My philosophy stems from the belief that all the really good things we do outside the golf shop will determine our success inside the golf shop. If we run great tournaments, if we have an outside operation that makes a great first impression, if our player development programs are successful – those things are going to drive people into the shop. I think that’s one of those things people kind of miss: we always have to give people a reason to wear a golf shirt with the Cattail Creek logo on it.
From there, when people come in, we try to tell the best story possible with each brand. We’ve gone a little narrower with the vendors we carry, which changed from when I got here. One of the initiatives I had coming to the club was trying to make it more of a boutique effect. We got rid of some of brands you could go into Dick’s or Golf Galaxy and see; as we are the only private club in Howard County, Maryland, we wanted members and guests to feel they had a special shopping experience they couldn’t get anywhere else. We have stronger partnerships, which allows the brands to do the best in the shop and for us to grow a little bit every year with them.