SentryWorld is the kind of place that once you get here and work in this facility, you don’t want to leave. Sentry Insurance, which owns the property, is very supportive and embraces golf in the company values and everything we do. Those values are expressed in 17 service standards instituted by SentryWorld General Manager Mike James – also a PGA member and someone who has been instrumental in my professional development over the last 10 years – that are aimed at offering “truly world class service” through practices like greeting guests properly and walking them through the shopping experience.
Success in the golf shop is also about keeping displays fresh, having a good flow of merchandise and making the most of SentryWorld’s short golf season. I always strive to keep a finger on the pulse of which products are in demand, something that has changed drastically since 2022, when SentryWorld transitioned from being a public to a resort facility with a 64-room boutique hotel built alongside the 18th fairway of the championship golf course.
We have almost none of the same vendors we did five years ago and continue to monitor what moves, what doesn’t and what guests are asking for. Our facility has undergone quite a transformation, and we now schedule our tee times at 20-minute intervals so the course won’t be overcrowded, conditions are impeccable and golfers can enjoy a relaxed pace of play.
Our sales have nearly tripled since I arrived, which I largely attribute to the club’s service standards and how they have enhanced our customer experience. We want each customer to walk out of here feeling like they were treated incredibly well. We’re confident in the products we sell, but we want them delighted by our service and hospitality as they say, “This wasn’t just a transaction; it was an experience.”