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Describe Your Pro Shop

Canadan

Canadan

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Albatross 2024 Club
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I've had the opportunity to experience some unbelievable golf courses with spectacular staff, and have experienced some absolutely awful course staff as well.

I'm really curious to know what your pro shop is like (home course or most played course). I'd also love to hear how often you feel like they go above and beyond to make sure your experience is excellent.

Are they friendly and engaging?
Do they offer lessons for fair prices that are worthwhile?
How is the apparel selection? Equipment?
Do you feel like you're getting everything out of the experience you should?

Feel free to rant if it sucks - I know there are plenty that suck.
 
Everything is overpriced.
Apparel selection is terrible.
I've never taken a lesson there so I don't know. - I take lessons elsewhere.
They are friendly.
 
Apparel selection is surprisingly solid considering the AWFUL service and employee attitude. The foundation for greatness is there, but remains unfulfilled with a strong bitter aftertaste.
 
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RealPretendPsychic said:
Apparel selection is surprisingly solid considering the AWFUL service and employee attitude. The foundation for greatness is there, but remains unfulfilled with a strong bitter aftertaste.
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This is something I am really eager to read about.

Being that the pro shop is customer facing, and typically one of the first greetings at the course for a player, you would think a premium would be placed on friendliness - but that doesn't seem to be the case enough.
 
Canadan said:
This is something I am really eager to read about.

Being that the pro shop is customer facing, and typically one of the first greetings at the course for a player, you would think a premium would be placed on friendliness - but that doesn't seem to be the case enough.
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I feel like it’s a really interesting time for the course. It’s public and part of a holding group that features construction materials & trucking services, commercial & residential real estate, 3 movie theaters, and 5 golf courses. The course was opened in 2000 and purchased by this group in 2004. It’s the most expensive public course in the area, and is a PB Dye design with tips that can stretch over 7,000 yards. The pro shop is well stocked with apparel and accessories, but the fun ends there. There is no head pro despite a solid driving range facility, the starters are friendly, but there’s no pace of play monitoring, and the pro shop attendants would much rather be anywhere else. The course does seem to do well hosting a number of casual/competitive events and amateur and collegiate tournaments. It seems like the course and its management are evolving, but employees are tough to find right now and it’s pretty barebones. They are putting work into the actual course and it’s improved in each of the last few years. Hopefully they can do great things with all this potential.
 
Mine is called Golf Galaxy…

Our course doesn’t have a pro shop, so I’m pretty envious of anyone whose course has one, even if they hate it. 🤣
 
In Nashville I liked our shop, and the people there were great. Good selection but limited.

Currently I would say my home course is Ballyhack and I like that shop a lot. Dormie Club has the best shop and personalities I have been in I think.
 
Apparel - not a huge selection, but a couple of brands I really enjoy including FJ and Adidas.

Equipment - even more sparse, but well stocked ball wise.

Staff - amazing. Our assistant pro/pro shop manager is a great guy who goes to lengths to make sure the course and pro shop retains a small town feel. Our ranger staff is mostly older ex-military, always have a great mix of laughs and sarcasm going on with that crew.

Other Amenities - They added a sim bay last year but I haven’t used it.

All in all, I couldn’t really ask for much more for what I pay to play out there. The course doesn’t have a huge budget but I love it for what it is. The other courses in the area definitely reflect what you pay pro-shop wise, both positively and negatively.
 
Our apparel selection is pretty pedestrian, I suspect that most of the items wind up on the clearance rack at the end of the season.

The equipment selection is maybe a dozen or so clubs, but they have most brands of balls available. A recent addition is a BioSteel section, but knowing the membership I'd be surprised if even a single item sells.

The staff has improved significantly in recent years; previously we had a retiree who worked the counter in exchange for free golf and his personality was such that every part of his job was an inconvenience which did not translate well.

After the renovation a few years back the bar/lounge/dining room is very upscale, and they've tried several different executive chefs/directors in an attempt to bring up the class level, but again the membership isn't a match. Service is hit or miss - we have a few girls who work on weekends that are top notch, but honestly a server seems to have about a 4-6 week life span (a lot of turnover)

We have one starter (he's in his 90s) who looks after anything we need (if we can't get our normal time he'll sneak us into the tee sheet because he knows we won't hold anybody up) but the rest of the course staff are meh. We don't have any rangers that interact with the golfers.

The grounds crew tries, but our super is deathly afraid of running out of water so the course suffers during the summer. I think he's up for retirement, but none of the other staff want to step up and take the position.
 
Ours probably has the appropriate selection for where we are and how much business we do. No clubs, a good selection of balls, a nice selection of shirts, FootJoy and Skechers shoes, some bags and a good selection of various accessories.
 
I have two home courses I guess.... One sells some shoes, gloves and hats with cheap golf balls. I know the guys so they are friendly with me. Its kinda an old crusty building.

The second one sells some Callaway putters and wedges, can order anything from Callaway... sells a large variety of golf balls and always goes through my bag to see what kinda clubs I'm carrying (not in a creepy way) and they have two really nice simulator bays. I far prefer this clubhouse but the other course... the other course is always in worse condition though
 
It’s a barren wasteland.
 
JB said:
In Nashville I liked our shop, and the people there were great. Good selection but limited.

Currently I would say my home course is Ballyhack and I like that shop a lot. Dormie Club has the best shop and personalities I have been in I think.
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3rd world problems :love:
 
The people at my home course are phenomenal. Super friendly, and call everyone by name - heck, they even remember my drinks order.

There are no clubs or equipment other than some gloves, balls and tees. Apparel is limited too. Just a few course-branded hats, polos, hoodies, towels and pullovers.

Bonus part this year is they started carrying Callaway gloves, hats, and shirts, in addition to balls.
 
Good selection but limited. Adidas, PM, Johnnie O, and Footjoy.

Staff are friendly

I’ve never taken a lesson there
 
So much better than when I joined 4-5 yrs ago. There was no PGA pro in the house, and they only sold gloves and balls.

Our current pro grew up here, came back a few years ago, and has breathed some life into the place again. They renovated a vacant building and moved all operations into it. Clubs and apparel have been added, and we have demo days regularly now.

Pro offers lessons but I haven't taken one with him. It's something I'd like to do at some point.

No complaints about the staff; they treat us well.
 
Currently in a small rental trailer. I think next weekend it will be the brand new building they have been working on for 2 years. Allegedly there will be gear and sims for fitting. We shall see. I’m excited just to go in the new building.
 
It is not good. I have purchased 1 piece of clothing that wasn’t ordered in 9 years. They don’t try.

They do have Callaway balls which is nice.
 

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My pro shop has a decent selection of apparel and accessories. A few different brands. Same with clubs, a few of this and that but can order anything. Only stock Titleist balls. They offer lessons but I haven't taken any there. Nice people and welcoming
 
Great employee attitude and customer service. It’s just an “off the main drag” little place... and they know that they aren’t gonna sell much other than drinks, snacks and golf balls. They have plenty of stuff with the course logo on it... but, it likely doesn’t move too fast. It’s the kind of place that is just centered on the golf and having a good time.
 
Wish there were some more OEMs but I get it.

Titleist, taylormade and ping.

Apparel is adequate, trav, footjoy, peter milar, Swanies. Nice staff but high turnover.
 
 
I don’t belong to any course but can speak generally , many course have , minimal range or branded with insignia interns of apparel or shoes . That’s dependent on brand affiliation also. More geared to someone who is club member and wants branding or someone who’s forgotten something or had gear failure and buys a replacement.

Because of the smaller population we have less merchandise selling stores but they are well stocked . Online purchasing makes for worldwide sourcing for many items although many don’t ship beyond domestic markets
 
I'm spoiled in that my home course shop is, according to them, the "largest on course super shop in the country." Plenty of clubs to demo, a large used club section, and a lot of clothing merchandise.
 
The course I like the most where I buy my equipment is nice.The staff is duper friendly and they usually have a good selection of clothing and gear.
 
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