19th Hole

Todd Cernohous
Director of Golf
Blackstone Country Club
Peoria, AZ

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Moving shop inventory in a cost-effective way benefits members and club

As director of golf for Blackstone Country Club at Vistancia and manager of the club’s golf shop, I’m always thinking of cost-effective ways to keep the shop inventory fresh and increase revenues. 

As any golf shop manager knows, it can be a challenge to keep merchandise moving in order to stock the latest equipment and apparel without discounting the current inventory.

But, late last year to take advantage of the holiday shopping season, Blackstone unveiled a merchandise program which offered complimentary guest rounds with purchases of a certain amount. For example, for a purchase of $125, a member receives one complimentary guest round; for a $200 purchase, receive two guest rounds, etc. The rounds included a golf cart and purchases were limited to in-store stock only.

In the two weeks it was implemented, we met our sales goal and the members felt they received an added value from their purchases, especially if they knew they would be bringing guests to the course in the near future.

But the program benefited the club in more ways than hitting our goal. It was a terrific way to turn the merchandise quickly to make way for new items, which members always like to see. It prevented over-inventory, which is a killer in the retail industry, and merchandise was sold at full retail pricing.

The club was further impacted when the members began using those guest rounds to introduce their family and friends to the Blackstone facilities. Those new faces spent money at the golf shop and on food and beverages at the clubhouse. They may also become members of Blackstone Country Club one day.

We’ll continue to offer this merchandise promotion again. When a program is this beneficial to members as well as the club, then we all win.