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ach year, the AGM honors 100 or so of the most well-merchandised golf shops among the membership, further distinguishing 10 of those winners as the “Best of the Best.”
For the past two years, Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida, a private club set on 1,400 lush tropical acres and featuring four 18-hole golf courses, has earned both distinctions.
Boca West is one of the nation’s largest private residential country clubs with over 3,800 family memberships. The golf shop is the “hub” of its golf operation, checking in 125,000 rounds and generating over $2.3 million in merchandise sales annually. According to Director of Retail Emily Gifford, AGM, this translates into hundreds of rounds and retail transactions per day, on top of regular tournament programming, league play, clinics, trunk shows, demo days and major events.
“The golf shop is high volume and fast paced, and to say that we are busy is an understatement,” Gifford says. “Recognizing that the sheer size of the shop can be overwhelming to both members and employees, we implement a customer service initiative called ‘specialty zoning,’ allowing us to provide a more personalized and educated service to our members while empowering employees.”
According to this system, the shop is divided into a number of zones, such as demo clubs and golf equipment, footwear, sunglasses, sun protective apparel, giftware, headwear and men’s and women’s fashion. Staff members are given “rigorous product training” across all categories, while also attending product education seminars with sales reps and earning online AGM certifications. While employees specialize in certain areas, they are cross-trained and able to rotate between zones as needed.
“Each day, we ensure that staff specialists are zoned in their respective areas, ready to assist our membership with their purchasing decisions,” Gifford says. “Employees are better equipped to anticipate the needs and preferences of members shopping in their assigned zone, ensuring that every visit feels special and memorable. Specialty zoning has transformed our large retail operation into a smaller, more personalized member-friendly shopping experience.”
According to Gifford, specialty zoning doesn’t just increase member satisfaction and drive sales. It also builds both credibility and accountability with employees, as members are more likely to purchase from a specialist they know and trust.
“We have found that by zoning our golf shop and creating specialists, the staff takes pride and accountability in what they do and they are more inclined to follow up with members who make purchases, furthering their customer service beyond the sale,” she adds.
Gifford further points out that Boca West lost only two staff members in the past year, which she attributes to team members being held accountable for their work. This leads to “zero confusion” regarding their importance to management, resulting in less turnover and increased career growth.
“When staff members feel respected and highly sought after, they are more likely to provide 5-star service, increasing member satisfaction which, in turn, increases sales,” she adds. “As they say, the proof is in the pudding; not only is member satisfaction at an all-time high, but we are ahead of last year’s sales at this time (summer of 2024) by $325,000.”