Today’s Clubs Offer an Experience That is Not Your Pop’s Pro Shop

The retail destinations at Watersound Club in Inlet Beach, Fla.; Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor in Lake Suzy, Fla.; Marrakesh Country Club in Palm Desert, Calif.; High Point (N.C.) Country Club; and Minocqua (Wis.) Country Club offer more than just club fittings and racquet stringing. 

Where can you purchase a new set of golf balls, a cashmere sweater and a scented candle—all in the same place? Enter the new-and-improved pro shop, where members and guests are now indulging themselves with luxury apparel, home décor and more. Here’s how some facilities have transformed their retail spaces into stylish boutiques.

Twice as Nice

At Watersound Club in Inlet Beach, Fla., visitors are enjoying two recently updated retail outlets: a tennis pro shop that was part of a racquet complex expansion last April, followed by the July opening of a golf shop serving the adjacent Camp Creek Inn. Both well-stocked facilities are expanding Watersound’s versatility beyond the courts and course.

To enhance Watersound’s wellness amenities, eight tennis courts and eight pickleball courts were constructed, along with a 1,000-sq.-ft. tennis pro shop. The retail space is conveniently located between the courts and pool complex, attracting 50-75 daily visitors (with extra foot traffic over the holidays, according to Emily Reynolds, Director of Retail for The St. Joe Company and Watersound Club). Two separate entrances facilitate a steady flow of visitors, while a back door leads to a covered porch where players can watch a match or enjoy a cold beverage from the shop’s refrigerated selections. 

Inside the tennis pro shop, track lighting draws attention to built-in shelving and slat wall fixtures. “The way we display our merchandise depends on the shipments we receive on a weekly or monthly basis,” explains Reynolds. And while the product selection does not deviate from traditional tennis fare, it has fueled growth in Watersound’s tennis and pickleball programs. “We are able to host new events, and every month since opening, we’ve seen play and participation … increasing,” she adds.

Meanwhile, the 2,500-sq.-ft. Camp Creek Golf Outfitter Shop is housed on the inn’s lower level, just off the locker rooms, check-in desk and restaurant/bar area. Direct access onto the golf course is also an advantage for regulars, amounting to a daily average of 150-250 passing through the shop.

The golf shop’s spacious layout accommodates a mix of merchandising fixtures, including nesting tables, rolling racks, slat wall, wood-designed four ways and built-in shelving. Extra space extends its inventory and now includes apparel, headwear, footwear, gifts, home accessories and health/wellness products. “This addition is beneficial not only for our members, but also for our hotel guests at Camp Creek Inn, as they can now bring back a lovely souvenir from their vacation,” says Reynolds. Rounding out the shop are an office area and bag drop-off [both with storage], fireplace and seating area. 

With a well-thought-out design, ample amenities and a solid product mix, Watersound’s golf shop has become both a destination and a revenue builder. “Our ability to introduce more brands and products has significantly boosted our sales, resulting in a threefold increase in sales … over the past six months,” Reynolds adds.

Luxury Living

The shopping scene on Florida’s Gulf Coast just gained a new high-end hot spot. Last December, Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor welcomed its first guests to the full-service complex, complete with a golf shop (part of the Aileron Golf Club) that boasts designer brands and exclusive merchandise.

The 950-sq.-ft. golf shop is situated in a prime location for maximum foot traffic: just off the main walkway and directly across from the hostess stand. According to Aileron Golf Club General Manager Aaron Merritt, PGA, it’s where “all golfers must exit to head out for golf, enter to get to the dining room, locker rooms or exit to porte-cochere.” 

Flooded with natural light from a corner storefront window and two exterior windows on the opposite side, the shop offers an inviting atmosphere for browsers and buyers. Merchandise is well-organized via five custom built-ins that include slat walls for showcasing individual apparel brands. One set of built-ins contains two coolers for grab-and-go grocery items and has shelving in between that contains golf accessories. Rounding out these fixtures are a four-way display, two-way display and freestanding, multi-functional display with stackable, layered shelving and hanging components. 

Traditional golf products are showcased throughout the shop, such as men’s and ladies’ apparel and footwear, as well as custom belts, headwear, sunglasses and golf accessories. Aileron-branded merchandise is another big draw for devoted fans. 

Although the resort has only been in business for a few months, its pro shop has already earned rave reviews from guests seeking luxury goods. “As the Aileron logo is only available for sale at the club, the golf shop has become a destination for golfers … to purchase swag and memorabilia,” says Merritt.

Lifestyle-Leaning

Nearly 50 years old, the clubhouse at Marrakesh Country Club, including the pro shop, was long overdue for a makeover. Outdated electrical, HVAC and plumbing at the Palm Desert, Calif., facility, required a restructured layout. “The goal was to maintain our distinctive modern architecture, while reconfiguring our existing square footage to create additional office space and storage, as well as featuring a wider variety of retail,” says Director of Golf John Birchard, PGA. 

The pro shop’s lower-level location paved the way for improved accessibility. Since members were originally only able to enter through the tunnel next to the fitness center, designers decided to reduce the footprint by 200 sq. ft., thereby creating a distinct separation from the two entities and widening the space. “The shop’s newly designed windows and pocket doors open to the spectacular western golf course view,” describes Birchard of the picturesque San Jacinto mountains backdrop. Adding an elevator to the design also facilitates access from all points within the clubhouse.

In addition to improving the logistics, the style of the shop was reimagined with the help of fixtures supplier Pro Craft Designs and interior designer Tom Scheerer, who selected a color palette of moss green and white with a grass cloth wallcovering. The outcome was a movement away from traditional dark colors and a more modern design with lighter colors, textures and décor. “The environment creates a brighter, more inviting pro shop and retail experience for our membership and their guests,” notes Birchard. 

Since the shop’s opening last February, Marrakesh has seen an uptick in foot traffic and sales. Approximately 40-50 golfers pass through the shop every day, and business has increased by 35-45 percent. He credits lead merchandiser Jody Cook for incorporating a plethora of luxury brands, such as Peter Millar, Holderness & Bourne, Linksoul and Reyn Spooner, among others. “We are very happy to say we are more of a lifestyle shop than a standard golf shop,” explains Birchard. “We are creating a shop that caters to all lifestyles who call the Coachella Valley home in the winter months.”

Shop ’n Sip

Members at High Point (N.C.) Country Club can enjoy an unusual treat at the golf and racquets pro shop: cocktails with friends. A bar area with seating for four hosts a small group of golfers, tennis or pickleball players before or after their game—an indulgence made possible by last March’s construction of a new shop that replaced an outdated structure.

Situated on the club’s Emerywood Campus, the centrally located, 3,200-sq.-ft. shop features golf car storage directly underneath the retail space. An open floor plan lends itself to a well-designed layout that can be adjusted as needed. “Display pieces are movable and easily transition to accommodate a variety of offerings,” says President & CEO Cliff Mann, CCM, CCE, PGA. 

Nesting tables share space with a wall of oak built-ins containing tennis, pickleball and golf merchandise, accentuated by recess lighting. Wooden ceiling beams and an oak wood sales counter play off each other, while light-colored walls and tartan pattern carpeting enhance the traditional pro shop vibe. Additional amenities include an office that provides extra inventory space, a tournament prep area and stringing area; rest rooms and an outdoor seating area that looks out onto the tennis and pickleball courts. 

Back inside, shoppers can purchase sports equipment and apparel and choose from an array of specialty items, like non-golf/tennis apparel, swim wear, beach towels and other seasonal offerings. Mann reports that membership has been “thrilled with the new space and very much appreciates the new shop and surrounding outdoor spaces.” In turn, retail sales have more than doubled during its first year in business. 

Spring Refresh

Last May, Minocqua (Wis.) Country Club breathed new life into its former pro shop with an updated facility that nearly doubled in size. 

“The new building gave us a bigger golf shop, upgraded locker rooms, a member business center and significant space for amenity development,” says Head Golf Professional Dave Kemnitz, PGA. 

The 1,200-sq.-ft. shop, which was previously 650 sq. ft., is housed in the front of the building, with the bag drop, cart staging area and bag room within the vicinity. (A lower-level cart storage space is designed to assist with the transition to electric golf carts later this year.) When determining the interior design, the club turned to its members for input on colors and lighting. Creamy whites and neutrals pair well with the wood ceiling, trim and fixtures. The club commissioned local contractor Tom Hensen with Hensen Cabinetry to create a series of merchandisers for each section. “He was a tremendous help in taking our ideas and bringing them to life,” notes Kemnitz.

The layout of the shop features designated areas based on product type, including men’s and women’s apparel, clubs and lifestyle items. Since the redesign, merchandise has expanded into additional glassware, candles and athleisure apparel. Real estate was also allotted for office space, a fitting area and retail storage/club repair. Approximately 25 percent of the building that houses the pro shop was left unfinished for future amenity development.

Coming up on the first full year since the redesign, sales have grown 17 percent and Kemnitz is confident that the pro shop will continue to exceed expectations. “We have built up knowledge of how things worked in 2023 and are excited to expand offerings in 2024,” he added. C+RB