Randy Vaughn is an AGCP Level 10-certified clubfitter at The Club Shoppe in Murphy, N.C.

Randy Vaughn on the importance of creating a partnership with a local paper:
Here at The Club Shoppe, the best way to get people coming in for clubfittings is from word of mouth in the tri-state area. The heaviest part of our season is from April-August, but one of the ways we keep business going through the winter is in a monthly column I write for the local Cherokee Scout newspaper. For the past six years, I have been able to call up the paper’s sports editor and write a short blurb promoting our shop’s clubfitting options in addition to the game of golf. Although the practice has been on-and-off, I can write about topics like going to this year’s PGA Merchandise Show, and this allows us to spread our message through a free and effective medium. We have several golfers come from places many hours away, such as Chattanooga, Tenn. and Alpharetta, Ga., just because they trust us. Our progressive swing weight approach, as well as ordering clubs uncut and ungripped, is more time-consuming, but we feel like it helps to make us one of the top clubfitters in this region. At the end of the day, we still need to get people here to Murphy, and using the newspaper helps to spread the word of our efforts.

Randy Vaughn on the business impact of creating a partnership with a local paper:
In our 4,500-square foot shop, we will average approximately $12,000-13,000 of revenue per month. There’s no way to quantify how word of mouth affects us, but with limited advertising and other promotions, this is our main avenue for finding customers. Clubfitting and club repair is our entire business, and we feel confident enough that this will carry us via word of mouth.