NEWS
Dunning Golf ataff player Zach Johnson will compete in the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge, Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, Nev.
BuffaloGolfer.Com recognizes Copley Golf, Bite Shoes and Nike Golf for providing shirts, shoes and outerwear for the site's "Best New Holes of Western New York" television series.
Fairway Skins Co. adds two new sales representatives -- Monica Van Gundy, who will cover Arizona and Nevada, and Hugh Petersen, who will cover Hawaii.
RETAIL
Appealing To Women
By Lea Hart
GPA Fashion Correspondent
Julie Golden remembers all too well what it was like to walk into a pro shop, golf store or sporting goods chain a couple of years ago in search of women's golf clothing and accessories.
She would make her way to the back of the store, through all of the men's golf clothing and equipment, to find one rack, maybe two, containing women's clothing. The selection of sizes was limited, the colors even more so. And to the staff, she felt nearly invisible.
Golden wasn't alone. Two of her best friends, Wendy Gapp and Lisa Taylor, felt exactly the same way. So they started to talk about creating a shop where women's golf apparel and accessories were front and center, and where, if a woman wanted something and she didn't see it on the display floor, all she had to do was ask.
Today, the three are co-owners of Sweet Spot Ladies Golf in Kirkland, Wash. Open just over a year now, Sweet Spot Ladies Golf offers women's apparel, accessories, shoes and equipment.
"We opened this not just for ourselves, but for a lot of women who golf," Golden said. "It is specifically for women."
Inside the shop, customers will find the apparel and accessories that the players are wearing on the LPGA. They try to stock sizes 2 to 22, and are often willing to order an item if it is not in stock, Golden said.
Their selection includes brands ranging from Callaway to Tommy Hilfiger to Nike, and many more. Golden said they make sure to keep a supply of the basics, but also try to sprinkle in the latest fashions to give female golfers more options.
In North Carolina, Jan Buske took a different approach, but maintained the same focus on the female golfer. Buske, owner of Shee Time Golf in Angier, N.C., sells women's apparel and accessories through a Web site and at tournaments.
She also throws golf attire gatherings that are similar to the old-fashioned "Tupperware party." She will take her goods to women's homes for a party that includes socializing, golf trivia, putting contests and, of course, shopping.
Like Golden, Gapp, and Taylor, Buske said she used to have a difficult time finding the golf clothes and accessories she was looking for at the larger stores and pro shops. She too found that the staff wasn't very helpful.
"It takes a lot of effort, especially to find something at a good price," she said
Cost is one factor she now makes sure to take into account as she selects items to sell.
"When you buy an entire outfit that matches in some stores, that's close to $200," Buske said. "If you buy a golf outfit, it shouldn't break the bank."
Buske tends to work with smaller manufacturers and carries many fashionable items.
For both Sweet Spot and Shee Time, business has been good, but one of the biggest challenges has been finding a balance in sizes, styles and other offerings that works for all women golfers, but doesn't regularly lead to an overstock for them.
Both Buske and Golden agree that the surge in popularity of the LPGA and players like Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer is leading to an increase in demand, and a resulting increase in supply of women's golf gear in many stores.
They also agree, however, that there is still a long way to go. If the golf industry wants to expand its base, women should be a target to the same extent that men are, they say. Women, after all, like to shop. They shop for themselves, as well as their husbands, boyfriends, and fathers. And they like selection - a lot of selection.
"I still think there's a long road ahead for women," Buske said. "But it's much better than it was."
For more on Shee Time Golf
Phone: 910-658-9460
E-mail: info@sheetimegolf.com
Web site: www.sheetimegolf.com
For more on Sweet Spot Ladies Golf
Phone:877-889-2685
Web site: www.sweetspotladiesgolf.com
|
|
