I Woke Up and Began to Sell Women s Clubs By "HOME CLUBBER"

Most professionals who've been at their golf at the club. Ladies days were packed clubs more than ten years believe that and there always were arguments about they are doing about everything possible women starting too early Saturday after- to help their clubs, their members and noons, and complaints from women that themselves. I do. I keep looking for they didn't get more time on the course. every new idea or new model of an old About half of my lessons were to women. idea to stir up more golf interest at our When I got to thinking how men's les- club which is typical of the first class son business was among the principal eastern metropolitan district clubs. The leads to club sales but that women's les- more golf interest there is, the more sons didn't have the same selling influ- rounds there are played, and the greater ence although the women pupils certainly the business in my shop. needed new and well fitted clubs more I've got probably a hundred ideas out of than my men pupils, I knew there was GOLFDOM that have helped me increase something wrong in the way I was doing the play at our club, and my profits. One business. of the best hunches I got came from an And it dawned on me that the most article on increasing women's business at serious part of my error was not that I pro shops. It reminded me that I hadn't was missing a profit but that I was miss- been doing the job I should have been ing a chance to improve the games of the doing in selling women's clubs. women members. Maybe you're like I've been; selling I had the shock of my life when the quite a lot of women's golf apparel simply wife of my chairman said to me, "Oh, I by thoughtful buying and good display; didn't know you had clubs for women in but are just coasting along in selling your shop." women's golf clubs. I think that most pros have been negligent in that way. I've Not the Only Sleeper visited a lot of pro shops in playing pro- Well, brother pro, don't think I'm the amateur events in our section and in go- only sleeper in the game when it comes to ing south after our season is over and up not letting women know there are clubs to the time I got wise to what I was especially made for women, on sale in the missing I'd seen only one pro shop dis- pro shop. You probably have women at play of women's clubs that called any your own club who don't know you stock special attention to this part of the stock women's clubs. being specially selected for women golf- ers! Since I became very much interested in women's club business and have talked it Overlooking A Chance over with other pros I am convinced that the pro women stars who came around to No wonder that I had been getting only the clubs and put on clinics have ac- 6 to 10 per cent of my total yearly club counted for so many sales they've par- sales in women's purchases and had been tially awakened the pros. One pro told seeing store sets of women's clubs com- me that after Patty Berg was at his club ing into our racks too often. he sold six sets of woods and irons to I can see now that one reason I missed women that he thought would be using a good bet was that for the past few the same old mallets forever. seasons the new models of men's irons If the men tournament pros would get were selling so well I got misled. Those interested in visiting pro shops and help- new irons were being bought more than ing sell clubs in the same way that Berg, they were being sold and the volume was Suggs, Zaharias, Spork, Smith and the so good I didn't look around to see where rest of the girl pros who are on manufac- I might be overlooking chances to sell turers' payrolls, the home club pros would other equipment. be a lot happier. Those girls know how to Then, as I read of how other pros were sell golf clubs and they love selling and doing with women's business it struck me they don't mind work at all. that if women were buying hats, shoes It wasn't until about July a year ago and dresses in increasing amounts why that I realized I'd been missing the boat wasn't my women's club business increas- on women's club sales. I'm still looking ing? There were more women playing for a lot of the answers but at least I've begun to see that our women know I've remember and use and cut a few strokes got fine clubs for women, and clubs at off. It amazes many women to see what the right prices, in my shop. a difference there is between the old This year my women's club business clubs they're using and a modern, styli- will run about 18 per cent of my men's ish, really suitable set. club sales volume against about 8 per Getting Specialist Reputation cent for all of 1951 when more than half of my women's club sales were made after This year I've continued to departmen- July 1. My men's club sales are off a little talize my women's clubs and I'm getting bit from 1951 but the increase in women's the reputation of being the districfs spe- club sales this year will give me an over- cialist in correctly fitting women with all improvement in club sales revenue this clubs. I'm no better than any other ex- year. perienced pro at this but business is com- ing into me from other clubs where the Separate Women's Display pros haven't got on the job in selling The first thing I did was to have a sign- clubs to women. painter make me three very attractive I couldn't say to these women who were signs like you'd see in top grade women's brought to me from other clubs by my shops. These signs read: "The finest in own women members, "Go back home and golf clubs for women," "A woman's golf buy your clubs. Your own pro has clubs clubs should fit her as well as her dress," for you or can get them." That would and "The best in women's golf clubs in knock the sale out. Splitting the profiit all price classes." is a deal that will go just so far and I thought I was over-ordering when I only among pros who are close personal got a few more sets of women's irons and friends and in positions to conduct re- woods so I could make an impressive and ciprocity business. I've got enough of separate club display in the front of my my own women members who should be shop. But I wasn't. I picked up sets buying new clubs not to want to make other pros couldn't sell in early Septem- any bid for the business of women who ber, and got rid of them. belong to other clubs. But this sort of business from other clubs is coming and For the first time in the 23 years I've growing, even though I've just been fea- been a pro I saw women getting into the turing women's clubs for a year. habit of handling clubs when they came into my shop. I lot of men will take clubs Most of us in pro golf clubs have been out of a good display and waggle them treating women's club business like an for feel and look them over, but seldom orphan and I'm surprised that the stores do you see women doing this. didn't run away with it before we began to give this business the attention it I set my women's club display apart should have. from the wall space where I show my men's clubs. The women were made aware that there was something distinc- Professionals and Amateurs tive for them and something worth the spotlight. Named to Mid Century Roll The nation's golf professionals, sports "Peace Offering" Sale writers and sportscasters have selected The first set of first quality women's 10 top professionals and amateurs to the clubs that I sold after making the special mid century honor roll of American golf display was to a man for his wife. He in commemoration of the nation's most went the limit on price. Another member successful 50 years of athletics. They will told me the buy was a bargain as it might be honored at a banquet September 20 as have saved the man who bought it the a highlight of the National Celebrities price of alimony. It was a peace offering Open tournament in Washington, D. C. and the way the wife bragged about the The list of professionals in the order of set and enjoyed the woods and irons was most votes received are as follows: Ben proof that the husband had squared him- Hogan, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Sam self. Snead, Byron Nelson, Tommy Armour, It doesn't take long for women to get Lloyd Mangrum, MacDonald Smith, Ralph talking when good new merchandise is Guldahl and Jimmy Demaret. properly displayed and the price is right. Amateurs receiving the most votes In two cases husbands and wives agreed were: Bobby Jones, Chick Evans, Francis upon new woods and irons as graduation Ouimet, Lawson Little, Frank Stranahan, gifts for daughters and I know that in Willie Turnesa, Johnny Goodman, Jerry both instances the idea of buying the gift Travers, Dick Chapman and George Von clubs came from the wives. Elm. Although eligibility was limited to I used the demonstration set idea and native born or naturalized citizens, many found that the sampling idea got across foreign stars were named among the 106 pretty well, especially after I'd given each professionals and 193 amateurs who re- user a simple tip or two that they could ceived votes.