GolfSpy Barbajo Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Was reading a quick interview with Steve Fessler, the new president of the Minnesota section of the PGA. (Full article here) This response hit me on 3 levels... What trends do you see in pro shop sales? Any favorite gear or merchandise? This may be the one of the toughest areas in the golf business. A lot of “watch†type course yardage devices will become popular versus phone apps (which burn up battery life). Hard goods and soft goods are difficult with the internet. However, the internet can't fit someone for the proper shaft and loft. We are the experts and new adjustable heads now allow us tools we never had in the past. As for brands, Taylor Made was a beast last year, while this year I think Nike will step up a bit in popularity. The top of the line companies all have quality products – players just need to figure out which one they like best. One area I would love to see grow is the use of music in golf carts and on push carts. Music creates energy and a much more upbeat atmosphere. At Riverwood, we encourage our players to use music devices as much as possible. Nothing obnoxious, but it allows the average golfer to get away from this stuffy atmosphere and dead noise. Let's change the image! First - as a club pro he's painfully aware how hard it is for pro shops to sell gear, but is stressing that a PRO can help you get fit. Can this save the pro shop? Second: TMag was beast, even though it showed some sagging sales. What does that say? And it seems like Nike is poised to make a move... Last: Music in the carts? Yeah baby! Let it rock. Glad to see the PGA is starting to loosen up a little... What's in the bag: Driver: TSR3; DynaPWR Carbon FW Wood: DynaPWR 3-wood; TSR 2+ Hybrids: PXG Gen4 18-degree Utility Irons: ZX MkII 20* Irons:; 699/699 Pro V2 Combo; D9 Forged; MT86 (coming soon!); VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; Wedges: RTX6 Zipcore Putter: HB Soft Milled 10.5; Newport Special Select; Willamette, BB8; 8802; MATI Monto Ball: Tour B RXS; Z-STAR Diamond; Triad Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: Follow @golfspybarbajo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 "The man is a menace! Cut that off! Music is a violation of our personal privacy! He's breaking the law!" My wife wears headphones with her iPod when we play to help eliminate distracting noise. She calls it "her spousal filter" “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furu Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Not sure how the level is on pros in the USA. I can only speak for the countries I know. Pros are generally not good enough to do fittings and don't have the correct tools. In general. Nots of brilliant guys out there with TrackMan, but a normal pro is a guy who gives lessons on the range. TaylorMade is still a beast in the industry. They were amazing in woods. So high that even if they fall a little they're still up there. And their reputation among golfers hasn't changed that much. Shops, media, golf fanatics online --- there's been a negative change there, but not that much among their regular customers. Next year looks good for TM. They've corrected themselves, especially with Aero. Nike will be #1-2 within the next 3-5 years. Music? Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 1st Point - Sadly, I think course pro's are falling ever more behind specialty ranges and bm stores in the fitting department. They don't seem to be able to afford the monitors and they never have the fitting carts available except on fitting weekends. Sad part is that they have the knowledge and the integrity that the pimple-faced, monitor-jacking sales guys at Dick's don't have. 2nd Point - I think he could be right about Nike. Their balls are now finally very good. The woods seem to have found legitimacy and the new irons look sexy. Time will tell. 3rd Point - I'm all for music and it's spreading. One of the courses I frequent, the Avis "We try harder" course that added Foot Golf to great success -- starts blasting music from the their loudspeakers every evening after 5. No one has complained and all the evening chipper putter practicers love it. bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cartdriver - Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"fwoods - Jetspeed, 3HL regularirons - Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 upwedges - Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58putter - Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slimball - ProV1x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 deleted duplicate bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cartdriver - Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"fwoods - Jetspeed, 3HL regularirons - Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 upwedges - Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58putter - Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slimball - ProV1x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxio Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 He needs to write the USGA and tell them to change the ruling that music is not allowed while playing. A lot of guys have speakers in their carts where I play and I tell them not to use them during tournament play just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Most courses where lessons are given have nothing to do with the pros. It's the pros business, and the course stays out of it. Sadly, that means the expensive launch monitors are not used. I agree that these pros are better suited to fit golfers than B&M stores, but they don't have the equipment to do so. My local B&M golf store has pros selling, fitting and giving lessons; they are personable, know their stuff and are a wealth of information. However, until about a month ago, they didn't have a LM. “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Deleted duplicate post, sorry. “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshNick Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 The pro I receive lessons from knows his stuff and has taught me a lot about fitting and what numbers do when elements are changed. He doesn't think the LM investment will see the return it needs to. He makes a good living teaching and doing regrips/reshafting/loft/lie for his core pupils, he doesn't want to risk spending the many thousands it costs to get to a point where you can fit someone just to find out the market wasn't there. I play 9 holes later in the day to avoid the busy periods and even then I feel nervous putting on the radio on a bluetooth speaker to listen to football commentary. People can be...contentious. Any pro advocating fresh air in the game is welcome but don't change the cup size. I was born to be bad at putting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbealsd Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Once I "discovered" fitting, I've been an advocate of courses/club pros at least developing a professional relationship with a qualified fitter. If the club pro wants to focus on technique and fundamentals, I think it's a natural "fit" to establish a working relationship with a fitter for their students. I'm really not sure why more of them don't. As far as playing music on the course, I'm OK with it. If I don't like your tunes, I'll take my hearing aids out What's In the Bag Driver - GBB Hybrids Halo XL Halo 18* & T-Rail 20* Irons T-Rail 2.0 Wedges 60* TS / SCOR 48* 53* 58* Putter Ball Bag Datrek DG Lite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 "Why, we play both kinds of music here. Country and Western!" “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revkev Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 "Why, we play both kinds of music here. Country and Western!" Just don't expect me to pay the bar tab and since I was once in the musician's Union I know that you better pay me upfront. Now which one of them there tunes has trumpet in it again? Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60 Aldila R flex - 42.25 inches SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft Ping G410 7, 9 wood Alta 65 R flex Srixon ZX5 MK II 5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex India 52,56 (60 pending) UST recoil 75's R flex Evon roll ER 5 32 inches It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG STU Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I can remember in the late 70s when a local big box store opened in our area. My Dad said at that time it was the beginning of the end for the club pros like him. Used to be you bought name brand "pro only" clubs from your local pro shop. Most of the club pros they had a deal and the sales was part of their compensation. As far as a club pro or small independent club shop I really cant see how they can afford these gizmos like LM or Trackman. Now most of these fitters that have been doing it for a while do have the experience and expertise to fit you properly. I don't believe half of what they tell you on a launch monitor at one of the big box stores. I am one of those that sit back silently and observe before forming an opinion. I have sat back and observed at our 2 big box stores and I think they don't know what they are doing half the time. I do know that everytime you go in those stores that they seem to have changed personell and they have a lot of turnover. I went to one of ours the other day because I won a $35 gift certificate in a scramble (closest to the hole on a par 3) I was just looking around and a pushy sales person came up trying to run a line of BS on me. I let him sprout off until I had enough and then I let him know that I am still in the golf business some and I aint a dumb a##. He sorta tucked his tail between his legs and went on. I ended up buying some grips and lead tape with my gift certificate. Now I don't have anything against someone who is honest and knows their stuff using a trackman or a LM but the guys that fit that critique around here do not see the money needed for that Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56* Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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