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PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« on: March 19, 2009, 12:02:54 PM »
I thought the selection process was a little iffy, but here is the Golf Digest list of the best Golf Shops;


February 2, 2009
They are not always the biggest or best known, but the facilities comprising Golf World's 100 Best Golf Shops for 2009 share a knack for creativity in a tough economy. For the GC at Desert Mountain that means freshening displays with digital, environmentally friendly picture frames. For Carlsbad Golf Center it is a women's-only open house and demo day. For Haggin Oaks Golf Super Shop in Sacramento, Calif., (along with Carl's Golfland in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., the only shop to earn 100 Best honors all 24 years of the competition) the highlight is a golf-dreams initiative with 1,000 giveaways. In the 12 months prior to the contest deadline, our 100 top shops chalked up nearly $237 million in sales. That's a good year in any economy.

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.

Off-Course
Carl's Golfland, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Carl's Golfland -- St. John's, Plymouth, Mich.
Carlsbad Golf Center, Carlsbad, Calif.
Dale's Winning Edge Golf H'quarters. Knoxville, Tenn.
Edwin Watts Golf, Hanover, Mass.
Edwin Watts Golf, Naples, Fla.
Edwin Watts Golf, North Miami Beach, Fla.
Edwin Watts Golf Orlando Superstore, Orlando Fla.
Golfdom Tysons, McLean, Va.
The Kiawah Golf Shop, Kiawah Island, S.C.
Lumpy's Golf, Cathedral City, Calif.
Lumpy's Golf, La Quinta, Calif.
Miles of Golf, Ann Arbor, Mich.
PGA Tour Shop -- Dallas/Fort Worth, DFW Airport, Texas
PGA Tour Shop -- Detroit, Romulus, Mich.
PGA Tour Shop -- Ft. Myers, Ft. Myers, Fla.
PGA Tour Shop -- Jacksonville, Jacksonville. Fla.
PGA Tour Shop -- Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nev.
PGA Tour Shop -- Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wis.
PGA Tour Shop -- Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.
PGA Tour Shop -- Phoenix, Tempe, Ariz.
PGA Tour Shop -- Reno-Tahoe, Reno, Nev.
PGA Tour Shop -- San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.
PGA Tour Shop -- West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Fla.
RedTail Golf Center, Beaverton, Ore.


Private
The Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla.
Bearpath G&CC, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Castle Pines GC, Castle Rock, Colo.
Cherokee Town & CC, Atlanta, Ga.
Congressional CC, Bethesda, Md.
Desert Mountain, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Firestone CC, Akron, Ohio
Fresh Meadow CC, Lake Success, N.Y.
The GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga.
Hidden Creek GC, Egg Harbor Township, N.J.
Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio
Kalamazoo CC, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Medinah CC, Medinah, Ill.
Merion GC, Ardmore, Pa.
Muirfield Village GC, Dublin, Ohio
Olympia Fields CC, Olympia Fields, Ill.
The Peninsula G&CC, Millsboro, Del.
Philadelpia CC, Gladwyne, Pa.
Ritz-Carlton Members Club, Bradenton, Fla.
TPC Boston, Norton, Mass.
TPC Jasna Polana, Princeton, N.J.
TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Conn.
TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga.
TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nev.
Wichita CC, Wichita, Kan.


Public
Bali Hai GC, Las Vegas, Nev.
Chambers Bay GC, University Place, Wash.
The GC at Newcastle, Newcastle, Wash.
Grayhawk GC, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Haggin Oaks Golf Super Shop, Sacramento, Calif.
International World Tour GL, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Hillandale Golf Shop, Durham, N.C.
Kierland GC, Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Legacy GC, Henderson, Nev.
Maderas GC, Poway, Calif.
Pine Oaks GC, South Easton, Mass.
Poppy Hills GC, Pebble Beach, Calif.
Redstone GC, Humble, Texas
The Revere GC, Henderson, Nev.
Sandia GC, Albuquerque, N.M.
Talking Stick GC, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Torrey Pines Golf Shop, La Jolla, Calif.
TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.
TPC Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nev.
TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Troon North GC, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Trump National GC, Palos Verdes, Calif.
University Ridge GC, Madison, Wis.
We-Ko-Pa GC, Fort McDowell, Ariz.
Whirlwind GC, Chandler, Ariz.


Resort
Bandon Dunes GR -- Bandon Dunes, Bandon, Ore.
Blackwolf Run, Kohler, Wis.
The Breakers Sports Pro Shop, Palm Beach, Fla.
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coeur d'Alene Resort GC, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
The Doral Golf Resort and Spa, Miami, Fla.
Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas, Irving, Texas
Ginn Reunion Resort & Club, Reunion, Fla.
Grand Cypress GC, Orlando, Fla.
The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.
Harbour Town GL, Hilton Head Island
Lake of Isles GC (North), North Stonington, Conn.
The Lone Cypress Shop at Pebble Beach, Pebble Beach, Calif.
May River GC at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C.
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort Kiawah Island, S.C.
The Oconee Golf Shop, Greensboro, Ga.
The Phoenician, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Pinehurst, Pinehurst, N.C.
The Pro Shop at Pebble Beach GL, Pebble Beach, Calif.
The Pro Shop at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, Calif.
The Pro Shop at Spyglass HIll, Pebble Beach, Calif.
TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Westin La Cantera Resort Course, San Antonio, Texas
The Westin La Paloma, Tucson, Ariz.
Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wis.




Where do most of you buy your golf stuff?

H.P.S.

Kalen Braley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2009, 12:05:01 PM »
Me and my boy Anthony, we like to keep it real when we shop.


PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2009, 12:46:13 PM »
Me and my boy Anthony, we like to keep it real when we shop.



Seriously? What golf stuf do you buy at Wal Mart?
H.P.S.

Kalen Braley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2009, 12:51:38 PM »
Pat,

It was obviously meant to add a little levity to the forum, but they actually do have plenty of stuff to buy there, especially for the beginning golfer.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2009, 03:44:36 PM by Kalen Braley »

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2009, 12:55:53 PM »
Pat,

It was obviously mean to add a little levity to the forum, but they actually do have plenty of stuff to buy there, especially for the beginning golfer.

haha, I saw hidden  ;)

I always see golf gloves at Costco and darned if I don't think about getting a five pack.



I am curious to hear where most people buy their golf equipment from; online, golf course, off-course shop?
H.P.S.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2009, 01:01:15 PM »
If you belong to a private club and want to both support your pro and get along with him, it's a good idea to buy a lot of your golf stuff from him.  ;)

Many private club pro shops keep their mark up down in very reasonable territory.  Sometimes you might be surprised to buy a set of irons for the same as at one of the retail "discount" places like Edwin Watts.

Greg Chambers

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2009, 01:10:21 PM »
Rating golf shops...what a monumental waste of time.

I usually buy my equipment from Golfsmith, once it's over a year old you can find some great deals.  I don't wear a glove, they're for sissys.  My staff usually finds enough balls during the course of the season that I rarely have to pay for them.  If I do, it's at the golf shop, at cost.
"It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.”

Joe Hancock

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2009, 01:11:11 PM »
"Are we in bomdsquadgolf.com, Danny? No, we're not in bombsquadgolf.com....."

 :)
" What the hell is the point of architecture and excellence in design if a "clever" set up trumps it all?" Peter Pallotta, June 21, 2016

"People aren't picking a side of the fairway off a tee because of a randomly internally contoured green ."  jeffwarne, February 24, 2017

Eric Smith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2009, 01:16:53 PM »

The late Gil Silver would object - but I order everything from The Golf Warehouse.

My secretary loves to rib me when those small to medium sized ups packages begin arriving at the office with TGW written all over them.

"Somebody going on another golf trip?" 
                     and/or
"Don't you have enough golf stuff already?"


I don't dare have the stuff sent to the house.

Road trip in 2 hours...where in the blazes is that UPS truck!


PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2009, 01:50:51 PM »

The late Gil Silver would object - but I order everything from The Golf Warehouse.

My secretary loves to rib me when those small to medium sized ups packages begin arriving at the office with TGW written all over them.

"Somebody going on another golf trip?" 
                     and/or
"Don't you have enough golf stuff already?"


I don't dare have the stuff sent to the house.

Road trip in 2 hours...where in the blazes is that UPS truck!



I have to admit, while I enjoy supporting the local golf shop for shirts and hats, TGW is pretty darn good to buy golf balls and gloves.

Acutally, most pro shops will give you a solid discount on equipment...just ask for "cost plus 10%."
H.P.S.

Eric Smith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2009, 01:57:05 PM »
Believe me, I spent 13 years in golf operations and have cost plus 10 ingrained in me, so paying retail does have it's drawbacks.  I tried to support a local shop when I moved to my new hometown, first job out of the golf business.  I ordered a pair of shoes from the guy, he never called.  I called back twice to check on the order.  They never came and he didn't seem to care.

I love golf stuff on demand from right here at the desk.  The easiest part is when they have your amex on file and you're just point and clicking.  Ouch.

Jason McNamara

Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2009, 02:37:00 PM »
Sometimes you might be surprised to buy a set of irons for the same as at one of the retail "discount" places like Edwin Watts.

Plus I found it much easier to get a (say) 5i-PW set, though it's been a couple years for me.

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2009, 02:39:19 PM »
Sometimes you might be surprised to buy a set of irons for the same as at one of the retail "discount" places like Edwin Watts.

Plus I found it much easier to get a (say) 5i-PW set, though it's been a couple years for me.

Or a 2i-PW set  :)
H.P.S.

David Whitmer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2009, 02:53:32 PM »
Rating golf shops...what a monumental waste of time.

I usually buy my equipment from Golfsmith, once it's over a year old you can find some great deals.  I don't wear a glove, they're for sissys.  My staff usually finds enough balls during the course of the season that I rarely have to pay for them.  If I do, it's at the golf shop, at cost.

Greg, I agree. I was a pro at a nice, upscale private club for 8 years, and I can tell you (with absolutely no disrespect to those on the list) that ranking golf shops and getting on the list is all political. Even though my club had a great golf shop, we did not even try to get on the list because we knew it would be a fruitless endeavor. We'd never make it because the powers-that-be had never heard of us.

Kalen Braley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2009, 03:39:35 PM »
With this recent list by Golf Digest,

I wonder  which "Top 100" list will be put out there next:

Top 100 Locker Rooms.
Top 100 clubs with best mixed drinks and on-tap beer selection.
Top 100 courses with the nicest benches.
Top 100 clubhouses, although I supsect something like this already exists.
Top 100 best bag drops.

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #15 on: March 19, 2009, 04:07:30 PM »
With this recent list by Golf Digest,

I wonder  which "Top 100" list will be put out there next:

Top 100 Locker Rooms.
Top 100 clubs with best mixed drinks and on-tap beer selection.
Top 100 courses with the nicest benches.
Top 100 clubhouses, although I supsect something like this already exists.
Top 100 best bag drops.


Top 100 Caddies
Top 100 Beer Cart Girls
H.P.S.

John Burzynski

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #16 on: March 19, 2009, 04:12:16 PM »
With this recent list by Golf Digest,

I wonder  which "Top 100" list will be put out there next:

Top 100 Locker Rooms.
Top 100 clubs with best mixed drinks and on-tap beer selection.
Top 100 courses with the nicest benches.
Top 100 clubhouses, although I supsect something like this already exists.
Top 100 best bag drops.


Top 100 Caddies
Top 100 Beer Cart Girls

Top 100 'Top 100 Lists'


Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #17 on: March 19, 2009, 04:13:09 PM »
Top 100 OT Topics on GCA ...
"... and I liked the guy ..."

Kalen Braley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #18 on: March 19, 2009, 04:13:17 PM »
With this recent list by Golf Digest,

I wonder  which "Top 100" list will be put out there next:

Top 100 Locker Rooms.
Top 100 clubs with best mixed drinks and on-tap beer selection.
Top 100 courses with the nicest benches.
Top 100 clubhouses, although I supsect something like this already exists.
Top 100 best bag drops.


Top 100 Caddies
Top 100 Beer Cart Girls

Top 100 'Top 100 Lists'



Ha ha,

Audible yuks.

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #19 on: March 19, 2009, 05:02:51 PM »
Ha ha,

Audible yuks.

Top 100 Huckaby wannabes

Tom Huckaby

Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #20 on: March 19, 2009, 05:05:00 PM »

JohnV

Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #21 on: March 19, 2009, 05:10:49 PM »
I buy most of my stuff at a Top 100 shop.  Of course, it helps that I get the employee discount. ;)

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #22 on: March 19, 2009, 05:13:02 PM »
H.P.S.

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #23 on: March 19, 2009, 05:13:53 PM »
Ha ha,

Audible yuks.

Top 100 Huckaby wannabes

Can that be limited to 100?

 ;D

Easily....my count stands at one for the moment ;)

Peter Galea

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: 2009 Top 100 Golf Shops
« Reply #24 on: March 19, 2009, 05:21:23 PM »
Support your local pro.
When is the last time your golf discounter gave you a 5 min lesson on the chipping green-for free?
Or, squeezed your group in on a busy Saturday?
Or, offered to make a call to the course down the road to get you a tee time?
Or, gave free lessons to one of your local highschool team players?
"chief sherpa"