Zach Abels, the 2016 PGA Rocky Mountain Section Youth Player Development recipient, is the PGA Head Golf Professional at the Canyon Springs Golf Course, in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Zach Abels on the importance of experiencing the latest golf equipment and building your product knowledge at the PGA Merchandise Show Demo Day:
The PGA Merchandise Show is annual opportunity for golf professionals across the country to see the latest equipment and apparel, experience the most recent advances in golf instruction technology, and to meet new friends and catch up with old ones. It’s a chance to network and discover new and innovative ways to grow your business back home, while, for many of us, enjoying a respite from the cold, harsh winter of the north. With so many reasons to go, many of us can cite a variety of benefits that we reap from attending. One big advantage I gain from going is the opportunity to be part of demo day at the Orange County National Golf Center. It’s a perfect way to kick off the week, as the club companies do a great job of bringing in their reps to introduce and demonstrate their latest equipment. Hearing from the creators themselves, watching them hit the clubs, and having the chance to hit them yourselves provide an understanding of the clubs’ benefits and features, and this goes a long way to being able to market the merchandise to our own members and customers. Although PING is our primary brand at Canyon Springs Golf Course, we get requests for clubs from various other companies as well, and it is important to be able to speak to various brands, offering the benefits of each and finding the perfect clubs for each individual golfer we have back home. Demo day and the PGA Merchandise Show as a whole, provide that knowledge.
Zach Abels on the business impact of experiencing the latest golf equipment and building your product knowledge at the PGA Merchandise Show Demo Day:
With today’s golf consumer getting younger and more knowledgeable about club and shaft technology, it is vital for PGA professionals to stay abreast of the latest trends. Like many facilities, the majority of the clubs we sell are custom fit. By being able to offer a choice we are empowering our customers to play a role in their next golf club purchase. Also, by stocking less in the shop, we are able to carry less inventory while still selling a large number of golf clubs each year. The PGA Merchandise Show is a great way to network with other golf professionals and discuss what works for us and what doesn’t. Doing this, we often learn from each other. To see world class tour pros like Bubba Watson strike a driver the way he does or hear Annika talk about her golf career are motivating factors that start the new year better than ever. The business benefits of attending the show stem from the knowledge I gain and can pass on to my customers. It enables me to custom fit and sell with confidence, knowing that I’m doing the best for the golfers at my facility. As I wrap up the numbers for 2017, our fittings and club sales are up again, a testament to the benefits I gain by going to Orlando each January. With golfers and students more interested in the technology than ever, they are driven to learn and improve, increasing lesson revenues and rounds at our public course.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email zabels32@gmail.com
