VACAVILLE, Calif. – The Northern California Section of the PGA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 Merchandiser of the Year awards for the three categories: Private, Public, and Resort. Tim Burr, PGA Director of Golf at Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, Calif., is the 2013 Private Merchandiser of the Year. Rob Dugan, PGA Head Golf Professional at Presidio Golf Course in San Francisco, Calif., is the 2013 Public Merchandiser of the Year. Kyle Winn, PGA Head Golf Professional at Half Moon Bay Golf Links in Half Moon Bay, Calif., is the 2013 Resort Merchandiser of the Year. All three award winners and their merchandising teams have excelled in golf shop operations.
“Our award-winning merchandisers all use thoughtful and creative approaches to ensure that guests have a positive experience and a welcoming environment when they visit the Golf Pro Shop – from the products to the décor to the trained staff,” said NCPGA Awards Chairman Ted Mattila, PGA.
Burr, Dugan, and Winn are among 19 recipients of the NCPGA’s 2013 Annual Section Awards. Section awards are given to PGA Professionals and industry leaders who have excelled in the game and business of golf. The NCPGA will recognize its 2013 Annual Section Award winners on Sunday, December 8 at the NCPGA Special Awards Ceremony & President’s Dinner at Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill, Calif. This event, a highlight for the year, will be held the evening prior to the NCPGA Annual Meeting. There are more than 200 golf professionals and industry leaders expected to attend. E-Z-Go Textron is a presenting partner and PGA Resort and Spa and the Northern California Golf Representatives Association is a supporting partner of the Awards Ceremony & Annual Meeting.
Tim Burr – Private Merchandiser of the Year
Burr at Blackhawk Country Club says, “Our product and assortment is what sets us apart from other golf shops. With 2,800 square feet between two shops, we’re able to offer customers a vast amount of product options. We’re able to give our shop not just a golf feel, but also a retail shopping experience. Developing an assortment of compelling products is one of the most rewarding aspects of merchandising. We are constantly looking for new trends in retail and we attend multiple trade shows every year looking for hot new products.”
Burr carries merchandise from more than 40 vendors and believes that some key components when developing a clear and measureable merchandising plan should be overall budget, product assortment, pricing, and a creative markdown strategy.
He spends approximately 20 percent of his time each day checking in, receiving, merchandising, and promoting the products in the golf shop. Approximately 67,000 18-hole rounds are played at Blackhawk Country Club annually.
Rob Dugan – Public Merchandiser of the Year
Dugan spends 35-40 percent of his time daily in the merchandising area at Presidio Golf Course. At this public course, approximately 64,000 rounds of golf are played each year.
Dugan’s philosophy is simple. “I try to bring in product that will move quickly and turn the shop over. I want different products from different companies that won’t compete with each other.”
He changes displays monthly to keep the store looking fresh and appealing to customers. Two promotions stood out this year. First they had a wedge instructional/ fitting month. While the clinic was free, customers needed to purchase a wedge and promotional pricing was offered for multiple wedge purchases. Another month they encouraged customers to buy a golf bag and receive a free hat and a dozen golf balls.
Kyle Winn – Resort Merchandiser of the Year
The Half Moon Bay Golf Links pro shop rotates as many as 30 vendors throughout the year. Winn spends 20% of his time in the merchandising area at this resort, which accommodates approximately 75,000 rounds of golf annually at its two courses.
To help grow its Bay Area Rewards Membership, they decided that golf loyalty points should be extended to retail purchases as well. This proved successful throughout the year, especially during its Holiday Sale.
Winn’s merchandising philosophy has four key elements, “Anticipate, refresh, be knowledgeable, and reward.” First, staff must identify the guest who is walking in the door and gear the conversation towards the guests’ profile – whether they are a local resident, hotel guest, or a club member. Second, the golf shop must be re-stocked, re-organized, and re-arranged on a weekly basis to present a fresh golf shop appearance. This is this especially critical for regular guests. The staff must be educated about the vendors and products in order to communicate critical information to guests they are helping. And finally, monthly and weekly incentives are held for the golf shop staff to promote sales and friendly competition amongst each other.
About the Northern California Section of the PGA of America (NCPGA)
Organized in 1920 to promote interest in the game of golf, the birth of this association was heralded as an important step to the advancement of the game in this district. The Northern California Section is one of the forty-one designated Sections of the PGA of America, the world’s largest working sports organization. With over 1,100 dedicated PGA Professionals and apprentices at over 500 golf facilities in Northern California and Northwestern Nevada, the association continues to have a positive impact on the game of golf and communities both regionally and nationally. For more information, please visit www.ncpga.com.
Contact:
Jennifer Noel – jnoel@pgahq.com
Nancy Maul – nmaul@pgahq.com
(707) 449-4742
