FAMILIAR FACES:
Local Professionals Claim Southwest Section PGA Awards

By RICK PRICE

The Southwest Section PGA Merchandiser of the Year Award recognizes those PGA Professionals, who have excelled as businesspersons / merchandisers in the promotion of golf. These PGA Professionals are honored annually in three categories: Public, Resort, and Private Facilities. The criteria used in selecting these award winners included the demonstration of skills in planning and promoting of sales by presenting products to their market on a timely basis and using specialized merchandising techniques that include display and advertising.

In the category of public facilities, the winner is Pam Drake. Pam is the Head Golf Professional at the Randolph Golf Complex in Tucson. In addition to her many operational responsibilities, she handles the buying activities of the four city golf shops. Not only is she highly regarded by her peers as strong in the field of merchandising; she also comes highly touted by several sales representatives as well.

Pam can you give us an example of some of your daily routines with your merchandising responsibilities?

I start each morning by checking the prior day’s sales report to see what sold and what will need to be restocked. I do not believe in jamming the shop floor with everything we have, so typically there is only one of each size out, and as it sells, I try to stay on top of restocking. I know it will not sell from a box in the back, so I find it imperative to replenish supplies when they sell.

Additionally I manage the central inventory system for all the City run golf shops on a daily basis. This ensures that our pricing is consistent at all Tucson City Golf properties. This includes creating a file for each new product we carry, assigning inventory numbers, entering the cost, and selling prices, and quantities. With our five golf courses, we carry over 1200 unique products.

Lastly, all the staff and I are continually straightening and changing product displays to give the pro shop a fresh and clean appearance.

That would appear to be a bit tedious at times. What do you do to make a unique difference in buying for the golf shops?

Having the buying power of four pro shops certainly helps. We are able to buy in larger quantities than if we were a single golf course, which allows us to qualify for discounts from the vendors, and we can pass those savings on to the customers. In addition, as tough as the economy has been the past few years we have been able to take advantage of vendors needing to unload excess inventory at rock bottom prices. Furthermore, I have been a bigger part in buying the women’s clothing line and at Randolph; it has been received very positively.

We have all made mistakes buying merchandise in one fashion or another. What was the biggest buying mistake you have made and how did you correct it?

In jest, I would say, allowing the Director of Golf to be alone with a sales rep doing the buying. In pursuant of poor sell through of any merchandise or in any over buying, I have created the Randolph Clearance Room to help reduce our inventory levels and to unload excess product.

How important is this award to you as a professional and what does it mean personally to you?

Professionally it is always great to be recognized by your peers for your hard work. Personally, it means the world to me. My dad is pleased that the 5 years worth tuition at the UofA was not a complete waste. He thought all I did was play golf, but I did come away with my marketing degree. I have always been interested in buying trends, creating displays, and finding new promotional ways to help sell products. Necessity really is the mother of invention. When I first arrived here at Randolph, I inherited an excessively large inventory. That is why I open the Randolph Clearance Room. I was able to utilize an un-used resource by converting the seldom-used men’s locker room into 900 square feet of sales space.

How long have you been a PGA golf professional and how long have you been the Head Professional at the Randolph Golf Complex?

I have been a PGA Class A member for 15 years. I have been with the City of Tucson for 10 years, 8½ years as the Head Pro at Fred Enke Golf course and 1½ years as the Head Pro at the Randolph Golf Complex.

Pam congratulations again on your accomplishment, what words of advice can you give the golfing consumer for the coming season.

For anyone who has not yet tried the new moisture wicking material now in most golf shirts, I would highly recommend they try it. These shirts are much easier to care for. They require no ironing and always look good in addition to not being as hot. It is amazing how they pull the moisture away from your skin and keep you cool during our hot summer months.

The category for resort facilities has recognized Pat Miller Director of Golf at the Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa. A world-renowned resort in the Tucson area, Pat is most proud of navigating the club through a difficult renovation recently where he was highly involved in the redesign of the golf shop. Several of his peers have pointed out his use of unique memorabilia from the PGA Tour Tucson Open, which has established a sense of history and tradition. As a Resort and a Golf Club membership he continually has established significantly improved relationships with his Men’s and Women’s Golf Associations through creative sales and promotional efforts.

There is a fine line and a balancing act at a Resort and Golf Club in buying the right products and apparel for members vs. resort guests. Can you give us any examples in your buying plan on how you satisfy both customers?

The nice thing about our Golf Shop is that we are not strapped for space and have the ability to bring in a variety of products to satisfy both our members and guests. Members often will look for more practical items that they are going to use on a daily basis while our guests are looking for that item to take back home with them to remember their time here. Hats, shirts and specific golf items are always going to accommodate all customers.

What buying trends have you seen recently in your members and guest?

Technology has continued to make it impact in the golf industry and that trend does not seem like it is ending any time soon. GPS units such as the Callaway upro and Sky Caddies have been good selling items for us along with Laser Link and Bushnell distance finders. The trend of looking for an edge will always be there and as a merchandiser, it is not difficult to sell a product if the customer thinks it can help them lower their scores.

As a Director of Golf you have many responsibilities and hats to wear. How much of the buying do you actually do and how involved is your staff in the process?

This was the first year as Director of Golf that I did not have a buyer to rely on. Over the last year, I would say at least half of my time was put toward the merchandise area along with doing 100% of the buying. I feel that merchandising is a major part of any full service golf operation and that the Assistant Professionals I currently have working for me will one day have a Golf Shop of their own to run. Therefore, it is important for them to get involved in all aspects of merchandising and something I plan on getting them more involved in so that one day they may be recognized as Merchandiser of the Year.

Were you surprised to hear that you won the award and what does it mean to you to be honored for your diligent work?

When I found out I had been nominated as Merchandiser of the Year it was an unbelievable feeling. To then find out I had actually won the award was overwhelming to be recognized for just doing my job. When I got into the golf industry at the age of 20, I had 5 goals at that time I wanted to accomplish. Become a Head Pro by the age of 30, become a Director of Golf by the age of 40, work at a facility that hosted a PGA Tour event, be a PGA Professional long enough to become a life member, and finally was to one day be a Section Award winner. I always thought (or hoped) that Player of the Year would have been the award I would have won. Knowing how much time and effort I put into merchandising makes it extremely gratifying to be this year recipient and something that I will always be able to look back on knowing it was a tremendous honor and great achievement.

Could you tell us a little about yourself as a professional and your years of service at the Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa?

I first started my professional career in Kalispell Montana at a city course called Buffalo Hill. My first job there was being a ball spotter in tournaments at the age of 10 and 16 years later after learning everything I possibly could about the wonderful game of golf, I moved to Scottsdale and was a Golf Professional at Desert Mountain for the next 5 years. My service at Omni Tucson National began as their Head Professional but a few short months later, I was promoted to Director of Golf, which I have now been for the past 5 years. During my tenure at Tucson National, I have been able to take part in building a new golf course designed by Tom Lehman, designing and starting a new golf shop from the ground up and be the Professional host to three PGA Tour events. Needless to say, I have been blessed to be given some amazing opportunities in my career because of this incredible game of golf. It will always be my goal to give back to the game as much as it has given me, and now it has given me the ability to call myself Merchandiser of the Year.

Pat congratulations to you and your staff for an award well deserved.

___________________________________________________________________________________