Stafford, Va. – The 2016 Middle Atlantic PGA Resort Merchandiser of the Year is Geoff Redgrave, PGA from Wintergreen Resort in Nellysford, Va. This award is bestowed on those PGA Professionals who have demonstrated superior skills as merchandisers in the promotion of golf. This award recognizes excellence in golf shop operations in three categories: Private, Resort, and Public/Military/Semi-Private.
As the old saying goes, “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” and that couldn’t be more true for Geoff Redgrave, the 2016 Merchandiser of the Year for the Resort category. Geoff’s passion to teach the game of golf, provide the direction needed for golf programs and interact with all the influences and people are what have made him so successful in his golf career.
Geoff was born in Bethesda, Md., on July 23, 1963 and is one of three children to Mike and Joan Redgrave. Getting a somewhat late start to the game of golf, Geoff taught himself how to play at the age of 22 while playing in the Valley League Collegiate baseball summer league in Waynesboro, Virginia. Geoff’s first golf-related job was cutting greens at Kenwood Country Club in 1983. Geoff graduated from the University of Delaware in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Journalism.
Five years later, Geoff became a golf professional and started working at Orange Lake Country Club in Kissimmee, Fl. In 1992, Geoff was hired as an Assistant Professional at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. While in his second year at PGA National, Geoff earned his PGA Membership. Geoff stayed at PGA National until 2002 when he accepted the First Assistant Professional position at The Tam O’Shanter Club in Long Island, NY. After three years in New York, Geoff moved back to the Sunshine State and worked at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Jupiter, Fl. In 2006, he accepted the position of Head PGA Professional at Wintergreen Resort in Nellysford, Va., and in 2009 become the Resort’s Director of Golf.
Geoff’s merchandise philosophy is fairly simple: provide the members and guests with a golf shop in which anything can be purchased for their round of golf from top to bottom. This includes apparel and essentials like hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, shirts, pants/shorts and socks/shoes as well as golf balls and equipment options. All products are priced competitively and various price points are offered. While growth of the golf shop’s (sales) has mirrored the overall rounds played footprint at Wintergreen Resort, which has shown to be relatively flat, Geoff has instituted a few changes that have assisted in sales. Geoff uses the approach of bringing “customers to the product” instead of the opposite, which has made sales easier, more predictable and more profitable. Geoff and his staff also outline viable buying days such as holidays and resort wide events to become more prudent with their buying plan and manage cost of sales more efficiently. Geoff has also increased shop sales by stimulating the buying experience with retail proven strategies like buy one, get one free on a slower moving product, e-blasting to the membership new product or “sneak previewing” various lines and equipment at many member events.
Working at a resort golf course, Geoff typically “front loads” much of his merchandise buy so that both golf shops at Wintergreen have a plentiful offering when they open for the season. He does target product for the busy holidays and believes that a resort facility must adopt this strategy, or at least an adaptation thereof, because golf rounds at a resort are typically predicated by weather and lodging components, making an “Open to Buy” plan not the only predicator relative to the buy. The hard goods program at Wintergreen is more of a custom strategy that carries less inventory in both shops and centers a large percentage of its sales on targeted demo days throughout the season. The program also custom fits and club orders through their golf school and private lesson programs. Both facilities have demo carts with a variety of shafts and components used in the fitting process. While some margin is sacrificed by competing with the large “box” stores, equipment sales still comprise 15-20% of overall sales in the shops.
Geoff and Mary Lynn, his wife of 19 years, have one daughter, Erin Elizabeth who is a freshman student at the University of Delaware. Geoff enjoys being a golf professional, not because of the long hours and time away from family, but the pleasure that this game provides and interfacing with people who feel the same way. As Geoff mentioned, “nobody comes to the club or course because they have to, they come and play and interact because they want to.” Fun Fact: Geoff was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft as a Pitcher.
Contact:
Eric Southard
esouthard@pgahq.com
(540) 720-7420 ext. 115
