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One of the better trends in golf equipment these days is the opening of fitting centers, which allows players to get the gear that best suits their games. Among the newest of those is called the KBS Experience. Located in the Bressi Ranch area of Carlsbad, Calif., just north of San Diego – and just blocks from the company’s office – it is a 3,600-square-foot space that features a pair of hitting bays equipped with TrackMan launch monitors for full-club fittings and a 15-foot-by-15-foot putting green so customers can be measured properly for their flat sticks as well.
Only shafts from KBS are sold. They include everything from graphite products designed for drivers and fairways to steel shafts for irons, wedges and putters. But as KBS works with all major equipment makers, it is able to offer clubheads for all of them, be they Callaway or Titleist, Cobra or Ping. As a result, the choices for customers are plentiful.
The primary goal is to get golfers fit properly, but the KBS Experience also is designed to be fun. Televisions are mounted throughout the outlet, and understandably are tuned to channels airing golf tournaments and golf shows. There are couches and chairs as well as coffee machines, a full bar and a tap for kegs of beer. KBS also has set up a retail operation that sells limited-edition items with KBS red-and-black logos, ranging from hats and towels to shirts and bags.
KBS marketing director Rhett Taylor describes the space as “a full-service golf shop,” adding that golfers may book appointments online or walk in. The company often stages events with club manufacturers at the Experience and is happy to have customers organize their own functions.
“We want to provide a valuable service to our customers,” Taylor says. “And we want do so in a way that is a lot of fun.”