GolfWorld's 100 Best Golf Shops

. . . is balderdash.

From the February 2, 2009 issue (which I received yesterday ), on page 42-43. (For non-subscribers, the list is available online HERE. Take a look for yourself and see if you agree with me.)

I've been to a few of the shops on the list and they are FAR from the "best." For example, the pro shops at Chambers Bay, WA and the Golf Club at Newcastle are TINY, with limited stock that is retail priced. Instead, why not include the Puetz Superstore on Aurora in Seattle that has a knowledgeable, friendly staff and its own covered driving range where you can demo clubs or take a lesson from a PGA Pro?

Another example from the GolfWorld list: the PGA Tour Shop at the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport. Not one of the two ginormous PGA Tour Superstores in Plano that have multiple hitting bays with launch monitors and more demo clubs than some stores have retail stock . . . but rather, the shop at the airport. THE AIRPORT fer Pete's sake! (Seriously, who is Pete, and why is everyone doing everything for his benefit?)

Baffling, eh?
Yes, until you look at a small box on the bottom of the page:

HOW THE WINNERS ARE CHOSEN
On- and off-course golf shops submit financial statements, photographs and an essay. Shops are judged on three criteria: (1) revenue per square foot/per round; (2) shop appearance/layout, using supplied photos; and (3) articulation of successful promotions and recent initiatives within the last year.

Click to expand...

Ooooooooo! Profits, a picture, and an essay! AN ESSAY!!!!

Are you kidding me?!?! Not customer reviews. Not personal visits. Not convenience to customers. Not fitting capabilities or staff qualifications. Not selection or price.

Profits, a picture, and an essay.

What a completely worthless piece of drivel. An unequivocal waste of wood pulp for anyone but the shops, who can now slap a "Top 100" banner (presumably for a licensing fee) on their ads (in GolfWorld or one of its sister publications, Golf Digest or Golf for Women.) "Best" is more than dollars per square foot, even if the intended audience is only those in the industry. Best is customer satisfaction. Best is longevity. Best is getting the right equipment to the right player. Because THAT is what ultimately grows the sport in the long term.

Then again, maybe I'm mistaken. Misguided perhaps. Confused, if you will. So, next time I fly into D/FW to visit my folks, I'll be sure to stop in at the airport PGA Tour Shop and get fitted for a new driver. I'll post a review when I do (assuming that I fly into the correct terminal, can get through security, and don't mind paying the extra parking fees for the person who is picking me up.)

what! Edwin Watts Golf, Hanover, Mass.


I've never been but I'll have to make a trip now.


Anyone from the Mass area has to go here,Pine Oaks GC, South Easton, Mass. It is a store on course called Joe and Leighs. They have so many sales its unreal and their used selection is also outstanding. They have things that people purchased, hit on the range once, then took out for a round and realized they can't play the club then trade it in. Then you come along and its about half off. Unreal store... its about a half hour for me so I don't make it down there as much as I'd like.

DD,
You know that Joe and Leighs is the shop that was the start of 3Balls, right?

Grogger31 said:

DD,
You know that Joe and Leighs is the shop that was the start of 3Balls, right?

Click to expand...

that is correct... 3balls.com's office is actually next door. Great, great people...

They are one of the only local stores that gets really high end closeout models on FJ Classics

That explains why none of the "superstores" are listed. They were not going to submit financials.

That is plain horrible how this list was put together.

JB said:

That explains why none of the "superstores" are listed. They were not going to submit financials.

That is plain horrible how this list was put together.

Click to expand...

I'd love to experience some of those superstores JB... I haven't the slighest clue what they'd be like

None of the shops around me are on that list, :sadnly Trump National and I can only imagine the prices there.

The way the stores were ranked is why you should ignore these surveys. Heck, our industry gets ranked using silly formulae based on public filings. The fastest way to move up the ranks is to fire your smallest clients. How silly is that?

Same flaw in the US News & World law school rankings. The formulae create perverse incentives.

worst_shot_ever said:

Same flaw in the US News & World law school rankings. The formulae create perverse incentives.

Click to expand...

For college rankings, one big determinant is money spent per student, but it doesn't have to be ON the students. One year, Cal Tech sunk a bunch of money into the Lawrence Livermore particle accelerator or something and jumped way up there.

TheGasman said:

None of the shops around me are on that list, :sadnly Trump National and I can only imagine the prices there.

Click to expand...

Trumps store is rather limited in stock, in fact last time I was there the only clubs in stock were Scotty Cameron Newports. Don't get me wrong the view is nice, but that's about it.

ActionJackson8 said:

Trumps store is rather limited in stock, in fact last time I was there the only clubs in stock were Scotty Cameron Newports. Don't get me wrong the view is nice, but that's about it.

Click to expand...

Im supposed to go this summer, but for some reason im not that excited.

Nothing like those around here. We have Golf Galaxy, Nevada Bobs & Dicks, that's it. Most of the "pro" shops at the courses are pretty sad as well.