At Capital City Club in Atlanta, the golf shop renovation was part of a larger clubhouse project, and the retail transformation had been years in the making.
“We completely shut down our golf shop as we knew it, and we moved into two temporary trailers,” says Aimee Ganote, Director of Retail. “We worked out of there for two years.”
Still, planning began years prior and covered both the member experience and operational needs. The result is a shop that feels larger and more open, despite a fairly small increase in square footage.
“The current space is really open. It’s big—about 1,800 square feet. We only gained about 200 extra square feet,” Ganote says, “but it looks so much bigger.”
Lighting and visibility were key design priorities.
“The lighting is amazing—natural lighting, but also the different lighting throughout the shop,” Ganote says. “Our space changed a little structurally, but there was also some of the previous space that stayed. One was these beautiful, picturesque windows that look out over our driving range and our practice putting area. We had blinds on them in the old shop. When the designers came in, they said, ‘Let’s open this up. Let’s take all the blinds down.’”
The change brought in significantly more natural light, while an exterior window film protects merchandise and furniture from sun. Meanwhile, the updated interior lighting was optimized for the retail experience.
“The interior lighting that they provided is very dedicated and planned out for each section,” Ganote says. “Our built-in shelves have built-in lighting, so when you pull out a shelf, the lighting comes with you.”
In addition to lighting, the redesign addressed longstanding issues with the previous layout.
“The previous shop was beautiful, but it was very choppy, and things were kind of jammed,” says Ganote. “It was hard to merchandise. Now, it’s open, it’s easy to shop, it’s very welcoming, and it’s much easier to merchandise.”
While modernized, the space still reflects the club’s history, which dates back to 1883.
On the merchandising side, though, trends are evolving—especially in women’s apparel. In fact, ladies’ sales grew 100% from 2024 to 2025.
“It was a small percentage,” Ganote notes; “it had been at 6-7% since I’ve been here, which is almost 12 years. But last year it was 15%. … What’s trending now are things you can wear on the golf course, but also off the course. We’ve been trying new brands—more lifestyle, everyday items that don’t [necessarily] have that true golf outfit look.”
Men’s offerings remain relatively traditional, while lifestyle items and gifts are growing in popularity.
“On the men’s side, for us at Capital City Club, the members still love tradition. They’re very classic. They love brands that have the more tailored cuts,” she says. “On accessories, we’re trying all different things. Jewelry and other gifts—candles, blankets—have been a big trend for us, different things that you wouldn’t think you would see in a golf shop, we’re giving it a try.”
To accommodate, behind the scenes, storage and back-of-house space were expanded. Still, Ganote says, “you can never have too much storage.”
“You always think, ‘This is so big. We will never fill this up.’ But you will always fill it up,” she says. “If you think you have enough storage, add a little more.”
Other advice to clubs considering a pro shop renovation: Start planning as soon as possible, and make time for site visits.
“Whoever you’re working with, your architect, if they suggest doing some site visits to their current or previous customers, it’s worth the trip,” Ganote says. “You can look at a design on paper, but to actually see it live in action was super helpful.“
Ganote also suggests attending all of the meetings to advocate for the specific needs of retail.
“The last year of the project, there were two meetings a month, and a lot of time, they didn’t have anything to do with the pro shop, but I made sure I was there [in case] there were any questions or any changes they were going to make,” says Ganote. “I was there to make sure I was representing [the retail] side of the project.”
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