advice, and at the least have some sort of LLC arrangement where your liability is limited to your investment.

As others have said, as an independent, you need to give people a reason to enter your store. You also need to prevent reasons for them NOT to enter your store. Some mentioned selling items at the same price as the chains. This has some merit, but if you sell the same items across the board at the same price, you will probably not make enough margin to sustain the overhead and provide a living for yourself over the long haul. At the same time, if everything you sell is markedly higher, customers will gravitate away. One idea would be to sell balls, and especially mid- priced balls like the Titleist DT Solo or NXT at a competitive rate. If you can get them direct from the manufacturer or distributor at a cost that supports this, great if not, buy them from Wal-mart and sell them at the same price. Grocery stores do this with milk; they make little to no margin on milk. That is why the milk is usually at the back corner of the store, people have to walk past everything to buy the milk. By doint this you give them a reason to come in--they get balls more conveniently than hiking through mega mart or mega sports-and they get them at the same price which eliminates a reason NOT to come in.

There have to be products or services that you make decent margin on-that is a simple concept that can be lost in the heat of competition. If your rent is $2,000 per month and you make $20 on a set of irons, you have to sell 100 sets a month just to cover the rent, and that doesn't buy you any lunch or pay your car note. Obvious answers are ideas already mentioned such as gripping/repair, trade/used, possibly even consignment, but be sure you don't look like a flea market. I think there is opportunity in used stuff. The big boxes that do deal in it, allow almost nothing on trade, and then sell at what to me seems high prices, which means there is probably margin opportunity if you find a sweet spot in that pricing structure.

I think you have to have at least  some main line product in stock, and other available on order quickly. Again a reason to come, and no reason not to come. Better, personal service. Make the customer feel appreciated. Thank them for their business. Things they won't get at big box.

Search for quality product that is not available at big boxes that may have reasonable margin. Big boxes are about decent coverage of sku's and high turns; less interested in specialty items with low turns. The specialty items will carry better margin, just don't overstock. Possibly look at discontinued stuff that people still want. Lamkin once made a grip similar to Golf Pride velvet cord, but no longer do. You can find it on Ebay and reasonble prices, but if I could walk in and get it and get it put on, I would pay a buck or two premium for the convenience. I am not pushing that particular grip; rather using that as an illustration.

To take a page from Dave Ramsey, debt is generally your enemy, both personal and business debt. If you have a large amount of personal debt, that puts additional pressure on the amount you need from the business to support your personal cash flow. Likewise, borrowing money to invest also increases the margin necessary to generate cash flow to support the debt service. Yes, big enterprises borrow huge amounts of money, operated on thin margins, and eek out a profit over expenses. But they do that with large volumes, and they do file bankruptcy from time to time.

Take and objective and realistic look at the market, the location, the potential customers, etc. Do a due diligence profit and loss proforma to see if the project can generate sufficient margin to cover overhead and provide a living for you. Your salary is part of the cost, part of the modeling. Would you be able to live on the salary?

It was a very casual deal...we literally had an old coffee can inside the refrigerator to put the money and everybody chipped in.  Most guys would throw in $1 per can, then we used that money to restock it.  We also had a water cooler which was "complimentary" and a couple of t.v.'s. I had a little coffee maker mainly for myself for a while, but all of this was in the club repair shop area which was really dusty and hard to keep clean because of the grinding and shaft cutting we did so we had to keep it very basic.