GOOD NEWS: Club Champion Sees HUGE Increase in Sales & Fittings

Even pre-COVID there were indicators of brick-and-mortar businesses, such as J.Crew and GNC, going out of business and moving entirely online. Naturally, the golf industry felt similar pains as many golfers can easily turn to the internet for, among other things, balls, gloves, shoes, and other apparel.

However, there’s one thing online shopping will never be able to replace, and that’s the benefit of a custom club fitting by a fitter, builder and retailer like Club Champion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Club Champion • Club Fitter (@clubchampion) on Jul 2, 2020 at 5:55pm PDT

Recognized as a top fitter, builder and retailer of the best brands in golf, Club Champion stands out in a niche market. Their dynamic vision has led Golf Digest to include them in the bi-annual Top 100 Clubfitters ranking since the inception of the list. The company’s thorough processes and attention to detail have gained a strong recognition among golfers, leading to an overall revenue growth of 46% and more than 100,000 appointments in 2019 alone.

“We offer a service that every avid golfer can benefit from,” said Nick Sherburne, Club Champion’s founder. “Our business model works because we can show measurable improvement. The retail landscape has changed but the success of our process has not.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Club Champion • Club Fitter (@clubchampion) on Nov 15, 2019 at 5:05pm PST

While 2019 was a record setting year, 2020 had a lot of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, at one point all but five stores were closed, including significant restrictions at their Chicagoland operations facility. While the builders were able to continue assembling custom clubs remotely, Club Champion’s fitting services were limited by stay-at-home mandates and manufacturer closures. Thankfully, golf courses across the country were permitted to open and the surge in demand for golf carried over into the fitting world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Club Champion • Club Fitter (@clubchampion) on Jun 4, 2020 at 1:26pm PDT

According to Club Champion CEO Joe Lee, “We knew people were itching to get out and play — really, to get out and do anything — but we couldn’t have imagined the sort of demand we would see as operations resumed. That demand, coupled with a nationwide reopening promotion, drove a 49% increase for June same store sales year-over-year and outpaced anything I’ve seen in my decade with Club Champion.”

Fortunately, Club Champion’s store set-up was well positioned to help golfers once COVID restrictions began easing up. To explain, Club Champion is appointment-only, thereby limiting the number of people in the store and touching equipment. They also enhanced their cleaning procedures, mandated masks where required and added social distancing regulations to keep both customers and employees safe. These smart tactics have allowed Club Champion to return back to normal operations nationwide, including increased fitting volumes, hiring for many positions, increasing shipment counts and more.

Further noteworthy is that Club Champion has succeeded in a market that’s heavily influenced by brand advertisements thanks to their brand agnostic approach. By focusing on the golfer instead of the manufacturer, Club Champion has been able to give each customer a unique and informative experience that delivers real results on the course. In fact, a Golf Digest study found that eight out of nine Club Champion custom-fit golfers lowered their scores by as much as six strokes per round and added an average of 21 yards off the tee. For anyone counting, that’s the difference between 250 yards off a Par 4 and looking at a 180 yard shot with a longer iron into a green or, instead, a 160 yard shot with mid-iron (not including any gains made possible by an iron fitting).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Club Champion • Club Fitter (@clubchampion) on May 11, 2020 at 10:11am PDT

But it’s not just golfers who are impressed by Club Champion; equipment manufacturers also hold back nothing with their praise for the custom fitter. TaylorMade CEO David Abeles commented, “Club Champion truly is one of the most innovative club fitters in the business. They provide a consumer experience that is undeniably helpful for all golfers to play better.” Callaway CEO Chip Brewer confirmed, “Club Champion is a fantastic consumer experience. One of the great, new age golf retailers who understand that fitting is the future.”

Their unique consumer experience has made Club Champion one of the fastest growing retailers in golf. In the last 24 months Club Champion has opened 36 new stores, bringing the total to 74 locations with plans to open additional stores in 2020-21. Their Tour-level fitting experience is sought after by golfers of every skill level, and their fitting studios service most of the major golf markets in the country.

Lee believes in the Club Champion method and the results it garners. “Other people sell golf clubs, we sell improvement,” he said. “We not only solve equipment problems, but we show and explain why each particular piece of equipment (shaft, head and grip) works for the customer’s swing.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hozel Rocket 🚀 (@hozel_rocket) on Jul 15, 2020 at 8:41am PDT

So to help make sure you’re giving yourself the best chance to go low, and hit it far—just like my new driver that’s drastically improved my dispersion and optimized my power to help me get 300 yards—make sure to contact your local Club Champion about a fitting.

Cover Image Via Instagram