After the world’s largest golf retailer filed for bankruptcy and recently closed 59 locations nationwide, Eagle Club Indoor Golf is on a mission to become the #1 place golfers turn to for all their golfing needs.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA—Despite the recent closing of a major golf retailer, Eagle Club Indoor Golf is proof that San Francisco’s golf retail is not dead. Conveniently located in the SoMa neighborhood, the company is pleased to now serve as the official golf club retailers for Cobra, TaylorMade, Mizuno and Bridgestone while providing area golfers easy access to services that are currently lacking in the area.
“We are very thrilled to be expanding our business into retail. When we first started, our goal was to simply build a driving range that was easy to access and could bring golfers together in San Francisco,” stated Peter Erickson, Eagle Club Indoor Golf CEO. “We consider it an honor that we’ve built up enough goodwill with our customers and the golf community so that they trust us to be able to provide them with an amazing product line and services like club fitting.”
The golf industry generates approximately $6.3 billion for the California economy every year and has created nearly 130,000 jobs, according to the organization, We Are Golf. Believe it or not, this represents an overall decline of 7.7 percent compared to previous years and has forced some golf retailers to abandon brick and mortar locations in droves. In September 2016, the retail golf giant, Golfsmith, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy closing many locations nationwide—including its only location on Market Street. This left San Francisco golfers with less-than-personal online retailers as their main shopping solution.
“The closure of Golfsmith only pushed our retail timeline forward. Our staff has been working for years to build a relationship with our customers to find out their needs as golfers and what kind of services they would like us to provide,” stated Erickson. “Offering customers more convenience with the services they need only helps to bring golfers and the community together.”
With their retail business now open, golf enthusiasts can purchase TaylorMade, Cobra, Mizuno, and Bridgestone golf clubs and golf balls as well as golf-related accessories. Combining a technology based driving range with the ability to demo new club lines, Eagle Club Indoor Golf also provides an accessible location for golfers to receive a personalized and data-driven club fitting experience.
“Clubs are ordered to the customer’s specifications for grips and shafts. Additionally, we are building up an inventory of used clubs so that golfers of all levels and budgets will be able to find a set that meets their needs,” stated Chase Beecroft, head club fitter. “Customers are absolutely loving the feel, the look, even the sound of our popular club brands. More importantly, though, they’re loving the results of our personalized fitting services. Newer golfers are finding it easier to enter the game quickly with clubs like Cobra’s One Length irons. Scratch golfers are getting more control and more distance out of the tour versions."
According to the company’s CEO, Eagle Club Indoor Golf is doubling down its efforts in the city to become the go-to source for every golfers’ needs. In the future, the company plans to expand into an even larger facility as well as in multiple cities all while retaining its warm, friendly feel. Its mission will never change: bringing people together using golf, beer, and fun for the betterment of the community.
“We are not salesmen trying to meet quotas. We are golfers working towards growing the game,” stressed Erickson. “When someone walks out of our shop, we want them to feel like they received the best possible service and got precisely what they wanted out of their experience with us.”
As for the struggles within the industry, Erickson says Eagle Club Indoor Golf has experienced just the opposite. Business is going strong all thanks to its many local customers.
“Believe it or not, we’ve seen an uptick over the last few years. This is an exciting time to be in the golf industry,” he stated.
About Eagle Club Indoor Golf
Established in 2013, Eagle Club Indoor Golf has established itself as a convenient, go-to spot for golfers in San Francisco. Every offering and feature is designed to make golf more fun, easier to play, more accessible, and more relaxing for golfers and non-golfers alike. Features include driving ranges, courses, and services like club repair and regripping.