Burnham & Berrow Golf Club in Somerset’s head professional, David Haines, reflects on 30 years in the trade, discussing how launch monitor technology, choosing the best Retail Services Group for your business and tailored junior pathways are securing the future of the modern pro shop.
The landscape of the golf industry is always evolving, how has your business adapted to change in recent years?
Having been a professional for over 30 years I have seen some big changes during this time. I was still doing wooden club repairs when I first turned pro, but in more recent years with the introduction of launch monitors, fitting kits from the manufacturers` and indoor / outdoor studios this is probably the biggest change we have had to make to adapt in the business to satisfy the needs of our customers. It has also a benefit to us as PGA professionals. Rather than having racks full of hardware on display in the shop as we once did, we can keep stock holding to a minimum which has made a massive difference to our stock turns in the hardware category.
When did you join the TGI Golf Partnership and what made you decide it was the right fit for your business?
I joined about 11 years ago. Firstly, I felt the business model was a better fit for me compared to the previous buying group that I was a member of.
Also being in the West Country, at that time, there were not as many TGI partners in my area and many of the customers on my email database were also on other PGA professionals databases and they would have been receiving almost identical and possibly multiple mailings that all looked the same, so I wanted to do something different that separated us from the others in my area.
How has becoming a TGI partner been of benefit to you as an independent retailer and PGA professional?
It has given me the opportunity to get the best deals possible with all the major manufacturers in the golf industry. As well as a host of other partner benefits such as business support from the retail consultants and exclusive deals for TGI partners. There is also the educational and social aspect of being a TGI partner. With events such as the annual Business Conference and Team Challenge where we can engage with fellow professionals and learn what works for them, as well as introducing our members and customers to The TGI brand, helping us to foster and maintain customer loyalty.
The day of a club professional can see you wear many hats; how do you manage your day?
Personally, quite often very badly! As the inevitable unforeseen things that sometimes crop up during the day transpire, scuppering our best intentions as priorities change, meaning we must deal with these first.
As well as the usual pro shop WhatsApp group, we have a very colourful Google Calendar which all the staff have access to and we use for our staff rota, lesson diary and for studio reservations.
This works well and enables us to see exactly who is where and what is going on.
This past year we have also introduced the Golf Shop App from Golf Genius which has also been a great asset to the business, enabling us to track and control any demo clubs that have been loaned out, communicate between staff any messages and track any club repairs received. It has also proven to be a powerful communication tool to everyone on our database with notices or shop promotions.
There is a constant flow of new golf products – how do you manage your stock to serve the needs of your members and visitors?
The reports from our EPOS System are probably the most valuable tool that enable us to manage our stock that in turn will enable us to serve the needs of the members and visitors. These reports enable us to formulate buying plans and quantities when ordering, and looking at stock turns to identify slow moving products and milk those that move freely. We also try to move displays around frequently. As well as highlighting new products, it also helps keep the shop looking fresh and can generate interest and awareness of items that may have been in the shop for a while but maybe haven’t been noticed. As soon as a product comes to the end of its lifecycle, we will try to get rid of it and clear it as soon as possible.
Even if it means taking ‘a little bit of hit’ on the margin. So, we have a clearance rail for clothing that we will feed with the odd sizes left over from a colour scheme. Any hardware that we want to get rid of, we use Golf Clubs 4 Cash.
What are you doing to support junior golf and introduce kids to the sport?
I am lucky to have some great staff who deliver a comprehensive junior programme for juniors of any age and ability. We are fortunate to have a second nine-hole course, called The Channel Course, which enables us to get involved with golf development that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to deliver with just The Championship Course.
The Channel Course is a full-length par 35 course with nine greens and 18 tees so can be played as an 18-hole course.
We have formulated a junior golfer’s player pathway that starts from a taster session, Junior Academy Membership, Channel Junior Membership, preparing for The Championship Course to Championship junior membership.
Are you actively trying to attract more women to golf?
One of my staff, Nicola Stroud, has played a massive role in attracting more women into golf. She has developed a player pathway specifically for women. Starting with a one-day golf experience that leads on to two projects that are both eight-week courses that hopefully lead them to a Love.Golf Burnham & Berrow membership, which is a 10 month membership on the Channel Course designed to raise their development with group and one-to-one lessons. This in turn hopefully leads to full Channel Course membership, giving unlimited use of the course and the ability to gain a handicap and play social or competitive golf.
A lot of PGA pros are having to be a step ahead of their competitors in their offerings and technology – what additional added value services do you provide?
I have always tried to offer the best service I possibly can, so I have as much of the latest technology as possible, including Trackman and SAM puttlab. I offer six of the top hardware brands in my fitting studio, so we have a wide choice for customers. We also try to differentiate ourselves from many of the other pro shops in my area by offering different clothing brands that you don’t often find in most pro shops and have also introduced our own clothing brand.
This past year we have introduced a members’ only collection that has been well received and cannot be bought from anywhere else. It has also added additional pride in their club for the members.
This year we will also be adding a laser etching machine to our inventory enabling us to personalise a wide variety of different products and adding value.
What year did you turn professional and what have been your career highlights, both playing and employment?
I turned professional in 1994. Playing highlights – other than finishing fifth in the TGI team challenge this year! Other playing highlights as an amateur are winning The West of England Open Amateur Matchplay at my home club and representing England in the Boys and Youths teams and finishing runner-up in The British Boys Championship.
As a professional I have won over 25 pro-ams in the West Region and won the Gloucestershire and Somerset PGA order of merit twice.
Employment highlights have been redesigning the layout of my previous golf club after the owners bought additional land. Also, building my own golf driving range from scratch on the outskirts of Burnham-on Sea just over 20 years ago, and returning to Burnham & Berrow Golf Club as head professional 12 years ago, where I learned to play golf as a junior.
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