Dick's Buys Golfsmith at Bankruptcy Auction

[GangGreen]

The Golfsmith by me (Willow Grove, PA) is closing, great store but there's a Dick's within a mile and a Golf Galaxy within the same general service area.  Hopefully the Dick's expands its offering since they only carried a fraction of what was previously available at the Golfsmith location.  Worst case for me, the Golf Galaxy isn't too much further of a drive, hopefully it lasts.

The Golfsmith by me (Willow Grove, PA) is closing, great store but there's a Dick's within a mile and a Golf Galaxy within the same general service area.  Hopefully the Dick's expands its offering since they only carried a fraction of what was previously available at the Golfsmith location.  Worst case for me, the Golf Galaxy isn't too much further of a drive, hopefully it lasts.

[CptShankapotamus]

I recently saw this new also. In the Chicago suburbs, golf stores are a plenty with PGA superstore and other smaller local stores. It'll be interesting to see how much they're willing to dedicate to GolfGalaxy locations considering DICKS locations are essentially already ubiquitous around the area. DICKS already has such a solid selection from clubs to accessories that I find it hard to see many GolfGalaxy locations open up nearby.

[CarlSpackler]

Stopped by the Golfsmith up the street this morning and picked up some grips at 30% off. Sad to see the Store Closing signs. 

[David in FL]

11 hours ago, CarlSpackler said:

Stopped by the Golfsmith up the street this morning and picked up some grips at 30% off. Sad to see the Store Closing signs. 

On 436 in longwood? How was the grip selection.  I need to run over.  They still owe me a regrip!

[CarlSpackler]

1 hour ago, David in FL said:

On 436 in longwood? How was the grip selection.  I need to run over.  They still owe me a regrip!

It's getting low. I cleaned out the one bin.  

[caniac6]

I was at the store in Greensboro,NC yesterday, and the only golf balls on the shelf were Snake Eyes. Zero other brands! This is a store that is not closing. This is the first time I have ever been in a golf shop that didn't have golf balls.

[Showboat12]

I stopped in the NYC location yesterday. They had SM5 Vokeys at 15% off their current sale price. It was hard, but I walked out without buying one.

[rehmwa]

Stopped yesterday.

Bought a full set of grips (likely need to regrip early 2018) $6 each vs $10 normally.  win

Bought two hybrid covers - new - $5 each.  win

Grip tape - 40% off. win

Wife got tees and a glove...meh

Found 2 sets of used clubs at a ridiculous discount that are perfect for a good friend at work.  He plans to go tomorrow - hopefully they are still there (his clubs are TERRIBLE, some have rust on the face.  He hitts much better at the range with my clubs.  His are trash)

 

Tried to buy shoes, I'm due.  They were still so incredibly expensive even with the 30% off that it was silly.  Ditto on clothes and bags.  I ended up with nice clearance Nikes at the local galaxy for a great price.

Golf is still so horribly marked up at specialty stores.  Something else has to give.

[djfajt71]

Both of the stores, near me, are staying open.  It's a bit surprising that the Clearwater store is staying open.  Compared to the Tampa store, it's pretty small, and there is a huge DSG within 5 miles of it.  It works for me though, it's on my way home from work!

[Divotmaker77]

The Golfsmith near me is staying open.  Funny that there is a Dicks just down the road that has a large golf section in it.  Both put a local golf shop (a good one at that) out of business.  

The Golfsmith opened just a few years ago.  Went there the other day and simulator screens were ripped and a few of the units did not even work.  Was completely out of TM and Titleist balls.  Just had a very weird feeling in there, but I guess their sales are good enough to stay open.

The golf manufacturing and retail industry is definitely in need of a rejuvenation right now.  

[iacas]

[WUTiger]

4 hours ago, Divotmaker77 said:

 Funny that there is a Dicks just down the road that has a large golf section in it.

I'll have to check out the golf stocks within our local Dick's. When Dick's fired all its in-store PGA pros in 2014, I was hearing Dick's would really cut back on golf items, and just let nearby GG's handle the more serious golfers. Appears to be a change-up, post Golfsmith.

As I mentioned recently, Dick's will take over the old Sports Authority store in Fairview Heights, IL, and embed the nearby GG within it.

Hopefully the embedded GG units will have operational autonomy. I don't care to get fitted for golf clubs by someone who sells softball bats Tuesday through Thursday.

[inthehole]

GS near me in Wayne, NJ is going out of business ... stopped over, selling $1100 sets of AP2's for $1049 ... advertising big discounts - what a complete and utter waste of my time.    Won't miss that place ...

Rant loading ... IMHO, new golf gear simply costs too much.    Drivers mass produced in China costing $450, iron sets (again with the exeption of Mizuno, I believe nearly all of them are made in China) costing $500-600 on average - no wonder these retailers are going under - golf is not just a rich man's sport anymore.   Seems to me the key has to be VOLUME of sales - if the industry wants to sell volume, expecting people to turn over their equipment say every other year, they better lower the GD prices so people can reasonably afford it.   I'm upper middle class & could afford it, I just won't do it ... I buy most everything a year or two old - Golfsmith hasn't seen a penny from me in years.

[gregsandiego]

On 11/22/2016 at 10:11 AM, Divotmaker77 said:

The Golfsmith near me is staying open.  Funny that there is a Dicks just down the road that has a large golf section in it.  Both put a local golf shop (a good one at that) out of business.  

The Golfsmith opened just a few years ago.  Went there the other day and simulator screens were ripped and a few of the units did not even work.  Was completely out of TM and Titleist balls.  Just had a very weird feeling in there, but I guess their sales are good enough to stay open.

The golf manufacturing and retail industry is definitely in need of a rejuvenation right now.  

I was upset when the Golfsmith neary my work closed because that was my daytime practice. But sometimes change is good.

I had to switch to the PGA Tour Superstore a couple miles further. And they actually charge to use their indoor practice bays - $99 per year. But man is it worth it. All the simulators work. Probably because they pay attention and don't let any customer just start playing with them.

The Golfsmith had practice bays with simulators that rarely worked. It was a different technology with some kind of sensor near the tee that was very finicky. THe PGA place has balls with little black stripes that work so much better.

 

[carpediem4300]

6 hours ago, inthehole said:

GS near me in Wayne, NJ is going out of business ... stopped over, selling $1100 sets of AP2's for $1049 ... advertising big discounts - what a complete and utter waste of my time.    Won't miss that place ...

Rant loading ... IMHO, new golf gear simply costs too much.    Drivers mass produced in China costing $450, iron sets (again with the exeption of Mizuno, I believe nearly all of them are made in China) costing $500-600 on average - no wonder these retailers are going under - golf is not just a rich man's sport anymore.   Seems to me the key has to be VOLUME of sales - if the industry wants to sell volume, expecting people to turn over their equipment say every other year, they better lower the GD prices so people can reasonably afford it.   I'm upper middle class & could afford it, I just won't do it ... I buy most everything a year or two old - Golfsmith hasn't seen a penny from me in years.

It's all about return on investment, and not necessarily the volume of sales, they likely have a mix. Balls/Gloves/Tee's and all the other perishables will be their volume sellers, their main cash flow that keeps the tills full and the bank balance healthy. clubs work on a longer lifecycle, what comes out today at £500 next year will be £300,.......some will buy at £500 which is a win for the company, most will wait until next year, so long as they always have a mix of older stock selling regular and new stock bringing in a few big wins they are probably fine.

I do the same for my business, I buy tons of copper fittings/pipes/lead solder etc all the sundries that we make little mark up on but sell in volume by the ton, other stuff I buy like boilers/radiators will happily sit in my warehouse for a year before being marked down and sold en-mass

[ElWagonne]

They've given up on the DFW market.  Only one left is in Arlington.  Luckily there's a Dick's 15 min from the house and a PGA Tour Superstore on the other side of the highway from Dick's.

[WUTiger]

Dick's signed a 10-year lease in Fairview Heights, IL. D will occupy the old Sports Authority site just south of I-64 (see arrow on far right). Golf Galaxy likely will become an embedded shop in Dick's once its current lease runs out nearby.

On 11/9/2016 at 11:06 AM, WUTiger said:

Lease payments are a major factor in which stores close, or stay open. A Galaxy store in Brentwood (about 4 miles northeast of Golfsmith-GG shop) closed last year over lease renewal impasse.

The Chesterfield Valley Galaxy Superstore (left arrow) and the GolfSmith --> Galaxy transition store (center) round out the StL area mix.

[1badbadger]

On 11/5/2016 at 11:02 PM, newtogolf said:

They wanted all the patents Golfsmith owned, acquired some merchandise for pennies on the dollar and made sure a competitor wouldn't be around to compete.  Their bid was low, just as it was for Sports Authority, just no one else wants to be in the business right now.  

DSG now owns all the patents that Sports Authority and Golfsmith held, plus MaxFli, Top Flite, and all the other failed golf club and ball businesses they acquired.  

Yep.  I don't know what the current status is, but Golfsmith owned Ram, Killer Bee, Snake Eyes, Lynx, Zevo and MacGregor. Dick's also owns Golf Galaxy.