Centennial, Colo. (Oct. 24, 2013)… With its 2013 fiscal year just closed, GolfTEC – the world leader in golf improvement – has posted impressive numbers in sales, centers opened, lessons given, coaches hired, and international expansion.
The results may surprise some golf industry watchers, but they don’t surprise Joe Assell, President and CEO of GolfTEC, which is now the provider of 25% of all private golf lessons in the United States.
“It’s our commitment to giving the best golf instruction possible,” Assell says. “We are constantly improving the tools and techniques our coaches use, so the quality of lessons keeps getting better.”
For the fourth straight year, GolfTEC recorded same-sales store growth (up 6.8%), as well as an increase in total sales of 14.6%. But that’s not all. FY 2013 was a huge success for GolfTEC across the board:
• 23 new domestic and international centers opened
• 6 centers relocated to newer, more expansive facilities
• More than 655,000 lessons given (up from 578,000 the year before)
• 160 new coaches hired
• Gains made in both club fitting and equipment sales
All of this occurred in what was a soft year for the rest of the golf industry according to two key indicators – sales and number of rounds played.
“We have improved our technology at all levels,” Assell notes, “with new software internally as well as new mobile apps that help and inspire students. We continue to offer terrific benefits to our coaches so we have no problem keeping them on the GolfTEC team. And, of course, we are committed to opening more centers so we can reach more people and help them enjoy the game of golf.”
Establishing new centers and moving existing centers into bigger and more efficient locations are key elements of GolfTEC’s strategic, multi-year growth program announced in 2012. In 2014, GolfTEC is projecting to open another 20 to 25 centers at home and overseas, as well as manage a significant number of relocations, remodels, and expansion of existing sites.
GolfTEC continues to lead the country in golf lessons. Since opening its first location in 1995, GolfTEC coaches-there are now more than 550-have taught more than 4.3 million lessons. Looking ahead to 2014, GolfTEC estimates that at some point next summer, its coaches will have given five million lessons. Also in 2014, growth plans are to hire another 140 new coaches.
In another milestone, in FY2013 GolfTEC increased its lead in top-of-mind awareness among core golfers. Testing unaided awareness of golf instruction entities, GolfTEC rose from 14% in 2012 to 19% in “first mentions,” and from 33% to 42% in “top 5 mentions,” according to research conducted by the National Golf Foundation. In first mentions, no other instruction program rated higher than 4.6%.
Earlier this year, GolfTEC, for the fourth time, was cited on the “Inc. 5000” list of fastest-growing private companies in America, as named by Inc. Magazine.
New centers, more coaches, improved methods of teaching, the latest technologies, and a long-term commitment to growing the game and encouraging its students have more fun playing golf continues to be a proven-and winning-formula for GolfTEC.
About GolfTEC
The global leader in golf improvement, GolfTEC gives more than 25% of all private golf lessons in the North America annually and has a 95% success rate among its students. The 550+ GolfTEC Certified Personal Coaches at 180 centers worldwide, including 70+ within Golfsmith stores, have given more than 4.3 million lessons since 1995. All lessons are based on the company’s “Five Factors:” Fact-Based Diagnosis, Sequential Lessons, Video-Based Practice, Advanced Retention Tools, and Precision-Matched Clubs. GolfTEC Improvement Centers can be found in almost all major U.S. cities, Canada, Japan and Korea. Call 877-446-5383 or visit www.golftec.com.
Contact:
Karen Moraghan
Hunter Public Relations
908/876-5100
kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com
