Eye on Retail: PGA Tour Superstore expands

PGA Tour Superstore is growing its store footprint on the heels of strong sales growth in 2021 and growing momentum in golf across a diverse range of consumers.

The specialty retailer for golf and tennis, and part of the Blank Family of Businesses (as in  “Arthur Blank of The Home Depot fame”) plans to open at least eight new stores in 2022, with the first opening on Feb. 5, in Tampa, Fla. The company’s expansion will bring it into several new markets, including Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, and Rockville, Md.

PGA Tour Superstore said its growth outpaced broader golf retail industry growth in 2021. Golf Datatech, a market research consultancy, reported 7% year-over-year golf retail industry growth in October and 4% in November. PGA Tour Superstore reported 21% and 19% sales increases in those same months, respectively

"We did more business in the first half of 2021 than we did in the full-year of 2019 which was a record year for us at the time," said Dick Sullivan, president and CEO, PGA Tour Superstore. "It has been incredible to see new people having fun and enjoying the game, and our business is uniquely equipped to meet the needs of that audience through our in-store and online experiences."

The retailer said it saw significant consumer interest in soft goods, notably on the women's front. In 2021, women's apparel sales increased by 59% and women's footwear was up 67% from 2020, trends the company expects to continue in 2022. The company said the trends indicates a more relaxed lifestyle preference with golf apparel becoming more athleisure and being worn both on and off the course.

"The game of golf industry has changed, and PGA Tour Superstore is committed to bolster the shifts toward a more social, approachable and inclusive game,” said Sullivan. “Growing interest among women, junior and beginner golfers will continue and we're aligning our strategy accordingly, while still focusing on our core avid golfers.”

Golf's changing landscape is being driven by new audiences picking up the sport such as women, millennials and Gen Z, contributing to overall growth of the industry. According to the National Golf Foundation, 2021 total rounds exceeded those from 2020 by approximately 4%, amounting to approximately 529 million rounds played nationwide, the highest play total on record.

Golfer interest in PGA Tour Superstore's experiential in-store offerings, which include interactive simulators, and massive putting greens, also grew substantially in 2021. In-store lessons rose 64% in 2021 versus 2019,

As evidence of PGA Tour Superstore's ongoing community impact, in 2021 the company – in partnership with First Teen, a youth development organization helping kids and teens build their strength of character through golf – hosted in its stores the inaugural Leadership Series. Nearly 300 First Tee teens across the country discovered personal values and leadership skills through interactive sessions facilitated by PGA Tour Superstore general managers.

Forty students were then selected to participate in the first PGA Tour Superstore / First Tee Leadership Summit. Set in the backdrop of West Creek Ranch in Montana – which is owned by PGA Tour Superstore chairman and First Tee Foundation board member Arthur M. Blank – the Summit was designed to strengthen the participant leadership skills through dynamic outdoor and team-building activities with the intended purpose of personal growth, education and coming together to make a difference. Four of the Summit participants were awarded scholarships for their ongoing education. 

The program will all return in 2022.

PGA Tour Superstore is operated by Golf & Tennis Pro Shop, a subsidiary of AMB Sports and Entertainment and is headquartered in metro-Atlanta. All stores are staffed with teaching professionals and have multiple state-of-the-art swing simulators, practice hitting bays and large putting greens.