Jump to content
IGNORED

Dick's Sporting Goods Fires In-Store Golf Pros


mvmac
Note: This thread is 3494 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

And Steinmart!

Complaining that golf equipment is too expensive because some drivers cost $400 is like complaining that cars are too expensive because a Mercedes S600 costs $200k.

I can buy a very serviceable car for $5k, and can build a very serviceable set of clubs for a few hundred dollars. Too many people confuse what they want with what they need.

Well, by that logic, how many of us need to play golf? ;-)

Christian

:tmade::titleist:  :leupold:  :aimpoint: :gamegolf:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I do.

:ping: G25 Driver Stiff :ping: G20 3W, 5W :ping: S55 4-W (aerotech steel fiber 110g shafts) :ping: Tour Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* :nike: Method Putter Floating clubs: :edel: 54* trapper wedge

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Well, by that logic, how many of us need to play golf? ;-)

But you need clubs in order to play golf, and the discussion was about the supposed high cost of playing golf.....

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

But you need clubs in order to play golf, and the discussion was about the supposed high cost of playing golf.....

Right, but unless you're playing for a living, you don't need to play golf.

I'm just messing around and being difficult b/c you compared want vs. need.

I wasn't being serious - hence the " ;-) ."

Christian

:tmade::titleist:  :leupold:  :aimpoint: :gamegolf:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

But you need clubs in order to play golf, and the discussion was about the supposed high cost of playing golf.....

You mean you can still play golf if you don't buy the latest and greatest equipment every six months? :-D

Link to comment
Share on other sites


From a loss of jobs perspective, obviously this is sad news.

But it seems like an experiment that simply didn't work out - golf pros in a retail sporting goods store.

When I think of a golf pro, I think of the guy at the club giving lessons & running the pro shop; not working at Dick's. In a way, it almost seems undignified for the pro to work in that environment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Definitely. I mean, I'm not going to buy a new driver every year.  So buying a one year old model for $100 or $150 is not cheating my game.  Same with buying ProV1s from the found/used bucket at Martin's in Myrtle every year (although I admit I get a lot of free golf balls and ProV1s through my job).   I do feel for golfers who are in certain markets, however.  Green fees vary widely.  I do the vast majority of my golfing in western PA and Myrtle Beach, where the prices are terrific and the courses are high value.

I'm right there with you in terms of buying 2nd hand, going to Steinmart or TJ Maxx for shirts, etc. I think most golfers have figured this out. Unfortunately, this behavior is what leads to the Dick's situation. Not sure what the solution is except the very generic "manufacturers should drop their prices from the start." This, of course, is much more complex than that.

In my Bag: Driver: Titelist 913 D3 9.5 deg. 3W: TaylorMade RBZ 14.5 3H: TaylorMade RBZ 18.5 4I - SW: TaylorMade R7 TP LW: Titelist Vokey 60 Putter: Odyssey 2-Ball

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

This stinks. Seems like everything is closing these days. Sign of the times I suppose. I'll have to check in with my local store to see if the guy that adjusts my clubs is still there. :-(

- Shane

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I hope I didn't contribute to this by getting my Callaway X20 Tours reshafted instead of buying new irons. As suggested, the arms race between Callaway and TaylorMade could hurt the standing of both with retailers. TM, with perpetual wave of new products, had winter double whammy of supply chain problems and merchandise glut. Here's a May article on the golf slump: [URL=http://http//www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/index.ssf/2014/05/post_38.html]http://http://www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/index.ssf/2014/05/post_38.html[/URL] Adidas and its TaylorMade division had a variety of spring problems: [URL=http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303417104579544981225919024]http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303417104579544981225919024[/URL]  Talked to a Callaway official a few weeks ago, and he say his company was moving to stretch the product cycle. As someone observing from the sidelines, it's interesting how things have shaken out the last two years: Dick's bought Galaxy in 2007, but kept GG as a separate operation. Idea: Operate two sources of golf equipment out of the same supply chain. The Dick's golf sections I saw in different states never matched up to the GG operations. (I purposely went to Dick's and GG's when I traveled). Dick's golf sections sometimes had ardent and well-meaning golfers as player's reps, but not very well trained: I usually knew more about the new gear than they did. Other times Dick's had a guy on loan from the baseball/softball section working the floor. The most memorable in-store PGA pro was a little overbearing, with a "shut up and buy SGI" attitude. Dick's seemed to have more in-stock variety in drivers and FWs than in irons - most of the on-shelf irons seemed to be SGIs and legacy models. (Legacy = reissued prior models w/ often Uniflex shafts, such as Callaway XHot.N14 and TM Burner 2.0). Galaxy had wider selection of clubs, and more knowledgeable personnel. New ripple: Sports Authority - local store for years had 40' x 40' node with golf clubs - mostly SGI and boxed sets, majority of bags stacked 16 feet high in wall racks, and an 8 x 12 hitting bay (no electronics). Now, the store moved, and the new site has a golf section with more floor space than your average Dick's golf area. No hitting bay yet, but selection now equals what you would find at Dick's. Have any of you seen Sports Authority expansion in your area? Back to the in-store pros. As a former caddie, it bums me out to hear all those guys and gals are out of work.

Our local Sports Authority had the opposite. The golf section went from being the first thing you see when you walk in to, after a total remodel of the store, buried in the far, far back corner. They eliminated the hitting bay, putting green, and severely curtailed new inventory. They went from having kiosks for every new driver model to none, and they're displaying 4 year old irons, with limited current gen selection. I don't think it's a coincidence that there's a Golfsmith 5 minutes away and a Dick's opened in between those two within the last year and a half.

Dom's Sticks:

Callaway X-24 10.5° Driver, Callaway Big Bertha 15° wood, Callaway XR 19° hybrid, Callaway X-24 24° hybrid, Callaway X-24 5i-9i, PING Glide PW 47°/12°, Cleveland REG 588 52°/08°, Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind 56°/13°, 60°/10°, Odyssey Versa Jailbird putter w/SuperStroke Slim 3.0 grip, Callaway Chev Stand Bag, Titleist Pro-V1x ball

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Not that I can afford to shop in any of these places, but we just had a Golfsmith open right across the street from the Dick's. I'm blanking on the name of it, but another golf-only store opened about 15 minutes south as well.

Maybe Dick's is simply conceding that part of the market to those guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I'm just getting back into golf this year. I was not aware that Dick's had PGA pros working for them and I sincerely hope that the pros released are able to find gainful employment.

I hadn't been in a Dick's Sporting Goods for a while... I have been avoiding them due to other reasons not stemming from golf.

There's a Sports Authority opening down the street from the nearest to me Dick's Sporting Goods so that probably doesn't bode well for that location (I've never been inside a Sports Authority so I don't know whether they have the same products or different...) It probably doesn't help that a Golfsmith opened earlier this year as well.

I wasn't too impressed with the selection of left handed clubs that Dick's had the last time I looked but honestly that was a few years ago... my recent golf purchases have been from Golfsmith and the internet. (It's not easy finding left handed clubs, and even more difficult finding lefty clubs that are used)

Chris

I don't play golf, I play at golf. There's a difference.

TM RBZ driver, RBZ Stage 2 Tour 3 wood, RBZ 7 wood, TM Burner 2.0 4-AW, Cleveland CG16 Black Pearl 56* sand wedge, Yes! Golf Valerie putter, Snake Eyes golf balls, TM stand bag

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Not that I can afford to shop in any of these places, but we just had a Golfsmith open right across the street from the Dick's. I'm blanking on the name of it, but another golf-only store opened about 15 minutes south as well.

Maybe Dick's is simply conceding that part of the market to those guys.

I hope you can remember the name. I would like to check that out. ;-)

The thought ocured to me that getting rid of your in store golf pro is counter productive. If you're going to purchase a bag of tees, etc. you really don't need the help of a pro, but if you're buying a driver or irons, you need someone that knows what they are doing to adjust it correctly and find you the best shaft.

- Shane

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Our area is saturated with golf stores. We have 2 "mom n' pop" golf shops that are owned, operated and solo-staffed by 2 PGA professionals. Then, 10 miles in the opposite direction we have Dick's, Golfsmith and Golf Galaxy. The GS and GG are literally across the street from one another as GS just opened up like less than 2 months ago. This is another problem in my opinion. I don't think we need to have 4 shops within a 10 miles radius.

I, like many others, never knew Dick's employed PGA Professionals so Dick's clearly had no advertising or marketing budget invested into making that a known fact. If you go to GS or GG's website, you'll clearly see a list of each certified PGA Professional with a picture of them - per location. Dick's couldn't even market the fact that they at least employ PGA Pros at their store, so that's a major fail by Dick's in my opinion.

Whenever I did go into a Dick's Sporting Goods store, the golf section was always empty with maybe one person holding a driver and browsing. On the other hand, GS and GG are absolutely packed on Friday evenings and the weekend.

Good luck to everyone affected. I hope you find something more enjoyable, more secure and more rewarding as soon as possible gentlemen. :beer:

Link to comment
Share on other sites


@CarlSpackler

Well ... there is a Golf Galaxy across the street from the Dayton Mall.

I was almost sure there was a golf store of some kind at The Greene, but on closer inspection I was wrong about that. I try to avoid that area, so maybe my information was dated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I wish they'd better marketed the fact that the guys in store were PGA Pros. I honestly had no idea.

I have a rule of thumb when it comes to golf equipment: if I need expert knowledge, I shop at the course Pro-Shop; if I am looking for deals, I buy online. Because of this, the likes of Dick's always passed me by.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


@CarlSpackler

Well ... there is a Golf Galaxy across the street from the Dayton Mall.

I was almost sure there was a golf store of some kind at The Greene, but on closer inspection I was wrong about that. I try to avoid that area, so maybe my information was dated.


Rats! I thought there was a new golf store I didn't know about. :-)

- Shane

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Sorry for the pga guys losing their jobs - nothing good to say about that in this economy.

However, this is aimed at the industry, and Dicks by default.    Golf equipment just costs too much.     To charge $399 for a SLDR driver that's mass produced by the thousands (probably tens of thousands) in China is ridiculous in this economy.     If they charged $159 for a new driver, I would have to think hard about buying one.    It's reverting to a rich man's sport.     That's why most everyone waits a year or two to buy equipment at 1/4 the original cost online or on eBay.     Golfnow has gone to $hit - so much harder to find tee time deals than it was even last year.

If the retail industry wants to maintain a working class golf representation and put assess in seats so to speak, they simply must bring prices down.

Well said ^...  I agree on the price of equipment etc. etc. Golf supplies in general are way over priced.  Hopefully this will be a plus for us in the future.  Supply vs demand (lower prices ?)

WWR

:mizuno: JPX EZ 4-GW Fujikura Orochi shafts 65g

:ping: G-20 Driver

:clicgear: 3.5 cart

Me against Old Man Par.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


That sucks. I stop in at the Dick's by me every now and then to try new equipment, and the pro there has always been pretty helpful. Seemed a bit over extended at times, though.

Honestly the selection is pretty limited at Dick's. When I'm serious about making an equipment purchase and need to compare clubs, I'll drive the 5 extra miles to Golf Galaxy or Golfsmith.

I guess the pro there really made the experience worth it for me. I guess I'll just skip Dick's from now on.

Well hell, if everybody just went to pick the pro's brain, have them help you out, then go buy clubs somewhere else, what did we expect would happen.

Dick's can't pay them to be charity instructors to sell equipment to the competition.  That doesn't give them any return on their investment.

I'm about five inches from being an outstanding golfer.  That's the difference my left ear is from my right.  -  Ben Crenshaw

Golf is like a love affair.  If you don't take it seriously its no fun.  If you do take it seriously, it breaks your heart.  -  Arthur Daley

What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive  -  Arnold Palmer

Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues and some on golf courses  -  Adlai Stevenson

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Note: This thread is 3494 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    TourStriker PlaneMate
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-15%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope.
  • Popular Now

  • Posts

    • I agree with @klineka & @DaveP043 above.  When a new member first joins the club they cold be told that they are not eligible for tournaments until they have an established HCP.  As you said, it only takes a few rounds.  If they do not to post HCP that was their choice and choices have consequences.  If playing in the tournament is important to them then they should step up and establish an HCP.  Maybe they miss the 1st tournament, is that a real big deal?  And if it is a "Big Deal" to them then they had the opportunity to establish the HCP. As for not knowing how to report for HCP I assume your club has a pro and they should be able to assist in getting the scores reported and I suspect out of state courses may also have staff that can assist if asked.
    • Wordle 1,013 2/6 🟨⬜⬜🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Thought I was gonna be a big shot today...  🙂    Nice Job!
    • Cool here's my tweak, "If a player’s ball lies in the general area and there is interference from exposed tree roots or exposed rocks that are in the fairway or 1 club length from the fairway the tree roots and exposed rocks are treated as ground under repair. The player may take free relief under Rule 16.1b.[But relief is not allowed if the tree roots only interfere with the player’s stance.]
    • I would never do the extended warranty on the $50 slow cooker.  I also routinely reject the extended service plans on those toys we buy for the grand-kids.  I do consider them on higher cost items and will be more likely to get one if the product has a lot of "Electronic Tech" that is often the problem longer-term.  I also consider my intended length of ownership & usage.  If my thought is it would get replaced in 2-3 years then why bother but if I hope to use it for 10 years then more likely to get the extension. I did buy out a lease about a year ago.  Just prior to the lease end date the tablet locked up and would not function.  I got it repaired under the initial warranty and would not have bought it out if they had not been able to fix it since IMO once electronic issues start in a car they can be hard to track down & fix.  They did fix it but when I bought out the lease I paid up for the extended warranty the would cover electronic failures because my intent is to keep that car for another 8-10 years and I just do not trust the electronics to last.  Last week the touch screen went black and was unresponsive.  It reset on the 2nd time I restarted the car but that is exactly how the last malfunction started.  I fully expect to have a claim on that on repair under the extended warranty.  I do not recall the exact cost to fix last time since I did not pay it but I think it was @ $700-$800 and I suspect that will be higher next time.
    • Have you looked at Model Local Rule F-9 Relief from Tree Roots in or Close to Fairway?  You could extend this to cover exposed rocks.  The rule is recommended to be used only for areas relatively near the fairway, a player who hits a shot 20 yards in the woods doesn't really deserve relief.   Players can always take Unplayable Ball relief, they're not required to play it from a rock or a root.  Of course, they hate to take the penalty stroke too.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...