Patrick White, a three-time Indiana PGA Section Award winner, is the Secretary of the Indiana PGA Section and PGA Head Professional at Woodland Country Club in Carmel, Indiana.
Patrick White on the importance of offering fitness products in your golf shop:
Health and wellness have become more prevalent than ever, and a focus on fitness in player development programming is changing the look of our golf shops. In addition to the golf balls, clubs and traditional apparel we carry, many golf shops have added fitness-related products. One item in particular, Theragun by Therabody, has found a niche in my golf shop. We started carrying Theragun Smart Percussive Therapy devices early in 2020, fully-stocking the product since that spring. With the boom in health and fitness due to the pandemic, I was able to cater to our members’ wellness needs with relevant product offerings like the Theragun Elite and Theragun Mini models. The price difference between these models often triggers discussion and an explanation of their features. Members are quick to understand the differences and can make a decision on which model will serve their needs. They’re buying the device to aid in recovery from golf or their daily workouts, and our own professional staff uses the product every day. Through this past summer and fall, people have been walking more, working out on a regular basis and simply paying more attention to their bodies. In our communication with members, we provide key reasons for golfers to use the device – to warm up before a round and increase range of motion, to treat golfer’s elbow pain, to help prevent injury altogether and for post-round recovery to reduce pain and tension.
Patrick White on the business impact of offering fitness products in your golf shop:
We also carry KT Tape, which alleviates pressure to the tissue and provides support to muscles so they don’t over-extend or over-contract, and the KT Tape Massage Ball, which offers the benefits of deep-tissue massage therapy and hot/cold treatment. One thing we have learned through COVID-19 is how important it is to maintain our health and wellness, and our communication with members. These products promote both efforts, as we highlight health and fitness-related products in our Golf Shop Update email. With a more active membership, Theragun and KT products are helping them play more frequently and with less pain. To facilitate more of a lifestyle change, we also offer personal training by a local fitness professional to help players maximize their flexibility and power in their golf swing. This fitness-related engagement helps increase golf shop sales, rounds of golf played and many other revenue streams at our club.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice, please email pwhite@woodlandcc.com.
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