Stand alone Golf (Pro) Shop

[archie_struthers]

 




Anyone here have experience with a stand alone golf shop at a  private club.  Pros, cons ?


Separate building completely apart from main clubhouse .  I've worked and played at clubs that have them , but never really analyzed , til today!

[Jeff_Brauer]

Medinah had/has one.  Since it was the first course I played, I figured it was normal.  It alone is almost the size of many clubhouses.


Second course I played was an added nine hole course to an existing 18, so it had a little second pro shop to take the greens fees, etc. So, I still figured it was normal.


Overall, I generally advise owners to minimize clubhouse size.  Unless there is a site specific reason for it (I always figured Medinah needed all of their huge clubhouse for other uses) I can't see it being done purposely.

[archie_struthers]

 




Theoretically in our area you could close big clubhouse and run operation from small shop in winter months . Nice savings and tightens up access , security in quiet time .

[ChipRoyce]

Knowledge of? Yes - Southward Ho CC, Bay Shore NY. The pro shop is an old, small house adjacent to the driving range and 1st tee that also houses bag storage and alongside the caddie yard (back in the 80's reeked of hungover old men).


Operations of? Nope, except that it allowed the golf operations to run on their own hours separate from most of the clubhouse. The locker room ran on its one hours and I believe the Men's bar ran on same schedule).

[Bill Shamleffer]

This is not that unusual.  I know in St. Louis, that St. Louis CC, Bellerive CC, Old Warson CC, & Norwood CC all have the pro shop in stand alone buildings.  I also know that at Algonquin GC (also in St. Louis), that the stand alone building that is now the bag room, caddie house, and cart barn; was many years ago (>40) also the pro shop.


St Louis CC recently (last 15 or so years) built a new pro shop, next to where the prior pro shop used to be.  Both the prior and the current are stand alone.



In Longmeadow Ma, Longmeadow CC also has a stand alone pro shop.


I have no idea why each of these facilities chose to have the pro shops in stand alone buildings.  However, one of the pluses is that the pro shop can be more easily kept open when the clubhouse itself if closed.  In St. Louis golf can be played year round, including in Jan & Feb when some country clubs shut down the clubhouses for a few weeks for updates and renovations.


At St. Louis CC & Longmeadow CC, the pro shop is right next to the first tee.


At Norwood CC, the pro shop is right next to the driving range.


At all three of these facilities, the bag room is also housed in the same building as the pro shop, and cars can easily drive right up to the bag room and drop-off/pick-up their clubs.

[Greg Smith]

We had that at the club where I grew up (International T&CC, Fairfax, VA).  The pro shop was right next to the first tee, and it also contained the bag room.

The large, rather square putting green was the centerpiece, with the clubhouse on its south side, pro shop and 1st tee on the east, and other tees/greens arrayed around the north and west.  It was a great way to work and made more ground-level frontage around the practice green for grill/bar/locker room/lounge areas.

There was a starter shack too, separate from either structure.  I liked breaking everything up like that.

[Tim Martin]

There are lots of them in Massachusetts and a half dozen good ones include Eastward Ho, Worcester, Kittansett, Taconic, Hyannisport and Wyantenuck. All function independently of clubhouse operations and seemingly very efficient.

[Tim Fitz]

Pelham CC (Pelham, NY)

[Eric Hammerbacher]

Myopia's is separate,  up the hill by the range.

[Tom_Doak]

It's a throwback to the old days when the professional OWNED the pro shop, and had to be able to open and close it according to his own schedule.  It is very common in the UK to find the pro shop separate, and also for most old traditional private clubs:  witness Shinnecock, National, Cypress Point, L.A.C.C., etc.


It's become less common in the modern era because building a separate building is a bit more expensive [and less energy efficient] than incorporating it into a larger clubhouse structure.  But I think it's a shame to lose the old tradition.  I've tried to encourage some of my own clients to adopt the old way, with minimal success.  Old Macdonald and Rock Creek are the only ones I can think of right at the moment.  Oh, and Ballyneal.

[archie_struthers]

 




When I worked a winter at Gulfstream GC in Florida they had a pro shop across from  the clubhouse. It's a Donald Ross , recently redone by Pete Dye, in a fabulous spot along the coast just north of Delray .  The 18th hole and the clubhouse are right on the Atlantic Ocean .

The pro shop and the other 17 holes and practice field were on the other side of the road. It worked fine but Gulfstream is ultra private , and  certainly not a normal test study in efficiency. In fact , I barely though of it when I posed this question. 


I love the idea of the pro shop right by the first tee. It allows for the golf professional to  be right in the mix of everything , and even see the swings of the members on a daily basis .  It also makes it easy to have some  impulse buys and emergency purchases of balls and gloves , even hats without holding up play.  The ones I've seen also seem to make getting registered more personal and a little less hectic  for some reason .


Doesn't Oakmont have a separate building also ?

[Sean_A]

A few of my favourite proshops are those with a wee bar and changing facilities.  It makes it easy not to go in the house and subsequently keep the house lightly staffed and close early/open late.

Ciao

[jeffwarne]

A few of my favourite proshops are those with a wee bar and changing facilities.  It makes it easy not to go in the house and subsequently keep the house lightly staffed and close early/open late.

Ciao

Perfect-thus eliminating the need for the clubhouse...
Original Narin and Portnoo clubhouse/proshop bar was perfect

[John Kavanaugh]

As a golfer I am fine that the hoi poi can and want to have a nice brunch in their own quarters. We are two different worlds whose only common interest is the outside gate.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Archie,


I always liked the Saucon Valley golf shop:


http://www.sauconvalleycc.org/golf/golf-shop

[Mike_Trenham]

In our region Archie; Trenton, Huntingdon Valley, Gulph Mills, Biderman (hybrid locker rooms and golf shop), Reading CC, Rivercrest.

[archie_struthers]

 




C'mon guys . We know there are lots of them . But do you like them . Are they efficient ?

[Mike_Trenham]

Yes, I do, but much better for a private club than a daily fee type place.  Archictects should locate them far enough apart so that both buildings have room to grow, because they will.

[John Kavanaugh]

I love them. I don't go to golf to see or be seen by non-golfers.

[archie_struthers]

 


Nice!!!

[SL_Solow]

In Chicago there are several.  Beverly, Midlothian, Lake Shore and Shoreacres come to mind.  Some of it is tradition, some due to location.  For example, Beverly's first tee is on the other side of the street from the clubhouse.  Shoreacres clubhouse is on a beautiful spot overlooking Lake Michigan while the course is removed.  Same with Lake Shore.  Where there is no geographic reason, it can work but a well designed shop can work in the clubhouse and can add operational efficiency.

[Tim Gavrich]

Not only does the Country Club of Farmington in CT have a standalone pro shop, the pro shop has a distinct name: The Little Red Clock Shop, so called because that was the original function of the building when it was built in 1790. It's a quaint and cozy space that adds considerably to the character of the club. http://www.farmingtoncountryclub.com/The-Club/The-Little-Red-Clock-Shop.aspx

[Duncan Cheslett]

A few of my favourite proshops are those with a wee bar and changing facilities.  It makes it easy not to go in the house and subsequently keep the house lightly staffed and close early/open late.

Ciao

That sound like the future to me.


"A wee bar and changing facilities" is surely all anyone needs.


Burn the clubhouse down and use the insurance payout on the course.

[Thomas Dai]

Burn the clubhouse down and use the insurance payout on the course.

You're not the first person I've heard say this Duncan
atb

[Ben Hollerbach]

I've always liked separated pro shops. As they serve a very different purpose to the rest of the clubhouse I like them to exist in their own space. It's always felt a bit eerie to walk into a large clubhouse in the morning and the whole place is dead except for one room, or in the evening when the clubhouse is used for entertaining and there is just one dark and locked room over to the side.


For a massive clubhouse like St. Martins at Philly Cricket, the small shack they have out front is perfect for the little 9 holer. Nicely situated between the first tee, 9th green, and locker room its very easy to pop in on your way to and from the course. Belvedere, which might be the best small club house in america, is a little removed from the playing grounds but works well when considering the course mixes both members and guest play and this allows the members to have their space. One that I've unfortunately not had the pleasure of going in and have not seen listed yet is Augusta National, but it it well situated on the property, right between the members driving range and first tee.