In an era where many retailers have scaled back their physical footprint, PGA Tour Superstore continues to expand its brick-and-mortar presence at a notable rate, demonstrating the value of experiential retail within a thriving golf industry.

The company has opened 33 new stores since the pandemic hit in 2020, maintaining a consistent pace of eight new locations annually each of the past three years. Golf’s largest retailer now has 74 stores in 27 states, with a particularly robust presence in golf-rich states like Florida (11), Texas (10), and California (7).

“It’s a combination of new markets and fill-in markets,” said PGA Tour Superstore President Jill Spiegel. “We’re really filling in a lot of places. And we really have dominance in some of the bigger cities.”

The retailer’s expansion strategy balances penetration in existing markets with entry into new territories. Recent openings include its first stores in the Detroit suburbs; Kansas City; Greenville, South Carolina; Nashville; and Richmond, Virginia, alongside additional locations in established markets like Palm Desert, California, and Houston, where PGA Tour Superstore now operates four stores, almost pulling that major city even with the five in the Chicago area.

The growth shows no signs of slowing. The company, recently recognized again by the NGF as one of the Top 100 Businesses in Golf, plans to open another eight stores in 2025, pushing its total to 82 locations.

“The model is 10% new store growth every year,” Spiegel explains. Already announced locations include Grand Rapids, Michigan; Louisville, Kentucky; a second store in Minneapolis; and the company’s first Connecticut location in Norwalk.

E-Commerce & Experience

While maintaining aggressive physical expansion, PGA Tour Superstore has also strengthened its online presence.

The company’s e-commerce business, which Spiegel acknowledges was “fairly underdeveloped” pre-COVID, surged to 16% of total sales during 2020 and 2021, and continues to maintain double-digit share. However, the company remains focused on its differentiating factor: the in-store experience.

“Online is great and we want to continue to focus on that business. But our in-store experience is special, and it’s what sets us apart,” notes Spiegel, who took over her current role in 2022 after serving as the company’s longtime merchandising chief.

The company’s omnichannel approach has proven particularly effective, with many customers researching products online before visiting stores. In addition to picking up the item they were looking for, they often leave with other equipment and accessories.

“A lot of our customers shop both channels, and that’s really our most valuable customer,” said Spiegel.

The equipment category has been particularly strong, driven by custom fitting services, the company’s indoor greens and putter sales, and its PGA Tour Superstore Studio concept. These dedicated spaces offer customers extended time in hitting bays and access to an expanded selection of club heads and custom shafts. While apparel sales have been softer industry-wide, the company has maintained its focus on athleisure options and expanded offerings for newer golfers coming into the game.

“Our women’s apparel business, we have a huge amount of market share there. It was just a softer category this past year,” Spiegel said. “There’s been a void in that new, younger, emerging customer that’s coming into the game. She doesn’t want to look like her mom or her grandma, and she wants a shorter skirt and a more updated look.”

Simulator Technology

Looking ahead, PGA Tour Superstore is heavily investing in the growing indoor golf simulation market, both in-store and in-home.

Almost every location has multiple hitting bays, with all the newer stores using Trackman technology. On average, there are two bays in each Studio, one for fitting and one for instruction. And then there are typically another four to five bays outside the studio, depending on the market. Stores in northern states have even more, including those that are busy with offseason practice and leagues. The new store that recently opened in the suburbs of Novi, Michigan, has nine hitting bays, and the one in Milwaukee has 10.

PGA Tour Superstore has also been introducing in-home simulator technology, in the same section in which they sell items like range finders and GPS watches.

To better serve those interested in the at-home market, the company is developing in-store buildouts where customers can experience different options and receive comprehensive guidance on installation, whether they’re looking for a $1,000 system or willing to spend $25,000 and up.

“Not everybody knows how to go about building it out,” Spiegel says. “We want to help show the customer – this is what you need, here are the nets, this is the screen you need, and here’s the turf. We want the customer to be able to come in and go, ‘Oh, this is what I can do at my house. These are my dimensions.’ We’re working through that, but you’ll be able to see that very soon.”

Looking Ahead

For 2025, the company is introducing several other initiatives to enhance its customer experience, including an expanded Fit-and-Go program that allows customers to leave with custom-fitted clubs the same day. The company is also intensifying its focus on new customer segments.

“You’re going to see us really leaning into this new customer this year: the 18 to 34-year-old, all these women that have come in, juniors,” Spiegel says. “The avid golfer comes into our stores and is our core customer, but for that newer customer, how do you make them feel very welcome?”

Looking at the broader golf industry, Spiegel remains decidedly optimistic.

“When you look at what happened post-COVID, and we saw those rounds numbers — three of the last four years we had record rounds – and participation has gone up. Avids are playing more rounds per year than they used to. So, there are no signs that it’s slowing down.”

She points to the diversification of golf experiences, from traditional courses to simulation facilities, as a key driver of continued growth.

“Whether it’s Topgolf, Five Iron Golf, or in your home, there’s so many different ways to play it,” she added. “I think there’s nowhere to go but up. The wind is at our back.”