Ed Mitchell, the 2009 Southern Ohio PGA Section Horton Smith Award winner and a member of the PGA National Education Committee, is the owner of Mitchell Golf Equipment in Centerville, Ohio.

Ed Mitchell on the importance of offering club repair and fitting to fill revenue gaps:
With steady equipment releases from golf’s main manufacturers, it can be difficult for you and your customers to keep up. Most on-course golf shops are stocking less hard good products than ever before because of this, and there appears to be no end in sight. There are ways, however, to provide golfers with top-of-the-line equipment improvements without breaking the bank. Angle adjustments should play a part in every lesson program and can be built into the cost without a problem. Players will see visible ball flight changes immediately, and it’s advisable to keep your angle machine in sight to get repeat customers. Grip changes also offer a great way to improve feel and ball flight. Putting grip samples on the golf shop counter is an excellent way to get different textures, size and color in front of your customers on a regular basis. Lastly, shaft changes provide another way to influence feel, weight and ball flight. Supplying demo 6-irons and drivers with several of the latest shafts should afford customers an ideal way to see ball flight changes and feel shaft characteristics. These three offerings will enhance a customer’s experience while hitting balls on the range or preparing for a round of golf.

Ed Mitchell on the business impact of offering club repair and fitting to fill revenue gaps:
Numerous customers end up at local repair shops and big box stores looking for these services because on-course facilities don’t offer them. Implementing the aforementioned services does not involve much start-up capital, and the revenue generated can be quite significant. At the minimum of one set of iron adjustments per week, one set of grips per week and one graphite shaft installed per week, $250 a week can easily be added to the bottom line. Expand that over the course of even a short season at 26 weeks and you are talking about $6,500 per season. Even modest facilities can make well over $20,000 each year and busier facilities can make over $100,000 in a year. If you have willing employees looking to make an extra buck, club repair and alterations represent a great opportunity to service customers and keep employees motivated. Furthermore, it creates an even greater amount of customer loyalty because they know you’re going the extra mile.